Menu Plan Monday (June 7)

My grocery challenge is going well so far! It was a bit tough as I am aiming to cut down our grocery bill substantially (just as a challenge for myself), but I managed to get through the first week on track.

Recipe Review: Last week's Macaroni Grill Penne Rustica (click on the link to see the recipe I used) was just okay for us. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly except I used half and half cream instead of full cream. For me, a winning recipe must meet most (or all) of the following criteria:

• Flavour (this one is a must!) - The Penne Rustica seemed to be lacking a bit in this area. More chicken stock flavouring maybe would help, I don't know.
  
• Nutrition/Calorie Content - Penne Rustica is a low nutrition/high calorie dish, in my opinion.
  
• Preparation Time - This dish took longer to prepare than some of my other pasta dishes
• Cost - It was fairly economical to make, however, and feeds a lot of people!
  

Warning to those who try this recipe - it makes A LOT! I actually made only a third of the recipe and we still ended up eating it for 3 MEALS for the 2 of us, and my husband's portions were huge, LOL. The chicken, however, was amazing. I marinated it in oil and garlic overnight and then barbecued it. I will definitely be doing that again for pasta dishes.

Because of the Penne Rustica covering us for 3 meals, I didn't get to make the Lemon Dill Pollock, so that's why it's bumped to this week. Romaine hearts were on sale last week and are on sale this week, so we are eating lots of salad! Here's this week's plan:

Sunday, June 6
Picked up subs for lunch to eat on the deck.
Visited family for supper

Monday, June 7
Shipwreck, Tossed Salad

Tuesday, June 8
Leftover Shipwreck

Wednesday, June 9
Homemade Pizza, Caesar Salad

Thursday, June 10
Red & White Tortellini, (using homemade pasta sauce), Caesar or Tossed Salad

Friday, June 11
Leftover Tortellini

Saturday, June 12
Lemon Dill Pollock (NEW), Potato Wedges, Carrot Sticks

*For more great meal ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday hosted by orgjunkie.com*