Today is the day where it all begins. Clean out your pantry. Get rid of all the expired cans and goods and donate the rest to your local food bank. Let’s start with a clean slate! As we spin the thread of our own personal dinner stories, we will replenish our cupboard with cans and goods we will use for our nightly dinners. Follow these easy steps and we will be ready to start our dinner adventures tomorrow.

Go to the grocery store and purchase the following must have pantry staples:

1. Salt
2. Pepper
3. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4. Vegetable Oil
5. Balsamic Vinegar
6. Mayonnaise
7. Mustard
8. Sugar
9. Flour
10. Unsalted Butter
11. Eggs
12. Yellow Onions
13. Shallots
14. Garlic

Tip: Once a month I stock up on essentials that we need as a family and have it delivered by a local the grocery store. Check out your local grocery store for free delivery options and take advantage of this great service. With 4 children, we use lots of snacks, cereal, and milk, just to name a few. Soda and juice are also on my list along with breakfast items and school lunches. Since your family’s needs are different from my family, I have not included them as part of the pantry staples.

Organize your Take-Out and Delivery Menus

Gather and organize your family’s favorite take out and delivery menus. There will be days where cooking a meal is just not feasible and that’s ok. Remember, cooking dinner should not be a source of anxiety and stress. We can still gather around the dinner table and reconnect as a family over a take out meal.

Kick back, rest-up, we are off to a great start!

You are now ready to jump right in and follow my blog. You haven’t missed a beat so call one of your family’s favorite take-out places one last time before we let the dinner stories begin! We are so excited to have on board!

Read the Welcome section of the blog

The welcome section will tell you a little bit more about the blog and myself. Cooking nightly dinners from scratch can be very overwhelming and intimidating, hence, the reason for this blog. I promise you, anyone can do it so give it a try. Just follow my lead and you too will be enjoying a home cooked meal with your family. The first two days have been added to this section to give you a little bit more time planning before you jump into the blog. You can jump in at any time and pick up the treat. No prior experience needed! Remember, no matter at what stage of the blog you are joining us, “dinner storys’” dinner is designed for any kind of cook. Feel free to modify the recipes to fit your family and your needs.

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THE MENU

Monday: Enchilada Casserole with Salad

Tuesday: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Salad, and Garlic Bread

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The shopping list is organized according to the grocery store aisles. I hope this makes shopping for dinner much easier.

Meat Department:

1. 3 chicken breasts or 1 roasted chicken (to save some time)
2. 2 lbs. 7% ground beef

Produce Department:

1. 2 yellow onions
2. 1 romaine heart salad
3. 2 tomatoes
4. 1 cucumber
5. 1 lemon
6. 1 head of garlic
7. 1 celery
8. 3 carrots
9. 1 bell pepper
10. Arugula Salad
11. 1 fennel bulb

Dairy Aisle:

1. 1/2 stick Butter
2. 1 tub of sour cream
3. 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
4. 2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese
5. Shaved Parmesan cheese
6. Grated Parmesan cheese
7. 1 cup milk (% does not matter, use whatever you have in the fridge. The higher % fat, the creamier the sauce)

Canned Goods Aisle:

1. 1 can black beans (I use the low sodium kind)
2. 1 can corn (I use the low sodium kind)
3. 1 can enchilada sauce

Pasta Aisle:

1. 16 oz  can tomato paste
2. Spaghetti

Chips Aisle:

1. guacamole
2. salsa
3. tortilla chips
4. 10 10-inch corn tortillas

Herbs and Seasoning Aisle:

1. Italian seasoning

Spirit Aisle:

1. 1 cup dry white wine such as Pinot  Grigio (14 oz can diced tomatoes can be substituted)

Tip: look for the small bottles of wine. They come in a 4 pack and each small bottle contains 1 cup of wine.

Bread Aisle:

1. 1 loaf white bread or any kind of bread you like for the garlic bread

Pantry Staples

A list of must have items in every kitchen.

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MONDAY

Enchilada Casserole with Salad

Serves 4

PREPARATION

Enchilada Casserole 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. If you bought a roasted chicken omit this step. Salt and pepper chicken breast and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Bake chicken breast for 35 minutes and let cool completely. Shred the chicken.
3. Dice the onion.
4. Drain and wash the black beans.
5. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the onion. Add the shredded chicken and black beans until heated through.
6. In an oven proof Dutch Oven add 1/4 of the enchilada sauce and cover it with 3 10-inch corn tortillas.
7. Spread 1/3 of the chicken/black bean mix on top of the tortillas.
8. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of each of the shredded cheeses.
9. Add 1/4 can of Enchilada sauce.
10. Cover with 3 10-inch corn tortillas.
11. Spread 1/3 of the chicken/black bean mix on top of the tortillas.
12. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of each of the shredded cheeses.
13. Add 1/4 can of Enchilada sauce.
14. Cover with 3 10-inch corn tortillas.
15. Spread 1/3 of the chicken/black bean mix on top of the tortillas.
16. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of each of the shredded cheeses.
17. Add 1/4 can of Enchilada sauce.
18. Top with 1/2 cup of each of the three cheeses.

Tip: The casserole can be prepared up to this point ahead of time. Bake it when you get home.

Bake for 45 minutes @ 350°F. Take the casserole out of the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Serve with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and tortilla chips.

Salad

1. Wash and shred the roman heart salad.
2. Place in a large salad bowl.
3. Add the drained corn.
4. Wash and dice the cucumber. Add to the salad.
5. Wash and dice the tomato. Add to the salad.
6. Make the salad dressing: 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 4 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, juice of 1 lemon.
7. Toss the salad.

Call your troops, if the yummy smell of the casserole has not already lured them to the dinner table. Let the dinner stories begin!

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TUESDAY

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Salad, and Garlic Bread

Meat Sauce

Note: The meat sauce has to simmer for about 1 ½ hours.

1. Heat ½ cup olive oil in a Dutch Oven until hot. (You can drop a diced onion in the oil to check when the oil is hot enough. The oil is hot when small bubbles form around the diced onion)
2. Chop and dice onion, bell pepper, carrots, celery, and garlic.
3. Add onion, bell pepper, carrots, celery, and garlic to the hot olive oil and sauté until soft.
4. Add the ground beef and brown until the meat is no longer pink.
5. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
6. Add 6 oz. can of tomato paste.
7. Add 1 cup of dry white wine and 1 cup of milk.
8. Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
9. Cover and let simmer for about 1 ½ hours.

Spaghetti

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Add 1 Tablespoon salt.
3. Bring back to a boil.
4. Add spaghetti and boil according to package until ALMOST done.
5. Drain pasta. IMPORTANT: reserve 1 cup of the pasta water!
6. Toss pasta with the meat sauce. If the meat sauce is too thick add 1 cup of pasta water.
7. Finish cooking the pasta in the meat sauce until al-dente. (You know when the pasta is done cooking when you feel only the slightest resistance when you bite on the pasta)
8. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Tip: While you wait for the pasta water to boil, preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare the garlic bread and bake it. Once the pasta is added to the salt water and you wait for the pasta to be almost done cooking, prepare the salad.

Arugula Salad with fennel and shaved Parmesan cheese

1. Wash Arugula salad
2. Finely chop fennel bulb and toss with the arugula salad.
3. Make the salad dressing: 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 4 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, juice of 1 lemon.
4. Toss the salad.
5. Add shaved Parmesan cheese.

Garlic Bread

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Slice the loaf of white bread.
3. Soften ½ sticks of butter.
4. Press 4 cloves of garlic through the garlic press and add to the softened butter. Mix well.
5. Spread the garlic butter onto the sliced bread and arrange in a single layer onto a cookie sheet. (Cover the cookie sheet with a piece of non stick aluminum foil if you have it for faster and easier clean up)
6. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown in some spots.
7. Serve immediately.

From my house to yours, enjoy your home cooked meal with your family as you are listening to tonight’s dinner storys!