Weekly Menu Plan 8-23-09

It's a short week this week for me. The hubby has a board meeting one night and another I'm going out with friends so only 4 nights of cooking this week. I'm using some of the yummy blue cheese that a friend gave me so you'll see that in a couple of different recipes. Hope you enjoy what's on the menu!

Sliders recipe
Blue cheese and bacon potato skins:
5 (12-ounce) baking potatoes
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Preheat oven to 375°. Bake potatoes at 375° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Cut each potato in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Place potato pulp, buttermilk, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Spoon about 1/2 cup potato mixture into each of 8 shells (reserve remaining shells for another use). Arrange stuffed shells on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Easy Tomato Basil soup:
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (or use paste basil)
Swiss cheese

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the broth, salt, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. Stir in basil.
Place half of the soup in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a bowl, and repeat procedure with remaining soup. Sprinkle hot soup with swiss cheese. Serve with ham and cheese sandwiches.
You can make this soup without the basil if you use basil/oregano tomatoes. It’s not quite as good…but it’s easier!

Ham and cheese sandwiches:
1 pkg refrigerated French bread
Deli ham
Swiss or provolone cheese slices
Cut bread dough into four equal pieces. Unroll each piece. Place a few pieces of ham and one piece of cheese at the end of one slice of dough and roll up. Place seam sides down on a baking pan. Bake according to bread directions until nicely brown.


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