What's for dinner?

SUNDAY

(Family day) -- Plan to relax and buy a spiral-sliced ham. Add German potato salad and coleslaw from the deli, along with pickled beets and multigrain rolls.

Make blueberry and white chocolate "Napoleons" for dessert. In a large bowl, beat 1 (3.4-ounce) package white chocolate or vanilla instant pudding mix into 1 1/2 cups cold 1 percent milk for 2 minutes or until well-blended; let stand 5 minutes. Remove 1/3 cup pudding to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate. Into the remaining pudding, fold in 1 cup (of 1 1/3 cups total) fresh blueberries. Cut 1 (11.75- ounce) frozen (thawed) reduced-fat pound cake into 12 thin slices; toast until golden. Place one cake slice on each of 6 dessert plates. Spoon blueberry-pudding mixture onto slices, dividing evenly. Top each with another slice of cake. Garnish with reserved pudding and reserved blueberries. Serve immediately.

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough ham and coleslaw and buy enough blueberries for Monday. Save enough ham for Wednesday.

SHOPPING LIST: spiral-sliced ham, deli German potato salad and coleslaw, pickled beets, multigrain rolls, white chocolate or vanilla instant pudding mix, 1 percent milk, fresh blueberries, frozen reduced-fat pound cake.

MONDAY

(Heat and eat day) -- Use some of the leftover ham for delicious ham, asparagus and Swiss quiche (see recipe). Serve with leftover coleslaw and crusty rolls. Keep dessert light with leftover blueberries.

SHOPPING LIST: refrigerated pie crust, butter or margarine, onion, fresh asparagus, tomatoes, eggs, 1 percent milk, nutmeg, hot sauce, reduced-fat Swiss cheese, crusty rolls.

HAM, ASPARAGUS AND SWISS QUICHE (Monday)

Makes 6 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 50 to 60 minutes

1 refrigerated pie crust (from a 15-ounce package)

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 medium sliced onion

8 ounces fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

8 ounces cubed (leftover) ham

2 medium coarsely chopped tomatoes

3 whole eggs

1/2 cup 1 percent milk

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Dash hot sauce

8 ounces shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use a 10-inch quiche pan and prepare crust according to package directions for a one-crust pie. Trim excess dough and refrigerate. In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter on medium-low and cook onion and asparagus 5 minutes or until softened. Reduce heat to low. Add ham and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, nutmeg and hot sauce. Spoon vegetable and ham mixture into prepared pie crust. Add cheese and pour egg mixture over all. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until center is set.

Per serving: 413 calories, 27 grams protein, 22 grams fat (48 percent calories from fat), 10.1 grams saturated fat, 27 grams carbohydrate, 157 milligrams cholesterol, 703 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.

TUESDAY

(Express day) -- For an easy meal, buy one of the packaged Mexican dinner kits (such as Old El Paso or another brand) and follow the directions. Serve with one of Lipton's six new Fiesta Sides dish kits (about $1.29 for rice or pasta flavors). Buy guacamole to add to your own fiesta. Fresh pineapple spears are good for dessert.

SHOPPING LIST: Mexican Dinner Kit (such as Old El Paso or another brand), Lipton's Fiesta Sides dish kits, store-bought guacamole, fresh pineapple spears.

WEDNESDAY

(Kids day) -- Treat the kids and make macaroni and cheese with ham by stirring cubed leftover ham into your own (or store-bought) hot macaroni and cheese. Cover and let stand 5 minutes to heat through. Add baby carrots for some crunch, along with bread sticks. Red and green grapes are good for dessert.

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough carrots for Friday.

SHOPPING LIST: ingredients for or store-bought macaroni and cheese, baby carrots, bread sticks, red and green grapes.

THURSDAY

(Meatless day) -- Spicy cheese and rice bake (see recipe) has plenty of flavor without any fuss. Serve it with a spinach salad with thinly sliced red onion and toasted walnuts. Add multigrain bread. How about some juicy fresh apricots for dessert?

TIP: To toast walnuts: Heat oven to 350 degrees and spread walnuts on a shallow baking sheet; bake 5 to 8 minutes or until browned and fragrant.

SHOPPING LIST: canned Mexican-style tomatoes, reduced-fat sour cream, rice, 50 percent light cheddar cheese, pickled jalapeno peppers, fresh cilantro, fresh spinach, red onion.

SPICY CHEESE AND RICE BAKE (Thursday)

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 35 to 40 minutes, plus rice

1 (14-ounce) can Mexican-style tomatoes

6 ounces reduced-fat sour cream

4 cups cooked rice

4 ounces grated 50 percent light cheddar cheese

3 tablespoons sliced pickled jalapeno peppers

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine tomatoes and sour cream. Layer half of rice, half tomato mixture and half cheese in the baking dish. Repeat layers. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and casserole is bubbly. Garnish with jalapeno peppers and cilantro.

Per serving: 372 calories, 15 grams protein, 10 grams fat (24 percent calories from fat), 6.4 grams saturated fat, 57 grams carbohydrate, 36 milligrams cholesterol, 662 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.

FRIDAY

(Budget day) -- There's nothing like a good sandwich such as a grilled brie, basil and tomatoes on sourdough bread to ease the food budget. Serve with baked chips and leftover baby carrots and add sweet pickles. Watermelon wedges are a messy but fun dessert.

SHOPPING LIST: brie, fresh basil, tomatoes, sourdough bread, baked chips, sweet pickles, watermelon.

SATURDAY

(Easy Entertaining day) -- Invite guests for your grilled tuna tonight. Add packaged long-grain and wild rice. Enjoy the bounty of summer tomatoes with scalloped tomatoes (see recipe). Add a Boston lettuce salad. Buy fruit tarts for dessert.

SHOPPING LIST: tuna to grill, packaged long-grain and wild rice, tomatoes, onion, salt, pepper, sugar, white loaf bread, unsalted butter, Boston lettuce, store-bought fruit tarts, walnuts, multigrain bread, fresh apricots.

SCALLOPED TOMATOES (Saturday)

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: about 45 minutes, plus toasting bread

6 large vine-ripe peeled and seeded tomatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 small finely chopped onion (about 1/3 cup)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

4 slices white loaf bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, divided

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes and onion. Add the salt, pepper and sugar and toss well. Scatter the bread cubes on baking pan; drizzle 3 tablespoons of melted butter over them. Toast in oven 8 to 12 minutes or until golden. Add toasted bread to tomatoes and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper and sugar as needed. Spoon into baking dish and drizzle with remaining melted butter. Place a piece of parchment paper directly over tomatoes and cover dish tightly with foil. Bake 35 minutes; uncover and bake 10 more minutes. (Adapted from "The Gift of Southern Cooking," Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock; Knopf, $29.95.)

Per serving: 260 calories, 5 grams protein, 16 grams fat (53 percent calories from fat), 9.3 grams saturated fat, 27 grams carbohydrate, 38 milligrams cholesterol, 728 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.

Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail: menuplanner@mindspring.com. The Menu Planner is also accessible at www.7daymenuplanner.com. ? 2004 Universal Press Syndicate

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