My biggest problem with menu planning is deciding what to make. I love the idea of planning meals for the month, but our schedule changes frequently so I know a month long plan would lead to frustration.
My solution is to create a list, 30 Days of Meals. These are our dinners for the next 30 days. Each week I will pick six or seven meals from the list. There are a few repeats, which are family favorites. This will allow me to stock up on sale items as well as cook certain foods in bulk.
The hard part was creating the list. Each child was able to suggest two meals, which is why fried chicken is on the list. By having a 30 day list I hope to bring a little variety into our weekly dinners as well as continue to make our family favorites.
Here is the list, including links to some of the recipes.
30 Days of Meals
- Whole Wheat Pizza x 3
- Shepherd’s Pie x 2
- Tacos x 2
- Chicken Pot Pie x 2
- Spaghetti x 2
- Baked Ziti x 2
- Salmon Turnovers x 2
- Bean and Ham Soup
- Fish & Shrimp
- Sloppy Joes
- Bee Rocks
- Stir Fry
- Chicken Noodle Soup & Grilled Cheese
- Mexican Casserole
- Mexican Chicken Skillet
- Fried Chicken
- Meatloaf
- Quesadillas
- Fettucini Alfredo
- Tuna Casserole
- Venison Fajitas
- Venison Stew
This list should actually last me about 5 weeks with leftovers and an occasional meal at a friend’s house. This week we are having tuna casserole, salmon turnovers, pizza, baked ziti, bean and ham soup, and spaghetti. After a meal is made it will be crossed off the list, unless it is a repeat meal.
By looking at my 30 Days of Meals I know that I want to look for sales on chicken breast and ground beef/ turkey this month. I also want to look for cheese since it is called for in many of the recipes.
I hope this list will help streamline my kitchen work leaving me with more time accomplish other things and remove the temptation to go out to dinner.
For more Kitchen Tips visit Tammy’s Recipes and for more Talk about Tuesday visit Lara.
Stop by Blissfully Domestic for more homemaking ideas.
{ 5 trackbacks }
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
what a great idea!! I was just thinking today that I need to start making things in bigger batches and freezing them for those days when I just don’t feel like cooking. This is another great way to do things too!
[Reply]
Wow! I was just thinking of doing the exact same thing. As meals were prepared, cross them off or take them off the list or something. Whoa! Too weird. Good luck!
[Reply]
This is what I did recently, too. Just started trying to meal plan again and I’ve been switching things around and crossing them off the list when they’re done (so I know I used that chicken or those pork chops from the freezer). My question is How do you get your kids to eat what you make? Mine are 6 & 3 and used to eat anything I make but now will pretty much only eat chicken fingers, pasta, grilled cheese, that kind of thing. It makes shopping and meal planning a nightmare and mealtimes miserable. I want to stop making 2 meals and get them to broaden their horizons. Any tips? Thanks!
[Reply]
I just did this for my family! It was a lot of work (especially since I ended up compiling all the ingredients to determine totals needed for the month.) But I entered the whole thing in a spread sheet and am leaving assessments of each recipe. I only did 26 meals though. I also know that next time I should do better at using similar ingredients more.
[Reply]
Wow, love your meal plan, thanks for the ideas to add to my menu. We are going to try out the salmon turnovers this week.
[Reply]
This is a great idea. I have something similar. I just sat down one day and listed a bunch of family favorites and then added in some recipes I want to try.
I don’t like to eat to much meat so we throw in lentils or salad or breakfast, etc. somewhere in there too.
[Reply]
Great idea!! I try to plan meals for 2 weeks but hadn’t thought of doing for a month. I do try to plan our leftovers to make into something else though.
[Reply]
Aha, so THIS is what you were talking about! I like it! Once we did a full on menu, week 1, week 2, and switched, but it got old, quick. I like this pick and choose idea. But YES! Planning the meals is the hardest part! That’s the longest part of our shopping list is meal-planning, ugh!
[Reply]
I try to do something like that to. I don’t like having a set dinner for each night, but this way I can pick and choose.
[Reply]
Great plan! I have been trying (sometimes unsuccessfully) to plan meals by the week. I would eventually love to be organized enough to have a monthly meal plan.
~Nicole
http://www.5paiges.blogspot.com
[Reply]
Great idea!!!
[Reply]
As you know Toni, I have recently started working out of home – full time. Suddenly my whole routine got disrupted and so did my ability to prepare suppers. I get home after 6 pm and the last thing I want to do is to cook supper. At first my sweet husband would pick up fast food suppers for us on the way from his work. But this was not going to fit into our budget nor into the eat healthier plan. Then my dear friend bought me a book called Once-a-Month Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg. This book is awesome. Not only they give you plans, recipes, the whole shopping lists, but also details such as how many freezer baggies of what size you will need. The idea is you shop and cook once a month (or every two weeks, which ever you prefer). I love it. I use it with my own recipes, but they have lots of great recipes worth trying. So one Saturday I cook like crazy and then each morning I take out of the freezer what we will have for supper. I come home in the evening, warm up the food, enjoy the aromas which are same as if I was cooking all day, and then when my husband comes home we are able to sit together after a long day at work, and enjoy a good home made meal together. We Love It!
[Reply]