So far
meal planning this year has been going great. Each
month I have planned out twelve meals for us to make based solely off of items
we already have in our pantry and freezer.
Sometimes we even make those same meals twice in one month. I’m finding too that I am not making
everything on the list so I have loads of meal ideas and the ingredients to
carry over into future meal plans. This
is working better than I imagined. So
here is what is on the plan for April:
Tuna
Casserole (my daughter loves this)
Roast
Chicken, Potatoes & Gravy, Broccoli – Easter Dinner
Hamburgers
& French Fries
Chicken
Noodle Soup
Spaghetti
& Meatballs
Chef
Salad
Tacos or Taco Salad
BLT
Sandwich
Pork
Stir Fry
Grilled
Cheese Sandwich & Tomato Soup (I
love this!)
We
already had our Easter dinner and it was delicious! I even made deviled eggs, because you just
have to have those. I think I’ve got
some really good options here. Do any of
you meal plan like this? What is on the
menu at your house?
We love egg roll in a bowl. We serve ours with cilantro & roasted peanuts, to add a bit of crunch. Coleslaw mix is expensive where we shop, so I typically make my own.
ReplyDeleteWe're having kebabs & rice, grilled chicken & ravioli (x2 for both of those) & then a planned splurge takeout of Greek food on Thursday, as my parents are arriving.
Sounds delicious! 😁
DeleteI plan a rough idea of meals I can make in a given period, usually about 1 - 2 weeks in advance. Like you, I base this on what we have in the freezer and pantry, and what sales may spring up. A list of meals is a simply an idea. Typically, (especially during the week) the exact meal is planned shortly after school lets out, as the day and its plan has fully unfolded by then. It's not unusual for a meat loaf and mashed potatoes meal to turn into spaghetti and meat sauce, for instance, if the day got out of control. The next two weeks are perfect examples--I offered to take the neighbor's 8 year-old for a few hours after school next week, as well as all day on Saturday. I'll switch "sit-at-the-table" meals to "enjoy-it-at-the-counter-on-your-own-time" type meals for those days. (Tuna casserole, meatballs in cocktail sauce, chili and homemade calzones.) Typically, I have about a dozen standard meals I make over the course of a month. We don't mind eating the same thing over and over again.
ReplyDeleteHow nice of you to help your neighbor out. Your meal ideas sound wonderful.
DeleteI make a menu just for my sanity. Then when Dh asks whats for supper I have an answer, but if he declines what I say, there are other options. We too have plenty of food in the pantry and freezers and I'm only buying a few pantry staples (flour & sugar); dairy and produce these days.
ReplyDeleteSometimes we're not in the mood for what is on the plan so we keep it pretty flexible. I'm not buying much at the stores these days either.
Delete