I take inventory of my freezer and cupboards. I number a lined paper for the month ( or however long you want). I make a meals list on that paper. I have a list of different meals in categories like casseroles, pizzas, soups, with ideas for each, adding others when I find them. This makes it easier for menu planning so I don't have to remember what I have made before. I designate a category for each day of the week (which we don't always stick to). Friday's are pizza nights so I fill all Fridays in first. Soup is once a week, sometimes 2 but I have several varieties I make. I also try to make homemade bread for those nights. Casseroles are another night. This has worked pretty well when I have stuck to it. Sometimes I get lazy and don't make a menu but then I find myself not sure of what to make for dinner, which can make dinner pretty late, which too often leads to eating out. (insert here an icon for snowball rolling downhill lol) A while back I found a website, which I cannot remember, that had a lot of simple ideas on it. I will share a few.
Homemade pizza dough : 4 C. flour, 1 ts salt, 1 ts yeast, 1 ts Italian seasoning, 1 Tb. oil, 1 1/2 warm water. Mix well, knead 10 minutes. Divide into 2, and let rest 10 minutes. On pizza pan (or cookie sheet, etc, ) press out from middle to edge. Top with whatever toppings you wish. Bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes. We have divided this into individual pizzas and some of us like to fold those over to make calzones. Our favorite is pepperoni, pineapple and olive. We also like chicken pesto, and taco.
Basic casserole : 1 C. protein (diced, cooked meat, tuna, egg) , 1 C. veggie, diced , 2 C. cooked starch ( rice, potato, cooked pasta) , 1 1/2 C. sauce ( tomato, cream, cheese ) , 1/2 C. topping (cheese, sauteed onion ) Mix all except topping in a large bowl. put in a greased baking dish and add topping. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until heated through and brown. Of course I at least double these amounts, but there are so many combinations you can make.
Basic oil and garlic sauce for pasta : 1 Tb. oil 1 Tb. butter 1 Lg. onion 2 C. thing sliced veggies like carrot ,celery ,mushrooms, etc. 2 garlic cloves, minced. pepper salt 1 Tb. herbs . Heat oil & butter. Saute onions and garlic until lightly brown. Add veggies and cook until tender. Add seasoning and toss quickly with pasta. My family loves this one. We usually use carrots and chicken and again I have to double it, but it is really yummy!