2 wk meal plans

[ANewMe]

Does anyone plan meals in advance? I have never really done this. I buy then "shop" from my pantry and frig. I can't really do that now. I NEED to plan two weeks of meals b/c husband gets paid every two weeks. I'd love some guidance. I have about 4 bags of chicken in my freezer right now and there are about 8 pieces per bag. I usually cook 6.....so figuring about 4 meals here..

 

I have 3 1b rolls of HB, 1 pork roast and 1 pack of cubed steak plus some turkey bacon

 

That should give me about 10 meals right off.

 

I've been pinning recipes on pinterest and gotten some really good ones. Seems I'm cooking chicken ALOT b/c roast and beef are sooo expensive. I'm telling you when and if I hit a sale on roast or HB I'm stocking up!!

 

I would love some ideas for chicken....I'd love some ideas and tips on how you set up your plans...

 

 

Maybe we could share our meal plans/recipes and help each other out

Edited July 2, 2012 by ANewMe

[Jori]

I've fallen out of the habit but when I did it I had a general schedule rotation (2 actually, one for each week). I would have two or three things I would rotate each week soe more than others depending on meat costs.

 

M

T

W

Th

F

Sat

Sun

 

M

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W

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F

Sat

Sun

 

We had soup and sandwiches/salad/potato once a week. The soups rotated (Veg/Beef/Barley, Chili, Potato, Chicken Noodle, Minestrone, Tortellini/Sausage) 3 on each side so you had some variety,

Crockpot

Chicken

Beef (burgers went here with black beans & rice)

Pasta or Stir Fry

Sat was Pizza (I make dough so had to do on a day I was home)

Sunday traditional (roast, meatloaf, stew, duck)

 

Depending on how much soup was left, I would put some in freezer for quick meal or if someone was sick. Leftover meatloaf, stew, and lasagna (or shells) went in fridge for lunches for DH.

 

Hope this helps a little.

 

I think I have one saved. If I do, I'll attach it.

Edited July 3, 2012 by Jori

[Jori]

Attached is one I used

Dinner Menu.doc

[Jeepers]

I used to do it exactly the way Jori posted. We were military when I started and if I remember correctly, we got paid once a month! Also, where we were, it was hard to get to the base so I usually had 1 month of food stored. OMG...I just realized that may be where I got the stocking up bug.

 

Anyway, the key is to make a menu. I would make one (like Jori posted) for a month and then rotate it. I started doing it again when my son and DH were home. It was nice because I wouldn't make the same thing for supper that they had for lunch. I kept it posted on the fridge so they could check it in the morning if they wanted to. Also, I didn't have to wonder what in the world I was going to make every night for supper.

 

I did vary it though so every Monday wasn't meatloaf and every Tuesday wasn't chicken etc. It is really easy once you have your menu made out. It's best to list your main dish and the sides. I did this for years.

[ANewMe]

Thanks so much! My challenge is lunch at home. It's actually MY fault b/c I've allowed my children to GRAZE. Neither of them like sandwiches much. Husband's lunch consists of sandwiches b/c they have no microwave at work. I'm going to start working on my plan tomorrow with your template.

 

 

 

[Denanna]

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!

[Deb2of9]

Thanks for sharing the basic recipes. My daughter was complaining that her Uncle can throw a casserole together without thinking, but she has no idea how to do it. With the basic casserole recipe, I can give that to her and maybe she can figure it out. She likes to experiment with cooking but has no confidence trying new dishes. Spices she experiments with, but ask her to make something she hasn't made before and she is lost. She is trying though, and I think having her Uncle come in and throw things together out of almost nothing makes her want to do more. Her Uncle learnt alot of his cooking from helping out at homeless shelters and soup kitchens when he was homeless for 10 years. They had to get by with limited supplies that had to stretch so he learnt a lot of one dish meals and casseroles.

 

 

I keep thinking about planning menus. As tight as the budget it lately, I should start planning the menus. The problem is that I work afternoons five days a week so I am not the one doing the cooking most of the time anymore. That means I would have to coordinate with everyone else and figure out what they can and are willing to cook. I will have to work on that.

[Annarchy]

I would love some ideas for chicken....I'd love some ideas and tips on how you set up your plans...

Sorry, no "planning" here. I wing it.

 

Chicken is the least expensive meat around here. We eat it a lot. He asks, "What's for dinner?", my reply, "Chicken something."

 

Chicken soup; basic: 1 leg/thigh, carrot, onion, celery & a bay leaf.

Left over soup, used for Tortilla soup, just add a small can of tomato sauce, finely diced onion/chives, pour over broken tortilla chips and top with a little cheddar cheese.

 

Baked chicken; basic: melt 1 tsp of margarine/butter on baking pan, shake chicken in a bag with 1 tbs of flour, 1/4 tsp of paprika and salt & pepper. Place skin side down, cook at 350 for 45 minutes, flip and cook for 15 min.

Left overs, diced for casserole or add mayo, diced dill pickles & a little minced onion for sandwiches.

 

Chicken dijon; Mix 1/2 & 1/2 sour cream and dijon mustard, cover chicken, sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Cooked covered makes a sauce that is good over noodles or rice. Cooked uncovered firms the sauce. Depends on your tastes.

 

Stuffed chicken breasts; Cut a horizontal slit, stuff with cream cheese (opt-mix diced green chili in cream cheese before stuffing), salt & pepper to taste. (opt-cover with a slice of bacon).

 

Stir fried, and chicken fried rice.

 

Chicken a la king, curried chicken, chicken pot pies, chicken enchilada, chicken stuffed tomatos, chicken crepes, parmesan chicken, Italian chicken, cornmeal battered chicken, creamed on toast, gumbo, Mole, tamales, and Polo Verde (Green chili chicken).

 

Of course there is, fried chicken, roasted, rotisserie, hot wings and BBQ'ed.

 

(Did I mention, we eat a lot of chicken?)