I remember being a kid and hearing my mom say “I wish you all would just tell me what you want to eat!” I totally didn’t understand her frustration back then, but now, oh yeah.
Planning a variety of meals each week is something I have a love/hate relationship with. Sometimes I LOVE going through different websites and finding new recipes to try. Other times, I wish someone else would just tell me what to make and I would make it!
Overall, I’ve found that sticking to a routine is the best! Not only for my joy, but also for our grocery budget!
Typically, the Thursday or Friday before the next week, I’ll sit down and plan out what we’re going to eat for supper the following week. The amount of time I spend on this totally fluctuates because sometimes there’s just a lot of other things going on!
I’ll write out the days of the week starting with Monday going through Sunday with one line for each. After that, I’ll look through the refrigerator and cabinets really quickly to see if there is anything that I didn’t get to use already that could be used up.
If there is, I start with that and fill in however many days I can make meals from those ingredients. I’m also writing my grocery list at this time as I go through the recipes I’ve included.
For example, if I look in the refrigerator and realize there is a pack of boneless chicken that should be used up, I’ll write down Chicken Taco’s on Tuesday. At the same time, I’m writing down the additional ingredients I might need on my grocery list.
Since I’m in the kitchen while I’m doing this, it really cuts down on waste. I can quickly look to see if I have salsa or tortillas or if I need to get some.
This way, I’m not buying too much (wasteful!) but I’m also sure I have what I need.
I continue this until I’m sure that I don’t have anything that needs to be used ASAP. Usually I still have about 4-5 days left to fill. That’s when I start the fun process of searching my recipe box or the internet for new things to try!
Some websites that I’ve learned to love are The Seasoned Mom, Allrecipes, and of course The Pioneer Woman!
I always try to include at least 3 dishes that make really great leftovers for lunches. I also always have Sunday’s meal as something that is prepared in the CrockPot! Coming in from church is a lot more restful when all I have to do is serve up what’s been cooking since the AM!
Here’s what we had for dinner last week!
Monday: Beef Stew with Mashed Potatoes
It was chilly on this day so I actually moved this meal up in the week because it just sounded perfect! It made for great leftovers too!
Tuesday: Ground Turkey and Black Bean Tacos with Baked Apples
Taco leftovers are basically better than the fresh thing and can be used in so many different ways for lunches! We had taco salads and taco quesadillas for lunches through the week.
Wednesday: Herb Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
The seasonings here were really good! We didn’t have any leftovers here, but that wasn’t a problem because we were set from the previous two nights.
Thursday: Italian Chicken Pasta
This is Rosy’s favorite kind of meal. Any kind of pasta and she is a happy girl! She took care of the leftovers for her lunches through the rest of the week.
Friday: Cheeseburger Soup and Lima Beans
It was cold and rainy the last part of the week, so cheeseburger soup made perfect sense! A box of lima beans from my mom’s garden went perfectly on the side. I split the ground meat between this meal and Saturday’s so it made it even more economical!
Saturday: Taco Soup
Super simple and easy for a Saturday!
Sunday: Beef and Brown Gravy with Rice
This is one of Clay’s absolute favorite meals and it’s one of my favorites to make in the crockpot!
So simple, just a gluten free brown gravy mix with either round steak or stew meat in the CrockPot. Served over rice and that’s it. The perfect meal to have ready when we come home from church.
So, there you have it! This is a typical week in our house when it comes to eating. Simplicity is key when it comes to staying on budget (and staying our of restaurants!!) for us!