I’m trying something different in the new year. I am going to menu plan out the month. I typically have done weekly menu plans. Honestly it has been because it’s easier to throw together on Sunday night with what I have in the fridge.
Since I have a massive stockpile and I’m trying to eat out of the pantry/freezer like a few others. I decided to menu plan for the entire month. I’ll share my method with you in a post soon since this monthly plan was a new experience for me. Since I plan on using this as my guide all month, I am including the meat next to the recipe so I know what to thaw out.
Main Dishes
- Slow Cooker Beef Roast (Roast)
- Chicken Rice Casserole (Chicken)
- Blackened Chicken Fettucine Alfredo (Chicken)
- Hot Chicken Salad (Chicken)
- Chicken Mac & Cheese – from my Once a Month cook last month
- Ham and Cheese Casserole (Ham)
- Cabbage Au Gratin Casserole (Smoked Sausage)
- Breakfast for Dinner: Sausage with Buttermilk Pancakes (Sausage)
- Bourbon Pork Tenderloin (Pork)
- Zesty Grilled Pork Chops (Pork Chops)
- Autumn Sausage Casserole (Smoked Sausage)
- Red Beans and Rice (Smoked Sausage)
- Sausage Spinach Soup (Sausage)
- Mexican Lasagna (Ground Turkey)
- Breakfast Casserole (Sausage)
- Tator Tot Casserole (Sausage)
- Lasagna with Cream Cheese (Hamburger)
- Homemade Pizza
- Spaghetti (Sausage)
- Grilled Chicken
Sides
- Garlic Oven Fries
- Boxed Potatoes (we have a lot to use)
- Pasta Sides
- Brown Rice – from my Once a Month cook last month
- Knorr Rice
- Noodles
What can I say, we have a boring/repeat selection of sides. The veggies will be whatever is either fresh or frozen (and on sale). I might make some bread – I might not too :)
I’m also going to try throw in a few sweet things. The Happy Housewife’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Vanderbilt Wife’s Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake. I’ll probably also throw another batch of Once A Month Mom’s Banana Sour Cream Muffins together too!
If you want to log various recipes you find online, check out the Virtual Recipe Box I created last year. That is a huge part of how I was able to make this monthly plan easier to put together. I have updated it with some new recipes I have found, along with removing some dead recipe links.
Are you menu planning this week/month too?
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
A virtual recipe box … I need to check that out!! I have alot of chicken in the freezer this month (we have a Tyson plant near by & I get alot of it from time to time in bulk) so I am actually planning for a full month this time too. Here’s to seeing how that goes!
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Hey this is off the subject. But did you say that you freeze milk? If so for how long and how long is it good for? I got my two free gallons yesterday with the kellog purchace and I used my coupon…whoo…whoo!
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Thank you for posting the links to all these recipes! My hubby gets tired of the same stuff all the time…always looking for good new recipes!!!
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Thanks for including me in your menu plan. The coffee cake is SOOOOO good. It works as breakfast OR dessert! Enjoy!
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I have been doing this for the past couple of months and I have been saving a couple of hundred dollars a month in grocery bills. I do one massive shop and then only go once a week afterwards for milk, yogurt, produce and that’s about it. So much easier!
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Andrea Deckard Reply:
January 6th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
LCM, are you linking up with the Eat from the Pantry challenge too? It’s a great way to share your menu with others. I love reading the posts for new recipes and overall ideas to be more efficient.
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I always try to make a weekly menu plan, I save so much money that way. This month I am doing the Eating from the pantry challenge, too. I will be posting recipes that I create on my blog.
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Hey Andrea, How weight loss friendly are these recipes? You know the New Years resolution…whoops.. I mean life change! :)
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Andrea Deckard Reply:
January 6th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Hey Debbie!! I think most of them are very healthy. Actually, I had these on in our menu plans throughout last year when I was still in the weight loss zone. I would say as long as they are eaten in moderation, you’d be fine. I’m sure you could find healthier substitutions in some of the recipes if you wanted to.
Actually, a goal of mine this year is to incorporate a few more organic/natural foods and stay within our budget.
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Wow.. Im impressed! :) I have a difficult time filling in 7 days much less 20! But man what a service for yourself it would be.. Im gonna have to check out your recipes and sometime or another sit down & try to do one of my own!
I have enough food in this house to feed my family & several of their friends for several months..
And.. it’d take the burden of me trying to figure out what the heck we’re having tonight. ;)
Thanks for a great idea & the recipes too! :)
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Have a running menu calendar that runs since 2008. Since I have a plan for dinners, and am just starting to stockpile (began mid-November) thank you “Sharpen Your Scissors”– I am building my stockpile around my dinner menus and needs for sack lunches. Works beautifully … since I work many week-day evenings most meals are slow cooker or oven meals.
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I made 3 whole chickens since they were on sale at Kroger this week for 88 cents/pound. I want to freeze to use later, do I freeze the whole chicken(It is already cooked) or do I cut the meat off and just freeze this? Then how do I use it after frozen? Sorry all the silly questions. I am making the blueberry coffee cake tonight! Yummy!
Thanks!
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Andrea Deckard Reply:
January 9th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Hi Elizabeth, what a smart idea! I would debone the chicken and freeze it with a little chicken broth in the freezer bag (it will help to keep the chicken moist when you use it later). When you are ready to use the chicken in a dish, just thaw it out, drain any excess liquid and put it in your dish. Let me know how that coffee cake turns out for you. I am buying some blueberries next week to make it too! :)
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The coffee cake is soooo good. I have to keep myself away from it so I don’t eat the whole thing. Thanks for the chicken tips!
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