Interchangable Menu Planning


I reserve the right to change my mind.
The reason I began planning our weekly dinner menu is to save me time, frustration and hopefully money.  It has been great and I always have what I need for the meal in the house.  However, I don't want it to feel rigid.  So don't sweat it if you switch around days or just decide a meal doesn't sound good for 'tonight'.  We followed the menu plan from last week until Friday night.  Neither Teen Miss or myself wanted pizza and that's ok, except I had ONLY purchased food for the menu.  There wasn't much else to shift around at the end of the week.  Leftovers satisfied me, while the teen had something zapable from the freezer.

Last weeks Ranch chicken was a HIT!  Yummy, quick and easy.  The above picture is today's late lunch, since we didn't have it Friday ~ homemade chicken alfredo pizza (using a piece of leftover ranch chicken).  Even the Teen Miss liked it.

For this week it's oldies but goodies, with a couple of new recipes in one night. The strange sounding spaghetti is an inventive idea I'm hoping works, because I have a box of ziti to use on hand.

Sunday
Homemade Pizza
Sugar cookies for Church Ice Cream social tonight
Monday
This is a Family FAVORITE! The link has photos!

Tuesday
Leftover pot pie
Wednesday
Spaghetti 'casserole' using Ziti pasta, garlic bread & salad
(I'm planning to just pop the finished spaghetti in the oven and top with cheese)
Thursday
Leftovers
Friday
Saturday
Pinto beans and cornbread

EXTRA
I am also planning to prepare these (new recipe for me) on a leftovers night and flash freeze them,
so we will have something 'different' on hand for lunch or a change in tastes.



For a TON of menu ideas and links to recipes, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.  So tell me do YOU menu plan?  Or share a favorite family recipe with me please!!!

6 comments:

  1. I am the worst at menu planning. I always want the pantry stocked with some of everything so I can fix whatever sounds good at the time. I buy meat in bulk when it is on sale, and that saves a ton. I bring it home and repackage it to fit my size of family. I do save money that way and it is easy to pull a meal together. One of my family favorites is Fajitas - either chicken or beef.

    Flour taco shells
    Chuck Steak - thin cut or chicken breast

    I cook this whole thing on the grill outside. I coat the meat or chicken with Don Sazon Carne Asada seasoning. Grill the steak or chicken whole and when done cut into very thin slices.
    Warm the flour tortilla shells on the grill just until warm, not crisp. Fill each shell with some meat, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, onions and shredded cheese. Roll up like a taco. Eat and enjoy. Just a can of refried beans as a side dish and you are done. Takes about 10 minutes.

    Hope you enjoy. Hugs, Marty

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  2. What a great blog. You have a lot of wonderful things going on. I am following you on your blog. Thanks for following me on Twitter.

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  3. You know, I used to menu plan, but didn't assign days really. I just made sure I bought ingredients for 5 or 6 meals at a time so I had a loose idea of what the week's dinners would be like. The other day I came across my list of menus: it was, like, 6 pages long! Yeah, I used to be a really proficient cook but have gone way downhill since my kid got to that stage where they don't like much. He's coming out of that now, so I need to get back in gear!

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  4. I do menu plan but my problem is I never get enough for the whole week so I end up running out of meals a day early........ I love your flea market finds.

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  5. i have been menu planning for the last several months and it has made such a big difference in my life. you have such a fun menu, We loved the Ranch chicken! thanks a bunch!

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  6. I hope you love the Lasagna Rolls as much as I do. They're a perfect individual sized portion without making a huge pan of lasagna. Enjoy!!!

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Thanks so much for stopping by to read my blog! I appreciate and read every comment. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE! ~Sherri~

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