Menu Plan - My way

For a long time I have been resistant to menu planning. At least what most people think of menu planning. I've tried it a few times and it just didn't work for me. Invariably I'd plan a menu for the week and then, something would change -- our family schedule, my husband's schedule, or it would be too hot (or cold) to fix what I'd planned. A hard and fast week-long menu plan just didn't work for us.

Then I came across a different method of menu planning -- planning a month of meals and then just plugging them in as they fit and the mood strikes.

"Ah-ha. This is more my style; this might work for me," I thought. I could make a list of main dishes and I could pick and choose depending on our schedule. I wouldn't plan veggies and side dishes. Those would be based upon what was on sale that week at the grocery store.

So, I tried it. At the beginning of June I looked over our freezer and refrigerator and planned out 30 days worth of main dishes. I included a bunch of family favorites and a few new recipes I wanted to try. It was wonderful. It worked great. My husband even commented that he liked seeing what the options would be, and even made a request once or twice.

When we returned from our vacation I decided to do it again. I made a list of possible meals for the rest of July.

So, here are our Main Dish options for the month of July:

• Chicken Tetrazzini - we had this last night it was wonderful!
• Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken
• Leftover Roasted Chicken
• Steak on the grill x2 (from my Dad's freezer)
• Sweet Vidalia Onion Chicken Breasts - in the Slow Cooker
• Spaghetti x2
• "Go To" Chicken Casserole
• Slow Cooker Pork Roast
• Sweet & Sour Chicken
• Sesame Ginger Chicken Breasts - in the Slow Cooker
• Homemade Pizza (with this dough and this sauce)
• Vidalia Onion Pie
• Potato Spinach Sausage Casserole

This list is mostly meats that are already stockpiled in our freezer as well as a few new-to-us recipes. It even includes a no meat meal (Woo Hoo!). I'm trying to include more "no meat" meals, but not being a fan of beans this is rather challenging.

Each main course will be supplemented with two veggies and/or fruits and will include a grain or starch. Spaghetti and Pizza, obviously, already include a grain; the Baked Chicken Breasts will be served with brown rice and the Slow Cooker Chicken & Pork Roast will probably include biscuits from the freezer (I made them a few weeks a go and froze them. They're ready to pull out and bake in the toaster oven at a moment's notice.)

Other meals this week:

Breakfasts: french toast & cantaloupe; pancakes, bacon & bananas; pineapple muffins & scrambled eggs; grits or oatmeal with raisins or blueberries; creamed chipped beef over whole wheat biscuits, cantaloupe; cereal

Lunches: leftovers, PBJ sandwiches, turkey & cheese sandwiches, smoothies

For many more menus visit OrganizingJunkie.