Meal Plan Monday—10/16

mdfarmchick

I could use some meal inspiration for the week... Please feel free to share recipes. ((Please! Haha!))

What’s on the menu for this week?


Any go to breakfasts or lunches that you love? Bonus if they are hits with toddlers. 


Are are there any tips you have for meal prepping before the week gets going?


What is your favorite fall recipe?

ShawnnaO

My husband is gone so I’ll be eating my way through the leftover minestrone soup and jalapeño cheddar brats I made this last weekend. I’m also going to make some teriyaki cauliflower tonight I think and maybe a breakfast hash on Wednesday or Thursday.

as far as go-to breakfasts, does McDonalds count?  I hate making breakfast, but I LOVE omelette and breakfast burritos. I’m actually planning to get groceries for some make ahead frozen burritos later this week. I wish I could figure out how to make a good hollandaise sauce, that’s the best thing about breakfast. When I’m not pregnant my go to is avo toast with a poached egg. 

No fav fall recipes or meal prep tips (I love to cook so I don’t typically meal prep, except occasionally breakfast because, again, I hate making breakfast but my husband needs it to function) 

k318

What’s on the menu for this week?

tonight- shredded beef burritos with cilantro lime cauliflower rice and beans (beef recipe on nomnompaleo.com, it’s called instant pot Mexican shredded beef)

tuesday- out with hubby/nuggets, Mac n cheese, frozen veg for the kiddos

weds- instant pot carnitas (also from nom nom paleo), with sautéed peppers and onions, white rice and lots of guac

thurs- spaghetti (mix of regular and spaghetti squash) and meatballs. Need to figure out another veg or load the meatballs up with veggies

friday- pizza night

saturday- out w hubby and kids

sunday- too far away to plan!


Any go to breakfasts or lunches that you love? Bonus if they are hits with toddlers. 

Breakfast for the kids is usually cinnamon raisin swirl bread and some kind of meat. 

Lunch is usually left overs or sandwiches. My toddler loves grilled cheeses and turkey sandwiches. Cold cuts save me for lunch. 

Are are there any tips you have for meal prepping before the week gets going?

I like to meal prep on Sunday, after taking a quick look through my freezer and fridge to see what I already have and need to use up and then make a plan at least for dinners, and make a list before I go to the store so I know what I need. I also like to look at fast recipes (30-45 min max) or instant pot recipes bc they are hands off. Trying to cook big elaborate dinners with two kids doesn’t work well for me.

What is your favorite fall recipe?

pioneer woman’s perfect pot roast! Google it. It really is perfect. Served with mashed potatoes, lots of carrots and Home made gravy from the roast drippings.

mdfarmchick

I could use some meal inspiration for the week... Please feel free to share recipes. ((Please! Haha!))

What’s on the menu for this week?
Monday—Pasta Taco Bake
Tuesday—Spaghetti 
Wednesday—leftovers
Thursday—Broccoli, chicken and rice casserole 

Any go to breakfasts or lunches that you love? Bonus if they are hits with toddlers. 
Soup has been a big hit with me because it helps me hydrate more with something other than water. So I have planned to make a big batch of chicken noodle and another of hamburger soup. DS loves to eat soup so I just put less broth in his bowl so it’s not as messy. 
Breakfast is hit or miss in our house—DS will eat fruit and toast on occasion but he doesn’t seem to care for most breakfast foods and I don’t understand a kid that doesn’t love pancakes. Haha. 

Are are there any tips you have for meal prepping before the week gets going?
I need these! Before DS we would prep freezer meals one weekend a quarter but it feels like we have no time to do this now with a two year old who is into everything. My best too so far has been to come up with “theme nights” and then just rotate recipes in and out so that it’s not boring for the adults but so it’s repetitive enough that my toddler will eat it. 

What is your favorite fall recipe?
I struggle with this one right now! It’s 80+ degrees in the desert still and that makes it hard to feel like it is fall. I think I’m going to make some pumpkin cupcakes this week anyway—they are basically muffins with icing right? Usually when the weather cools for fall I bust out chili and I might have to make up a big batch anyway. I make egg noodles for the toddler to go with his, and a batch of corn bread. 

If anyone wants a recipe, let me know. I can’t remember which ones I’ve already shared. 

mdfarmchick

@ShawnnaO MH makes a super easy hollandaise so I’ll ask him for the recipe tonight. He keeps it in the fridge for two days and then will make another one for the next couple of days. I’ve done the breakfast burritos but to me they get soggy if they are in the freezer for more than a week or so. Have you tried baking “omelets” in the oven? You just put an egg in each section of the muffin tin, mix it up and toss in whatever toppings you want and some cheese. You can make these ahead too and eat them all week. 

@k318, I’m going to look that recipe up now. Sounds delicious!

ShawnnaO

@mdfarmchick I think the oven omelettes are disgusting I just generally don’t like eggs unless they’re in poached or in real (pan) omelette form covered in hollandaise.  yes please for the hollandaise recipe from your husband! 

megpeg

What’s on the menu for this week?

Mon- pumpkin sage Mac and cheese, chicken tenders, and Brussels sprouts
tues- beef stew and biscuits
wed- spaghetti/spaghetti squash and meatballs
 
that's as far as I got so far.
Any go to breakfasts or lunches that you love? Bonus if they are hits with toddlers. 
 Yogurt and granola
  banana chocolate chip walnut muffins


Are are there any tips you have for meal prepping before the week gets going?

I try to keep cut up onions in the freezer
What is your favorite fall recipe?
Butternut squash sage lasagna

becausescience

What’s on the menu for this week?
Monday - salad/sandwich from Costco
Tuesday - Chicken Caesar Salad
Wednesday - Spicy Sausage Pasta (DH's favorite)
Thursday - Instant Pot Turkey with Mashed Potatoes and Veggie
Friday - Leftovers or Pizza?
Weekend - Beef, Tomato, and Acini Di Pepe Soup

Any go to breakfasts or lunches that you love? Bonus if they are hits with toddlers. 
Pancakes and French Toast are easy and yummy breakfasts - DD loves both
I like baked oatmeal too and I've done an egg/crescent roll/sausage bake too that is yummy for special occasions.  I'd be happy to dig up recipes to share for these.

Are are there any tips you have for meal prepping before the week gets going?
Cutting up veggies and browning meat in advance saves me lots of time during the week.  If I make a soup, I dice up the onions, carrots, and celery so I can almost just dump and go.

What is your favorite fall recipe?
Basically in the fall I LOVE soups.  Here are some recent favorites.

Creamy Chicken and Dumplings
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Turkey Chili - with pumpkin puree that you can't even taste!

Brown:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 lb ground turkey
1 tsp minced garlic or  ¼ tsp garlic powder (Add towards end or browning)

Add and Simmer 20 minutes:
1 (14.5 oz) canned petite diced tomatoes
1 can pumpkin puree
1 can chili beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can Mexican style corn
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can beef broth
1 dash salt (to taste)
2 tsp sugar (to taste)

*I use low sodium/no salt added for as many of the canned items as I can.

Italian Sausage White Bean Soup

DDRRT1982

Meal planned a little this week...

Monday-beef spaghetti with onions and mushrooms with homemade parmesan bread
Tuesday-Trying Best Chicken Thighs https://www.blessthismessplease.com/chicken-legs/ with sauteed green beans.
Wednesday-Trying Beef Bourguignon https://therecipecritic.com/2016/11/slow-cooker-beef-bourguignon/ with homemade bread
Thursday-working...I don't cook on work days
Friday-salmon and butternut squash soup.  (I don't like salmon, so I'll try to force it down my throat so my kids eat it, but really I'll just eat two bowls of soup.)
sat and Sunday-work and I don't cook.  Leave it up to husband.

Edit for sides
Edit forgot questions...

Breakfast...cheese toasted, 365 french toast sticks, Cascade cereals are what my kids love.  I add local honey to the cereal.
Lunch-cheese toast, peanut butter and jelly, veggie burgers, leftovers
Fall favorite-https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-butternut-squash-soup-recipe/

ShawnnaO

I need to share this recipe. It was SO MUCH BETTER THAN I expected it to be! And VERY easy to make. If you like general tsos chicken, but perhaps are looking for a vegeterian (vegan?) alternative, these were so amazingly similar. 

https://www.cookingcurries.com/2016/07/general-tsos-cauliflower/