Meal planning brag

ginamcp · March 2013

We have been trying to really stick to our budget so I have started to do some simple meal planning. Tonight I pulled out all of the recipes I have been wanting to try and mapped out what we are going to have for dinner for the next month and wrote a shopping list. When I got home from shopping I took paper lunch bags and wrote the name of the recipe as well as main ingredients on the outside. I then put the pantry ingredients needed for each recipe and the recipe itself inside the bag and BOOM dinner for the month. All I have to do is grab the meat out of the freezer night before and easy peasy dinner is done. I am loving my little lined up lunch bags in the cabinet.

KrisM86 · March 2013

That's awesome!

stardust317 · March 2013

That is awsome!

Ms.Jade · March 2013

LOVE this idea!

HappyAardvark · March 2013

That is an awesome idea!

Along a similar vein, I bought a big, wipeoff calendar I stuck on the side of the fridge. This weekend, I'm going to meal plan for the whole month and write each day's dinner on the calendar.

RichardSlap · March 2013

That's awesome! I meal plan a week in advance usually but I have to write the meals on the white board because I always forget what the ingredients were for. Go you!

jwls84 · March 2013

That sounds like an awesome idea and could make meal planning easier. I am a fan of meal planning, but admit I drop the ball more often than not.

morsey2011 · March 2013

I am jealous. Meal planning is something I'd love to do, but just have never done it.

Fianschneid · March 2013

Care to share any recipes or tips? My slacker a$s needs to join in.

missyishere · March 2013

That sounds like an awesome idea! I meal plan a week ahead, but my organizational skills only go that far. I didn't meal plan until you ladies encouraged me to start.

ginamcp · March 2013

Fianschneid:
Care to share any recipes or tips? My slacker a$s needs to join in.

Most of the new recipes I am using are from plainchicken.com.

My plan is to use the following recipes:

https://www.plainchicken.com/2012/07/kalua-pork-slow-cooker.html#more, https://www.plainchicken.com/2012/07/chicken-ranch-enchiladas-and-rice-slow.html, https://www.plainchicken.com/2012/07/chile-colorado-burritos-slow-cooker.html, https://www.plainchicken.com/2012/05/slow-cooker-bbq-chicken.html, https://www.plainchicken.com/2012/05/bbq-pot-roast-over-cheddar-ranch-grits.html, https://www.plainchicken.com/2011/09/slow-cooker-coca-cola-pulled-pork-with.html, https://www.plainchicken.com/2011/07/crockpot-lemon-chicken.html, https://www.plainchicken.com/2010/05/angel-chicken.html.

I'm also going to do her bubble up pizza, chicken roll ups and mexican manicotti and taco stuffed shells.

What has been really working for us is to make a trip to Costco once a month and load up on meat - pork roasts, beef roasts, ground beef, chicken breasts and then their mandarin orange chicken. I will strive to cook 5-6 meals a week and then one prepared meal (see the orange chicken above). After Costco I will do one big grocery trip and buy all of the pantry supplies I will need for the month - taco shells, tortillas, spaghetti sauce, etc and then just go to the grocery once a week for produce.

I also have been using the Crock Pot a ton - throw in a roast with either a jar of enchilada sauce, a large can of Rotel, a bottle (12 oz) of Coke, or a bottle of bbq sauce and calling it a day. Then I have an easy meal of shredded whatever meat tacos or shredded bbq sandwiches, an easy side and a vegetable.

Meal planning is a chore, but so far it's working really well for us and takes off so much pressure at night figuring out what to cook.

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