Meal Planning (aka What's for Dinner?)

ashanne88 · September 2016

Share your menu for the week, what your having for dinner tonight or your favorite recipe here. We can make this a weekly meal planning deal if there is enough interest.

karaelaine1991 · September 2016

Tonight's dinner, courtesy of the Six Sisters menu plan that I mentioned in the other thread! We subscribe to the plan for smaller recipes, so the one I made is actually half this size. I'm betting we'll still have leftovers for at least one more night, though!

https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2015/04/southwest-pasta-bake-recipe.html

adorebella · September 2016

For anyone like me who can't stomach eating meat right now, these are the bomb! Add lettuce, guac, salsa, and sour cream for dipping.
https://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2010/12/07/black-bean-quesadillas/

ceclarlinetlo · September 2016

I have had trouble planning for a week at a time because what sounds good today won't sound good in three days. Tonight we are having spinach and feta pirogies and green beans.

ashanne88 · September 2016

I meal plan every week. I usually cook Saturday, Sunday and Monday then repeat the same three meals for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Friday is always leftovers or something random from the fridge/freezer or occasionally take out (depending on how tired I am). DH's family was in town this weekend so the week is a little thrown off from normal.

This week's menu is:
Tues - bison chili with cornbread
Wed - stuffed pasta shells and salad
Thurs - BBQ chicken, coleslaw, baked beans
Fri - steak with leftover sides

Lately I've been on the lookout for more crockpot and one pot/baking dish meals. Especially ones that can be prepped in advance and popped in the oven when I get home.

ashanne88 · September 2016

@adorebella Those look so good. I might need to make those happen for lunch. DH has to have meat with every meal so they're probably a no-go for dinner. <insert eye roll emoji>

ceclarlinetlo · September 2016

@ashanne88 this is s link to my favorite go to crock pot chili

https://passthesushi.com/what-i-miss-about-winter-and-slow-cooker-chicken-taco-chili/

I also add chick peas because I love them! We usually serve it over rice but it also makes a good burrito filling!

KRB22 · September 2016

I'm with @ceclarlinetlo, in that I have a really hard time planning a whole week's worth of meals, especially since I still have some unpredictable aversions/cravings. We've been eating way too much takeout lately, though, so I did a massive grocery shop today with the intention of having something home cooked for lunch and dinner through the end of the week.

Tonight, c/o DH: sautéed sole, roasted carrots, quinoa with turmeric and herbs

Will use the quinoa for cold lunch salads too

tomorrow will probably be roasted salmon for me, chicken kebab for him (I don't eat poultry), plus rice with lentils and some green veg

Thursday's lunch will likely include leftover salmon

Also have ingredients to make pasta with sausage, chickpeas, and arugula. And we'll probably have a mushroom frittata for dinner 1 night (although those quesadillas sound pretty good, too @adorebella )

I'm planning to make a zucchini soup tomorrow, with hopefully enough to freeze. So that'll be for lunch a couple of days plus salads that incorporate whatever veggies we still have on and any dinner leftovers.

I I should add that I'm really lucky that my DH likes to cook, and that he does it well. So he's on dinner duty most nights, which also makes me less inclined to plan/prep in advance. I've gotten pretty spoiled by this actually

TinaBelcher · September 2016

The long weekend/ lots of plans messed up any real thought of meal planning this week but tonight I ate leftovers from yesterday, black bean quinoa salad (except I use roasted sweet potato, no green onions or maple syrup, and wayyyyy more garlic)

https://ohsheglows.com/2013/07/19/cumin-lime-black-bean-quinoa-salad-quick-easy/

One night I'll make what I boringly refer to as broccoli pasta- I steam broccoli and kale and mix with wheat penne with sautéed garlic (a lot) in EVOO and seasoned salt. Easy peasy, pretty simple but tasty and one of my standard fall backs.

Oh also I roasted some chicken for salads for lunch this week- glazed with oil, chili powder, lime juice and fresh cilantro (usually I do soy sauce & Ginger or lemon juice & garlic)

BAJDesigns · September 2016

Wow, you guys are inspiring me to up my game. My cooking is still pretty minimal. My poor guy is dying for some more variety but the food aversions hold strong. My go to lately is my one pan chicken with red potatoes and green beans. Drizzles in olive oil with salt and Italian seasoning. And basically no dishes! I also made a big roasted veggie quiche for lunch this week with broccoli, bell peppers, sundried tomatoes, and feta . Again, minimal dishes. Anyone seeing a pattern here?

CAndrada · September 2016

I made curry chicken with rice and naan tonight. Tomorrow is chicken wings, oven fries and carrots and celery. Thursday will be casino buffet because we have free ones and Friday the country club is having a fishing derby and dinner.

katesmama0706 · September 2016

@BAJDesigns I'm with you. I had lofty plans this week. Then my dishwasher crapped out so take out and pizza every day it is!

sarahmsoda · September 2016

@katesmama0706 OMG my dishwasher crapped out too!! It is so frustrating, you don't realize how much you rely on it until it's gone. Especially in my house because I run a private carehome, so with 7 adults in the house it can be quite the handful to handwash dishes.

As for meal planning I always have an idea but never a specific plan. We had chicken spaghetti (because I made huge batches so I could give a family from our church a meal too) yesterday, bbq chicken, noodles and salad tonight and tomorrow we are having people over for a BBQ so we will have burgers and I will make a tuna pasta salad. I think Thurs will likely be taco salad and not sure about Friday yet... I usually do Costco runs Thurs or Fri and plan from there.

I could seriously eat homemade mac and cheese every day, and I actually have had it for lunch most days. I must be craving cheese like something fierce. Luckily I am not lactose intolerant when pregnant so its been great being able to eat all the dairy!!

aishmc · September 2016

I so admire you ladies with your meal planning. I really struggle with planning since I can't even eat what I pack for lunch some days since it doesn't sound good hours later.

I picked up burritos because cravings.

I'd love some meal inspiration though! I feel like I'm cooking the same 6 things all the time.

MaryNog · September 2016

this week is Mexican Food Week (also known as Cilantro week) in the Nog household. We're getting a rotisserie chicken and using it to make enchiladas and tortilla soup. We'll also have quesadillas with fresh corn and pepper jack cheese.

@sarahmsoda omg Mac and cheese!! Boom- menu for next week!

scgirl6113 · September 2016

I can't add much as we have been traveling around the last few weeks and won't be in our new home for a couple more but I hope this is still going then! Some of these sound SO great!

Our fall all back is to bake chicken covered in Italian dressing. throw in some fresh green beans and red potatoes (into the same dish) and you have a meal

rdh33 · September 2016

@TinaBelcher I LOVE Oh She Glows!

No meal planning this week or next for me; I'm traveling for work. But, I love the idea of sharing meal plans. Thanks for revisiting this, @ashanne88!

katesmama0706 · September 2016

K ladies, go-to meals for breakfast and lunch when you're lacking the motivation to fix anything, I need them! Unless I'm currently craving something I have zero desire to get up and cook something or put something together during the day and lo and behold I lost 3 pounds in the 4 weeks between my last 2 appointments and my doctor was pisssssed. Everything just sounds so blah.

ceclarlinetlo · September 2016

@katesmama0706 I switch between multigrain Cherrios, peanut butter toast, blueberry whole grain Eggo waffles with just a little syrup, homemade smoothies and nature valley honey oat granola with strawberry Greek yogurt.

MaryNog · September 2016

@katesmama0706 quesadillas with egg in them are really good, and gets you some protein too. Also avocado toast. I second the smoothie suggestion, put some oats and/or peanut butter in there to make them more filling.

susykat77 · September 2016

@MaryNog This week is Mexican week in our house too!! (Due to an over purchase of tortillas)

Last night the husband made an enchilada bake. It is 1/2 of a rotisserie chicken, diced tomatoes and green chiles, black beans, spinach, jalepeno, and onion and garlic all cooked up in a pan together. Then a base layer of tortillas, filling with enchilada sauce added and a layer of cheese and repeat. Bake until bubbling. Top with avocado and sour cream.

Tonight I am making tortilla soup with the other half of the rotisserie chicken. I always add frozen kale to my soups. https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2011/09/easyhealthymexicanchickensoup/

Tomorrow night we might be having tacos or quesadillas. Depending on of I can stomach another night of Mexican. Otherwise, my go to is a Tom Kha soup. I'll post that recipe later.

I did just stumble across some simple kid friendly crock pot recipes but I haven't tried any of them yet.

https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/58271/slow-cooker-recipes

juliebird6 · September 2016

I love this thread! If we do a regular meal plan thread, I will definitely contribute! I am normally a huge meal planner/prepper and do everything on Sunday so I'm prepared for the week. Unfortunately, this week we are super crazy because we are spending every night trying to get our house ready for our gender reveal party on Saturday. So, pizza every night so far, haha. The goal for tonight though is BBQ chicken with roasted carrots and squash, and maybe a baked sweet potato depending on how hungry we are. I always try to make enough to last for two days (at least) so that we don't have to cook every night.

curlysue22 · September 2016

I love seeing what everyone else is making!

This week is not super exciting. I feel like it's a win if I cook 4 nights.
Monday picnic - hot dogs, corn on the cob, deviled eggs, baked beans
Tuesday - taco night
Wednesday - chicken alfredo
Thursday - crockpot pulled beef sandwiches (with red peppers & provolone)

My cooking has simplified since having a kiddo, both in time to prepare and in spiciness/exotic-ness.

@katesmama0706, I have an issue with lunches as well. If I make soup for dinner, I like to freeze it in small containers and take that for lunch. Otherwise it's not well planned. A couple of times I've made caprese salad (tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, balsamic).

Breakfast for me is usually cereal with blueberries during the week, and on the weekends it's either eggs/omelet, pancakes, or oatmeal with blueberries. One of my favorites to get out at a diner near me is a breakfast quesadilla (eggs, cheese, & meat) that I eat with sour cream & salsa. I'll eat this anytime of day.

emy730 · September 2016

This week is:

Tacos (quesadilla for me because I can't do anything spicy or with tomatoes... thanks heartburn!)
Egg bake
Bacon-wrapped Chicken with Gravy in the crockpot
Tater Tot Casserole

TexasGal24 · September 2016

@adorebella THANK YOU! I can hardly get any meat down because it is just plain nasty! I want these so badly now! YUM

I'm going to make pinto bean soup and corn bread for dinner. So delicious. I'm also going to make bowtie pasta with roasted red peppers and pesto as part of lunches this week. Other than that, I think we have plain ole spaghetti with whole wheat noodles and salads. Although, I feel like I'm definitely forgetting something.

KRB22 · September 2016

@katesmama0706 I've been struggling with lunch too. I'm actually happy to eat healthy things like salad, but when lunch time rolls around I'm too hungry/rushed to want to bother with all the prep. I used to bring mason jar salads to work for lunch, and even though I'm home now I am planning to start putting a couple together at the beginning of the week from now on. If layered properly (dressing, crispy veg, grains, greens), they stay fresh in the fridge for at least 4 days. Then I figure I can just dump them in a bowl and throw some sort of protein on top and I'm good to go. I also like to make big batches of soup to have alongside salads or sandwiches, though I haven't been doing this over the summer.

I tend to be more consistent about breakfast. Most days lately I have yogurt (coconut based for me because I have a dairy sensitivity) with granola and berries. I usually add some hemp seeds or something similar for extra protein. Otherwise I might do a smoothie or toast with peanut butter or avocado, and in cooler weather it's usually oatmeal with a variety of toppings. I either make a big batch of oatmeal and reheat it in the morning, or use a rice cooker to make it overnight so it's ready to go when I wake up. I wake up starving most days and definitely don't have the patience for any breakfast that takes more than 5 minutes to throw together.

ashanne88 · September 2016

@katesmama0706 My go-to breakfast lately has been overnight oats. I use the base from this recipe and usually just add a little maple syrup. Sometimes I add nuts too. Bonus is that DS loves it! We make a small jar for him and a large jar for me most nights (I make a half recipe for him and a 1.5 recipe for me). He stirs after I've added the ingredients and then helps me put it in the fridge.

https://www.skinnytaste.com/overnight-oats-with-figs-and-honey/

I also made a bunch of these breakfast sandwiches and froze them. More prep time to get them all done but it's so nice to grab and microwave them when I'm in a rush.

https://damndelicious.net/2014/09/20/freezer-breakfast-sandwiches/

ladysaceb · September 2016

Not quite the same as meal planning as I am on a major struggle bus with that, but is anyone planning on doing freezer meals for once baby gets here? DH works full time and is in school full time as well. Add in that I think he is going to be transferred to a different location that adds 35 minutes each way to his commute meals are going to fall on me. I have no problem with that. Realistically though, I am not going to be able to cook dinner 5-7 nights a week on top of my normal mom stuff and caring for a newborn.
I think I want to start making some ahead of time, maybe a few a week, so I am not trying to make a ton at once and so I am not stuck in a kitchen for a long day prepping them. I am just curious as to how far out I can make them and them still be good and if anyone has any good recipes for freezer meals.

KRB22 · September 2016

@ashanne88 that overnight oats recipe sounds great! I've been trying to think of ways to use figs while they're still in season. And I also keep meaning to make overnight oats. Will definitely be giving this a try!

ashanne88 · September 2016

ladysaceb said:

Not quite the same as meal planning as I am on a major struggle bus with that, but is anyone planning on doing freezer meals for once baby gets here? DH works full time and is in school full time as well. Add in that I think he is going to be transferred to a different location that adds 35 minutes each way to his commute meals are going to fall on me. I have no problem with that. Realistically though, I am not going to be able to cook dinner 5-7 nights a week on top of my normal mom stuff and caring for a newborn.
I think I want to start making some ahead of time, maybe a few a week, so I am not trying to make a ton at once and so I am not stuck in a kitchen for a long day prepping them. I am just curious as to how far out I can make them and them still be good and if anyone has any good recipes for freezer meals.

I am definitely planning on making freezer meals. A lot of stuff is good for 6 months at least. Honestly I've eaten spaghetti sauce and chili that have been in the freezer for 9 months or more and it's still perfectly fine. The biggest thing is to make sure you seal it really well with minimal air exposure so you're less likely to get freezer burn.

nolemama24 · September 2016

This may be very boring, but..... I make white rice (add a dash of olive oil while cooking and some unsalted butter when done cooking), some thin-sliced chicken cutlets (I season with garlic-herb salt), and some asparagus in the oven. (350 degrees, season with salt & pep, a little minced garlic, toss in some olive oil. Sometimes I squeeze a lemon over them when they come out of the oven). It is not the most exciting things, but very flavorful & it makes great lunches for work! I bought these on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ChefLand-3-Compartment-Microwave-Container-Divided/dp/B00PY032QK and I just divvy it up & boom! Easy lunches for work. Also, every week I tend to change up the chicken seasoning to give it different flavors. I don't make it EVERY week, but it's something easy & go-to that I make often.

Also, today I bought an Asian salad mix (has cabbage, carrots, lettuce, wontons...some other stuff, don't remember) and ginger dressing, going to make some side salads YUMMM!

Easy go to breakfasts: I have a friend at work that gets a muffin tin and makes egg omelet "muffins." (she adds spinach, tomatoes, onion, etc) I asked her if she freezed them and she said no, they keep fine in the fridge for the week. She re-heats them in the microwave at work. I have always wanted to google & try to find a recipe to try this, I think this is an awesome way to get some protein and not have to make eggs before work. Plus, you can always get some frozen turkey sausage and make those while at work, too!

AshleySparkle720 · September 2016

I made this super yummy white chicken chili!

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/5-ingredient-easy-white-chicken-chili-recipe/

shlecks · September 2016

I am blessed with a husband who likes to cook. I like cooking too, but if I don't have these meals planned out there's no way I want to do it after work. He loves pretending he's on Chopped and throwing stuff together. Most of the time it's good!

stumptownmama · September 2016

Turkey chili and cornbread is dinner tonight. We did a pork loin and zucchini tots Tuesday and homemade pizza and salad. Friday will probably be tortellini with homemade pasta sauce and grilled zucchini.

CoUnTryBB1 · September 2016

I used to meal plan every week, it really helped us stay on track with a good dinner time for the kids. I have fallen off the wagon recently but I did meal plan this week although I only actually cooked a little hehe

Mon - dinner at friends,
Tues - dinner at my moms
Wed - local fireman's parade and carnival, my kids had dinner beforehand and I snacked
Thur - pork chop, mashed potatoes and veggies
Fri - Fish, veggies and rice (Fish is a frequent Friday dinner since it is easy and you don't have to think about it)
Sat - dinner out for MIL's birthday
Sun - Chicken and dumplings

We will eat leftovers as they come for lunch or dinner but I try to make smaller portions since we can only eat so much and I hate to throw out food.

ashanne88 · September 2016

@AshleySparkle720 I have that recipe pinned but have yet to make it. Glad to know it's good!

TinaBelcher · September 2016

Tonight- French fries and Gatorade, curse this 90 degree 150% humidity and what it does to my stomach!!

christac1010 · September 2016

The heat finally broke here! It high is only 70 (which feels weirdly cool). Plus humidity is below 70% for the first time in days. Time for crockpot soup! We love this recipe, but I'm swapping the hot sausage for turkey sausage and the kale for spinach. Part preference, part what I already have in my refrigerator.

https://www.thechunkychef.com/slow-cooker-zuppa-toscana/

AshleySparkle720 · September 2016

This is my lunch today! yum! https://therecipecritic.com/2016/08/the-best-swedish-meatballs/

ashanne88 · September 2016

I'm making beef and barley soup tonight (stove top version of this recipe https://thefoodcharlatan.com/2014/10/02/beef-barley-soup-recipe/). Hoping I have enough time to make 1 hour dinner rolls too. I always have big plans to make bread and then never have the time or energy.

ashanne88 · September 2016

MMM @AshleySparkle720 those look good. I'm always looking for meatball recipes - DH and DS love meatballs.

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