I am not sure who may or may not be interested in a monthly/weekly menu, but I thought I would share it for anyone to use as you want. I used to share these when I had my Out of the Nest and Beyond going, but I have gotten far from it now! We now find ourselves asking what we are going to eat, when we should probably already have a meal fixed. At that point, either everything is frozen or we don’t have what we need. Since Jay works from home, he is really good about getting something going when we have something to get going.
In an attempt to get back to being a little more organized, I am putting together a monthly menu as a guide. I am planning 5 weeknight meals, but I know that we will probably not make all 5 each week. Again, this is only a guide.
Tips for Using This Monthly Menu:
- Print the menu off and keep it visible.
- Get as many of the ingredients as you can at the beginning of the month.
- Each week get the fresh ingredients needed.
- Keep certain staples on hand (Baking items, seasonings, etc.)
- Buy in bulk – Ex. See how many chicken meals you are going to plan, buy at least that much chicken and freeze them in smaller portions.
- Remember that this is just a guide. Nothing is set in stone. Use what you want to use and skip the rest.
- Use this either as a monthly menu, a weekly menu, or choose what you want for your own plan.
What this will look like:
- I have the menu on a spreadsheet with the dates, menu item, and either a brief description or a link to the online recipe.
- I try to do 2 for 1 recipes when possible – Ex. Cook enough taco meat for two meals that are planned for that week. This makes the second meal preparation a little faster.
- I am not including weekends, because we usually eat out, and there should also be enough leftovers for quick meals and snacks.
- For menu items like Grilled Chicken, I did not include a recipe. If you have questions about anything on the menu that doesn’t have an explanation, please contact me.
- I did not include sides on the menu. I try to keep plenty vegetables, couscous, rice, etc. Just fill in with your favorites.
| Date | Meal | Information or Link |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baked Salmon | Bake with butter & seasoning – serve w/couscous & vegetables. |
| 2 | BLTs | Make extra bacon for the baked potatoes on Friday. If you bake the bacon on parchment paper, there is no mess! Let the grease cool and harden, then throw the paper away. (Thank you Laura for this tip!) Parchment Paper and Sheet Pan |
| 3 | Beef Tips & Rice | Add beef tips & 2 jars of beef gravy to a crock pot on low – add mushrooms in during the last hour. Crock Pot |
| 4 | Forgotten Chicken | https://www.food.com/recipe/forgotten-chicken-26025 |
| 5 | Baked Potatoes | Use the extra bacon from the BLTs for toppings. |
| Weekend | ||
| 8 | Pork Loin (Make extra for Wed.) | Put chunked potatoes, carrots, onions, pork loin, and water in crock pot on low – Season well. |
| 9 | Cauliflower Rice Meal – 15 Minutes | https://homewithgraceandjoy.com/2022/06/23/my-15-minute-go-to-meal/ |
| 10 | Pulled Pork | Warm up the extra pork from Mon., shred and add BBQ sauce – serve on buns. |
| 11 | Spanish Chicken & Rice | Top chicken with butter, salsa, & cilantro & bake or put in a crock pot on low – serve over Spanish rice and top with shredded cheese. |
| 12 | Stuffed Avocados | Half avocados – plain or grilled, stuff with any leftovers from the week – pork loin, cauliflower rice meal, pulled pork, or Spanish chicken & rice. |
| Weekend | ||
| 15 | Grilled Fish | Season & Grill – Serve with rice or couscous & vegetables. I usually use a grill pan instead of the outdoor grill, but either is fine. Grill Pan |
| 16 | Stuffed Bell Peppers (Spanish) | Make extra taco meat for the taco salads on Friday. https://www.evolvingtable.com/mexican-stuffed-bell-peppers/ |
| 17 | Pepper Jack Crack Chicken | https://homemadeonaweeknight.com/2022/07/11/pepper-jack-crack-chicken/ |
| 18 | Lemon Basil Shrimp | https://homemadeonaweeknight.com/2022/07/19/lemon-basil-shrimp-rice/ |
| 19 | Taco Salad | Add the extra taco meat warmed to a salad w/cheese, sour cream, and salsa – If you have extra filling from the stuffed bell peppers, you could use that also. |
| Weekend | ||
| 22 | Grilled Chicken | Serve with rice & veggies. |
| 23 | Hamburger Patties w/ Mushrooms | Grill hamburger patties, saute mushrooms in butter, serve both on Texas toast (freezer section) with Swiss cheese. |
| 24 | Chicken Strip Salad | Prepared chicken strips from the deli are quick & easy – just add to a salad. If you have extra grilled chicken from Monday, you could use that instead. |
| 25 | Swiss Pork Chops | Top pork chops with butter, an onion, Rotel tomatoes, & bake. |
| 26 | Cauliflower Pizza | Frozen section – Costco has our favorite. |
| Weekend | ||
| 29 | Taco Salads | Cook extra taco meat for Wednesday. https://www.averiecooks.com/loaded-beef-taco-salad-creamy-lime-cilantro-dressing/ |
| 30 | Shrimp and/or Chicken Stir Fry | Saute shrimp and/or chicken, add stir fry veggies & preferred sauce. If you are using shrimp, it will not need as much cooking time as the chicken. |
| 31 | Taco Spaghetti | https://spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com/taco-spaghetti/ |
| 9/1 | Stuffed Chicken | In the frozen section at Costco – Chicken/Ham/Cheese |
| 9/2 | Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole – Keto | https://joyfilledeats.com/chicken-cordon-bleu-casserole/ |
Please feel free to contact me with questions, comments, or suggestions. Happy Cooking!
Have a Grace & Joy-filled day!
Susan
“When I am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy.” Psalms 94:19
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