Hi Friends! Today I am talking all about Meal Planning. If you have been reading for awhile, then you know I am pretty good about this throughout the school year and then the planning starts to fall off during May/June.
If there is a silver lining in this pandemic at all, it is that I have remained more organized with meal planning this year. I have actually kept a chart and there have only been three weeks this entire year that I just "went with it."
Regardless, I kind of dial up the planning and recipes a notch when the kids are going back to school.
This year, I am even more on top of things and have actually planned out our meals for the entire month of September. Our kids don't go back to school until September 9th so I already feel like I am ahead of the game!
I have found, over the years, that meal planning truly helps eliminate so much stress during the school year and it actually helped us this summer, too, with spending less on groceries overall.
Today, I thought I would share our September meals with you. (Well the plan actually starts the last few days in August and ends the first few days of October- I will be planning October soon too!)
For the school year, I go back to our basic theme most of the time- there will be a couple of exceptions of course but here is the theme I plan around:
Meatless Mondays
Taco Tuesdays
Pasta Worthy Wednesdays
Anything Thursdays
Friday Night Pizza Nights
I am also taking the chance to share a couple of my recipes and also link up to some other recipes for you too in case you want to add them to your rotation! Keep in mind, Rob and I will be substituting most carbs (pasta, rice, etc) with cauliflower rice and/or cauliflower gnocchi and sometimes even sweet potato gnocchi to keep things a bit healthier around here!
Here goes.....
Monday 8/31-
Veggie Chow Main
Tuesday 9/1-
Walking Tacos, Grapes
Find the recipe HERE
Wednesday
9/2- Date Night Rigatoni, Broccoli
Find the Recipe HERE
Thursday 9/3-
Greek Chicken Rice Bowls/Out- Mama’s Birthday!
Friday 9/4-
Friday Night Pizza Night, Cukes/Salad
Monday 9/7- Breakfast
for Dinner- Eggs, Pancakes, Berries
Tuesday 9/8- Queso
Chicken Tacos, Rice, Cukes
Find the Recipe HERE
Wednesday
9/9- Spaghetti with Oil and Garlic, Broccoli
Thursday
9/10- Million Dollar Chicken and Rice, Apples
Find the Recipe HERE
Friday 9/11- Friday
Night Pizza and Salad Night
Monday 9/14- Veggie
Quesadillas, Carrots
Tuesday 9/15-
Baked Chicken Nachos, Cukes
Wednesday
9/16 Pasta with Quick Bolognese
Find the Recipe for my Bolognese Sauce HERE
Thursday 9/17-
Chicken Pot Pie, Rice
Friday 9/18-
Friday Night Pizza and Salad Night
Monday 9/21-
One Pot Cheesy Chicken, Rice, Broccoli (no chicken)
Tuesday 9/22-
Chicken Quesadillas, Carrots
Wednesday
9/23- Chicken, Broccoli and Ziti
Find my Recipe for Chic, Broc and Ziti HERE
Thursday
9/24- Chicken and Waffles, Berries
Friday 9/25-
Pizza and Salad
Monday 9/28-
Mac and Cheese Bites, Cukes
Tuesday 9/29-
Chicken Taquitos, Grapes
Wednesday
9/30- Hamburger Casserole, Broccoli
Find the Recipe HERE
Thursday 10/1-
Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Friday 10/2-
Pizza and Salad
Hope you found this helpful- I always love when you share your meal plans and recipes with me and hope to take some of your ideas and incorporate them into our future months!
Oh this plan is so impressive! Not only did you schedule a month's worth of meals but all of these recipes are gourmet! You are motivating me to work on a meal plan for the fall!!
ReplyDeleteI love meal planning. You do so good! I have planned meals since the boys were little and it helps so much. When I worked full time, I would prep on Sundays. Love your ideas!
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing! I meal plan too, and used to do a month at a time, but for the past couple years I would only do a week at a time. I found during this pandemic that planning two to two and a half weeks at a time was so much better for us. It helped me stay more organized and saved us money. You are inspiring me to plan out all of September!! I love that you have a "theme" for the week. We always do pizza night on Fridays too. And I have started dubbing Tuesdays as a "taco" theme. Thanks for sharing all of this!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I meal plan weekly, but I think I am going to try monthly this fall. I am waiting to hear one more sports schedule and then I can get to it. You have some yummy dinners here! Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteI have to meal plan. It makes me feel a little bit more put together! HA
ReplyDeleteAll the praise hands for meal planning!! Way to be on top of it for September already. I need to try out planning for a month at a time.
ReplyDeleteYou have some really yummy meals planned!! We just sat down last night and meal planned for the next two weeks but that's about as far as I like to plan. I did sit down and write up a master list of meals so when I'm floundering for ideas I can see what we've enjoyed eating in the past. I don't pick themed nights but do try to have a variety of meals each week-- fish, chicken, beef, some sort of sandwich, a soup/casserole, etc.
ReplyDeleteI've been menu planning for a month at a time since Sam was a baby. Our grocery store used to have major savings the first Tuesday of every month so I would plan and then buy all the canned goods/dry ingredients for the month at once. Anyways, not that we always stick the the menu plan but it sure helps with the "what's for dinner?" crunch. I'm going to check out some of your recipes because we get in serious ruts around here.
ReplyDeleteAnd I find that having a them (Mexican Monday, pasta once a week, Taco Tuesday) helps A TON with menu planning.