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"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10 Weekly Meal Plans I have a core list of favorite family meals that I use as the basis of my own weekly meus. I keep the list as a Word document on my computer and a separate Excel file for my shopping list. Then when I make my weekly menu/shopping list, I choose some meals from my menu list and also throw in some other meals that actually require a regular recipe if I find a good one I want to try out. I like to go through cookbooks and recipe magazines while I watch tv and keep the ones I like written down in my own recipe notebook and I use this to plan my meals along with my master menu list. You can download the menu list and shopping list that I use -(right-click, select "Save as.." ) Or just view the html Master Menu List here. You can use these or you can make up your own list of family favorite meals to use as your master meal planning list. I then look at the weekly grocery ads for the stores where I shop and also "shop" from my pantry and freezer to make up my menu each week. Sometimes I get ambitious and make a menu for 2 weeks at a time too. I try to keep my pantry well stocked with staple items so I can just shop for fresh items like meats, produce and dairy to complete my meals. Here is a pantry list you can use. I also like to allow for a couple of days a month for takeout for when I'm way too tired to cook anything or if my son has his friend over and they only want pizza. Tips and tricks I like to boil up about 3-5 pounds of hamburger meat all at once with some salt added to the water. Drain well, then crumble it up evenly and freeze in 1 pound packets to pull out and use when I make a meal that requires ground meat. If I am planning on cooking a large piece of meat such as a ham or roast, I plan several meals around it to get a variety of uses during the week. Same with chicken, when I make grilled or broiled chicken breasts, I make extra to use in future meals. Use shortcuts if you are pressed for time. Bagged salad greens, canned vegetables, pasta sauces and gravies, pre-grated cheeses, refrigerated or frozen pasta, refrigerator doughs, prepared bread crumbs, and cut up veggies from a salad bar are all great shortcuts. March 2010 Sunday 2/28/10 Pork Tenderloin With Orange-Rosemary Glaze Cook extra pork to use later in the week. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans & mushrooms--Saute sliced shitaked mushrooms in olive oil with minced shallots. Toss with steamed green beans. Monday 3/1/10 Black Beans with Tomatoes & Brown Rice Stir a can of rinsed black beans, a 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes with chiles, and a bit of ground cumin in saucepan; heat through. Spoon over brown rice; top with shredded Jack cheese. Serve with cornbread. Tuesday 3/2/10 Colorful Chicken Casserole Wednesday 3//3/10 Fried Potatoes & Sausage Gravy Cut potatoes into cubes and fry in vegetable oil til browned and tender, serve with sausage gravy over the top--fry ground pork sausage, drain all but about 2 Tbsp of the grease, add 3-4 T flour and stir making a rue, add milk a little at a time to make gravy. Salt and pepper to taste. Thursday 3/4/10 Pork Fried Rice Saute sliced mushrooms and peas in a little oil until tender. Stir in cooked rice, shredded pork from Sunday, scarmbled eggs and soy sauce; heat. Stir in chopped scallions. Friday 3/5/10 Mushroom Turkey Tetrazzini Saturday 3/6/10 Beef and Potato Nacho Casserole Sunday 3/7/10 Baked Chicken Place whole chicken in roaster pan or 9x13" rectangle casserole. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and season with poultry seasoning. Add cubed potatoes and carrots around the chicken. Bake uncovered according to time per pound listed on the package. Save some chicken for use later in the week. Monday 3/8/10 Salmon Patties Take a can of pink salmon, drain (my cats love this liquid from the can), remove the bones and skin, crumble into a bowl, add 2 eggs and crushed up cheese crackers, form into patties and fry in nonstick skillet until browned. You can just eat these as patties with a vegetable and potato/pasta/rice side or as sandwiches on a bun with lettuce and tomato etc. Tuesday 3/9/10 Pasta & Tuna Salad Whisk 1/4 cup each red wine vinegar and olive oil, 2 Tbsp honey Dijon mustard and some salt with drained oil from canned tuna. Toss cooked pasta with tuna, chickpeas, chopped tomatoes and red onion and the dressing. Wednesday 3/10/10 Butter Beans & Bread Place 2 slices of buttered bread on each plate, warm up canned butter beans and cubed ham together and serve on the bread. Serve with a vegetable on the side. Thursday 3/11/10 Home Fries Casserole Friday 3/12/10 Canned Chili Just heat up canned chili, serve with crackers, top with shredded cheese if desired or sour cream or mix in a can of drained corn prior to heating and get your vegetables at the same time. Saturday 3/13/10 Applesauce Kielbasa Sunday 3/14/10 Grilled Chicken Breasts Marinate boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a mixture of olive oil, teriyaki sauce, chopped garlic and lime juice for 1-2 hours or overnight. Grill in the oven on a broiler pan (I use my George Forman grill). Make extra chicken for later in the week. Serve with mashed potatoes and apricot honey glazed carrots (combine 1 cup apricot nectar with 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch til smooth; Cook baby carrots in boiling water until crisp-tender; drain, return to pan, add 1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp butter or margarine and 1/4 tsp salt. Add nectar mixture and cook over low 5 min until glaze is thickened. Monday 3/15/10 Cheesy Pasta Primavera with Crab Tuesday 3/16/10 Plantation Supper Wednesday 3/17/10 Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwiches Cook a pound of bacon all at once on a broiler pan, then assemble the ingredients for each person to put together as they like. Thursday 3/18/10 Chicken Vegetable Wraps Shred chicken from Sunday. Mix with canned corn, black beans (drain both), chopped tomatoes and shredded romaine. Toss with ranch dressing. Roll up in warmed tortillas. Friday 3/19/10 Eggplant Parmesan Lightly brush sliced eggplant with oil; broil until tender. Layer ina baking dish with mozzarella cheese and spaghetti sauce. Bake until hot and bubbly. Serve with Italian bread and tossed green salad. Saturday 3/20/10 Ground Beef Stroganoff Sunday 3/21/10 Roast Turkey Breast Add chunks of carrots, potatoes and broccoli or cauiflower to the roasting pan before roasting turkey breast. Save some turkey for later in the week. Monday 3/22/10 Eggs in Marinara Sauce Heat marinara sauce in large skillet. Break 8 eggs, one at a time, into a cup. Slide from cup into skillet; cover and simmer until eggs are semi-firm. Serve with breadsticks and garden salad. Tuesday 3/23/10 Alfredo Chicken 'n' Biscuits Wednesday 3/24/10 Broiled Tilapia Fillets Sprinkle fish with lemon pepper seasoning and salt before broiling. Serve with steamed baby yukon gold potatoes and steamed broccoli. Thursday 3/25/10 Creamed Turkey Dice turkey from Sunday. Make alfredo sauce Add turkey and green peas, stir until heated through. You can also just use Alfredo sauce from a jar to speed this up. Serve over buttered rice or egg noodles. Friday 3/26/10 Tuna Noodle Egg Cups Saturday 3/27/10 Cornbread Beef Casserole Sunday 3/28/10 Baked Chicken Place whole chicken in roaster pan or 9x13" rectangle casserole. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and season with poultry seasoning. Add cubed potatoes and carrots around the chicken. Bake uncovered according to time per pound listed on the package. Save some chicken for use later in the week. Monday 3//29/10 Asian Peanut Beef & Noodles Tuesday 3/30/10 Chili Dogs Boil your hot dogs or warm in microwave. Place in hot dog buns on plates, cover each with warmed-up canned chili and sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and onions if desired. If you like it hotter, you can also add some chopped jalapeno peppers. Serve with potato chips and coleslaw. Wednesday 3/31/10 Chicken Fried Rice In a large skillet saute sliced carots in oil. Add shredded chicken (from Sunday), cooked rice and a little soy sauce and frozen green peas; heat. Add scrambled eggs and chopped scallions. Wednesday 3/31/10 Chicken Fried Rice In a large skillet saute sliced carots in oil. Add shredded chicken (from Sunday), cooked rice and a little soy sauce and frozen green peas; heat. Add scrambled eggs and chopped scallions. Wednesday 3/31/10 Chicken Fried Rice In a large skillet saute sliced carots in oil. Add shredded chicken (from Sunday), cooked rice and a little soy sauce and frozen green peas; heat. Add scrambled eggs and chopped scallions. Wednesday 3/31/10 Chicken Fried Rice In a large skillet saute sliced carots in oil. Add shredded chicken (from Sunday), cooked rice and a little soy sauce and frozen green peas; heat. Add scrambled eggs and chopped scallions. February 2010 Sunday 1/31/10 Baked Chicken Place whole chicken in roaster pan or 9x13" rectangle casserole. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and season with poultry seasoning. Add cubed potatoes and carrots around the chicken. Bake uncovered according to time per pound listed on the package. Save some chicken for use later in the week. Monday 2/1/10 Asian Peanut Beef & Noodles Tuesday 2/2/10 Chili Dogs Boil your hot dogs or warm in microwave. Place in hot dog buns on plates, cover each with warmed-up canned chili and sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and onions if desired. If you like it hotter, you can also add some chopped jalapeno peppers. Serve with potato chips and coleslaw. Wednesday 2/3/10 Chicken Fried Rice In a large skillet saute sliced carots in oil. Add shredded chicken (from Sunday), cooked rice and a little soy sauce and frozen green peas; heat. Add scrambled eggs and chopped scallions. Thursday 2/4/10 Chimichangas Prepare burritos (roll up canned refried beans into flour tortillas). Fry on medium-low heat in a small amount of oil in a large skillet until browned on both sides and insides are heated up. Top with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped black olives, chopped jalapenos and chopped avacado and sour cream. Friday 2/5/10 Turkey Cheese Pockets Saturday 2/6/10 Fried Chicken Breasts with Dirt Gravy Dredge boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or you can use thighs) in flour/salt/pepper mix. Fry in oil until no longer pink. Drain off excess oil, all but about 2 Tbsp, making sure the bits of "dirt" stay in the skillet. Add 2 Tbsp flour to the skillet to make a rue, then add milk or water to make gravy, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with mashed potatoes. Sunday 2/7/10 Pork Roast with Apricot Glaze Save some of the pork for Thursday's meal. Monday 2/8/10 Hamburgers Broil up a batch of hamburger patties in the oven for quick preparation. If desired mix your favorite seasonings or flavorings into the hamburger meat before you form your patties. Top with sliced cheese right at the end and let it melt. Serve on buns with tomato, lettuce, onion, pickles and coleslaw on the side. Tuesday 2/9/10 Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry Wednesday 2/10/10 Red Beans and Rice Make a batch of instant white or brown rice and mix in some butter or margarine. (I like the nuttiness of brown and the extra fiber benefit). Warm up 1-2 cans of red kidney beans and drain most of the liquid off, pour the beans and some of the liquid over the rice and enjoy! Lots of fiber in this meal. Serve with side salad or vegetable. Thursday 2/11/10 Golden Rice & Pork Friday 2/12/10 Soup and Sandwiches Just prepare any canned soup you like and serve with sandwiches such as tuna, grilled cheese, etc Saturday 2/13/10 Lemon Herb Chicken Thighs Sunday 2/14/10 Sesame Chicken Strips Serve with plank potatoes--cut up 3 large potatoes into wedges and coat with Italian salad dressing and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake along with our chicken. Monday 2/15/10 Potatoes & Eggs Cube 3-4 medium potatoes, fry in large skillet in oil until golden brown and tender inside. Set aside. Fry up 2 or more eggs per person however they like. I like mine over easy so the yolks are runny. Divide up the potatoes between each person on a plate and top with the eggs. Serve with some fruit on the side like melon or sliced bananas. Tuesday 2/16/10 Meatloaf Use your favorite meatloaf recipe--I like to mix ground beef with an egg, salt/pepper, crushed saltines and salsa. Make extra to use for Friday's meal. Serve with baked potatoes on the side, cook them at the same time in the oven with the meatloaf or microwave them. Wednesday 2/17/10 Sweet & Savory Chicken Breasts Brush chicken with apricot preserves mixed with spicy mustard and thinned with orange juice before broiling. Serve with rice (brown or white) and steamed broccoli. Thursday 2/18/10 Linguini with Garlic Sauce and Ham Friday 2/19/10 Meatball Subs Assemble meatloaf sub sandwiches with leftover meatloaf, thinly sliced, top with pasta sauce and shredded Mozzarella, broil until cheese melts. Serve with green salad. Saturday 2/20/10 Potato Soup I make this in the crockpot--5 cups water, 5 to 6 medium potatoes cubed, a chicken bouillon cube, salt and pepper to taste. I usually add cubed ham and a can of mushrooms to this also. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, add a can of evaporated milk during the last 30 minutes and 2 T of butter or margarine. Sunday 2/21/10 Beef Roast Place roast in crockpot with cut-up carrots/potatoes, seasoned any way you like, just salt and pepper or pour some Worcestershire sauce over it before cooking. Add some water to the bottom also. Save some of the roast for use later in the week. Monday 2/22/10 Taco Dip I heat up canned refried beans and spread onto each plate, then each person can add toppings they desire from shredded cheese, black olives, jalapenos, tomato, lettuce, avocado, sour cream etc, then scoop the dip with tortilla chips. Tuesday 2/23/10 Apple Kielbasa Coins Serve with hot cooked rice and a vegetable. Wednesday 2/24/10 Pigs in a Blanket Roll up hotdogs into crescent rolls and bake. You can cut a little slot in the hotdog 1st and put a strip of cheese in it before you roll it up in crescent. Serve with a side vegetable. Thursday 2/25/10 Roast Beef Wraps Spread horseradish mayonnaise on flour tortillas. Top with shredded lettuce, thinly sliced tomato, swiss cheese and deli roast beef, roll up. Friday 2/26/10 Sunny Side Up Pizza Saturday 2/27/10 Ham Broccoli Casserole in Crockpot January 2010 Sunday 1/3/10 Tortellini and Smoked Sausage Serve over rice. Monday 1/4/10 Baked Chicken with Artichoke and Mushrooms Serve with buttered egg noodles. Tuesday 1/5/10 Beans and Weiners Use any kind of canned beans like Bush's baked beans etc and add cut-up hotdogs.Serve with coleslaw made with premade coleslaw mix and coleslaw dressing (prebottled or just mix mayonnaise, sugar and a little vinegar to taste to make your own) Wednesday 1/6/10 Hamburger Gravy over Mashed Potatoes Fry up crumbled hamburger, drain off excess fat (all but about 2 T) add 3-4 T flour, stir to coat, then add milk slowly to make gravy, stir til thickened, season with salt and pepper to taste, serve over mashed potatoes (I use instant) Serve with a side salad or steamed vegetables. Thursday 1/7/10 Spaghetti Prepare spaghetti per package directions, pour on any inexpensive jarred sauce, add cut-up black olives and canned mushrooms. Serve with side salad and garlic bread Friday 1/8/10 Cabbage and Ham Boil cabbage, cut into wedges with diced, peeled potatoes and cubed ham until potatoes are tender and cabbage is cooked. Melt some butter over the top before serving. Saturday 1/9/10 Steak Prepare any type steak your family likes either sautéed in butter with canned mushrooms, or broiled, serve with baked potato or rice and vegetable or salad. Sunday 1/10/10 Reuben Calzones Monday 1/11/10 Turkey Roast A quick turkey meal is the Jennie-o turkey loaf, just throw it in the oven, it makes its own gravy, serve with mashed potatoes (I use instant, very quick and easy) and a vegetable. Tuesday 1/12/10 Stir Fry Use boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into chunks or strips, stir fry in small amount of olive oil until no longer pink, then add a package of frozen stir fry vegetables of your choice and a can of water chestnuts, and some teriyaki sauce, continue cooking until vegetables are done, serve over rice and top with a little bit of crispy stir fry noodles. Wednesday 1/13/10 Layered Mexi-Bake Thursday 1/14/10 Meatloaf Use your favorite meatloaf recipe, serve with baked potatoes on the side, cook at the same time in the oven or microwave them and a side salad Friday 1/15/10 Breakfast for Dinner serve pancakes/waffles, or eggs bacon/sausage and toast Saturday 1/16/10 Penne Chicken Sunday 1/17/10 Grilled Chicken Breast with Zesty Peanut Sauce Serve with rice and vegetable Monday 1/18/10 Roast Beef Wraps Spread horseradish mayonnaise on flour tortillas. Top with shredded lettuce, thinly sliced tomato, swiss cheese and deli roast beef, roll up. Tuesday 1/19/10 Fettuccine Alfredo Wednesday 1/20/10 Family Pleasing Sloppy Joes Thursday 1/21/10 Spaghetti Rice Pie Friday 1/22/10 Soup and Biscuits I bake a tube of refrigerator biscuits, or make a homemade batch, split and butter them, put on a plate and top with a warmed up can of any type of thick chunky soup. Very hearty and warming. Serve with side vegetable if desired Saturday 1/23/10 Easy Day Lasagna Sunday 1/24/10 Chicken Adobo Monday 1/25/10 Hamburger Noodle Casserole Tuesday 1/26/10 Cube Steak Dip cube steak in salted/peppered flour, fry in small amount of vegetable oil. When meat is done, top with a can of cream of mushroom soup mixed with a can of milk. Simmer until soup is heated. Serve over cooked rice and put some of the soup 'gravy' on the rice too. We also like to have canned green beans on the side and put some of the mushroom soup 'gravy' on the beans too. Yum! Wednesday 1/27/10 Chili Mac Make prepared macaroni and cheese and add a can of chili to it and some cut up jalepenos if you like it hot. Thursday 1/28/10 Chicken Pot Pie I mix a can of mixed vegetables (the kind with cubed potatoes in it) a can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup mixed with 3/4 can of milk, a small can of chicken, a can of mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste, warm this up in a bowl. Meanwhile, take a refrigerated ready made pie crust, lay out flat on a cookie sheet and cut into 4 wedges. Bake as directed. Spoon the warmed up vegetable/chicken mixture onto a plate, top with a wedge of crust. You have a chicken pot pie with a guaranteed crispy top crust. This is super easy to fix and I love the crust this way. Friday 1/29/10 Hamburger Tortillas Fry up crumbled hamburger with salt and pepper, place cooked meat into a tortilla with shredded lettuce, tomato and shredded cheese and roll up. Its like a hamburger but in a tortilla instead of bun. Saturday 1/30/10 Cabbage and Cheddar Casserole December 2009 Sunday--Boiled Irish Dinner Monday--Tacos Tuesday--Pigs in a Blanket Serve with a side salad or vegetable Wednesday--Salmon Patties Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetable Thursday--Simply Easy Orange Chicken Serve with rice and vegetable Friday--Harvest Time Soup Serve with warm biscuits Saturday--Cheeseburger Pie Sunday--Slow-Cooker Chicken & Dumplings Serve with spinach salad; baby spinach leaves topped with orange sections, dried cranberries and raspberry-pecan vinaigrette. Monday--Macaroni & Cheese with hotdogs Tuesday--Frito Pie Serve with a side salad Wednesday--California Melt Thursday--Crunchy Chicken Casserole Serve with rice and vegetable Friday--Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwiches Serve with a bowl of canned soup of your choice if desired. Saturday--Tuna Casserole Add your favorite vegetable right in when baking. I like frozen peas in mine.