Monthly Menu Ideas

Many of you who've been reading the blog or reading on Facebook have asked how in the world I come up with meal ideas that will last a month, or do I just repeat the same meals? This post should answer those questions.

Monthly meal planning is different for everyone. You may hate to cook and only know how to cook 5 things. If that's the case, it's going to be hard for you...you better get out a cookbook :) If you know me personally, I am happy to loan you a few. I have TONS!

I love to cook and have lots of good cooks in my family and in my husband's famiy and some of my friends are amazing cooks. My first piece of advice to you is if you like how something tastes, ask for the recipe. There is nothing wrong with that. Andy's great-grandmother is 101 and she is probaby the best cook I know. She always told me to never be afraid to ask and that's how she got so many of her wonderful recipes. Now, I am by NO means a fancy cook. There are sooo many things I don't know how to do. For example, I just watched Julia Child and a baker on tv make some amazing breads and just sat there in awe. I don't think I coud ever do the things she does! I don't do a lot of things in the kitchen, but I do my best at what I can do. That's all we can do, right? I do believe, however, that if you can read, you can cook! Maybe I've just read the recipe wrong a few times??? :) But with all seriousness, I have made many a mistake. When Andy and I were first married, I made chili for the first time and it was so bad that I begged him not to tell anyone!! It was like brick mortar! Totally disgusting! I still have flops! Like I said, I'm not a great cook, I just do my best at what I do.

So, to answer the original question, I usualy rotate about 30 menu ideas. Because of the way I set up my monthly budget, I usually plan to eat out 2 times per month. Some people like to schedule those times out and some like to use those if they decide they don't want what's on the menu for dinner.

Here are a list of some of the menu ideas I use. For some of them, I'll list out sides I might use. I use a lot of vegetabes that are fresh in the summer, so winter is harder. And, in the summer we grill out a lot too, so those are other options to what I have listed. Here are my favorite 30 or so menu ideas. Remember, it's not about fancy, it's about feeding your family. Some of these take 5 minutes and some take an hour or so.

Italian Chicken, corn and potato casserole
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Taco Salad
Chicken Caesar Wraps
Italian Beef, corn casserole, green beans
Vegetabe Soup
Chicken Pot Pie
BBQ Chicken Nachos
Chili
Tacos (rotate beef or chicken tacos or hard or soft shell tacos)
Tortellini, Salad and Garlic Bread
Poppyseed Chicken and Salad
Sweet and Sour Chicken and White Rice
Spaghetti, Salad and Garlic Bread
Sesame Chicken and Fried Rice
Roast, Potatoes, Carrots (in the crockpot)
Fettuccini, Plum Tomatoes, Zucchini, Peppers and Red Sauce
Lasagna, Salad and Garlic Bread
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Black Bean Delight (kind of like a vegetarian soft shelled taco)
Chicken and Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, and Corn
Southwest Nacho Casserole
Sloppy Joes and fried potatoes
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Pasta Salad and Asparagus
Breakfast Foods (traditional - pancakes, bacon, eggs)
Breakfast Foods (coffee cake, fruit salad, breakfast casserole)
Homemade Pizza ir Chicago Style Homemade Pizza
Chili
Cheeseburgers and Fries
Baked Steak, Gravy, mashed potatoes and corn
Mexican Taco Skillet (one pan)
Mexican Bubble Pizza
Potato Soup
Itaian Beef Bake
Chicken Salad on croissants (the best)

If you'd like the recipe to any of these menu ideas, let me know and I'll be sure to get it to you! Also, don't be afraid to sit down with a notebook and write out your family's favorite foods. You'll be suprised at all the menu ideas you can come up with!