March 2022 Menu Plans

Join our amazing community
Share what you know, learn something new!
register

jampss

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Oct 24, 2007
4,924
5,400
113
61
FL
Oh! Tomorrow is ‘pi’ day!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ahorsesoul

Lori K

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Nov 13, 2018
2,424
6,331
113
Illinois
March 20 - March 26, 2022
Sunday: Burgers on the grill, roasted potatoes, bean salad
Monday: grilled chicken, salad, roasted brussels sprouts
Tuesday: BLT, roasted potatoes, coleslaw
Wednesday: chili, coleslaw, corn bread (or maybe sloppy joes)
Thursday: spaghetti, meatballs, salad
Friday: salmon, rice, bean salad
Saturday: fettuccini carbonara (going to try a new recipe, supposed to be "easy"), salad
 
  • Like
Reactions: jampss

DahliaDoll

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Oct 15, 2007
2,494
2,864
113
I can't believe how many leftovers we have. I'm including most of them in this meal plan. I may update it when I check to see if there's anything else in the refrigerator that I'm not remembering or if there isn't quite enough of some of those on the list. I'll update this plan as/if it changes.

March 22 - 28
  • Monday ~ Leftover corned beef
  • Tuesday ~ Leftover Asian chicken
  • Wednesday ~ Leftover Beef brisket; salad
  • Thursday ~ Leftover Shakshuka with chicken (or eggs?)
  • Friday ~ Grilled shrimp, salad
  • Saturday ~ TBD
  • Sunday (DH cooks) ~ TBD
 

sweetpumkinpye

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Apr 23, 2008
16,881
20,641
113
59
Canberra, Australia
March 21st-27th
Monday: Popcorn Chicken, potatoes, corn cobs and sour cream.
Tuesday: Sausage rolls, mashed potato, peas and carrots
Wednesday: Fish and chips. Stewed apples and custard for dessert
Thursday: Fiesta Pie
Friday: Homemade pizzas with chorizo, pepperoni, ham and pineapple. garlic bread.
Saturday :Toasted sandwiches
Sunday : Pancakes, berries and maple syrup.
 

jampss

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Oct 24, 2007
4,924
5,400
113
61
FL
Well. Menu changes around here

DH has elevated cholesterol. Soooooo …. I’m looking at the Mediterranean eating style.

The thing is …. Over the 35 years …. I have tried to get Mr Meat and Potatoes Junk Food man to eat better. I would even purée veggies in things. I gave up. He would snub his nose.

Guess where he is now? Back to needing veggies, beans, etc puréed!!! I think it more if a texture issue (I see where my kids get it). I mean he won’t eat a piece broccoli.

At least now, he is on board. That’s huge!
 

missjane

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Oct 13, 2007
8,825
6,254
113
Louisiana
I can't believe how many leftovers we have.
I did the same thing recently. I get so tired of food waste.

DH was highly offended one night this week...can't even remember what night (maybe Monday?) that I made cornbread. He asked what I was making and I said, "Cornbread." He said, "And?" I said, "Cornbread!" I heated up leftover soup to go with my cornbread. I don't know what he ate that night, but it wasn't cornbread or soup.

I'll post a menu plan for next week after I think about it more.
 

DahliaDoll

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Oct 15, 2007
2,494
2,864
113
Greetings!

Jampss ~ I've had similar problems with DH. Until recently, he had no idea what foods were healthy and unhealthy. I would tell him that hot dogs would elevate his cholesterol. He would reply that he doesn't eat them every day. He didn't realize that most of what he ate was high cholesterol, even though he wasn't eating the same thing every day, every day he was eating something! I think he's more aware these days.

Oh, we love cornbread. DH wouldn't complain at all having cornbread with leftover soup. I actually prefer leftovers. Easy to prepare, and the flavors have melded so nicely that is even better than when first cooked.
 

Lori K

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Nov 13, 2018
2,424
6,331
113
Illinois
I did the same thing recently. I get so tired of food waste.

DH was highly offended one night this week...can't even remember what night (maybe Monday?) that I made cornbread. He asked what I was making and I said, "Cornbread." He said, "And?" I said, "Cornbread!" I heated up leftover soup to go with my cornbread. I don't know what he ate that night, but it wasn't cornbread or soup.

I'll post a menu plan for next week after I think about it more.
I look at meal planning with the same philosophy as being frugal with other household purchases -- reuse, repurpose, recycle, only I do it with food. And what you describe is why, when I menu plan, I plan for 3 meals a day. It also helps me to make the most of my grocery budget and insure that I have everything I need on hand, so there's no excuse for "I don't have what I need to make dinner, so I'll just grab something from the drive thru."

I was used to cooking meals that would serve 4 (household of 3 + a friend of DD often joined us), then became empty nesters, and shortly after, my DH passed suddenly. Learning to cook to compliment my household (and reduced budget; widows pension was 50% of what DH was getting) was a new learning experience and, for the most part, I've mastered cutting a recipe down to 2 servings -- one for dinner, and the other for lunch the next day or to make something for lunch from the leftovers.

Here's my process, in case anyone can glean a few tips that will help:
  • I start by making my dinner plan for the week, penciling in any planned dinners out with my widows group or others.
  • Then, I move on to lunch. I look at what my expected leftovers will be (even from meals out, knowing I'll bring a doggie bag home). For the next day's lunch, will I want just plain leftovers? Or can I craft something else from it?
-- I can't do much with re-crafting manicotti, so today will be just plain leftovers, probably reheated in the microwave. If I'm ambitious, I'll put some bagged salad on the plate and tell myself it's a healthy lunch (well, it IS healthier than a Big Mac and fries, right?).​
-- If I'm making a half-recipe of pot roast and potatoes for Sunday dinner, I might plan BBQ beef sliders and oven browned potatoes for lunch on Monday. Or, I'll make chicken salad from leftover chicken breast, or make a soup or stew from the leftovers, aggregating leftover vegetables and supplementing with what I have in the crisper drawer or freezer.​
-- And, I also consider what else I could do if I have a larger amount left over. For me to cook a turkey breast, I know I'll have a LOT left over, so I'll plan for turkey sandwiches, turkey a'la king, or "poultry" pot pie for later in the week.​
-- If it turns out that there are no leftovers? There's always grilled cheese or PB&J for lunch.​
  • Lastly, I'll look at my lunches and dinners and pencil in my breakfasts, based on where I may need to cut back to balance some calories. Sometimes, even my dinner plans impact breakfast -- biscuits from chicken a'la king get repurposed in breakfast sandwiches (or, vice versa -- make biscuits for breakfast, knowing that a'la king is on the dinner menu within the next day or two) -- unfortunately you can't buy just 2 biscuits in either the refrigerator section or bakery, so there will always be leftover biscuits; boiled eggs for breakfast, I'll make sure I "over boil" some for use egg salad for lunch, deviled eggs for a Sunday dinner, or sliced and on a lunch-time chef's salad using leftover turkey or chicken. If I'm boiling water for 2 eggs, why not boil a couple of more, since I know where and when I'll use them?
  • As I make my menu, I'll review recipe ingredients, check my pantry, and add needed items to my grocery list. This year, I'm finding myself shopping only about every two weeks, and it tends to be for bread, produce, and dairy. Most other ingredients are in my pantry or freezer.

It's become somewhat of a game for me, like putting together a puzzle of the week's meals. It helps me build my grocery list, keeps me on a healthier track so I'm not relying entirely on carbs (muffins or donuts from Dunkin') for breakfast and drive thru meals for lunch and/or dinner, and it lets me spend less time in the kitchen pondering "what's for lunch" or "what's for dinner" only to find that the meat I need is still in the freezer. My budget thanks me, too, since there's less food waste and far less penicillin growing in my refrigerator.
 

halimer

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Aug 30, 2008
6,947
7,946
113
Long Island, NY
I find it very hard to menu plan now since I went through a period of thawing stuff and having to toss it because we wound up doing something else. When we were a family of 4 (us three plus friend) and we were all working it was much easier.

But my blessing is that DH is fine with leftovers and sandwiches for dinner if nothing else is available and Thursday is always leftover (Buffet) night.
 

sweetpumkinpye

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Apr 23, 2008
16,881
20,641
113
59
Canberra, Australia
March 28th-April 2nd
Monday: Chicken Pizziola. Chicken with mushrooms, tomato and ham.
Tuesday: Fiesta Pie, swapped form last week.
Wednesday: BLT's on Turkish bread, side of chips and salad
Thursday: Spaghetti meatballs, with garlic bread
Friday: Lemon and herb chicken
Saturday :Toasted sandwiches
Sunday : Bacon, eggs on crumpets.
 

Lori K

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Nov 13, 2018
2,424
6,331
113
Illinois
March 28 - Apr. 2, 2022
Sunday: leftover pot roast, shredded with BBQ sauce on Hawaiian rolls, coleslaw, roasted potatoes
Monday: grilled chicken, salad, rice mix, green beans
Tuesday: BLT, roasted potatoes, coleslaw
Wednesday: pasta with sauce, salad, garlic toast
Thursday: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, salad, peas and carrots
Friday: cheese pizza, salad
Saturday: fettuccini carbonara (going to try a new recipe, supposed to be "easy"), salad [carry-over from last week, since I wound up having dinner with a friend]
 

missjane

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Oct 13, 2007
8,825
6,254
113
Louisiana
.Sunday - 3/27 Baked Chicken, Rice, and Butter Beans
Monday - 3/28 Shrimp Scampi (short-cut recipe, not full fledged), Salad...found a package of shrimp in the freezer this morning
Omelets (unexpected baseball game and home late)
Tuesday - 3/29 Pork Tenderloin, Green Bean Bundles, Sweet Potatoes
Shrimp Scampi
Wednesday - 3/30 Hot Dogs (church night)
Thursday - 3/31 Pork Tenderloin, Green Bean Bundles, Sweet Potatoes Grilled Chicken Salad with French Bread
Friday - 4/1 Grilled Chicken Salad with French Bread Tacos, Spanish Rice, Refried Beans
Saturday - Ritzy Chicken, Salad

Alrighty, then...DD29 called yesterday morning to ask if we could keep the dogs...so Friday and Saturday went right out the window.

I'll try again next week!
 
Last edited:

AnnieClaus

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Nov 6, 2007
9,708
5,869
113
55
Southern Arizona
Lori- Thank you for the tips!

I have been working very hard at not being wasteful. Particularly with meat. An animal gave up its life for us to eat it and to just throw it away?!
It really bothers me.

With grocery and gas prices-I'm definitely being extra mindful of not being wasteful.

I love Jane's response to her DH! Made me chuckle!


Annie
 

sweetpumkinpye

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Apr 23, 2008
16,881
20,641
113
59
Canberra, Australia
With grocery and gas prices-I'm definitely being extra mindful of not being wasteful.
Important at any time but more so now. It takes a little extra work to meal plan and budget but I think it is worth it on so many levels.
 

DahliaDoll

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Oct 15, 2007
2,494
2,864
113
I'm late to the party. For some reason this week seems to be a struggle. We do have to eat though!

March 28 – April 3
  • Monday ~ Dinner out (Skuttlebutts)
  • Tuesday ~ Reuben sandwiches
  • Wednesday ~ Meatloaf from freezer; chop salad
  • Thursday ~ Grilled whole chicken; chop salad
  • Friday ~ Chili (from freezer); chips
  • Saturday ~ TBD
  • Sunday (DH cooks) ~ Ham & beans; sourdough biscuits
 

jampss

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Oct 24, 2007
4,924
5,400
113
61
FL
I made this last night


DH thought I’d wasn’t too bad (he has only eaten Campbell’s tomato soup)

DS18 didn’t care for the potatoes LOL