This is the time of the month when I usually sit down and plan my dinners for the coming month. However, because we are in the midst of a global pandemic (COVID-19), this month has been anything but typical and it is likely the coming month will also be atypical.
Under normal circumstances, I plan an entire month’s worth of dinners because it saves time (I don’t have to find time to plan meals each week) and money (I purchase bulk quantities of the foods we’ll eat numerous times). You can see past menus here. Unfortunately, it is clear that this approach won’t work this month!
The grocery stores around here are still struggling to have products on their shelves. There is no way to know what I’ll be able to get when I place a curbside grocery order. Thus, instead of specifying the particular meals I’ll make this month, I’m going to list out ideas of what we can make if certain items are available.
Dinners to make when few ingredients are available
If we have bread
I make my own bread, so we’ll have bread available to eat as long as I have baking staples.
- Tuna sandwiches
- Chicken salad sandwiches
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
- Almond butter and honey sandwiches
- Ham or turkey and cheese sandwiches
- French toast
- Cheesy baked egg in toast
If we have ground meat (turkey, beef, or pork)
- Burger patties
- Meatloaf (meatloaf is a very good option because you can add breadcrumbs, oats, ground flax seed, cracker crumbs, etc. to make a little bit of meat go a long way)
- Chili
- Hamburger gravy over noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes
- Super easy beef and rice casserole
- Easy Mexican lasagna
- Beef tomato and rice skillet
- Cheeseburger quesadillas
- Cheeseburger macaroni
- Easy cheesy beef stroganoff
- Add to various other pasta dishes and casseroles
If we have chicken
- Roast chicken breasts, thighs, etc.
- Air fryer fried chicken
- Chicken and rice or noodle soup
- Chicken noodle casserole
- Spicy lemon chicken
- Slow cooker bourbon chicken
- Savory chicken and rice
- Add to various other pasta dishes and casseroles
If we have sausage
- Sausage loaf
- Sausage and rice skillet
- Sausage and potato skillet
- Add to various pasta dishes and casseroles
If we have pasta or rice
- Rice or pasta pilaf
- Pasta or rice with marinara sauce
- Pasta or rice with Alfredo sauce
- Beans (black beans, red beans, pinto beans, etc.) and rice
- Creamy mushroom pasta
- Macaroni and cheese
- Tortellini tomato soup
- Chili mac
- Creamy tortellini spinach soup
If we have tortillas
- Wraps (chicken salad, tuna salad, ham and cheese, peanut butter, etc.)
- Quesadillas (cheese, chicken and cheese, ham and cheese, tuna and cheese, etc.)
- Burritos or soft tacos (bean, beef, chicken, sausage and egg, etc.)
If we have baking staples
- Bread
- Pancakes and waffles
- Muffins
- Biscuits
- Cornbread
- Rolls
If we have eggs
- Egg salad
- Hardboiled eggs
- Omelets
- Scrambled eggs
- French toast
- Quiches
Fruits and veggies
During an emergency, our focus is on survival, so it’s not always possible to eat in a super healthy manner. However, to the extent possible, we’re trying to keep up our consumption of fruits and veggies. Our stores have had some fresh and frozen produce available, but what is available and how much varies from one day to the next. We’re relying a lot on canned varieties. This is okay because canned fruits and veggies are still nutritious.
Final thoughts
I’m writing this on March 23rd. I really hope that panic buying subsides and that stores are able to get deliveries on a regular basis and have shelves with good stocks once we make it to April. However, this is a fluid situation, so I’ll be patient and very flexible. I’m not sure what Easter will look like this year, but hopefully I’ll be able to make something special for my family, even if it isn’t the sort of Easter dinner we are used to.
I’m checking with my neighbors to make sure everyone has the supplies and food that they need. I hope you will do the same. Besides picking up groceries, my kids and I only leave the house to play in the yard or go on a walk. My husband only leaves for work (his position is considered essential because he does computer forensics for law enforcement). Please follow the recommendations/orders in your area regarding being out and about.
What meals are you preparing with the foods you are able to get? Please share your ideas!
Shared at the following:
Farm Fresh Tuesdays, Busy Monday, and Encouraging Hearts and Home.
We are noticing our stores are slowly re-stocking and with the limits in place on those hot ticket items there are fewer and fewer empty shelves around. I’m actually a bit jealous that so many regions still have curbside pickup (or even delivery!) for groceries. We only had two stores in our area that offered that prior to the pandemic and both have suspended their service since they just could not keep up with the demand and had such limited stock to try and work with. We have been very lucky to still have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to pick from but I’m finding that we’re making more stir- fries, casseroles, and soups to stretch our meat since that is real scarce. We made waffles and bacon last night and tonight we’re having pasta, sauce, and fresh broccoli. My middle son was talking about making up some flatbread pizzas tomorrow night and after that I’m thinking chicken soup, and shrimp stir-fry to round out our week.
Yes, we are so grateful that we still have curbside pickup. When you put your order together, the first times available are a week out, so it is definitely popular. If you need things soon, you have to go to the store.
When I put my order in earlier this week, there did seem to be more things available. Like where you live, they are limiting items, which I think is helping.
This has all made me very grateful for the fact that we typically have so many food options available! I don’t generally think about it when I put together a grocery list, but we are very blessed to have such a wide variety of things at our fingertips.
Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Pleas stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
Thanks, Marilyn!