Our summer has been quite busy, so we’re looking forward to a less eventful fall. We’re also looking forward to a new menu!
I’ve explained previously about my menu planning process. In short, I periodically develop monthly menus. We use each for three consecutive months before moving on to a new one.
I only plan dinners on our menus because we almost always eat leftovers with a side of fruit for lunch. I try to include one meatless dinner each week to save us a bit of money on groceries. For breakfasts, I typically make a few items on the weekends and freeze them for easy preparation on busy weekday mornings.
Here are the yummy dinners we’ll be eating this fall.
Week 1
- Stovetop lasagna, green beans
- Chef’s salad, rolls
- Enchilada ravioli, corn
- Turkey and wild rice soup
- Penne festival, green beans
- King Ranch chicken casserole, side salad
- Baked ricotta spaghetti, green beans
Week 2
- Enchiladas, corn
- Spaghetti with meat marinara sauce, green beans
- Grilled chicken, seasoned orzo, carrots
- Sloppy Joe sandwiches, green beans
- Wisconsin macaroni and cheese, carrots
- Pepperoni pizza, green beans
- Open
Week 3
- Philly cheese meatloaf, roasted potatoes
- Lasagna rolls, green beans
- Cheeseburger quesadillas, corn
- Creamy tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches
- Ranch chicken skillet with mixed veggies
- Queso dip and tortilla chips
- Creamy beef and noodle skillet with peas and carrots
Week 4
- Ranch macaroni and cheese, corn
- Spaghetti with meat marinara sauce, green beans
- Hamburgers, grilled veggies
- Sloppy Joe pasta, green beans
- Baked chicken “fried” steak with mushroom gravy, carrots
- Taco skillet
- Open
Over the next few weeks I’ll post recipes for some of the dishes on this menu.
What will you be eating this fall? What new recipes are you eager to try?
Shared on the following link-ups:
A Little Bird Told Me, Titus 2 Tuesday, The Art of Home-Making, Living Proverbs 31, Making Your Home Sing, Saturday Soiree, Inspiration Spotlight and Creativity Unleashed.
I like this way of planning menus and it looks like you have some good food coming up 🙂
Hi Rose,
This menu planning approach works really well for us! It may not be best for every family, but it’s worth a try for those who haven’t found a system they like.
This plan for mapping out menus sounds like a great one! Great tips! Thanks!! I have heard about ding something like this before, but had not seen it mapped out as you have.
Hi Pam,
I had not seen a system like it until I began doing this. I’m so glad I did, as it helps us stay organized.
Thanks for sharing your meal plan at the Inspiration Spotlight party! Pinned & shared.
Hi Theresa,
I’m glad you appreciated it. Thanks for stopping by and for sharing it!
Forgot to say hope to see you again soon. 😉
What a great way to keep organized! Thank you for sharing your delicious menu with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays! 🙂
Hi JES,
I was pleased to share it. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I have some friends that are having some health issues and would like to do some cooking for them. So I am looking for some dishes that can either be made ahead of time and frozen or put together, frozen and cooked at a later date. Your Philly Cheese Meatloaf recipe is what caught my eye. I also like the Philly casserole. Do you know how these would freeze or can you recommend some that would freeze good?
Thanks
I’m so glad you asked, Sharon! I hope the following is helpful.
The Philly Cheese Meatloaf will freeze well. Assemble it as indicated in the instructions, but then freeze it instead of baking it. When ready to eat it, pull the frozen meatloaf from the freezer and bake it at 350°F for 1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 30 min. It will be done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Most casseroles freeze pretty well. I froze several before I had a baby last year. At that time I compiled this list of Tips for Freezing Casseroles. There are useful tips on that list for a variety of casseroles, so you can apply them to whichever casseroles you like to prepare.
Personally, I’ve had great success freezing the following casseroles:
Easy Mexican Lasagna
Creamy Turkey Mushroom Spaghetti
Hamburger Noodle Casserole
If your friends have a slow cooker, you could freeze raw chicken in the marinade used for Spicy Lemon Chicken and then they can toss the frozen chicken and marinade in the slow cooker when they’d like to eat it.
I’ve found that chili and most soups freeze well. These would be great in the winter months that we have ahead.
Please let me know if you need additional ideas or if I need to clarify anything.