Eat at Home 3!

It’s been a long time since I’ve been active on here, but between saving for our Christmas trip and paying for cheer expenses in the fall, it’s time to buckle down and strategically meal plan again! I hope to minimize shopping each week to try and use what we already have, but not at the expense of boring meal plans :)

First week’s plans were/are:
Thursday blueberry pancakes and bacon
Friday chicken curry with peas over rice
Saturday BBQ ribs and cheesy potatoes
Sunday steaks, potatoes and carrots on the grill
Monday tuna and noodles
Tuesday chicken enchiladas
Wednesday grilled burgers and sweet potato fries

Lunches are sandwiches or leftovers, with the exception of Sunday brunch of eggs, sausage and toast

Shopping this week was pretty light. Beyond the weekly milk, bread and lunch meat, I only had to purchase bacon, pancake mix, hamburger buns and sweet potato fries. I also grabbed s’mores fixings, because it’s not summer for us without s’mores!
 
Another week, another weekly plan:)...

Sun - Cheesesteaks (or non-cheese for me) with sauteed onions and mushrooms, mango/strawberry/grape salad, homemade roasted tomato and tomatillo salsa with chips
Mon - Buffalo Chicken Salad (Aldi's Buffalo Zingers - trying for 1st time and dairy free!) with sliced celery, grated carrot, spinach and argula mix, and toasted pecans...with a dressing (everyone will have blue cheese...I'm still deciding if I'm gonna make my own buffalo wing/plain so delicious yogurt one), cherries and blueberries - and hot dogs for the kids who won't eat the salad
Tues (the heat breaks!) - Pre-glazed pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes (gonna try a small dairy free version for me, but do regular for everyone else til I make sure dairy-free isn't bad), caprese salad (no cheese for me), plums
Wed - Chicken Fajita Tacos, Refried Beans, Rest of salsa with chips, Clementines
Thurs - Meatloaf (found panko bread crumbs are dairy free, so gonna try for 1st time in awhile), Eggplant Ratatouille, Sliced Mango, Crescent Rolls
Fri - Frozen and Leftover Night with Smoothies - it looks like Korean Dumplings and Dairy-Free Samosas (with Pizza Bites for the youngest) if we have no leftovers
Sat - OUT

So I made 2 big changes this week...I didn't make a pork or do a frozen night, but I did make a dairy-free Indian tikka masala with roasted veg (using a Simply Asia spice mix and then changing it dairy free - this was a big hit) and a dairy-free shepard's pie (using a whole 30 recipe - and trying out my nutritional yeast in the mashed potatoes to cover up the coconut "smell" - this was also a huge hit). Both dishes are probably going into my "cool" weather rotations b/c they were so beloved most family members got 2nds...I will say, they did add extra mozzarella to their shepard's pie (the whole 30 recipe was tomato paste/beef broth based, so it skewed more to that direction than cheddar especially with the yeast in the potatoes). I'll have another plan sometime tomorrow:)...
 
Sunday: Roast and veggies
Monday: Short ribs, veggies, mac & cheese
Tuesday: Taco/nacho/burrito bar
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Dragon noodles
Friday: Pizza night
Saturday: Tilapia, rice and veggies

Have a great week!!
 
Saturday: Baked Chicken Legs, Corn on the Cob
Sunday: Mock Chipotle bowls: Chicken, Cilantro lime rice, salsa, black beans, corn
Monday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, cucumber/tomato salad
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Zoodles
Thursday: Frozen Pizza
Friday: Chicken Thighs, baked beans, mac and cheese
 


Okay, I have a plan:)...here goes...

Sunday - Korean Bibimbop meets Chicken Stew (Bibimbop sauce and coconut milk with fresh chives and s&p served over roasted chicken breast and roasted veg - flat cabbage, korean peppers, japanese eggplant, onions, and carrots) with Dairy-Free Naan, Fruit for kids (who skipped veg)
Monday - Breaded Baked Chicken Sandwiches with Honey Mustard, Lettuce, Tomato, and Onion, Strawberries, Fresh Pineapple, Corn on the Cob
Tuesday (my girls made me meringues today and messed up a few eggs, so) - Dairy-free Vegetable and Bacon Quiche (Leftover Chicken Sandwiches for Boys), Blueberries and Strawberries, Tomato Salad
Wednesday - Pork - Thinking I'm gonna crockpot the large pork butt I have and do Pork Carnitas Tacos with Tomato Tomatillo Salsa and Coconut Yogurt Lime Crema, Cherries and Berries
Thursday - Pork BBQ Sandwiches (2nd part of pork), Baked Fries, Homemade Cole Slaw, Apple Slices
Friday - Frozen Night - Gonna use last week's plan b/c it's still in the freezer
Saturday - OUT
 
Summer fun and travel is over, kids go back to school Thursday. :sad::sad::sad:

Wednesday:
Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Watermelon

Thursday:
French Bread Pizza
Watermelon

Friday:
Chili Dogs
Chips

Saturday:
Grilled Pork Chops
Corn on the Cob
Baked Beans

Sunday:
Porcupine Meatballs
Mashed Potatoes
Fried Okra

Monday:
Canucah Smoked Sausage Mac and Cheese
French Style Green Beans

Taco Tuesday:
Chicken Quesadillas
Mexican Rice
 
So I made 2 big changes this week...I didn't make a pork or do a frozen night, but I did make a dairy-free Indian tikka masala with roasted veg (using a Simply Asia spice mix and then changing it dairy free - this was a big hit) and a dairy-free shepard's pie (using a whole 30 recipe - and trying out my nutritional yeast in the mashed potatoes to cover up the coconut "smell" - this was also a huge hit). Both dishes are probably going into my "cool" weather rotations b/c they were so beloved most family members got 2nds...I will say, they did add extra mozzarella to their shepard's pie (the whole 30 recipe was tomato paste/beef broth based, so it skewed more to that direction than cheddar especially with the yeast in the potatoes). I'll have another plan sometime tomorrow:)...
Do you have the shepard's pie recipe?
 


Do you have the shepard's pie recipe?

I used this, but changed it a lot - used celery, carrots, onions, and frozen peas for veg...olive oil and not ghee in pie base (and dairy-free margarine, not ghee in mashed potatoes)...and put in tomato paste and beef broth til I liked it (ala I didn't measure, but I tasted - ended up using whole paste can and almost whole broth can...same for mashed potatoes...I used more nutritional yeast to cover coconut milk "smell" til where I thought cooking would do the rest...and it did)...and I did more potatoes to start, so measured "up" those ingredients...but it's close to what I did:)...https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/paleo-shepherds-pie-whole30-dairy-free/

PS - Frozen peas went in when the pie base had 1-2 minutes left, so after other veg and meat cooked, so they didn't overcook before baking it together in the casserole:)...I used a 9x13...
 
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Ok so I am back to trying to plan an entire month. I’ve yet to be 100% successful, but I think I’m getting better 😁

My mom’s birthday is tomorrow, so I just need 30 meals. I’m doing 15 different ones, twice each. The veg sides might change, the garden is crazy and unpredictable this year. This is my plan...

  1. Chicken stew
  2. Thai basil rice, peas
  3. Chef salad
  4. Beef crunchy tacos, salad
  5. Spaghetti, green beans
  6. Soup beans with ham, fried green tomatoes, green beans
  7. Black beans/rice, okra, green beans
  8. Waffles, eggs, fruit
  9. Meatloaf, green beans
  10. Pepper chicken, rice, squash, peas
  11. Salsa verde pork, rice, Mexican corn
  12. Pulled Pork Hawaiian nachos
  13. Home made pizza
  14. Pimento cheese and tomato toasted sandwiches, cucumber salad
  15. Tomato pie, corn salad
 
Saturday: Baked Chicken Legs, Corn on the Cob
Sunday: Mock Chipotle bowls: Chicken, Cilantro lime rice, salsa, black beans, corn
Monday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, cucumber/tomato salad
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Zoodles
Thursday: Frozen Pizza
Friday: Chicken Thighs, baked beans, mac and cheese
We like to make similar mock bowls at home, but we call them mock Qdoba bowls :)
 
This last week went very well-stuck to the whole menu with only one whole meal swap out -Tuesday night for Wednesday night- and swapped onion rings for the sweet potato fries. We also bought the kids pizza one night when they were out of town for cheer - it's the little treats that keep the teenage son ok with always running his little sister out of town for me when I can't with my work schedule. I did end up having to go out and buy hamburger buns since I found out my kids ate them all over lunches. Not a big deal - glad they are eating food and not just junk lol!

Next week's plan has us away from home for two suppers - one for a fundraiser for our volunteer fire department - we are working it since my hubby's part of it - and the next night for a wedding of one of my employee's daughters. A welcome break from cooking, although the first one will have me helping patty up 75 pounds of hamburger!

Thursday: TT casserole
Friday: Fireman's Funfest
Saturday: Wedding
Sunday: Breakfast casserole (egg and sausage bake)
Monday: Teriyaki chicken, noodles and veg
Tuesday: Cheddar brats and pasta salad
Wednesday: Pot roast and mashed potatoes

Lunches as usual are sandwiches or leftovers, and the kids are currently hooked on nachos - real cheese, not the canned stuff, so I feel a little less guilty:)

Shopping included tater tots, pasta salad, brat buns, and the usual sandwich fixings and milk. I also stocked up on some hamburger on sale to patty up and freeze for future burger nights, and a couple of bags of both chips for nachos and the bulk bags of shredded cheese. One of my favorite things of planning meals based on using things up, is it frees up the grocery budget to stock up on sale items, keeping things cheaper in the long run!
 
Summer fun and travel is over, kids go back to school Thursday. :sad::sad::sad:

Wednesday:
Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Watermelon

Thursday:
French Bread Pizza
Watermelon

Friday:
Chili Dogs
Chips

Saturday:
Grilled Pork Chops
Corn on the Cob
Baked Beans

Sunday:
Porcupine Meatballs
Mashed Potatoes
Fried Okra

Monday:
Canucah Smoked Sausage Mac and Cheese
French Style Green Beans

Taco Tuesday:
Chicken Quesadillas
Mexican Rice


OK, I'll bite...probably literally! What is a porcupine meatball?
 
OK, I'll bite...probably literally! What is a porcupine meatball?
Porcupine Meatballs is exaclty what TwoMisFits said. This is a pressure cooker recipe I have made for YEARS. I started making them in the old stovetop cooker, now I make them in my Insta-Pot. They are meatballs with uncooked rice added, and the "sauce" is a combo of tomato soup and water. They are delish, a family favorite! I am happy to share the recipe if anyone is interested.
 
I forgot to post last week's menu since I was so busy with my regular job and working part time at my former job (If I just hang on with them till April I can retire- but it may kill me! I just keep telling myself- more $$ for Disney trips!) We did grab dinner one night from DS's restaurant, but we got his 50% off discount so I didn't feel so bad.
Neatokimmo- I chuckled when I saw you did pulled pork Hawaiian nachos- I am using leftover pulled pork tonight to make nachos too!
Here's what next week looks like:

cilantro grilled beef tacos
mango habanero grilled chicken with pineapple and Caribbean rice
shrimp panzanella salad
chicken tamale bake
pork eggrolls (using the last of the slow cooker Asian pork leftover from this week and the rest of the broccoli slaw from the "coleslaw" I made)
grilled turkey melts and fruit
 
So, last night we went to Mom and Dad's house for dinner, so Porcupine Meatballs will be made this week. I will post a link to the recipe.

Wednesday:
French Toast
Bacon

Thursday:
Chicken Parm (hubby will be making a huge batch of his homemade spaghetti sauce while he works from home)
Garlic Toast

Friday:
Tuna Salad
Crackers

Saturday:
Low Country Boil
French Baguette

Sunday:
Church Potluck, I am taking Deviled Eggs (meat is provided by the church)

Monday:
Porcupine Meatballs (https://www.thespruceeats.com/pressure-cooker-porcupine-meatballs-480735)
Mashed Potatoes
Fried Okra

Taco Tuesday:
Fish Tacos (DS requested these)
Fruit
 
I just have to say how much I love this thread. It gives me so many ideas to plan meals which then keeps me on budget to meet my financial goals.

Saturday: Only Hubby and I were home and he ate a salad so I used up leftover black beans and corn to make a dip with tortilla chips
Sunday: Inlaws invited us over for dinner so no cooking for me and we brought home leftovers.
Monday: DD spending night at friends, hubby will have salad and I will eat leftovers from Inlaws - grilled chicken and veggies
Tuesday: Tacos
Wednesday: Pasta and meat sauce, garlic bread
Thursday: Spicy chicken roll ups, fruit salad
Friday: Leftovers
 
For meal planning, I haven't done it this week!:) My daughter had her chosen birthday party with friends yesterday, so I am just making food today. I took a swing at making a dairy-free lasagna, which may or may not turn out (I super-charged this bechamel https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-white-sauce-bechamel/ with sauteed green onions, chopped garlic, nutritional yeast, italian seasoning, red pepper flake, and plenty of salt and used rice milk as the base) and then just used regular classico sweet basil tomato sauce, ground angus beef, and barilla lasagna noodles. I layered it like lasagna and will cook it like lasagna, and then will serve the other members of the fam some melted mozza on top (skipping for me). Hopefully, it's good...and if not, the lasagna noodles are out of my pantry. I'm serving it with a strawberry/blueberry/pomegranate salad...and then starting my daughter's "tropical" cake tonight for her family cake and presents party tomorrow. She will get to decide dinner tomorrow, thus why I'm not bothering to plan:)...
 
For meal planning, I haven't done it this week!:) My daughter had her chosen birthday party with friends yesterday, so I am just making food today. I took a swing at making a dairy-free lasagna, which may or may not turn out (I super-charged this bechamel https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-white-sauce-bechamel/ with sauteed green onions, chopped garlic, nutritional yeast, italian seasoning, red pepper flake, and plenty of salt and used rice milk as the base) and then just used regular classico sweet basil tomato sauce, ground angus beef, and barilla lasagna noodles. I layered it like lasagna and will cook it like lasagna, and then will serve the other members of the fam some melted mozza on top (skipping for me). Hopefully, it's good...and if not, the lasagna noodles are out of my pantry. I'm serving it with a strawberry/blueberry/pomegranate salad...and then starting my daughter's "tropical" cake tonight for her family cake and presents party tomorrow. She will get to decide dinner tomorrow, thus why I'm not bothering to plan:)...

Okay, the lasagna on Monday was a huge hit, and one 1st spin at a beef and broccoli (with extra veg) was another huge hit yesterday, but here's the whole week...

Sun - Out for birthday
Monday - Dairy-free lasagna, strawberry/blueberry/pomegranate salad
Tuesday - Baked BBQ Chicken Tenders (homemade), homemade coleslaw, cherries and blueberries, Pillsbury crescent rolls (requested home birthday dinner) - used a boxed yellow cake mix to make a tropical cake (with canned guava juice subbing for water in cake) with a fresh pineappple and canned guava (with coconut run) filling and a coconut cream simple syrup soak, and vanilla coconut milk frosting - it was a huge hit
Wednesday - Beef and Broccoli (with added roasted cabbage and japanese eggplant and green onions) - used this recipe as a base, but didn't follow it by measure, but by taste...https://tasty.co/recipe/easy-beef-and-broccoli (and I preroasted the veg), microwave brown rice, sliced watermelon
Thursday - Chicken Fajitas with onion and korean peppers, homemade tomato and tomatillo salsa, and diced avocado (and cheese for the dairy lovers), strawberries and blueberries, watermelon smoothie
Friday - Use up the fridge - Smoothies and Leftovers...if no leftovers, it will be grilled cheese sandwiches and salad - I bought myself my 1st fake cheese slice, so I might try it with my vegan butter and see how much I wanna cry (j/k:))...
Saturday - OUT (at mom's)
 

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