My wonderful husband has long been requesting that I make a family meal plan again like I used to. Meal planning makes grocery shopping easier, saves money by reducing food waste, and eliminates the need for anyone to ask the question: “What’s for dinner?”
Then, a recent visit from my friend L.T. led to a discussion about how I used to use the kids pocket calendar for our family meal plan.
Finally, my friend and fellow blogger, L.R. from Returning to Paradise mentioned an idea that I think is really great. She thought of 20 easy suppers to rotate through during the school year for her meal planning.
I try to notice when I get similar sounding information from different sources. I try to pay attention to those times and do whatever the repeated “thing” is. Twenty easy suppers seems potentially do-able so here goes nothin’…
- Spaghetti, salad, French bread
- Bean and rice burritos
- Homemade double-decker tacos
- Sweet potato and black bean enchilada casserole
- Baked potatoes, chili and broccoli
- Chili, cornbread and broccoli (😂 pretty similar to #5, I know)
- VegeBurgers
- Haystacks
- Italian lentil casserole
- Soup and bread
- Lasagna (never mind that I’ve only made lasagna like twice in my life, it seems like a good idea 🤣)
- Cheesy pasta and broccoli
- Shredded chicken & slaw sandwiches
- Brenda’s vegetarian meatballs, cous cous and salad
- Sweet potatoes, quinoa and black beans
- Naan, hummus, and salad
- Caprese salad (orzo pasta, pesto, spinach, olives, tomatoes, feta)
- Pizza – Papa Murphy’s Take ‘n Bake (😂 does this one count?)
- Baked penne casserole
- … hmm… 20…. well… I got pretty close anyways…
👩🍳 👨🍳 Do you have a favorite quick & easy supper that’s not on my list? I would love your help with this meal planning project!
heavens to betty 
We use meat from Costco as a base for meals with salad or green beans, noodles or corn on the cob, and then add salmon(with teriaki sauce added), panko breaded tilapia, or the panko breaded chicken strips. We also get a chicken pot pie from our local bakery; it’s so good! We have very little food waste as we are careful when buying and work to eat up what needs to be before it goes bad. That is a huge money saver. Good luck with your meal planning!
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Mmmm 😋
That all sounds delicious, especially the chicken pot pie and salmon with teriyaki!
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My 5 favorite meals
Mashed potatoes asparagus tender bits (salmon)
Taco Salad
Green beans corn on the cob eggplant parmesan
stir fry and rice
grilled cheese and tomato soup
Or anything on the menu at Olive Garden
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Mmmm 😋
Sounds delicious, especially the mashed potatoes and salmon.
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Hmm yes, I forgot mashed potatoes on my menu. Gotta update that.
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I want to try and come up with a version of Shepherd’s pie using lentils instead of lamb. I like mashed potatoes a lot! I don’t make them often enough! I’m having fun meal planning, thanks again for the great idea 💡
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Great idea! We meal plan to to make grocery shopping easier. Otherwise how do you know what to get??? Lol
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lol 😂 That is so true Shelia!
What easy suppers do you use frequently?
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Tacos, hamburgers, baked chicken, chili dogs, meatballs, sausage, chicken fajitas, and lots of vegetables. I have to stay away from carbs because they trigger my migraine so it limits our menu some.
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Those are great easy supper ideas.
I suffered from migraines for years but they were due to high blood pressure. They were debilitating. I’m so sorry you have to deal with them 😝
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Yes, they are NO fun. The more I keep my system in homeostasis -blood sugar, temperature, sleep, stress, everything-wise – the fewer migraines I have. Hard to do but worth the effort. Have fun with your menu!
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This couple I knew would make the whole week meals on Sunday then freeze them. They both worked nights and went to school days.
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That is such a great idea. I’d like to try and make at least one freezer meal per week to just pop in the oven when I don’t want to do prep work during the week.
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This is awesome! I really wish my kids weren’t so picky! I usually go for either sandwiches, pasta with sausage, mini pizzas or lasagna!
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Oh Caribbean Mama, I feel your pain. My kids are so picky. And there almost nothing that all 3 of them like. Here’s to hoping they grow out of it… soon…!
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