Did I just do that!? Did I just plan a menu that has New Year’s Eve on it? Where did the year go? What a year it’s been too.
I mean, sure there was the U.S. election, but that’s small potatoes to other notable 2016 events like the Olympics, the separation of Brangelina, Brexit, the Cubs winning the World Series, and Star Wars: Rogue One. That’s the stuff of real life.
Kind of makes you wonder what we’ll see in 2017. More Cubs in the World Series? More Star Wars is scheduled. Certainly no Olympics and I’m okay not hearing more about Brangelina.
Many people start the new year with a resolution to a) come up with a budget and b) stick to it! A big area that many people can work on is their grocery budget – as it likely has a lot of flexibility. That’s true for some of us anyway. Others have battled this problem before and come away with a tighter budget. Either way, a menu plan will help you make the most of whatever grocery budget you have – it’ll help you shop and cook! Winner! Winner!
So get a jump start on a possible 2017 New Year’s Resolution and create and stick to a menu plan! Make this one work for you by customizing it for you and your family! As the Godfather says “Just Do It!”
The Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Menu:
Available formats:
- The easy-to-print version as a .PDF.
- The pre-filled file in Excel.
- An empty file in Excel. Make your own menu plan!
The Dinner Only Menu:
Available formats:
- The easy-to-print version as a .PDF.
- The pre-filled file in Excel.
- An empty file in Excel. Make your own menu plan!
Its okay if you don’t like these recipes or these ideas – make your own! Just open the Excel version, delete what you don’t want and keep what you do want! I have a menu plan that works for my family – you should have one that works for yours!
What if I don’t cook every night?
Awesome! I don’t either – we often have leftovers 2-3 night/week. Just take this basic plan, cut out some meals and make leftovers part of your plan!
What if I don’t want a particular meal on a specific night?
Awesome! Just take this basic plan and swap meals around.
What if I don’t eat beef? Or chicken? Or pork?
Awesome! Just take this basic plan, remove the foods you won’t eat and put in foods you will eat.
What if I don’t know how to make that meal?
Awesome! Included are the links for the recipe that I usually use.
What if we always have pizza on Friday nights?
Awesome! (Can I come over?) Just remove my Friday meals and put in pizza.
What if I don’t like your recipe?
Awesome! Use whichever recipe you normally use and just use this basic plan as a suggestion.
What if I have my own monthly menu plan?
Awesome! Care to share it? Share it down below in the comments so that we all can see it and be inspired!
What’s cool about this menu plan?
I kept it simple around the holidays – go into the holiday relaxed and enjoy yourself!
Breakfast & lunch are simple and repetitive while still providing variety. For dinners, I try to have a lot more variety each week – some beef, some chicken, and some pastas. That way you won’t get too bored. There are also plenty of ways to save time when using this menu plan.
Examples: When prepping chicken at the beginning of the month, make enough for the other recipes and freeze it for future use. When making ground beef, brown 2-3 times the normal amount and freeze that. Check out these easy crockpot instructions for bulk cooking chicken and bulk cooking ground beef. It makes it super quick to pull meals together!
Recipes in this menu plan:
Breakfast Recipes:
Breakfast Popsicles
Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Sausage Bagel Sandwiches
English Muffins (top with butter, cream cheese, peanut butter or jelly)
Breakfast Burritos
French Toast Sticks
Scrambled eggs
Cereal
Pancakes
Cinnamon Rolls
Waffles
Fried Eggs
Bagels (top with butter, cream cheese, peanut butter or jelly)
Baked Oatmeal
Lunch Recipes:
Tortilla Roll Ups
Easy Skillet Nachos
Chicken Nuggets
Soup Ideas: Baked Potato Soup, Slow Cooker Ham & Bean Soup, Slow Cooker Ham & Potato Soup, Cheesy Veggie Chowder, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Ham & Bean Soup, Slow Cooker Chili, Taco Soup, Vegetable Soup, Broccoli Cheese Soup
Bean & Cheese Burritos
Summer Sausage, Cheese & Crackers
Macaroni & Cheese
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Mini Pizzas
Cheese Quesadillas
Cobb Salad
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Egg Salad
Dinner Recipes:
BBQ Chicken Tostadas
Bubble Pizza
Slow Cooker Lo Mein
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Smoked Sausage & Potato Hash
Oven Fried Chicken
Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
Quiche
Pepperoni Roll
Cheesy Cheddar Ranch Chicken
Kung Pao Shrimp
Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
Broccoli Alfredo Stuffed Shells
Grilled Burritos
Ham & Cheese Crescent Bake
Southwestern Chicken Pizza Rolls
Baked Teriyaki Chicken
Pork Tenderloin
Santa Fe Chicken Foil Dinners
Sweet Asian Chicken
Queso Chicken Bake
Taco Soup
Italian Sausage & Peppers
Slow Cooker Chili
Slow Cooker Ham
Ham & Bean Soup
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken
Easy Skillet Nachos
Tacos
Pizza Casserole
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Jayme is a wife to 1 and a mother to four little boys. She coupons, but isn’t super extreme about it. She price matches and loves it! While she likes to cook, she’s in the stage of life where simple is usually better! She never knows how many hands she’ll have free at dinner time! You can find her at No Regrets Living.
