Summer’s here!  Ain’t no denying it now.  Most students are out of school and the weather is getting warm!  Although it isn’t as hot as it’s gonna get, I’ve started to transition to meals that don’t heat up the kitchen as much.  Which means things like grilling and slow cookers.  I still have some meals that are baked in the oven, but that’s the direction I’m heading!

For me, personally, I’ll be giving birth to our 4^th son sometime this month, so I like a menu plan that’s as easy as it gets!  Grilling and slow cookers really help with that too!

In true keep-it-simple style, I only plan 2 weeks of breakfasts and just rotate through them.  Similarly, lunches are on a 3 week rotation.  My family doesn’t mind repetition, but that still provides a little variety.

The Dinner Only Menu:

The Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Menu:

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 want to see the Excel version?
Awesome!  You can download the Dinner-Only version here or the Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner version here.

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?
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
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:
Chicken Stir Fry
Beefy Mac & Cheese
Slow Cooker Creamy Spaghetti
Quiche
Grilled Burritos
Crispy Onion Chicken
Taco Salad
Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwiches
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli & Rice Casserole
Pepperoni Roll
Fried Rice
Chicken Alfredo Veggie Bake
Jambalaya
Easy Skillet Nachos
Homemade Chicken Strips
Cheesy Cheddar Ranch Chicken
Slow Cooker Lasagna
Chicken Tacos
Creamy Crockpot Mexican Chicken
Brautwurst
Baked Teriyaki Chicken
Texas Hash
Meatball Subs
Philly Cheesesteak Crescent Ring
Crock Pot Smothered Pork Chops
Candied Chicken
French Bread Pizza
Taco Beef Braid
Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Jayme is a wife to 1 and a mother to three little boys (soon to be 4 this month!). 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.