Wanna take some bets on what the top Halloween costumes will be this year? Last year, we got quite a few Annas and Elsas from Frozen at our house. My favorite was the young girl dressed as Carmen Sandiego – a good throwback to my teen years. My 4 sons will likely be animals – they’re at the ages that they barely know what Halloween is, so I still pick out their costumes. I think we’ll have 2 puppies, a lion and a monkey. But we’ll see.
I suspect we’ll be seeing a bunch of Pokemons, political candidates, and Star Wars characters trick or treating around. We’ll know for sure in about a month! Which how strange is that?!? October is knocking at our door! Football season is well underway, it’s getting darker sooner and the stores are featuring fall fashions. Out with the sandals and in with the snow boots!
As I start to think about Christmas and holiday plans, I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to get different people on my list. A plan is a great thing to have. For gifts, yes. But also for menus! Do you have a menu plan for the month? No?! Use this one! I still think it’s the easiest way to save money on groceries.
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 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, 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:
Beef Enchiladas
Italian Sausage With Bow Tie Pasta
Glazed Pork Chops
Honey Garlic Shrimp
Thick & Hearty Veggie & Barley Soup
Bow Tie Fiesta
Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Easy Skillet Nachos
Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl
Chicken Alfredo Veggie Bake
Tex Mex Chicken Casserole
Beefy Mac & Cheese
Oven Drumsticks
Creamy Crockpot Mexican Chicken
Tuna Melt
Balsamic Chicken & Veggies
French Onion Burgers
Bubble Pizza
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Smoked Sausage & Potato Hash
Slow Cooker Italian Chicken
Italian Baked Hoagies
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken
Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole
Italian Sausage & Peppers
Portobello Fajitas
Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast
Candied Chicken
Taco Beef Braid
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Slow Cooker Chili
Jayme is a wife to 1 and 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.
