The key to getting supper on the table each day is being ready. That means planning…menu planning: what you’re gonna have, what ingredients you need, what method you’ll use, and how long it’ll take.
But have you heard the phrase “reinventing the wheel?” Why would you do that if it’s already been done? Same goes for a good menu. If you have ONE, you can use it over and over. How are you at planning a weekly menu your family will love?
I used to plan menus based on what I felt like…at 6:30 when I wanted to eat at 7:00. Shopping lists didn’t exist; my method was just picking up things that looked good and went together as I cruised the aisles of the store. Wow, that’s so long ago, it’s like a different lifetime. An old dog CAN learn new tricks but it does take longer. But it won’t for you once I teach you these secrets to menu planning.
What meats do you like?
Make a list of the meats you enjoy. It might look like this:
- Beef
- Chicken/Turkey
- Pork
- Fish/Other Seafood
- You might even have lamb or venison on your list if you have them available and like them.
What flavors do you like?
I mean ethnic flavors here, like…
- American/Southern
- Mexican/Tex Mex
- Italian
- Asian
- Greek/Mediterranean
- Indian
- Jamaican
What methods do you use?
If you don’t have one of these, just leave it off the list.
- Oven
- Stovetop
- Grill
- Slow Cooker
- Pressure Cooker
- Immersion Cooker
Make a list of your “go to” recipes on post-its
For each, note the meat, flavor and method included (post-it magic in the next step). It’ll look a little like this…
You’ll need 20 to 30 recipes for the next step.
One recipe on each meat in a “master plan”
Here’s the magic of the post-its cause you can lay them out and move them around as you need to.
Do you have enough variety in the flavors (at least 4 or 5)? Great! If not, try subbing out with the remaining recipes. If you have too many Mexican choices and you decide to switch out a chicken recipe, choose another from your chicken stack with an eye for how it would work with the other flavors in the “master plan.”
You need 7 or 8 recipes to get through a week for a family of 4. You might need 1 more if you take lunches from this OR be sure your recipes make enough to have good leftovers.
Double check your methods
Is there variety here as well? My favorite pot is my 5-qt dutch oven. But sometimes I like to leave leftovers in there which means I have to make the next supper in another pot or by another method. So, you want to make sure you have various methods mixed in as well.
Again, sub out recipes and add others if you need to. And always include at least one slow cooker recipe…there’s bound to be a night you won’t have time to cook!
Now make your shopping list!
If you use the computer and have your recipes typed in, simply copy each line of ingredients from each recipe and assemble in a spread sheet by section of the store: produce, meat, packaged food aisles, refrigerated and frozen. (I’ll save the nitty gritty on assembling a shopping list for another post.)
Or if you have recipe software that has a shopping list feature, learn how to use that for a really quick list. (If you have a Mac, MacGourmet by Mariner is the BEST!!! This isn’t an ad, BUT I have it on my computer AND my iPAD and have bought several sets of software for friends/family/wedding gifts!)
Don’t forget to add sides if you have some entrees that are JUST the meat. You’d need to consider those sides in the mix and add them to the shopping list. I’m a huge fan of one-pot meals and moving toward doing more of those (stay tuned!).
Use and re-use your menu plan
If you’ve done every step here, and you have this wonderful menu plan, you can use and re-use the menu AND the shopping lists any time you want! In fact, I’d suggest you go through the same process of matching with the rest of your post-its and try to come up with another week’s menu plan and shopping list. You may not have enough recipes or variety to do it, but now you know the “blank” spots…the kinds of recipes you need more of.
(Personally, I have 8 weeks worth of menus. I have my favorite recipes of course, but I can’t get tired of them because I only have them once in 8 weeks. And I’m in the process of switching out some things like soups/salads for the different seasons. Probably heading towards a full menu plan for every quarter of the year before I’m through…but I’m just that kind of fanatic!)
Check your calendar!
The last step, and so easily overlooked but VERY important, is to check your calendar and actually assign each recipe to a night of your upcoming week if you can. Why so important?
What if you need to defrost meat? Need to know when you will use it!
Have a night there will be no time to cook? Slow cooker meal that night!
Going out of town? Well, you might not need all the recipes this week…or you might need to sub in something you can fix early and take with you on the road!
Menu plan DONE!
To get supper on the table, you’ve got to KNOW what you’re cooking. Now you have at least one menu plan your family will love. Don’t forget to save it and the shopping list for future use. Kids would get a kick out of helping you come up with recipes and then moving the post-its around. They can help you pick new recipes to try as well.
Some folks enjoy using others’ menu plans, but I always liked using my own recipes better (cause sometimes I didn’t care for theirs…just being honest). These days I’ve always got a menu plan handy…now you can, too! Grab your post-its and go for it!
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