Wow! 15 weeks of menu planning! Now that the new year is in full swing, meal planning may be more feasible for some of you. I know how life can get away from you, but I also know how meal planning can truly simplify and de-stress a hectic schedule! Not having to worry about what I am going to fix for dinner is always such a relief….one less thing to think about! Meal planning also saves me money as I buy just what I need for the meals I have planned. Who doesn’t like extra money?

Okay, enough talking….here we go!

Monday: Bruschetta Chicken Bake – Top your chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and a little EVOO. Then, chop up some tomatoes and fresh basil. (you can use canned tomatoes and dried basil if you need to…tomatoes don’t taste like much of anything this time of year..) Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on the top during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Tuesday: Beef Fajitas – Skirt steak works well for fajitas. I like to add peppers, onions, and mushrooms to mine. Everyone else in my family enjoys these with simply meat and cheese.

Wednesday: Grands Chicken Chile Bake – When you think about Grands biscuits, your mind probably doesn’t immediately jump to Mexican food….Mine sure didn’t, and I was a bit skeptical the first time I made this. However, it is very good, and a fun new recipe.

Thursday: Ranch Chicken and cheesy potatoes – This is such a tasty dinner, and I love the flavor the ranch dressing adds to a standard “un-fried” chicken recipe. I like to make cheesy potatoes (either the creamy hasbrown kind, or just chunked up potatoes topped with herbs and cheese) to go with this chicken.

Friday:Mini Cheeseburgers – Mix up your favorite hamburger recipe (ie-ground beef, seasoning salt, breadcrumbs, etc.) Instead of making the standard sized patty, make tiny ones! Kids especially love this meal, and have fun with the small burgers. You can use biscuit cutters to cut circles of bread to fit, or just serve these without a bun. Make some oven fries and you have a fun Friday night meal!

Saturday:Broccoli Rice Casserole – To make this a full meal, I just add in a few cooked, diced chicken breasts! This is a family favorite.

Sunday: Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti – A Supermom favorite!

Happy meal planning everyone!