The return of the back-to-school routine always prompts me to kick my meal planning into high-gear. This is my real-life menu. Sometimes we see super-Pinteresty meal plans and just feel discouraged. This is my picture of real life. We’re not foodies, not fancy, and cook on a budget.
My hope is that you’ll feel comfortable putting together a meal plan full of simple favorites with a new recipe sprinkled in here and there. Grab an idea or two and have a great week everyone. ~Bekki
Moday: Creamy Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, Cornbread, Salad
This one had been on my Pinterest board for a few months – and I couldn’t wait to try it. Verdict? It was delicious! This one got six thumbs up, and I’ll definitely make it again.
Tuesday: Stir Fry with Chicken and Veggies, Rice, Fruit Salad, Fortune Cookies
This meal started when my kids and I found a box of fortune cookies at the grocery store. I’m not sure why – but we had no idea you could actually buy them. They were so excited – so I had to plan the right meal.
My husband is allergic to preservatives, so I looked for the bottled teriyaki sauce with the fewest ingredients and used some garlic, ginger, and a touch of sesame oil to get the flavor we’ve been missing. I used broccoli, cabbage, and my favorite – snap peas!
Another favorite teriyaki recipe is my Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki.
Wednesday: Homemade Pizza
We love homemade pizza at our house. I can my own sauce with tomatoes from our garden – and we love using it for pizza. The kids love to customize their own pizza and place their own toppings.
Thursday: Tacos
When you’re menu planning – make sure to build in a few “easy nights” – especially if you know you’re in for a busy day. The local mom’s group that I lead started on this day, and then I went to the science museum with my kids. I knew I would not be in the mood to cook. Tacos to the rescue!
Friday: Hamburger Tater Tot Casserole
This was a comfort-food week let me tell you! This was a casserole my mom used to make, and it’s still one of my favorites. I don’t make it often, but always enjoy it when I do.
My husband was working late, so after the kids and I ate our casserole, I introduced them to Rocky and Bullwinkle. They loved it! (Affiliate link)
Saturday: Dippers
I’ve talked about Dippers on the blog countless times – and yet never gotten a recipe up. This was something I came up with shortly after we got married, and it’s still one of our favorites. This is basically a “spanish rice” with chicken instead of beef, that you “dip” chips into. So good.
We had our big Community Block Party at church and then came home to watch college football. Dippers is great football food!
Sunday: Leftovers
Keeping it real everybody. I wanted to jump back into my weekly meal plans as realistically as possible for y’all. Leftovers are a part of life. (And that’s okay!) We did get to have our first taste of the fresh corn from our garden – and it was so sweet and tasty! Love our summer garden!
Need a few more ideas? Check out my Weekly Menu Archives! I’ve got about a year’s worth of menu plans for you to look through, as well as some of my tips for how to start meal planning.
