How Menu Monday Really Works

When I started menu planning several weeks ago, I was skeptical. I had a full refrigerator and pantry, and I was pretty good about throwing meals together at the last minute. Would meal planning be needless organization and add extra work to my week?

The answer is no. I've actually found it helpful.
It has helped me use ingredients on hand with little going to waste.
It is much easier to switch gears and switch menus when something comes up.
It is easier to have a plan when when a busy day occurs.
It has also expanded our menu. It has pushed me to look for new recipes including those shared by other menu planners.

All that being said...I'm going to show you how our menu actual works. You can see how my plan changed as the week progressed. So if you decide to try it, don't feel like you have to always stick to the plan. This is to make your week easier not harder. I look at the plan as more of a guideline not a rule.


Monday: 6 Can Chicken Soup fruit, tortilla chips.
This tasted surprisingly good. I threw it together in the slow cooker in the afternoon, so it was ready when we were after soccer practice There's no reason this wouldn't be as tasty cooked quickly on the stove.

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Sausage Ratatouille. I'll use this recipe as a starting point. As planned. I used squash, eggplant, one potato, one can of tomatoes and some garlic and onion powder. We all liked it.

Wednesday: Butternut squash ravioli. Green salad. This never happened. We has so many leftovers that we decided to go with that. My five year old feel asleep in her chair as she was doing homework, so she had White Castle hamburgers about 8 PM.

Thursday: Stir fry pork with spaghetti squash I'll add some broccoli and sliced carrots to the recipe. My five year old was reluctant to eat it, but then actually liked it. I used a package of brown gravy as the sauce. That was key as my family does not like spicy food.

Friday: Leftovers. Forgot about school carnival. We ate there. Great, as we didn't have any leftovers.

Saturday: Grilled chicken and veggies. We'll see what's in our CSA. It rained, so I made slow cooker chopped steak with peppers, onions and mushroom. Also had mashed potatoes, corn, and veggies and dip.

Sunday: TBA. Church picnic. We had our main meal there. I leave Sunday open as we usually have leftovers, change in plans, or I'll cook something I didn't get to that week.