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Meal Planning: Dinner

We hit a rut in dinner planning recently (again), which prompted me to post in a couple of mom groups on Facebook. I shared our current menu and system, asked how everyone else plans their menus, and asked for ideas. I got a few good ones! I also got some moms asking more about how I take care of our planning and asking for my master list of recipes. So, I figured I’d share it here, too (:





So first off, I’ve tried so many systems over the last decade. I’ve tried shopping the sales and then meal planning based off of that. I’ve tried theme nights. I’ve tried making it up as I go. 

The system that I’ve kept coming back to is pretty simple:

  • plan 2-4 weeks at a time, and making adjustments to the menu as needed.
  • Start with a protein, then choose a grain, carb, or starch and 1-2 veggie or fruit sides
  • Get the family involved! Everyone has to pick 1-2 meals per rotation
  • Cook every other night, eat leftovers the next day. (There are a few exceptions to this that require cooking 2 nights in a row.)
  • Save the more complicated meals for the days we have time
An optional component to my system: I keep a binder with all my printed recipes in it, organized very similarly to my list. It has sections for each protein, sections for sides, breakfast, breads, etc and each section starts with a list. It sits right alongside my favorite cookbooks and helps if someone needs an idea!


I typically buy mostly whole food ingredients, and make most things from scratch - homemade sauces, breads, etc. It does take a little more time, but overall it’s generally less expensive for us. We also prefer to avoid the additives and preservatives in store bought foods because we’ve found they make us sick, and homemade just tastes better. If we do buy a processed food then I look for the cleanest brand possible within our budget - and no, I’m not someone whose budget is unrealistic for the average person.. we try to stay cheap, and we don’t often splurge on unnecessary and expensive items - for instance steak & seafood meals are generally reserved for special occasions, or for when those proteins happen to be on sale.


So here is my master list.. it is by no means exhaustive, as I’m always in search of fun new recipes and making things up as I go. I plan to keep updating it! Where possible, I’ve linked the recipe (whether it’s in my own post or from another site).

If you have any recommendations for me, or comments or questions, please share them!

Enjoy!






Dinner Ideas


Beef Dishes


Ground Beef:

  • Burrito bowls

  • Chili

  • Homemade burgers with secret sauce

  • Korean Beef Bowls

  • Lasagna

  • Meatloaf

    • Classic

    • Italian Style

  • Shepherds Pie

  • Spaghetti bolognese

  • Spaghetti & Meatballs

  • Stuffed Bell Peppers

  • Tacos

  • Taco Salad


Roast:


Steak:


Stew Meat:

  • Beef & Barley Stew

  • Beef Fajita Soup

  • Beef Pot Pie

  • Beef Stroganoff

  • Philly cheesesteaks


Other

  • French dip sandwiches

  • Hotdogs

    • Chili cheese dogs

    • Classic




Chicken Dishes


Breasts & Tenders

  • Autumn chicken with apples and onions

  • Baked Flautas

  • BBQ chicken

  • BBQ chicken salad

  • Broccoli chicken & rice casserole

  • Buffalo chicken salad

  • Chicken Alfredo

  • Chicken & egg fried rice

  • Chicken in Pan Sauce

    • Mushroom & Garlic

    • Bacon & Leek

  • Chicken Gravy & mashed potatoes

  • Chicken Lo Mein

  • Chicken Noodle Bowls

  • Chicken Pot Pie

  • Chicken Salad

  • Chicken teriyaki stir fry

  • Chinese Chicken Salad

  • Chipotle agave chicken

  • Citrus & Spice Marinated Chicken

  • Cobb salad

  • Doritos Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing

  • Enchiladas

  • Enchilada casserole

  • Fajitas

  • Fried Southwest burritos

  • Hawaiian Chicken with Pineapple

  • Hawaiian Haystacks

  • Homemade Chicken Nuggets

  • Homemade Fried Chicken

  • Homemade Pizza

    • Alfredo with tomato

    • BBQ chicken

    • Buffalo

    • Greek

  • Mediterranean chicken bake

  • Orange Chicken with homemade marmalade

  • Pineapple Ginger Chicken

  • Pineapple Habañero Chicken

  • Quesadillas

  • Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Chicken

  • Salad tacos - CYO

  • Sharky’s style nachos

  • Shawarma-Spiced Chicken

  • Southwest Chimichangas

  • Southwest chopped chicken salad

  • Taco verde soup

  • Teriyaki Chop Shop bowls

  • The Dizzy Cook Boursin Chicken

  • Tomato-Basil-Garlic Chicken Bake

  • White Chicken Chili


Thighs

  • Mushroom Chicken

  • Garlic & Olive Oil Chicken


Whole

  • Classic Roast Chicken
  • Fried Chicken

  • Lemon & Herb Roast Chicken


Wings & Drumsticks

  • Barbecue drumsticks

  • Barbecue wings

  • Buffalo Drumsticks

  • Buffalo Wings

  • Ginger Sesame Chicken Wings


Other:

  • Apple Chicken Sausages with sauteed onions



Fish & Seafood Dishes


Clam


 

Oyster

  • Creamy Oyster Stew

 


Salmon

 


Shrimp

  • Bang Bang Shrimp

  • Garlic Shrimp bowls

  • Ginger Shrimp with Katsu Sauce

  • Shrimp Alfredo

  • Shrimp Scampi

  • Shrimp Stir Fry

  • Shrimp tacos with spicy slaw

  • Spicy shrimp Chop Shop bowls

  • Teriyaki shrimp bowls 


Tilapia


Tuna

  • Tuna Melts

  • Tuna Casserole


Other

  • Chimichurri Barramundi


Pork Dishes


Bacon

  • BLT’s

  • Bacon & Eggs

  • Breakfast Burritos

  • Grilled Cheese BLT’s

  • Homemade Pizza

    • Deluxe

    • Florentine

    • Hawaiian

  • Quiche with bacon & veggies

  • Zuppa toscana

 


Ham

  • Apple Butter Glazed Ham

  • Quiche

    • ham, broccoli and cheese

    • Denver style

  • Sweet and spicy ham with black beans



Pork Butt or Roast

  • Sweet Pork

    • Burritos

    • Salad

    • Tacos



Pork Chops

  • Ginger Chops with walnuts

  • Maple glazed pork chops

 


Ribs

  • BBQ Ribs

  • Teriyaki Ribs


Sausage

  • Biscuits & Gravy with scrambled eggs

  • Brats

  • Quiche with sausage, potato, and onion

  • Stuffing with sausage, apples, and veggies

  • Zuppa Toscana



Tenderloin




Turkey Dishes


Ground

  • Meatloaf

  • Pasta bolognese 


Whole

  • Lemon garlic & olive oil roast turkey

  • Traditional Roast Turkey


 

Other

  • Balsamic glazed onion & Turkey quesadillas

  • Sub Sandwiches



Vegetarian Dishes


Beans

  • Bean and cheese burritos

  • Bean & Cheese quesadillas

  • Buddha Bowls

  • Chef Salad with white beans



Cheese

  • Grilled Cheese

  • Homemade macaroni and cheese

  • Paninis/Fancy Grilled Cheese

  • Plain Alfredo with broccoli

  • Cheese Quesadillas with fresh salsa



Eggs

  • Scrambled eggs with sauteed veggies

  • Tomato, spinach, and feta omelet

  • Veggie omelet



Veggies

  • Andersen Split Pea Soup

  • Broccoli cheese soup

  • Buddha Bowls

  • Chili relleno soup

  • Cream of broccoli soup

  • Homemade pizza:

    • Veggie

  • Veggie Ramen

  • Pasta in veggie cream sauce

    • Mushroom and garlic

    • Spinach

    • Sundried tomato, basil, and garlic

  • Pasta in Pink Sauce

  • Pasta in walnut cream sauce with sun dried tomatoes 

  • Potato Soup

  • Sauteed veggies over pasta

    • Eggplant, squash, zucchini, & onion over whole wheat pasta

    • Tomato, onion, zucchini, squash, and spinach

  • Tomato Basil Bisque




hSides:


Salads & Slaws

  • Antipasto salad

  • Arugula salad with Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette

  • Broccoli salad

  • Caesar salad

  • Cobb salad

  • Greek salad

  • Spicy slaw



Raw

  • Carrots & dip

  • Crudités platter

  • Cucumbers with Tajín

 


Roasted

  • Artichokes

  • Asparagus

  • Broccoli

  • Brussels Sprouts

  • Carrots

  • Cauliflower

  • Maple-glazed carrots


Sauteed

  • Brussels Sprouts

  • Green beans with garlic in coconut aminos 

  • Onions & Mushrooms


Steamed

  • Artichoke

  • Broccoli

  • Cauliflower

  • Corn

  • Green beans



Breads:

  • Artisan bread

    • Cheddar

    • Garlic and parmesan

    • Jalapeńo cheddar

    • Parmesan

    • Plain

    • Rosemary garlic

  • Biscuits

  • Cheesy garlic bread

  • Cornbread

  • Garlic bread

  • Golden Wheat Bread

  • French baguettes

  • French loaf

  • Rye bread

  • Stuffing



Grains & Pasta:

  • Buttered egg noodles

  • Cilantro Lime Rice

  • Couscous

  • Orzo

  • Rice

  • Rice pilaf

  • Tortilla chips

  • Quinoa



Starches:

  • Baked potatoes

  • French fries

  • Loaded Baked Potato Salad

  • Mashed potatoes

    • With butter and salt

    • With garlic, rosemary, and parmesan

    • Red potatoes with dill

  • Roasted potatoes

  • Roasted red potatoes with dill

  • Sweet Potatoes

    • Fries

    • Mashed with butter, salt, and cinnamon

    • Purée





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