Why do I want to make a menu plan?

1) Menu planning, if done correctly, should save us money. It should eliminate those last minute runs to the grocery store for one or two things that inevitably end up with a cart load of spontaneous purchases. Hopefully I can stick to my bi-weekly grocery store run and just send hubby to the store for perishables when we need them. (He seems to be immune to the need to make spontaneous grocery purchases!) It also reduces the number of times we go out to eat just because I haven’t made dinner. This way, when we go out to eat we’ll be able to plan for it and go to a restaurant worth eating out at, versus just going to the closest or quickest option.

2) I post my menu where the entire family can see it, so this should eliminate the constant “What’s for dinner” questions from everyone who can read.

3) Menu planning saves time. It streamlines the process for me so I can plan ahead the night before. Get meat out of the freezer that needs thawed out, chop up veggies ahead of time if I have a free moment, etc.

Here’s what I have planned for the first half of January:

Monday 1/1 – Chicken Marsala

Tuesday 1/2 – Coq Au Vin

Wednesday 1/3 – Melt in your Mouth Pot Roast

Thursday 1/4 – Chicken with Red Pepper Sauce

Friday 1/5 – Southwest Pizza

Saturday 1/6 – Family Christmas (Pulled pork, ham, turkey)

Sunday 1/7 – Juicy Grilled Burgers

Monday 1/8 – Jacob’s Birthday – eat out at restaurant of his choice (please not McDonald’s!)

Tuesday 1/9 – BBQ Crusted Roughy

Wednesday 1/10 – Swedish Meatballs

Thursday 1/11 – Chicken Parmesan

Friday 1/12 – Oven BBQ Pork Tenderloin

Saturday 1/13 – Pesto Halibut

Sunday 1/14 – Dijon Chicken and Spinach

Monday 1/15 – Italian Meatloaf

Tuesday 1/16 – Herbed Chicken Breast

Wednesday 1/17 – Teriyaki Pork Roast

Well, there you have it. A half of months worth of meals planned. I’ll work on the sides a little later on, but they typically consist of salad, veggies and sometimes pasta or potatoes. I was going to link to all of the recipes for you here, but I just don’t have time tonight. If you are interested in any of the recipes, just let me know and I’ll be happy to forward them on to you!

Do you menu plan? What does a menu planning session look like for you? How often do you plan your menus and why do you do it? Do you have any tips for making the process more manageable? If so, let me know. I’d love to hear from you!

One week ago today we dined on Chicken Enchiladas and Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies.

Over at our family blog, I dished about The Santa Clause Behavior Modification Program.

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