Monthly Meal Plan: December 2009

Last month during Baking/Freezing Day (on twitter #oamc), my day didn't go as planned. I had a few mishaps and with a sick baby, I wasn't able to get very much accomplished. I've been doing some reading over the last few weeks about monthly meal planning. Since Baking/Freezing Day happens once a month, it seems only logical to have a monthly meal plan to coincide with it.

Here's what I've come up with:

December Monthly Menu Plan: (I'm sure there will be variations!)

1. Tuesday - Chinese Chicken Fried Rice with Peas & Carrots
2. Wednesday - Breakfast for Supper (Eggs, Waffles, Grits)
3. Thursday - Chicken & Dumplings
4. Friday - Pizza Night - Pepperoni & Pineapple
5. Saturday - Taco Soup (freezing leftovers for Fiesta Enchiladas)
6. Sunday - Tuna Sandwiches or PB&J or any leftovers
7. Monday - Oven Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans
8. Tuesday - Lasagna, Salad & Mini Bloomin' Biscuits
9. Wednesday - Breakfast for Supper (Eggs, Waffles, Grits)
10. Thursday - Chicken & Rice Soup
11. Friday - Pizza Night - Cheeseburger
12. Saturday - Tacos with Rice & Beans (freezing leftover rice & beans & meat for Fiesta Enchiladas)
13. Sunday - Tuna Sandwiches or PB&J or any leftovers
14. Monday - Spaghetti, Mini Bloomin' Biscuits & Salad
15. Tuesday - Easy Shepherd's Pie
    
16. Wednesday - Breakfast for Supper (Eggs, Waffles, Grits)
17. Thursday - Lasagna Soup
18. Friday - Pizza Night - BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Pizza
19. Saturday - Fiesta Enchiladas (from leftover chili & taco night) served with salsa, avocados & sour cream
20. Sunday - Classic Turkey Dinner (save any leftover turkey for Turkey Tetrazinni)
21. Monday - Ginger Orange Teriyaki Fish with whole wheat noodles, broccoli, peas & carrots
22. Tuesday - Turkey Tetrazinni Casserole
23. Wednesday - Breakfast for Supper (Eggs, Waffles, Grits)
24. Thursday - Poor Man's Beef Vegetable Soup
    
25. Friday - Pizza Night - Easy Buffalo Chicken Pizza
26. Saturday - Bean & Cheese Burritos, Cheese Quesadillas served with lettuce, salsa, avocados & sour cream
27. Sunday - Tuna Sandwiches, PB&J, or any leftovers
28. Monday - Crockpot Chicken, Potato Cakes and green beans
29. Tuesday - Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
30. Wednesday - Breakfast for Supper (Eggs, Waffles, Grits)
31. Thursday - Chicken Noodle Soup

Boy that looks overwhelming! But it was really easy to do:

Monday: Classic 3 course meal (meat, starch, veggie)
Tuesday: Casserole
Wednesday: Breakfast for Supper
Thursday: Soup
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Mexican (we love mexican food -- or at least I do!)
Sunday: Sandwiches or Pizza or Leftovers

The hardest part for me was to find a different casserole for each week. This gave me an opportunity to pilfer through some old cookbooks that have been collecting dust on the shelf and in the cabinet. I found some really great recipes and can't wait to try them. If you don't have any cookbooks to reference, don't worry! There are tons of online resources for your viewing pleasure. Check out Betty Crocker, Cooks.com, or Allrecipes.com.

This is my first attempt at a monthly menu plan so we'll see how it works out. I'm sure I'll have a few things to report for the next month's menu plan. (It certainly looks ambitious!)

Don't forget to RSVP to the Freezer Baking Day on Facebook. We'll be cooking, baking & freezing on Tuesday December 1 & Wednesday December 2. Stay tuned for more details on what I'll be baking and freezing. I can't wait!

Be sure to check out others who are menu planning.

Enjoy!