Menu Plan Monday #1

I’ve been missing the old days of blogging. Things have changed so much over the last decade and sometimes it feels like blogging isn’t nearly as fun as it used to be. I started officially blogging in 2001 – although I had the beginnings of a website built from scratch way back in the year 2000.

Menu Plan Monday was originally created (or this is what I remember) on the blog Organizing Junkie and she ran a weekly round-up and linky party of menu plan ideas and recipes for over 15 years. She discontinued doing the weekly Menu Plan Monday in August of 2021 and as I looked for it today to see what she was up to – so many fond memories of those good old days of blogging – I was sad to see she had decided to stop the series.

However, I totally understand why and having been a blogger for over 21 years, I know how much work goes into it each week.

So, I thought I’d start my own Menu Plan Monday Series here at A Home to Make. I hope you enjoy this weekly series and find ideas you love.

Some of What’s on This Week’s Menu

Here are a few photos of some of these recipes I’ve made in the past:

As a busy homemaker, you might find it hard to come up with new ideas for meals each week. You might find yourself falling into a rut of cooking the same few dishes over and over again. If that sounds like you, then this blog post is for you! I’m sharing some of my favorite meal planning ideas to help you break out of your cooking rut.

One of my favorite meal planning tips is to start with a protein. Once you’ve decided on a protein, you can build the rest of your meal around it. For example, if you want to make chicken for dinner, you can search for recipes that include chicken as an ingredient.

You can also use this method to plan your lunches and snacks. Simply decide on a protein and then find recipes or build salads and sandwiches around that protein.

This is a great way to use up items you have in your pantry or freezer too!

Another meal planning tip is to take advantage of leftovers. Instead of letting those leftovers go to waste, get creative and use them in new dishes. For example, if you have leftover cooked chicken, you can shred it and use it in tacos, enchiladas, or quesadillas. You can also use leftovers to make soup or pasta sauce. Get creative and see what new dishes you can come up with using ingredients that you already have on hand.

And speaking of leftovers, I often like to serve up leftovers as part of our weekly meal plan. You can see in the menu plan below that we’re having leftovers on Saturday night. Makes for an easy meal!

Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. Trying new things is part of the fun of cooking! If you see a recipe that looks interesting but you’re not sure about it, go ahead and give it a try. You might be surprised at how much you like it.

Cooking should be enjoyable so make sure to choose recipes that look fun and exciting to make. I’ve shared a few recipes below that our family loves – these are recipes I make on a regular basis.

Sunday: kale salad, hummus, naan bread

Monday: chicken pot pie + steamed broccoli

Tuesday: Panang curry with fried tofu, veggies, and rice

Wednesday: cornbread taco bake, guacamole, and salad

Thursday: one pot spaghetti and salad

Friday: bean soup and cornbread

Saturday: leftovers, fruit, and popcorn

More Meal Planning Ideas

I hope these meal planning tips help you break out of your cooking rut! Remember to start with a protein, take advantage of leftovers, and don’t be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. Happy cooking!