Eat at Home 3!

My plan for this week (I am trying to eat out of my freezer to make some space):

Breakfast: Loaded veggie hashbrowns with eggs
Lunch: Greek chicken burgers on a pita with fruit
Dinners:
Today: Frozen pizza
Sunday: Friend's house for cookout for the Indy 500
Monday: Whole roast chicken, rice or couscous, and instant pot brown sugar carrots
Tuesday: L/O
Wednesday: Spicy peanut chicken soba noodle salad
Thursday: L/O
Friday: Burgers, corn on the cob, and baked beans
Saturday: L/O
 
It is just me, which I think is part of the problem. If I had someone else to cook for or with, I think I would be more likely to do it. I would love to know some of your tricks!



Sadly no grill (not allowed in my apartment complex) and I have a small freezer. I do meal prep my breakfast and lunch every weekend, but thinking I maybe need to do more to prep for dinners so I have less of an excuse. If I cut up my veggies and my meats, even season up the meats so I can just toss them right in, I think that would help a bunch alone. I usually only cook like 3x a week (one big meal on the weekends and then 2 smaller meals during the week). But especially by the end of the week I am just so tired to cook yet so bored with leftovers.

I just stocked up at the Indian and Asian markets today so I can make a bunch of meals with those flavors (and they are often fast and easy). I have plenty of rice and noodles and just put naan and roti in the freezer. Pretty much I could just get away with buying protein and veggies and could make an array of meals (and I even have a ton of fish and shrimp in the freezer, plus some chicken).

As a single person, I'd stick with cook once, eat twice for the summer. A nice steak with carmelized onions and peppers seasoned with only s&p grilled one day gets split and becomes steak fajitas the next with just a little bit of changed seasoning or sauce, fresh lettuce, and salsa or guac...

A baked, pan sauteed, or grilled chicken breast with literally any seasoning can be rested on top of greens and raw veg with croutons or fried onions or cheeses the next day for a main course salad.

Spaghetti and meatballs can become meatball subs the next day with just a roll and melted cheese.

You see how this goes...the 1st day protein can be lightly seasoned or kept in the same flavor profile for the 2nd day to make an easy meal.

My 2nd trick is that it's summer...so keep containers of fresh berries and other fruits around (dump in a smoothie at the end of the week, so you don't waste them if you don't eat them)...also keep salad ingredients and fresh cheeses in your fridge and a nice balsamic and olive oil in your pantry (and basil in a pot:))...and simple meal of a panzenella salad (with whatever you have) for Fridays is a wonderful meal, preppable in 10 minutes or made the night before and ready to be savored after it sat all day...and it uses up your fresh breads, your scant veg that sit around, and has tomatoes which are always yummy in summer...and a secret - I always make mine a cross between panzenella and caprese when it's a meal, so add the fresh mozz...it's great:)...

3rd trick is have a "go to" fridge meal...whether it's a cold fruit soup, a gazpacho, a peanut noodle, a chicken or tuna salad, a pasta salad, etc...have something around that you'll eat on Thursday if you haven't gotten to it before...but that's there for when you don't want to cook...I have a mango lime coconut soup that you can float kiwi or strawberries in that's a refreshing summery goodness...and having a few cocktail shrimp with it (or a container of deli shrimp salad) and the meal is done and delicious - or add a grilled ham and cheese - even a PBJ - it's a soup and sandwich meal any way you want it...and the soup can sit for a few days b/c it's dairy-free (and actually gets better then 2nd day)...have that "it can sit" meal that you love always around:)...
 
Tonight we are having family over. Made key lime cheesecake, tuna Mac salad, grilled chicken, salad, watermelon. Found a brick of cheddar cheese in the freezer. Defrosted that and cut it up for cheese and crackers. Also found a box of soft pretzels. I now have apps for today as well. My freezers are starting to see room which is amazing!! Tonight I will be seeing what I have and planning for the rest of the week.
 
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Saturday: Buffalo chicken nachos
Sunday: Leftover Steak Fajitas, watermelon
Monday: Baked Chicken Legs, steamed broccoli, baked potato
Tuesday: Leftover chicken, roasted brussel sprouts/sweet potato/cranberry salad
Wednesday: Burgers, fruit salad
Thursday: Pasta, garlic bread, salad
Friday: frozen pizza
 
I love this time of year. These are the months I thrive at food prep LOL.

Yesterday, I grilled out for friends. Grilled burgers & sausage for them, vegan hot dogs for me and a ton of veggies. We all got a kick out of the vegan being the one grilling LOL.

Now that it is warmer, I will grill 2-4 times a week. I have an amazing patio and it is so relaxing to grill. Plus, not eating meat means I do not have to check the grill as often.

So for this week... I have l/o grilled veggies, a small pot of brown rice, and tons of fresh veggies, greens and fruits prepped for quick salads. I need to soak some beans and cook tomorrow and also make a loaf of bread.
 
Tonight I made veggie and cheese omlettes and for him he had hash browns and toast with his. Here is my plan for the rest of the week.

chicken fried rice
chicken parmesan from skinnytaste, salad, pasta for him spaghetti squash for me
pasta Bolognese over spaghetti or spaghetti squash
turkey soup with cheese tortellini for him zoodles in the soup for me
pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes and a veggie for him, mashed cauliflower for me
This will get us thru Sunday. I am up ing my grocery budget to $190 a month. We are running low on many things and there is now room in the freezer. Fiancee used to have a stockpile of snacks, now not anymore. Hoping to have the back freezer empty by the beginning of august. I will be having surgery at the end of the August and I want to do a bunch of freezer meals for when I recover so I will need the room.
 


I’m still not following my meal plan 100%, but I feel like it’s benefical to have it planned. Sometimes the dishes were changed a little, but having a plan really helped with the shopping and stockpiling. Like Kroger has my chicken breast on sale this week so I’ll buy enough for the month.

I’ll do whatever vegetable is on sale for sides. Plus the garden will start producing a lot in June. I got all of my Classico sauces for 81 cents, my cheese for 1.41, my 90/10 beef for 2.89, and my chicken will be 1.99. I spend about $6 average for dinner. My quick beef burgundy is $9, but my bean burritos are $3.

  1. Chicken stroganoff - https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-stroganoff/
  2. Chicken Parmesan
  3. Spaghetti beef
  4. Spaghetti Italian sausage
  5. Lasagna with zucchini noodles
  6. Pepperoni pizza
  7. Veggie pizza
  8. Thai green chicken curry - https://www.recipetineats.com/thai-green-curry/
  9. Thai coconut marinated chicken - https://www.recipetineats.com/thai-coconut-chicken/
  10. Cheeseburgers
  11. Chicken Tikka Masala - https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-tikka-masala/
  12. Chickpea salad - https://www.recipetineats.com/middle-eastern-spiced-chickpea-salad/
  13. Cottage pie - https://www.recipetineats.com/cottage-pie/
  14. Mexican chicken salad - https://www.recipetineats.com/mexican-chicken-avocado-salad/
  15. Thai chicken satay - https://www.recipetineats.com/thai-chicken-satay-peanut-sauce/
  16. Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna - https://www.recipetineats.com/vegetarian-mexican-lasagna/
  17. Beef tacos
  18. Bean and cheese burritos
  19. Tandoori chicken - https://www.recipetineats.com/oven-baked-tandoori-chicken/
  20. Couscous salad - https://www.recipetineats.com/couscous-salad-feta/
  21. Beef enchilada casserole - https://www.recipetineats.com/beef-enchiladas/
  22. Chicken doner kebab - https://www.recipetineats.com/homemade-chicken-doner-kebab/
  23. Lentil salad - https://www.recipetineats.com/sexy-lentil-salad/
  24. Honey lemon chicken - https://www.recipetineats.com/honey-lemon-chicken/
  25. Parmesan crusted chicken - https://www.recipetineats.com/parmesan-crusted-chicken-breast
  26. Chicken Alfredo
  27. Quick beef burgundy
  28. Chinese chicken cashew - https://www.recipetineats.com/chinese-cashew-chicken
  29. BLT
  30. Chicken basil rice
 
The long weekend has me all messed up. I am sliding in late to post my menu for the week.

Last Night:
Tuna Noodle
Green Peas

Tonight:
Chili in Spud Bowls
Baby Carrots with Ranch for Dipping

Saturday:
Cookout at a friend's house

Sunday:
Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken
Homemade GF version of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Monday:
Grilled Fish
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli

Taco Tuesday:
Bean and Cheese Burritos
Fresh Cantaloupe
 
So I did better this week, at least with breakfast and dinner. Lunch... well, I went out with coworkers yesterday and today. Oh well, it is a start!

Breakfast: Caramelized Onion, Red Pepper and Zucchini Frittata
Lunch: Chicken salad sandwiches with fruit
Dinners:
Saturday: Burgers, corn on the cob, and baked beans
Sunday: Praline glazed salmon, roasted squash and zucchini
Monday: L/O
Tuesday: Katsudon, rice, and roasted broccoli
Wednesday: L/O
Thursday: Easy homemade Ramen
Friday: L/O (will keep noodles and broth separate)
 
We ended up eating at the graduation party last Sun. so I have one carryover meal. This week's menu:

Sun: cheeseburgers with fries
Mon: grilled citrus chicken with mashed potatoes
Tue: bbq chicken quesadillas with guacamole
Wed: grilled sausage and broccoli penne
Thu: strawberry glazed pork chops with ginger carrots and Texas toast
Fri: meatball pizza
Sat: out after church
 
Oh good grief, day one and we eat out. I wake up super early to work the farmers market on Saturday. Then I took a bad nap (you know the kind where you feel worse waking up?). That lead to hangry rage when we went to Lowes. My husband fed me because he was scared of me 😂

I am going to take chicken cashew off the menu because I don’t have any cashews in the house and it’s one of our more expensive meals.
 
Hello everyone!! Your menus look amazing!!! I am back to my $60 limit this month. Tonight we had lemon pepper tilapia, sauteed spinach, and he had rice. leftovers might possibly going to be tossed in the freezer for another meal.

Monday crockpot pork tenderloin, green beans, mashed potatoes for him
Tuesday low carb crockpot pepper steak and rice for him
Wednesday Low carb pepperoni pizza chicken bake, salad, side of pasta for him
Thursday grilled hamburgers on rolls (lettuce bun for me) with onion lettuce and tomato, French fries for him, pickle wedges
Friday-low carb cheeseburger pie and leftover green beans
Saturday homemade thin crust pizza for him- leftovers From one of the previous low carb meals for me along with salad.
 
Well you can tell it is summer as no one is hungry or knows what they want to eat. So I didn't make barley anything on my menu last week. So I guess I can post what I eat. :teeth:

Saturday: Spicy Black Bean Burger on Portabella mushroom cap, salad
Sunday: Pizza stuffed Portabella mushroom, roasted veggies
Monday: Flatbread Pizza with turkey pepp, moz cheese, sun dried tomatoes
Tuesday: Home Made Chicken tenders, salad
Wednesday: Brown Rice, Black beans bowl
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday - Sunday: Out of town for brother's wedding
 
Wednesday:
Chili Dogs
Chips

Thursday:
Grilled Chicken Legs
Oven Roasted Potatoes
Fresh Corn on the Cob

Friday: (Date night for DH and I to our local Symphony on the Lawn, dinner will be a picnic)
Cold Cut Roll Ups
Allohette and Crackers
Fresh Fruit
Sparkling Juice

Satruday: (carry over)
Grilled Fish
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli

Sunday:
Beef Roast with Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Southern Style Green Beans

Monday:
Crockpot Pineapple Chicken
Rice

Taco Tuesday:
Beef and Bean Nachos
 
Did meal prep last night for lunch this entire week. I had three decent size green peppers in the fridge and cut them in half.

I made up some quinoa and added that to sauteed onions, garlic, carrots, black beans, garbanzo beans and corn. Once that all cooked, the peppers went into a pyrex with the stuffing and into the oven for about 10 minutes.

When it was done, I have five containers with a bed of stuffing and a half a stuffed pepper for lunch all week at work...and one extra for a "hit and run" dinner.

Otherwise, for dinner this week:

Monday - Frozen Pizza
Tuesday - Chicken Parm Patty
Wednesday - Prescheduled going out with a friend
Thursday - Likely the other pepper since I won't be home very long
Friday - Leftover Chicken Parm Patty
 
Dh and I are really trying to cook and prep more on the weekends because we’re exhausted when it’s time to make dinner at 5:30 or 6. Anything we can prep ahead of time helps. This weekend we cooked things we will be using for work and school lunches so our dinners will be quick and easy meals .

Sunday -fish tacos with citrus slaw

Monday - Dh had the leftover fish tacos , Ds had grilled sausage, baked potato and fresh fruit , and I had Mac and cheese and fresh fruit .

Tuesday- Hamburgers and Veggie Burgers, Asparagus , roast potatoes

Wednesday -Breakfast for dinner (eggs, toast, bacon for Ds , Fruit smoothies )

Thursday - Cheese tortellini, garlic bread ,

Friday - Homemade pizzas

Saturday - Nachos , smoothies
 
Breakfast: Veggies loaded hashbrowns with an egg
Lunch: Chicken salad sandwiches, fruit, treat
Dinner:
Tonight: Frozen pizza
Tomorrow: Instant pot ribs, pasta salad, fruit
Monday: L/O
Tuesday: L/O
Wednesday: Coconut Curry Veggies and rice
Thursday: L/O
Friday: BLTA
 
My work schedule got a little changed up last week due to some unforeseen changes, so I did pick up food out one night. It did leave us with leftovers for the next day though. I'm not sure of DS2's work schedule for this week so I don't know the days I'll serve, but here's the plan:

BBQ chicken quesadillas with guacamole
Lemon shrimp/chicken linguine with lime buttered broccoli
Hoisin-pineapple chicken with rice
Hero sandwiches (to everyone's personal taste) with carrots & Ranch
Spinach and white bean soup
Waffle Monte Cristo's with fruit
 
We have an incredibly busy week coming up with LOTS of cookouts. The good news with that is that I do not have to make entire meals, just bits and pieces to add to what other folks are bringing. :-) I am making a ton of deviled eggs this week! :tongue:

Wednesday: (cookout with our Connect Group)
Baked Beans
Deviled Eggs

Thursday:
Ham and Broccoli Pasta Toss (ham from freezer)
Garlic Toast

Friday: (cookout for an anniversary celebration for a ministry DH and I lead)
Deviled Eggs
Red Velvet Cupcakes

Saturday: (cookout with extended family)
Smoked Ribs
Deviled Eggs

Sunday:
Lasagna
Caesar Salad
Garlic Toast

Monday:
Chicken Divan
Rice

Taco Tuesday:
Carne Asada Tacos
Ranch Style Beans
 

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