How do you decide your menu for the week

[kimblebee]

I love Jean Pare's Company's Coming cook books. She always uses simple ingredients that you either have on hand or are easy to find. They're also easy recipes to follow. I'm sure you can find them online.

I'm not very formal with my planning but we do decide on 2-3 meals for the week and then buy accordingly. I try my best to use what we already have. I find since doing this, we havare so much less waste.

So many of my moms recipes come from the company’s coming cookbooks.

 

[Sweetpancake]

So many of my moms recipes come from the company’s coming cookbooks.

She has some classic recipes. Especially her book on dainties!

 

[sonnyjane]

I only cook for me so, it's whatever frozen Amy's meal is most appealing lol.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

I think I know what this years Christmas gift is going to be to my self a cook book any favorites among this group

You said you like Mexican food, right? I have a cookbook titled Mexican Made Easy: Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Flavor that's written by Marcela Valladolid. I've made things out of here that turned out nicely!

One of the things I had to remember when I was first learning to cook is that it always gets better with practice. I quite enjoy it now. (Although I still don't really enjoy the cleaning up part... )

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Thanks everyone

 

[RangerPooh]

I work full time, have 4 kids, and at least 2 nights per week we're on the go after work with Scouts. So what I fix needs to be easy and quick. Some weeks it'll be pasta or pasta type dishes that some in freezer bags. Taco/burrito night is also a big one in our house. There's usually enough left overs for two nights. I do try to be intentional and look to see what's in the deep freeze and go from there. Meals need to have a protein.

 

[tvguy]

Basically we plan one poultry, one beef, one pork and one fish, one ?? meal per week. The specific menu planning is done at the grocery store based on what is on sale (or what looks good). Weekends are free form, usually eat out.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

A menu? We don't have any menus. This isn't Burger King. You get it MY way.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I look through my freezer and see what is in there. I use my crockpot a lot. I also use pinterest as well. If I have chicken I look up recipes for my chicken on pinterest and for my crockpot and throw it in. I made a roast yesterday and had it cooking for 4 hours. And made mashed potatoes , salad and corn.

Betty Crocker has good recipes as well. I find those cook books at yard sales galore for darn near nothing. Check your library as well. I also love when people have old magazines at yard sales for cooking. As those things are so pricey.

Cooking is rather easy. Find things you like to eat and go from there with the recipes. This next round I want to throw a lasagna in the crockpot. Then I can freeze what is left over for another nights meal. Have fun while doing it Tink. You have many great ideas on here so far.

 

[Mizzoufan]

Planning meals for us in nearly is impossible for us, we never know what we want to eat till the day of.

 

[bdcp]

I've never done menu planning, even when I was on a strict budget. What I have always done is keep certain ingredients on hand all the time so I can make whatever I decide. I always have chicken, burgers, steak, italian sausage, pork chops in the freezer as well as frozen veggies. I keep a lot of canned beans and tomato products. I have cheddar and mozarella cheese in the deli bin and eggs and milk and usually bacon in the fridge. Once it's fall, I tend to make chili and soups/stews on the weekends to also eat during the week. But, since I got my pressure cooker, I can quickly make those during the week. I usually just think "what do I feel like cooking and eating and then I ask DH if he's home and then I make it. Our meals were a little different when our boys were young, but there are still a few things I've always made but not on any schedule. It's just DH and I at home now. A lot of times when I do my grocery shopping (Friday's) I'll decide right there what I'm making that night because something catches my eye or there's a special, or something. I'm home today since it's Columbus Day and DH is working so I decided to make homemade chicken soup, which will take all of 45 minutes or so in the pressure cooker, even if I use frozen chicken.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

So for those who don’t plan what do you keep on hand in your pantry

 

[rodeo65]

Since the start of this school year I've adopted a once a week cooking day. I plan three or four meals and one dessert based on a rotation of favourites and usually one new guinea pig meal, and spend all day Sunday shopping prepping and cooking it all. I then divide it all up in individual meal containers and don't think about it again until the next week. I hate Sundays but am so happy the rest of the week! I get my playlist cranked and try my best to power through it but it's usually an 8 or 9 hour day and my back is screaming from standing on the ceramic tiles all day. Still, worth it Monday - Saturday, though!

 

[lanejudy]

I plan the meals for the week, taking into consideration what we have on hand as well as what is on sale at the grocery store. I try to stock up on meats during sales, that helps so I'm not locked into just that week's sale items. We look at our schedules for the week to know which nights we need something quick, or would be best to use the crockpot, or somebody won't be home for dinner, etc. I try to include 1 meal that somehow allows me to cook once/serve twice -- for example, boiling a chicken usually gets me 2-3 meals (we're a small family) of some variety: chicken noodle soup, chicken pie, chicken ala king, chicken broccoli alfredo, caesar salad with chicken, chicken salad sandwiches, quesadillas, etc. Similarly, pot roast, pork roast, london broil and other such larger cuts of meat will get us through multiple meals. Or I'll bake an extra chicken breast or pork chop that can be used in another meal later in the week. Most weeks include 1 soup night and 1 "breakfast for dinner" night as well.

Mexican cooking can be easy -- in fact my DD is in middle school, as part of her special-ed curriculum she is taking a lifeskills class and already this year they have learned to fix burritos and tacos! She comes home and wants to cook for us, so once a week she plans a meal (and I help as needed). Approach cooking as fun rather than expecting it to be hard or scary.

Just keep a frozen pizza on hand for the occasionally "oops" (and don't feel bad, it has happened to all of us)!

 

[moniqueand2]

I think I know what this years Christmas gift is going to be to my self a cook book any favorites among this group

How about a subscription to Food Network Magazine.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

How about a subscription to Food Network Magazine.

I like that idea better then mine

 

[Frozen Canuck]

You might find it helpful to start out gradually. It can be intimidating to sit down and plan a whole week of meals (never mind two weeks or more!) when you aren't used to cooking much. Try to get confident with making one or two things during the week, even if it is boiled pasta with jarred sauce, pre-made meatballs, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a bagged salad, before adding more items.

You had asked what items people keep on hand in their pantry, but honestly, that will be different for every family, based upon what they like to eat. It won't do you any good to keep cans of tomatoes on hand just because I do, unless you would actually use them in your meals. If you find a recipe that you like and want to make again, the next time you go shopping, buy enough of the packaged, canned, and frozen items to make it once or twice and store them in your pantry and freezer.

For example, if you look at the chicken tortilla soup recipe below, you could keep the tortilla chips, canned chicken broth, tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, frozen corn, and possibly some chopped cooked chicken (frozen if you have planned a meal short-cut...see below) in your stash. If you have the seasonings left over from making it previously, then the only "fresh" items you would need to pick up would be the cheese and an onion...both items which can keep for a fair bit of time as well. Rice or pasta make good pantry items so you have a base for your meals, but again, if you don't eat them much, it might not make much sense for you to have them.

While I might not plan all of my meals ahead, I do like to find short-cuts for meals so that the dinners I make can be assembled more quickly. I mentioned pre-made meatballs and jarred sauce above, but you can also buy rotisserie chickens (sometimes they are even reduced in price for quick sale) that you can remove the meat from and freeze in batches. That way, any time you need chopped, cooked chicken in a recipe, you will have it ready to go. You can also make your own short-cuts for meals by poaching (cooking in boiling water) multiple chicken breasts or else roasting two chickens at one time (it takes relatively the same amount of energy and if you buy them on sale, it is economical as well.) Cooked, shredded chicken is useful in so many dishes like casseroles or soups.

You mentioned liking Mexican foods, so I will give you a couple of meals ideas that our family enjoys.

• The first one is for tortilla soup. It is an all-in-one meal that would provide ample leftovers for lunches or dinner the next night. One of the best things about it is that you can keep all of the items on hand and just start dumping them into the soup pot.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

3-14 oz. cans chicken broth
3 or 4 cups of cooked, chopped chicken meat
2-14 ½ oz. cans regular or fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I really like the fire-roasted), undrained
2-10 oz. cans Rotel tomatoes with diced green chillies, undrained
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chilli powder
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Grated cheddar cheese and tortilla chips for serving

In a Dutch oven or soup pot, sauté the onion and the garlic in the vegetable oil over medium heat until tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the broth along with the shredded chicken, undrained tomatoes, Rotel, corn and seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste, though I never find I need to add anything to it. Bring to a boil and then simmer over low heat at least half an hour to blend the flavours.

When ready to serve, place lightly crumbled tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese in the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladle soup over top. Serve.

• The second meal idea is Baked Spicy Chicken Tacos. Again, using pre-cooked chicken (possibly already cooked and in the freezer) and having the onion, taco shells, can of refried beans, the packet of taco seasoning, the cans of tomatoes and peppers in the pantry, and hopefully some cheese in the fridge, you should be able to put dinner together in record time.

• The last simple meal idea I have is for a Beef and Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce. (Don't worry! You can omit the mushrooms if you don't care for them!) The great thing about this is that you can make it ahead (perhaps on a weekend) and then freeze it for use a busy weeknight where you simply heat it up while you cook some pasta to toss it with. If there are only two of you eating it, a recipe like this might serve you for two meals...cook it one night and cook half a pound of pasta to go with what you eat that night, then freeze the other half for another night. All you would need to do that evening is boil another half pound of pasta and make a salad. What is also great is that you can use this as spaghetti sauce, but you can also toss it with some cooked pasta, place it in a greased casserole dish, and then top it with some grated cheese (cheddar or Parmesan or mozzarella) and bake it in the oven until the cheese melts and browns slightly and the casserole is heated through.

Good luck! I think that it is great that you are looking at learning a new skill. It just takes some experimentation to find out what you like and then practice to perfect your techniques.

Beef and Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb. of ground beef
1/2 medium-sized onion, minced
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (omit if you don't care for mushrooms)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can (16 ounces) diced tomatoes
1-6 oz. can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/8 tsp. pepper
Salt added to taste
1 lb. of pasta (spaghetti or even macaroni or medium shells if making into a casserole)
Top with Parmesan cheese

Add all together and simmer for 30 minutes. Locate and remove the bay leaf and throw it away. (They can be sharp and it isn't advised that you eat them). Serve over pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Makes four cups of sauce.

Note: For a variation, combine sauce with cooked pasta such as elbow macaroni or medium shells. Place in a greased casserole and top with cheddar cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven until cheese is bubbly and casserole is heated through, about 30 minutes.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

You might find it helpful to start out gradually. It can be intimidating to sit down and plan a whole week of meals (never mind two weeks or more!) when you aren't used to cooking much. Try to get confident with making one or two things during the week, even if it is boiled pasta with jarred sauce, pre-made meatballs, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a bagged salad, before adding more items.

You had asked what items people keep on hand in their pantry, but honestly, that will be different for every family, based upon what they like to eat. It won't do you any good to keep cans of tomatoes on hand just because I do, unless you would actually use them in your meals. If you find a recipe that you like and want to make again, the next time you go shopping, buy enough of the packaged, canned, and frozen items to make it once or twice and store them in your pantry and freezer.

For example, if you look at the chicken tortilla soup recipe below, you could keep the tortilla chips, canned chicken broth, tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, frozen corn, and possibly some chopped cooked chicken (frozen if you have planned a meal short-cut...see below) in your stash. If you have the seasonings left over from making it previously, then the only "fresh" items you would need to pick up would be the cheese and an onion...both items which can keep for a fair bit of time as well. Rice or pasta make good pantry items so you have a base for your meals, but again, if you don't eat them much, it might not make much sense for you to have them.

While I might not plan all of my meals ahead, I do like to find short-cuts for meals so that the dinners I make can be assembled more quickly. I mentioned pre-made meatballs and jarred sauce above, but you can also buy rotisserie chickens (sometimes they are even reduced in price for quick sale) that you can remove the meat from and freeze in batches. That way, any time you need chopped, cooked chicken in a recipe, you will have it ready to go. You can also make your own short-cuts for meals by poaching (cooking in boiling water) multiple chicken breasts or else roasting two chickens at one time (it takes relatively the same amount of energy and if you buy them on sale, it is economical as well.) Cooked, shredded chicken is useful in so many dishes like casseroles or soups.

You mentioned liking Mexican foods, so I will give you a couple of meals ideas that our family enjoys.

• The first one is for tortilla soup. It is an all-in-one meal that would provide ample leftovers for lunches or dinner the next night. One of the best things about it is that you can keep all of the items on hand and just start dumping them into the soup pot.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

3-14 oz. cans chicken broth
3 or 4 cups of cooked, chopped chicken meat
2-14 ½ oz. cans regular or fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I really like the fire-roasted), undrained
2-10 oz. cans Rotel tomatoes with diced green chillies, undrained
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chilli powder
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Grated cheddar cheese and tortilla chips for serving

In a Dutch oven or soup pot, sauté the onion and the garlic in the vegetable oil over medium heat until tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the broth along with the shredded chicken, undrained tomatoes, Rotel, corn and seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste, though I never find I need to add anything to it. Bring to a boil and then simmer over low heat at least half an hour to blend the flavours.

When ready to serve, place lightly crumbled tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese in the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladle soup over top. Serve.

• The second meal idea is Baked Spicy Chicken Tacos. Again, using pre-cooked chicken (possibly already cooked and in the freezer) and having the onion, taco shells, can of refried beans, the packet of taco seasoning, the cans of tomatoes and peppers in the pantry, and hopefully some cheese in the fridge, you should be able to put dinner together in record time.

• The last simple meal idea I have is for a Beef and Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce. (Don't worry! You can omit the mushrooms if you don't care for them!) The great thing about this is that you can make it ahead (perhaps on a weekend) and then freeze it for use a busy weeknight where you simply heat it up while you cook some pasta to toss it with. If there are only two of you eating it, a recipe like this might serve you for two meals...cook it one night and cook half a pound of pasta to go with what you eat that night, then freeze the other half for another night. All you would need to do that evening is boil another half pound of pasta and make a salad. What is also great is that you can use this as spaghetti sauce, but you can also toss it with some cooked pasta, place it in a greased casserole dish, and then top it with some grated cheese (cheddar or Parmesan or mozzarella) and bake it in the oven until the cheese melts and browns slightly and the casserole is heated through.

Good luck! I think that it is great that you are looking at learning a new skill. It just takes some experimentation to find out what you like and then practice to perfect your techniques.

Beef and Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb. of ground beef
1/2 medium-sized onion, minced
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (omit if you don't care for mushrooms)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can (16 ounces) diced tomatoes
1-6 oz. can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/8 tsp. pepper
Salt added to taste
1 lb. of pasta (spaghetti or even macaroni or medium shells if making into a casserole)
Top with Parmesan cheese

Add all together and simmer for 30 minutes. Locate and remove the bay leaf and throw it away. (They can be sharp and it isn't advised that you eat them). Serve over pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Makes four cups of sauce.

Note: For a variation, combine sauce with cooked pasta such as elbow macaroni or medium shells. Place in a greased casserole and top with cheddar cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven until cheese is bubbly and casserole is heated through, about 30 minutes.

Thank you for the tips and recipes

 

[mom2rb]

I ask my boys and my DH what they want. If they answer, I make it, if they don’t, I pick. Today I went to Costco. DH wants me to make crawfish etoufee, I had to buy a large thing of onions and they had fresh baguettes. Now I will make French Onion soup tomorrow (another one of DH’s favorites) and we will eat it for two days. Then I will make the etoufee for the two days after that.

Since this week if full of DH’s favorites, next week I will let my son make most of the choices. When my other son is home from college, he gets to pick everything for a few weeks.

 

[bdcp]

So for those who don’t plan what do you keep on hand in your pantry

I mentioned a lot above, but I also always have potatoes, onions, carrots, beef and chicken broth, pasta, spices, pancake mix, bread, rice, breadcrumbs, beans, tomato products, etc. There's also always peanut butter, chips, cereal, oatmeal, canned tuna (DH hates it but I love tuna salad), crackers, flour, sugar. My pantry is always full. I try to make sure I check dates on cans so I minimize what gets thrown out. I also keep yeast, fruit, some fresh veggies, eggs, lunch meat, yogurt, cheeses, basic condiments (ketchup, mayo, mustard, soy sauce, jelly), milk, eggs, in the fridge. At almost anytime during the week I can make spaghetti, chili, baked chicken, soups, homemade pizza, breakfast for dinner, stir fry, burgers, steak, grilled chicken, and more. If you don't keep a lot, it's harder to do, but I also like to have the flexibility to eat out which we do at least twice on the weekends so planning out and shopping for everyday would be a bigger pain than helpful.