For now we're going to use this space to put in our weekly menu plan. Just a basic list will do and, if you want, you can include the grocery list that goes along with this. Your plan doesn't have to be for 7 days, even 3 will help those of us looking for fresh ideas! We can always start a recipe list in another post and link our meal to that recipe if need be. What does your typical weekly meal plan look like?

Hmm. Great idea!! Um, we sort of make it up as the week progresses. So no week is typical. But we do do leftovers a couple times a week - make extra to avoid cooking from scratch every night. And we do "fend for ourselves" (as my husband and I call it!) at least one night a week, too.

Monday: leftovers
Tuesday (tonight): Tomatican, a Sth American stew. Recipe from Moosewood. Lima beans, corn, tomatoes, chillies, cumin, onions. Served with rice. I put grated cheese on top. I made extra and froze a bunch of it.
Wednesday: Olive spread with a baguette, cheese, butter, red wine. That's to start. The olive spread is extra from a batch I made for a party on the weekend. We want to use it up in style! We will probably follow with something else. I think some kind of vegetable soup. I have a big green pepper to use up, so that might go in the pot.
Thursday: Something involving cabbage. Maybe just the old-fashioned Brit way, steamed with gravy, or fried with a little butter. Then to go with it I will probably do potatoes and either "chicken" (vegie) nuggets or frozen salmon fillets. Or I might do a stir-fry with tofu.
Friday: probably thawed Tomatican leftovers

oh i so need this! i just spent $100 at the grocery store this weekend and then ordered pizza because i just couldnt think of somethign to make that hubby would eat (every suggestion was shot down... i think maybe i should stop asking and just cook!)

so *i* am here to steal great ideas

Monday: Applebee's take out (this is actually the result of me feeling crappy and not making up a schedule on Sunday)

Tuesday: Hot Dogs, mac & cheese, salad

Wednesday: Pasta with Meatballs, salad

Thursday: Red Robin Fundraiser

Friday: Crockpot Salsa Chicken w/ chips and beans

Saturday: Steak w/ mashed or baked potato, corn, salad

Sunday: Breakfast stuff (probably pancakes) w/ fruit

I have a general 4 week menu that I use. It gives a reasonable variety though I will vary from it sometimes and bring home take out occassionally. It really makes shopping easier since I can limit my spending to the ingredients I need in the next two weeks. This week our menu was:

Monday - spaghetti
Tuesday - hamburgers/hotdogs
Wednesday - porkchops
Thursday - baked chicken
Friday - beef stroganoff
Saturday - pot roast
Sunday - sandwiches and/or leftovers

I tend to start the meal week on Sat so here it is:

Sat: ham dinner. A large ($14) ham, mama lione's corn casserole, apple sauce
When I put the ham in I put a bag of 16 bean mix to soak in a bowl

Sun: Big breakfast with eggs, pancakes, fresh fruit or fruit smoothie, sausage (the girls would eat nothing but sausage if we let them).
16 bean soup made with the left over ham on the bone, can of crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, spices

Monday: veggie lasagna ('cause we've had enough meat) made with Barilla no boil pasta and following the directions on the package.

Tues: Rice and leftovers, either ham or soup

Wed: Lunch: mac & cheese & peas please
Dinner: crock pot chicken burritos. Using bone in chick breast w/ a touch of water and taco seasoning in the crock pot. Left over white rice and some fixings in a burrito wrapper.

Thurs: Finish the ham during the day. Lunch could be ham w/ some cheese and a beggie or two.
Dinner: Crock Pot beef stew

Fri: roasted chicken, stuffing, cranberry sauce, corn (total comfort meal!)

Fri might change and be pizza, either homemade or bought, depending on how I'm feeling!

We have some regulars at my house, but no set night on which we have them. Our list right now is pretty much this:

Ground turkey super-nachos
Turkey burgers and whatever veg looked good
Homemade pizza
Pork loin roast with veggies roasted in pan
Leftover/Scrounge

A lot of weekends we end up at my parent's house for dinner.

I've just made up the plans for the rest of the week:

Saturday: low calorie/low fat broccoli cheddar soup (use evaporated milk instead of cream and leeks instead of onions!

Sunday: Roasted chicken and sweet potato risotto

Monday: Taco Bake (mac & cheese, plus ground turkey with taco spices, baked in a sour cream and salsa mix with cheese melted on top)

Tuesday: Beef roast and steamed veggies

Wednesday: Porkchops and pears

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: veggie bake

I have been doing this for years. It really helps save money at the grocery store. I base my menus around things in the frig and freezer then add stuff to my grocery list that I need to complete the meal. This helps use up the stuff that you already bought.

This week

Sunday--Chili and salad also Hot dogs, cheese and crackers(we had friends over)
Monday--Ate out--All You Can Eat Crab Legs--we had a great time
Tuesday--Bow Tie Pasta with Beef and Tomatoes
Wednesday--leftover chili and BLT's
Thursday--Homemade Mac and Cheese with Stewed Tomatoes
Friday--Fish Fillets, french fries and pierogies
Saturday--?