I used to meal plan for weeknights only, because weekends were for spontaneity and plans with friends and pizza at the park and socializing.
And then all of this happened and there is no room for spontaneity. Not having a plan means lining up for groceries in the pouring rain or eating cereal for dinner again.
So! A week-long meal plan. We’ve spent some time getting into a routine, we’re trying to balance the nutritious stuff and the treats the best we can during a global pandemic, and we’re trying to give ourselves a little grace. There is no shame in cereal for dinner again. There are a lot of carby comfort foods. There are fresh vegetables, yes, but there are fewer fights about how much and how often they are consumed by the unwilling ones. We are all doing the best we can.
This meal plan will be a little more detailed than my usual ones, because I’m trying to figure out how to shop less and still have exciting meals that nourish our bodies and souls.
Sunday: I haven’t grocery shopped in over a week (except for a milk and banana run) so we’re using up what we’ve got. I pulled some spaghetti sauce out of the freezer to do Michigan-style hot dogs and I’ll serve them with the last remaining green thing in the house: Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
Monday: Shopping Day! The day of endless possibilities. I have some BBQ sauce I need to use up so I’m going to make an egg-free (so Poppy can eat it) meatloaf served with broccoli and Mac & Cheese. I’m also going to make a large batch of Instant Pot Pulled Pork and freeze it in two separate containers for meals later on in the week (one with BBQ sauce, one without).
Tuesday: Honey garlic chicken wings from the butcher for Poppy and Shawn, Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Wings for me, fresh cut veggies with homemade mayo-free ranch, and garlic knots. This is one of those dinners where I know Poppy will eat the meat, Grady will eat the bread, and that’s about it (and that’s okay. It’s sometimes, not every time.)
Wednesday: Roasted sweet potatoes topped with crispy carnitas. I’ll defrost the non-BBQ pulled pork portion and throw it under the broiler until it crisps up. I’ll serve it with lots of fresh cilantro, homemade guacamole, lime wedges, and quick pickled red onions.
Thursday: Breakfast for dinner! I’ve been influenced by all the people sticking Tator Tots in their waffle irons on Instagram. Tator Tot Waffles (heh heh), crispy oven bacon, cheesy scrambled eggs, and Smitten Kitchen’s slow-roasted tomatoes.
Friday: Caramelized Shallot Pasta. I have been dreaming of this pasta ever since I first heard about it. I am so excited and will be devastated if I can’t find anchovies at the grocery store.
Saturday: I’ll defrost the BBQ portion of pulled pork and serve it on pretzel rolls with a quick coleslaw and the leftover pickled onions.
That’s it! A week’s worth of meals. What’s on your meal plan this week?