January Menu Plan: 2013

Happy New Year, my friends! It’s great to be back in the swing of things. If you are looking to get organized and make your life easier for the New Year, menu planning is one of the first steps.

We have a year and half of Monthly Menu Plans for you as well as Weekly Menu Plans. We are working on a brand new weekly newsletter for subscribers with lots of great features, be sure to sign up!

Don’t forget we created a Printable Menu Plan for you!

Whether you are planning just a week or a whole month, it simply makes your life easier. Here are a few tips we use when planning our menus…

1. Keep it simple! Make ahead dishes are a great time saver. While you are making a casserole, make 2, it won’t take that much longer to double the recipe, put 1 in the freezer for later when you don’t feel like cooking or your day exploded on you and the meat never got taken out of the freezer.
2. Make themed nights, we typically have Quick & Easy, Mexican, Italian, Slow Cooker and Kid Friendly meals. So when you are planning, you just have to decide what type of meal for that night. Narrowing down the choices is much easier.
3. Plan for the month, buy for the week {or 2 weeks}. After you have several monthly menus planned, just rotate them. Having 2 or 3 menus with warmer meals and 2 or 3 menus with cooler meals is perfect.

January Menu Plan

1 ~ HAPPY NEW YEAR

2 ~ Loaded Tostadas, Chips and Salsa

3 ~ Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad, Garlic Bread

4 ~ Homemade Pizza

5 ~ Stir-Fry and Pork Fried Rice

6 ~ Chili and Corn Bread

7 ~ Ultimate Fried Egg Sandwiches and Fruit Salad

8 ~ Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken with Vegetables and Potatoes

9 ~ Taco Ring, Chips and Queso Dip

10 ~ Meatloaf, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes and Corn

11 ~ Chicken Nuggets and Oven Fries

12 ~ Honey Chipolte Ribs and Baked Potatoes

13 ~ Meatloaf Sandwiches with Fried Smashed Potatoes

14 ~ Individual Chicken Pot Pies, Mashed Potatoes and Applesauce

15 ~ Mom’s Beef Stew with Cornbread

16 ~ Taco Bake and Spanish Rice

17 ~ Bacon Ranch Chicken Strips, Loaded Baked Potato Skins

18 ~ Pepperoni Pizza Ring

19 ~ Make Ahead Sloppy Joes, Chips and Dip

20 ~ Shanghai Wings, Pork Fried Rice

21 ~ Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

22 ~ Breakfast for Dinner…Homemade McGriddles and Fruit Smoothies

23 ~ Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

24 ~ Kung Pao Chicken and Brown Rice

25 ~ Appetizers and Baked Potato Bar

26 ~ Classic Lasagna, Salad and Garlic Bread

27 ~ Pork Roast, Potatoes and Veggies

28 ~ Barbecue Meatballs and Noodles

29 ~ Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Oven Fries

30 ~ Chicken Fajitas and Rice

31~ Mostacolli Bake, Salad and Garlic Bread

Desserts for the Month

• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Black Forest Whoopie Pies
• Cake Mix Cookies with Mix ins
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Pie

What’s on your menu this month?

Linking to… Menu Plan Monday

Chef