Master Meals Lists

My friend, Toni, the Happy Housewife is doing a series on menu planning and she had an "assignment" of coming up with a list of 15 meals for helping with the ease of menu planning. Since I have been doing menu planning for some time, I already have my list of meals made up. I took the time to divide up my meal list into three--one for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I found that since I liked to have different sides with the main course that it was easier to make up a different list of the different side dishes that I make up. I also found that having a master list of snacks makes it easier to keep my snack basket full with different items rather than the same old things.

Here is links to each of my lists! You will also find the links down in my right sidebar!

Breakfast Master List

Lunch Master List

Dinner Master List

Sides Master List

Snack Master List

As for keeping up with my menus, I have a copy of the menus on my computer as well as on a piece of paper. The piece of paper gets stuck up on my refrigerator so that the family knows what to expect for each of the meals and for the daily snacks. Having that piece of paper has been a sanity saver for me because I don't hear THAT same old question(Mom, what's for___?") over and over again!

I sit down on Saturday afternoon and plan out the meals for the next week using my freezer and pantry inventories of what I have on hand to plug in the different meals. Using the inventories first to make up the meals helps me to not have to rush to the store last minute for something. Also using up the inventories first helps me to save money on my grocery bill each week.

I also make sure that I don't plan 3 chicken meals in a row! There is lots of whaling and gnashing of teeth from the family if I don't pay attention to that detail.

This post is linked at:

• Menu Planning 101 at The Happy Housewife!

Master Breakfast List

Breakfasts served with bacon, sausage or steak along with in season fruit.


Waffles

Cold Cereal

Oatmeal

Cream of Wheat

Pancakes

French Toast

Mom's McBiscuit/McMuffin Sandwich

Muffins

Toast with peanut butter or cinnamon sugar

Bagels

Yogurt

Scrambled Eggs

Cheese Omelets

Cinnamon rolls

Toaster Strudel

Biscuits

Homemade Donuts(yeast) or Apple Cider Donuts

Master Snack List

What I keep in my snack baskets. I keep a "snack basket" in my cupboard and I use veggie drawers in my fridge for those snacks that need to keep cool!

I plan my snacks for each day that way it is easier to keep track of what is being consumed and I know what types of things I need to replenish on my baking days. When I do up my homemade goodies, I take the time to individually wrap them so they are ready for an easy grab.

1. Chewy Granola Bars
   
2. Pudding
   
3. Cake (like Chocolate Chip Cake or Surprise Cupcakes or Jello Cake)
4. Popcorn
   
5. Toast with PB
   
6. Cinnamon Toast(toast a slice of bread, butter it, sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on it)
   
7. Homemade Trail Mix
   
8. Mini Sandwiches(PB, tuna, cheese, chicken) sometimes I make dinner rolls or get some brown and serve rolls from the store and then slice them for them to grab to make a quick snack sandwich.
   
9. Homemade "Almost Nutri-Grain" Bars(in Miserly Meals)
   
10. Bananas
    
11. Popsicles
    
12. Peanuts
    
13. Yogurt
    
14. Homemade Soft Pretzels
    
15. Cheese and Crackers(use a variety of snack crackers and cheese)
    
16. Graham crackers (variety of flavors)
    
17. Homemade Donuts
    
18. Cheese Crackers(like goldfish or cheez its)
    
19. Crackers with PB(either using Ritz or Saltines)
    
20. Cookies(PB, Oatmeal, Monster, Snickerdoodles, Sugar, Banana, Chocolate Crinkles, Chocolate chip, Oatmeal Scotchies, M&M,)
    
21. Brownie Bites(done in mini muffin pan)
    
22. Coffee cakes (Jewish Coffee Cake)
    
23. Cinnamon rolls
    
24. Pizza Sticks(homemade pizza cut into strips)
    
25. Muffins (banana, pumpkin, pumpkin-oat, cinnamon, oatmeal, chocolate, zucchini, apple cider, orange juice, choc. chip, bran, blueberry, strawberry, pumpkin choc. chip) instead of always doing loaves of quick bread I take my quick bread recipe and put it into muffins sometimes regular muffins, or sometimes mini muffins
    
26. Cheese sticks(I usually slice a chunk of cheese into approx. 1/2"-3/4" thick slices and then cut into strips)
    
27. Carrot sticks with ranch dressing
    
28. Nilla Wafers (plain, or with frosting for homemade sandwich cookies)
    
29. Fruit snacks
    
30. Meat/cheese rolls(deli sliced meat with a cheese stick rolled inside)
    
31. "In Season" fruit (like apples, pears, grapes, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupes, watermelon, raspberries) sometimes I take a combination of fruit and make a fruit salad
    
32. Banana pops
    
33. Ice cream
    
34. Homemade Icecream Shake
    
35. Berry smoothies
36. Chex Muddy Buddies
37. Chips and Spicy Cheese Dip

Master Lunch List

Hot Dogs

Leftover Dinners/Makeovers

Bagel Bites/Pizza rolls

Deli Meat Sandwiches

Lunchables (homemade)

PB&J Sandwiches

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Nuggets/Tenders

Mini homemade pizzas

Egg salad sandwiches(mom only)

Chicken/Tuna salad sandwiches

Salad with grilled chicken

Macaroni & Cheese (spice it up with leftover chili or taco meat)

Nachos (leftover taco or chili meat w/toppings)

Salad with a bit of chicken chunks and boiled eggs

French Toast and fruit

Veggie Chicken noodle soup(leftover chicken and veggies with pasta and broth)

Bean and cheese burritos

Egg burritos

Cheese quesadillas

Chicken quesadillas

Baked potatoes with leftover chili or taco meat

Homemade Hot Pockets

Homemade pita bread stuffed with any number of things

Homemade tortillas throw in some chili

Meatball Subs --Make up a bunch of Meatballs and freeze. Take out of freezer along with hoagie buns and spaghetti sauce.

Master Side Dishes List

**here is a list of the side dishes that I choose from each week to make up my menus. I really need to find some new ones!

Potato/Rice Based:

Baked Potato

Boiled Potato

Mashed Potato

Potato Pockets

Hash Browns

Cheddar Browns

Crashed Potatoes

Seasoned Pan Fries(with seasoned salt, garlic and onion powder)

French Fries

Rice


Noodle Based:

Buttered Noodles

Mac & Cheese

Parmesan Noodles

Ramen Noodles


Bread Based:

Honey Oatmeal (rolls or bread)

Pumpernickel bread

Biscuits

Crescent Rolls

French Bread/Garlic Bread

Brown N Serve Rolls

Breadsticks

Corn Muffins


Veggie Based:

Salad

Green Beans

Corn

Peas

Carrots (cooked or raw)

Broccoli(mom only)

Spinach(mom only)


Fruit Based:

Apple Slices

Applesauce

Cantaloupe Slices

Peach halves

Pears halves

Strawberries

Master Main Dish List

Chicken/Turkey:

• Creamy Chicken
• Saucy Chicken
• Chicken N’ Gravy
• Chicken Club Sandwiches
• Chicken Veggie Stew/Casserole
• Chicken Potpie (pan or individual pockets with biscuits)
• Smothered Chicken
• Chicken Quesadillas
• Chicken Tacos
• Baked Chicken(sandwiches, lemon pepper, southwestern, BQ)
• Homemade Chicken Nuggets using Bakin' Miracle
• Oven Fried Chicken
• Chicken Tenders/Nuggets (frozen boxed/quick)
• Cordon Bleu
• Chicken Parmesan
• Chicken Rice Casserole
• Grilled Chicken (sandwiches, lemon pepper, southwestern, BQ)
• Roasted (Crockpot) Chicken (whole or bone-in breasts)
• Chicken Stew Sandwiches
• Salsa Chicken
• Turkey Breast

Pork:

• Saucy Pork Chops
• Baked Pork Chops
• Grilled Pork Chops (B-Q or plain)
• Pork Chop Casserole
• Easy Crockpot Pork Chops
• Roasted(Crockpot) Pork Loin
• BLT Sandwiches
• Ham Slices
• BQ Pork Sandwiches

Beef:

• Tacos
  
• Sloppy Joes
  
• Goulash/Chili Mac
• Spaghetti
• Chili
• Cheeseburgers
• Bacon Cheeseburgers
• Meatballs (beef gravy or marinara sauce)
• Meatloaf
• Hamburger Gravy over Rice
• Beef Tips & Gravy
• Cubed Steak
• Steak--grilled
• Roast
• Shredded BQ Beef Sandwiches
• Salisbury Steak

Misc:

• Pizza
• Fresh Fish
• Breaded Fish
• Breaded Fish Sandwiches(quick)

Soups:

• Chicken Rice
• Veggie Beef Stew
• Potato
• Chicken Noodle