January Menu - Pantry Challenge

With the new year here, I am feeling the need to get back on track with menu planning, tighten the purse strings a bit, and use up some of the items that have been in our pantry for a while. So, here is the menu plan for January. I'm hoping I can stick to it. I've posted it on our fridge for easy reference. For the first couple weeks I planned out breakfasts and lunches, too. But for the remaining weeks we'll just be winging it based on what we still have on hand. We've already started on the plan but I haven't had time to post until now. Forgive the formatting, it looks much better on my word doc.

January Menu

M1/3 D: vegetable beef soup w/ split peas, homemade whole wheat bread

T B: cold cereal, yogurt

L: leftovers (shepherd's pie, pasta w/sauce, soup, pizza, cheese bread, etc.), veggies

D: mashed potato bake (ham/broc/cheese/onion/sour cream), bread & jam, fruit salad

W B: cereal or toast, yogurt

L: green smoothies, tuna melts

D:lasagna (make extra 1 to freeze), garlic bread, spinach salad

Th B: baked french toast, apple slices

L: leftovers & quesadillas, raw veggies & dip

D: beans & rice, sour cream, cheese, avocado, fruit salad

F B: cereal & yogurt

L: snack lunch – crackers, cheese, veggies & dip, turkey

D: beef stir-fry, rice

S B: cranberry whole wheat waffles, fruit, orange juice

L: brats, steamed veggies

D: broccoli cheese soup, crackers or biscuits

S 1/9 B: cinnamon rolls (freezer)

L: company - minestrone, cheese bread, chocolate chunk cookies

D: veggie burgers, corn

M B: steel cut oats, blueberries

*Grocery shopping & prep: make bread (cinnamon rolls, 2 loaves, meat pockets)

L: individual pizzas

D: runzas and ham & cheese pockets, peas

T B: whole wheat cinnamon rolls,

L: mac & cheese, jarred peaches, raw veggies

D: Emeril's pulled pork (make extra to freeze), homemade buns, pickles, veg. side

W B: cereal, yogurt

L: tuna melts, raw veggies

D: caramelized garlic chicken, roasted seasoned potatoes, peas

Th B: banana zucchini bread, yogurt

L: leftovers

D: creamy roasted tomato soup, spinach salad with feta & peppers, grilled cheese sandwiches

F B: oatmeal, raspberries

L: sandwiches, veggies & fruit

D: pepperoni pizza, salad

S B: cereal, yogurt

L: meal on the go – whatever odds and ends we can scrape together

D: lasagna (freezer), garlic bread

S 1/16 B: oatmeal, blueberries

L: out to lunch – gift certificate

D: beef roast, mashed potatoes (make extra for shepherd's pie) & gravy, green beans, biscuits

M D: chili, cornbread

T D: pasta, meat sauce, steamed veggies

W D: BBQ chicken pizza, salad

Th D: leftovers or beans & rice w/ fixings

F D: chicken pot pie, salad

S B: waffles, fruit

L: grilled sandwiches

D: pepperoni pizza, salad

S 1/23 B: egg casserole, toast

L: hamburgers, baked beans, fruit salad

D: shepherd's pie, fruit or veggie

M *Grocery shopping and prep: make bread (2 loaves, focaccia, cinnamon bread)

D: grilled chicken focaccia sandwiches, chips, apples

T D: scrambled eggs, sausage, zucchini bread, fruit

W D: pulled pork (freezer), homemade buns, mixed steamed veggies

Th D: honey crisp baked chicken, rice, green beans

F D: cheeseburger pizza, breadsticks, salad

S L: grilled sandwiches

D: tacos

S 1/30 L:leftovers

D: pasta fagioli soup (Olive Garden recipe), garlic breadsticks

M D: beef & bean burritos, veggies

Goals:

• Keep grocery expenditures to $175 – mostly for dairy, produce, meat & excellent deals

• Eat well

• Use up what we have