Menu Plan Monday ~ Week of May 16th

It felt great being back to menu planning last week!  I didn't manage to get to everything last week.  Joe had a lot of late nights at work and I had a few nights where I just wasn't very hungry.  While I ate a small salad or a wrap, Joe had assorted leftovers from the fridge.  I've said this before, I don't mind when we don't get to every meal on the plan, as long as we don't resort to take-out as a result.  The meals that we skip either get rolled over to the next week, or will make an appearance in a future menu plan.  That's less groceries I need to buy for the following week! 

Here's what's cooking this week in my kitchen: 

• Monday:  Sweet and Sour Meatball sandwiches, macaroni salad, lettuce wedge.  After I posted about trying a new Sweet and Sour Meatball recipe on Saturday, Debbi (from Debbi Does Dinner Healthy) suggested making sandwiches with the leftovers.  The idea sounded wonderful, so tonight, we're gonna have some Sweet and Sour Meatball Sandwiches!  Thanks for the inspiration Debbi!

 

• Tuesday:  Quesadillas, Spanish Rice, steamed veggies.  I'm hoping to try two new recipes for this meal.  I usually reserve quesadillas for lunch or as an alternative to grilled cheese sandwiches when having soup for dinner.  I'm liking the idea of pairing the quesadillas with Spanish Rice for an easy and filling meal! 

• Wednesday:  Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, salad, garlic bread.  I'll be making a small batch of All Day Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce.  Just a small batch this time, since I want to make a really hearty, veggie-loaded pot of sauce once the summer vegetables are in season. 

• Thursday:  Chipotle Turkey Chili over rice, crusty bread, salad.  This is the LAST of the chili from the freezer.  Maybe even the last of the chili until the fall.  UNLESS, I decide to make a big ole pot of it to take camping with us this summer.  There's nothing better than a bowl full of chili while sitting around the campfire.  Well, okay, S'mores are better but we're talking about chili right now!

• Friday:  Fried Spaghetti, green beans, garlic bread.  I've told you all before about my favorite way to eat leftover spaghetti.  MMmmmm! 

• Saturday:  Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Twice Baked Potatoes, raw veggies and dip.  I've been wanting to try Butch's recipe for Pulled Pork for a while now.  Since I have a lot of wild boar in my freezer (from Joe's hunting trip in March), I figure it's the perfect time to make some Smack Your Lips BBQ! 

• Sunday:  Leftover Buffet.  On leftover night, Joe and I each fill a plate (or bowl) with our favorite meal from the week and pop it into the microwave.  Sometimes, we even fill our plate with a combination of the meals.  It's like eating at a smorgasbord! 

The next few weeks, Joe and I are going to try to spend less on groceries.  We always tend to spend the same amount of money at the supermarket each week, even on those weeks that I say I want to skip food shopping.  It seems like the weeks we can manage with just picking up bread, milk and eggs are the weeks that we end up needing diapers (both regular and night time) and wipes. 

I've seen a few frugal recipes that I want to try in the next few weeks.  I don't want us to get bored with the same meals over and over again.  But I do want to cut back on the grocery bill while preparing healthy meals for my family.  If you have a frugal recipe, I'd love for you to share it in the comments! 

In the meantime, follow me over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday!