Well here we are with week 2 of menu planning my butt off. I’m kinda on hiatus from weighing, so it’s hard to say if my butt is getting smaller, but I have been SO MUCH LESS stressed this week. Less stress and a planned out menu = less mindless eating! Score :)
Since school started, it’s been pretty busy around these parts. I drive an average of 100 miles per day during the week, between grocery shopping, soccer, school, and other activities. I know, it’s a lot, but it’s what I have to do!
We have soccer practice on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 5:45 – 7 p.m., and BJ doesn’t like to eat dinner beforehand because he’s afraid he’ll puke like that other kid on his team! So on those nights, we eat dinner as soon as we walk in the door at 7:15 p.m., something I’ve made ahead or Subway that we grabbed on the way home.
Wednesday nights BJ has Awanas (kids’ bible study), and doesn’t get home until close to 7 again. On these nights, I also try to have something ready to go as soon as we walk in the door. Either in the crockpot or ready to be heated up.
We also have 2 birthdays in my family this week (9/24 & 9/25) and we’re going out of town, so Saturday (and next Sunday) will be dine out days.
So here is my carefully planned out menu for this week!
Sunday, 9/18: Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Dijon Sauce, with angel hair pasta and steamed green peas.
This meal is on the regular rotation at our house, and because we love capers I toss a few tablespoons of them in this dish because they just work with it! The kids love it and the husband loves it and I love it too. I found it in my Cooking Light magazine earlier this year.
Monday, 9/19: Ellie Krieger’s Mom’s Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
This isn’t actually the recipe I use, but because mine is in my head and not measured out I found this one that’s very similar! I do not use ground turkey, but opt for 96% lean ground beef. I also don’t put red peppers in mine. The mashed potatoes are from last week when I made a double batch and put half in the freezer!
Tuesday, 9/20: Bean and Cheese Quesadillas.
Plain and simple for after soccer. I use corn tortillas, slap on some canned refried beans and shredded cheddar, and throw them on my stovetop griddle until melty and golden brown. I’ll probably serve it with some salsa and sour cream and avocados.
Wednesday, 9/21: Loaded Baked Potatoes with leftover meatloaf and peas.
To make my baked potatoes extra yummy, I rub them in olive oil and dust them with sea salt. I forgo the foil wrap and just put them on a lined cookie sheet and bake at 450 for 60 minutes. The potatoes end up with a crunchy skin that everyone LOVES to eat! I top them with a little butter, sour cream, crumbled bacon, and cheddar cheese. We’ll have leftover meatloaf from Monday if we have room on our plates :)
Thursday, 9/22: Make-ahead English Muffin Pizzas, some kind of quick veggie, and salad for me!
I take an English muffin split in half, spread some marinara (jarred) sauce, sprinkle some part-skim mozzarella, and top with diced pepperoni. You can make them earlier in the day, put them on a cookie sheet in the fridge, and then pull out and bake at 350* for 15ish minutes, or until cheese is bubbly on top.
Friday, 9/23 & Saturday, 9/24: We’ll be spending the weekend in San Antonio, so all of our meals will be out. For lunch we usually hit Jason’s Deli, we’ll be hitting a college football game on Saturday, and I know we’ll be doing pizza for lunch on Sunday. Sunday’s dinner will be my choice since it’s my birthday!
Sorry I don’t have more links this week! When it’s busy, I tend to fall back on recipes that don’t require much thought (while still maintaining some semblance of healthfulness).
Have a great week!
