Calling all meal planners. Can you share your monthly menus??

[VanillaPumpkin]

I am soooooo bored of Spaghetti Bolognaise and Shepherds Pie . I am only after evening meal inspiration really...
Any top tips for cheap meals also appreciated thank you.
I know this has been done before but having trawled threads I am still wallowing in unenthusiasm. Help!
I have ordered another cook book from the Book People but until that arrives I am miserably dreading my beef casserole for tea....

I wish this was in UK measurements. I have no cups and think it will annoy me . I think I just read they don't submit the same meal twice in a year! And it the recipes seem to be seasonal which would be good as I wouldn't want a casserole in August. I will have a think. Thanks.

Risotto (leek and pea for e.g.):
Chop and fry an onion and some sliced leeks gently in olive oil. Add peas (or broad beans). Add the risotto rice and stir until coated. Add a glass of white wine and bubble it off for a bit.

Ladle in some vegetable stock (I think home made is best - just an onion, a carrot and a stick of celery with some black peppercorns, some salt and a bay leaf - but you can use ready made or from a stock cube). Cook on a medium heat, adding a ladle of stock when the previous one has cooked into the rice. I stori pretty much continuously.

When the rice is cooked (al dente), add a generous amount of grated parmesan, a knob of butter and any fresh herbs you want to add. I think you should let it stand at this point, but I can never wait!

Other options are: chicken, mushroom, squash and sage, king prawns, courgette. Quite often I add some lemon zest at the beginning and some lemon juice at the end and this perks up a plain veg risotto too.

For wine, you can buy special cooking wine (in Sainsbury's anyway).

VP - I nearly always buy Patak's paste (and use less than they recommend on the back of the jar)

But if I go to the Indian grocer's I might buy a couple of different brands.

I dont meal plan as such but tend to have various staple meals that depend on what the protein in the meal is, so for instance:

Chicken - fajitas, coq au vin, Thai curry, chicken wrapped in bacon with new potatoes & veg, stir fry.

Beef - stroganoff, pie (with pastry)

Mince - lasagne, meatballs, burgers, chilli, shepherds/cottage pie.

Fish - salmon with hollandaise/watercress sauce, smoked haddock with cheese sauce.

Lamb - kebabs, casserole.

Pork/bacon - spag carbonara,

Eggs - home made quiche, frittata etc.

Veg - veggie curries, stews with dumplings, stir fries and pasta bakes.

I love this thread, I too need inspiration!!

I just found a recipe for lettuce risotto on here and I have a lettuce at the moment. Could I serve cold chicken with a risotto or is it a meal in it's own right. Just thinking of my Mon plan after roast chicken tomorrow.
I have gone through a couple of my recipe books with a happier heart and feel much more inspired.

you could definitely do cold chicken with a risotto, or why not just put it in the risotto?

Oooh, now there is an idea. I have just found a recipe for green bean risotto with pesto for my slow cooker using frozen veg. How easy would that be with some nice bread. I might have to get the bread maker back from MIL.....Inspired!!!!!!

I have to say, I was slightly bemused by lettuce risotto, but the green bean with pesto one sounds yum! I often do salmon with risotto, reckon it goes quite nicely together.

I missed the tip about the wine earlier too. Thank you. I hope I like risotto this time. Think the dd's will as rice and bland-ish from memory....

Ok. Prepare to be impressed. I have a SIX week rolling plan. Each week has a veg meal and a fish meal. There are no duplicates apart from the roasts on a Sunday. I use my veg box at the right time of the week. There is NO spaghetti bolognaise on the plan. I have even colour co-ordinated it . Beef is now a max of twice a week (was 3-4 times before .
I will have to start over when summer gets here but until then yippeee.

VanillaPumpkin, a cheap easy dish which your dcs are guaranteed to like is ... coca cola chicken.

Buy chicken wings, bung into a pot, pour in soy sauce (supermarket Asian food section should have) over the chicken to taste, then cover with cola (does not even have to be coca cola, any brandless cola will do). Bring to boil and then simmer until chicken is cooked and gravy thickened.

Eat with rice and a veg - stir fry broccoli or bok choy, anything really. The chicken falls off the bone and the sauce really tasty.

You can also use any leftover sauce to pour over noodles for a quick lunchtime snack.

That does sound good. I have done Nigella's ham in coca cola and we all enjoyed that. Thanks. Another one to add to my list.

Lamb chops with either cranberry sauce (made with cran sauce, lamb stock and worcester sauce SOOOO YUMMY) or apple and mint jelly ( I alawys add a bit extra in the gravy too) serve with garlic roasts and frozen yorkshires for speed.

That does sound yummy. I always find lamb expensive for the amount of meat though. I will add it to my list of spare meals.

Risottos are great for stretching a bit of leftover meat - it'd be great in a mushroom risotto with the strippped meat from the chicken carcass. Simmer the stripped bones to make stock in the risotto or use for soup. Any leftover meat can go in a soup, or in a pasta dish - think roast chicken in cream sauce on pasta, roast lamb in curry sauce with rice, roast pork with noodles/stirfry, roast salmon in omellettes.

To do the stock do you just boil the bones in water and then drain it? I should know this....

I meal plan for one week at a time and shop on Sundays. This is last week's and this week's menus. ATM I live with SIL and my teenage nieces and nephew, so there are a couple cringe-worthy meals that I throw in to keep the peace. SIL and I have completely opposite ideas about food, and they complain a lot about my "disgusting" food...meaning, it isn't crap out of a box

Chilli with cornbread
Venison with mashed potatoes and green beans
Spag bol with salad and bread
Chilli hot dogs with leftover chilli
Teriyaki chicken, rice, veg
Chicken enchiladas with salad
Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and some veg
Turkey ham, macaroni cheese and salad
Homemade pizza (ugh, can't we have Domino's?)
Roast chicken dinner (they hate this the most)
Lasagne (they hate that I do bechamel instead of ricotta)
Taco salad
Chicken pie with leftover chicken from roast
At least one day of leftovers, also called "fend for yourself" day

We usually have a pork chop with mushroom risotto
I have cheap staples- tuna pasta, lentil dahl, pasta with a tomato sauce, pot and cauliflower Korma

Here is my list of stuff I cook. I am more or less veggie so don't cook the meat or fish things very often or I make vegetarian versions of them.

Menu planning meals

All are homemade, from scratch.

Red Meat

Mince
Spaghetti Bolognese
Shepherds Pie
Burgers
Lasagna
Chili (with rice)
Frito Pie
Meatloaf
Meatballs

Sausage
Sausage Casserole (tomato based)
Spicy sausage casserole with potato or celeriac mash
Spicy Sausage with Penne
Toad in the hole
Bangers & Mash

Lamb
Moussaka
Lamb steaks w/ redcurrant glaze

Beef
Beef in Beer Casserole
Goulash
Steak Sarnies
Stew

Bacon Carbonara Chicken

Chicken Curry
Roast Chicken
Chicken Casserole
Chicken Pie
Fajitas
Kebabs
Chicken and dumplings
Thai Chicken Skewers
Peas & bacon with Pan-fried Chicken
Chicken. Bacon & Leek Pasta bake
Chicken salad wraps w/ wholemeal wraps & yoghurt. Chop salad into sticks
Spiced Chicken
Chicken goujons/ nuggets
Chicken Parmesan
chicken parcels wrapped in parma ham
Chicekn Kiev

Fish/ Seafood

Fish
Tuna Pasta Bake
Fish Pie
Creamy Salmon pasta with veg
Coley/ white fish with cherry tom, capers and black olive topping.
Kedgeree
Salmon with Leek & Courgettes
Salmon fillets baked in the oven with sweet potato chips
Seared Tuna
Grilled White Fish
Fishcakes
Fishfingers
Haddock w/ fennel butter

Shellfish

Prawns
Prawn Curry
Thai Pasta with Shrimp (Spaghetti, ½ can coconut milk, curry powder)
linguine with prawns and garlic
Scampi

Vegetarian:

Egg-based
Omelet
Frittata
Egg & chips
Fried Egg Sarnies
Egg Mornay
Quiche

Veg-based
Veggie Bake
Onion & Olive Pissaladiere (puff pastry)
Onion & Goat?s cheese tarts (puff)
Tomato & Tapenade Tarts
Sweet potato & chick pea curry
Baked spuds
Potato & Onion Tortilla
Spicy Roasted Veg
Veggie/ Allotment Pie
Leek and Potato Gratin
Paneer, peas and potato curry
Cauli Cheese
Baked Figs with Stilton
Stuffed Peppers
Stewed Okra w/ tomatoes
Baba Ganoush
Aubergine Parmegiana
Aubergine in cheese sauce
Stir Fry

Pasta
Pumpkin, Walnut & Blue Cheese Gnocchi
Spinach & Ricotta Lasagna
Lentil Lasagna
Tortellini
Ravioli
Pesto
Tagliatelle w/ Veg ribbons
Macaroni Cheese
Canelloni
Wholewheat spaghetti w/ fontina & Kale

Rice/ pulses/ grains
Risotto
Mushroom Stroganoff
Couscous with spicy chickpeas & veg
Dahl & rice
Cheese & Lentil Loaf
Red Beans and Rice
Chick Pea Burgers
Lentil Stew
Lentil Shepherds Pie
Spiced Lentils
Quinoa w/ avocado and mango
Quinoa in coconut milk

Pies/ pizza/ Tarts/ wraps/ sarnies
Spinach, Goats Cheese & Pepper Quesadilla
Pizza
Cheese & onion pie
Leek & onion tart
Spanakopita
roast veg wraps with hummus, cheese and beans
Vegetable Tart
Toasties

Mexican
Burritos
Quesadillas
Mexican Lasagna (blackbeans, salsa, pasta)
Mexican Lasagna with tortillas (refried beans, sourcream, spicy veg)
Fajitas

Soup
Veg Soup
Tomato & Lentil
Onion
Winter squash (Roast pumpkin/ Butternut & onion)
Cream of watercress & stilton
Mushroom
Spicy Carrot
Pea and bacon soup
Borscht
Carrot and sweet potato
Pumpkin & Red Pepper
Tortellini Soup (w/ escarole/ spinach)
Tomato Veg soup
Split pea and ham

Salads
Pasta w/ green beans & mushrooms
Potato
Greens w/ warm bacon & eggs
Nicoise
Beetroot & mint
Fried Halloumi & grape
Tomato, Bean & fried Basil
Watermelon & Feta
Anchovy & roasted pepper

tortilla - very quick and cheap.
cottage pie, moussaka, pasta with pesto.
nigel slaters fish cakes ( in Appetite) are super quick and easy to make..
my MIL gave me a subscription to a food magazine last christmas so i sit with it when it comes and make a note of anything that looks good (and within my ability) to try. they usually have an easy section and a quick family meals bit as well. i get 'delicious' magazine and i think MIL gets the BBCs 'good food' which she likes a lot.

egg and chips is another fave

x posted with over rated!! what an awesome list!!

FWIW, i always keep margharita pizza bases in the freezer for emergencies. take them out and pile on lots of extra toppings - whatever's in the fridge - peppers, mushroom, sundried tomatoes etc for a quick dinner.

I started meal planning on a 10 day basis just after Xmas. Now:-
I am only shopping once a week (with a mid-week top up on veg at a local shop) therefore time saved.
I am saving about £75 a week(!!!) on shopping bills - I kid u not.
The dcs are eating a far wider range of foods - ds is eating rice and pasta, dd has actually tried sausages, because if it is in the plan, it goes on the table, nuff said.
Leftovers are getting used up because Im taking them into account.
Dcs are enjoying the experience of helping me do the planner on a Wednesday evening.
This is all great stuff! And I am truly not kidding about the £75 a WEEK. Used to go thru about £100 x 2 a week. Now £100 x 1 and a top up of veg/milk mid-week. Amazing.

Must say we have saved a hige amount too by menu planning.

We also have been shopping at Costco for our mince, stew, fish etc. Although initially we pay out a large amount it saves us in the long run as the amount we get lasts MONTHS!!!!

Overrated that is a great list!!
I subscribe to Olive magazine and have quite a few cook books. I love reading about food.....

Here is my six week programme!!!

Week1
Leftover chicken in mushroom sauce with sweetcorn and rice and peas
Slow cooker mince and macaroni / pasta (s/c)
Fish pie
Pasta with pancetta and veg tomato sauce
Beef casserole with veg box veg (s/c)
Gloucester Pie
Roast Pork and veg

Week2
Left over pork and jacket potatoes and salad
Rapid ragu ? lamb with lentils
Sundried tomato and chicken pilaf (s/c)
Tuna Pasta Bake
Veg and bean casserole with bacon and crusty bread (s/c)
Gammon and veg and wedges
Roast Chicken and veg

Week3
Left over chicken in tomato sauce and pasta
Cottage Pie
Salmon and noodles with stir fry veg/brocolli
Pollo alla cacciatora
Meat pie and veg
Veg Pizza
Roast Pork and veg

Week4
Left over pork in mushroom sauce with peas and rice
Omelette / Quiche and salad
Tuna pasta with pesto
Sausages and veg
Chicken curry
Beef hotpot (s/c)
Roast Chicken and veg

Week5
Left over chicken with wedges and salad
White fish and ratatouille
Pork balls with tom sauce and pasta
Turkey Stir fry
Veg curry with naan and papadoms
Peppered pork (s/c)
Roast beef and Yorkshires

Week6
Pork Goulash (s/c)
Green bean risotto with pesto
Turkey carbonnade with polenta squares (s/c)
Salmon and veg with crème fraiche pasta and pine nuts
Caldo verde soup (choritzo) and bread. (s/c)
Beef adobo casserole (s/c)
Roast chicken and veg

s/c are the slow cooker meals.

And I still have
Fajitas
Chilli
Beef Lasagne
Chicken in bacon
Coca cola chicken
Pork chops
Spag bol
up my sleeve!