Alright
lovelies many of you have asked if I could share my full month of
meal plans all in one post, rather then posting weekly ones. Well
guess what? I am going to do you one better. Not only is this post,
chock full of meal ideas, but I have included the recipes as well. I
wanted to make it as easy as possible for all you guys and gals. Oh
and did I mention this is all printable? Yep I kinda like you guys:)
This is actually what my family will be eating this month as well.
Feel free to break the list down into weeks or however it suits you.
Just depends on how you do your shopping. If you are new to Once aMonth Shopping, then please check out my Where to Get Started Page. It is chock full of tips and tricks on beginning meal
planning and how to cut your grocery budget in half. A must read.
Remember to shop your pantry first!
Now
There are 31 days in October. I have planned meals for 28 days. We
will not use all of these meals, but I love to have a few just in case. This
allows my month of shopping to overlap, so I am never going without a
meal plan. I also have three days down as leftover days. The menu plan is listed first, broken up into weeks. The
recipes follow below.
Note:
I serve all my meals with a fruit or veggie and some sort of starch.
I have only included plans for a main dish. You can check out my post
here for side dish ideas.
- Chicken Ole
- Taco Soup
- Beef Stroganoff
- Creamed Tuna and Peas
- Crock-pot Stew
- Chili Con Carne
- Lemon Grilled Chicken
- BBQ Chicken Sandwiches & Pineapple
- Salisbury Steak and Peppers
- Southwestern Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Baked BBQ Chicken with Bacon
- Beef Creole
- Carols Chicken
- Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Crock-pot Whole Chicken
- Mango Chicken with rice
- Taco Night
- Spaghetti Night with Itlaian Herb Bread
- Leftover Night
- Bean Burritos with Avocado Spread
- Smothered Mozzarella Sandwiches
- Hot Dogs with homemade hotdog buns
- Leftover Night
- Oven Turkey Meatballs
- Leftover NightBeef Creole1 lb. ground turkey1/3 cup chopped onion1/4 tsp garlic salt1 medium green pepper, cut into thin strips2 cups celery diced1 (16 oz) can of tomatoes - undrained1 tsp chili powder2 tsp salt1/4 tsp pepper1 tbl flour1/4 cup waterBrown turkey, onion, and garlic in a skillet. Drain. Add green pepper, celery, can of tomatoes, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally Blend in flour and water. Cook until thickened. Serve over rice.Carols Chicken4-6 chicken breast, boneless skinless1 cup flour tossed with 1 tbl seasoning salt1 can cream of chicken soup1 cup sour cream1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese shreddedToss chicken breasts in flour mixture. Brown chicken in oil for 1 minute per side. Place chicken in a baking dish. Combine soup and sour cream. Pour over chicken. Bake at 35' for 30 minutes. Remover and cover with cheese. Bake another 5 minutes.
Baked BBQ Chicken with Bacon
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup BBQ sauce
6 bacon slices
PReheat oven to 350'. In a grased 9x13 baking pan, spread onions evenly. Lay chicken breast atop the onion rings. Brush BBQ sauce over chicken and top each piece with chopped bacon. Bake for 1 hour, basting with sauce twice while chicken is baking.
Southwestern Chicken Salad
1 cup of cooked shredded chicken
1 (15oz) can drained corn
1 (15 oz) can drained kidney beans
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp chili powder
cilantro
Toss chicken with lime juice and chili powder. Add beans and corn to chicken mixture. Add a few sprigs of cilantro. Serve on bread.
Salisbury Steak and Peppers
1 lb ground turkey
1 envelope of onion soup mix
1 egg
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbl flour
1 1/2 cup water
1 large green pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, sliced
Mix turkey, 2 tbl onion soup mix, egg, bread crumbs and salt. Shape into 4 patties, set side. In shallow casserole dish, mix remaining ingredients. Stir in water. Add meat patties to dish. Place peppers and onions around meat. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350' or until meat is done. Stir veggies once during cooking. Enoy!
Chicken Ole
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can green chile salsa
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp. grated onions
12 tortillas
4 cups chopped chicken
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can re-fried beans
1 can drained corn
Grease side of a crockpot. Combine soups, salsa, sour cream, beans, onions, and corn in a bowl. In crockpot arrange layers of tortillas and layers of soup mixture. Cover and cook 4-5 hours. Sprinkle with cheese before serving.
* To make this a meatless dinner, just add 1 more can of beans and forget the chicken.
Taco Soup
1 lb. ground turkey
1 onion chopped
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans - drained
1 (15oz) can of pinto beans- drained
1 can filled with water
Brown turkey in a skillet. Drain. Place turkey, taco seasoning, kidney beans, pinto beans, and water in a pot. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve hot with corn bread or tortilla chips. We like a dollop of sour cream as well!
Beef Stroganoff
1 lb ground turkey
1 jar of beef gravy
1 can mushrooms - drained
1 cup sour cream
egg noodles
Brown your turkey in a skillet. Drain. Add jar of beef gravy, 1 cup sour cream, and mushrooms. Mix well and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over hot egg noodles.
Creamed Tuna and Peas
1 can of peas - drained
1 can of tuna - drained
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups milk
seasoning salt
1 cup flour
1 cube margarine
Cook flour and margarine in a pot for one minute. Slowly add everything else while stirring with whisk. Cook until thickened. Serve over biscuits, bread, rolls, or rice
Crock-pot Stew
1 10 oz pkg of mixed veggies
1 4oz. can mushrooms - drained
2- 2 1/2 lb stew meat
1 pkg. onion soup mix
water to cover
place all ingredients in your crock-pot. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-110 hours or on high for 4 hours. Serve with rolls.
Chile Con Carne
1 can kidney beans - drained
1 lb ground turkey
1 onion - chopped
1 green pepper - chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 16 oz can tomatoes, cut up
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Cook ground turkey, onion, green pepper, and garlic until meat is browned. Drain off fat. Stir in un-drained tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes longer. Serve with cornbread.
Lemon Grilled Chicken
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lemon
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 dried thyme
1/4 dried marjoram
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
4 chicken breast
Use a peeler to zest half the lemon. Place zest and juice from lemon in a medium bowl. Add other dried seasonings, oil, and garlic. Stir well. This is your marinade Put chicken and marinade in a bag and seal. Allow meat to sit in marinade 30 minutes- overnight in the fridge. The longer the better. Preheat your griddle and then cook chicken. Serve and enjoy!
Oven
Turkey Meatballs
This
recipe makes about 30-40 meatballs, depending on your size. I make
this about every 2 months. I use some for dinner and then freeze the
rest in freezer bags. These are great for a quick dinner.
3
beaten eggs
¼
cup milk
3
cups bread crumbs (try whole wheat)
½
finely chopped onion (I used onion powder)
2
stalks of celery
2
tsp seasoning salt
1
lbs. ground turkey
1
lb ground turkey sausage
Preheat
oven to 375'. In alarge mixing bowl combine beaten eggs, milk, bread
crumbs, chopped onion, and salt. Add ground turkey and mix well.
Shape into 1 inch balls. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Eat right away or
store for later in the month. If storing, allow them to cool
completely. Place in freezer bags and store in your freezer.
These
meatballs will be used twice this month.
Smothered
Mozzarella Sandwiches
4
hero rolls, halved lengthwise
1
package (8 ounces) of mozzarella cheese, sliced
1
cup of pasta sauce, heated
Preheat
oven to 450'. On baking sheet, arrange rolls. Place cheese on bottom
half of rolls. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and rolls
are lightly toasted. Evenly spoon sauce over cheese. Serve if
desired, with additional heated sauce for dipping.
Taco
Night
1
lb ground turkey
1
pkg taco seasoning
1
pkg tortillas
We
use these taco fixings:
tomatoes
shredded
cheddar cheese
lettuce
sour
cream
salsa
Add
your taco fixings to your grocery list.
I
only added the ingredients to the meat portion to the grocery list.
Mango
Chicken with Rice
4-5
chicken breast
1
jar mango salsa
rice
Place
chicken in a crock-pot. Pour salsa over the top. Cook on low for 5-6
hours. Serve with rice and veggies.
Crockpot
Whole Chicken
1 whole young chicken
1 cup water
Lawry's
poultry seasoning
creole seasoning
1 onion
4 whole carrots
4 stalks of celery
I like to serve it with
stuffing and cranberry sauce
Clean your chicken and remove
the neck. Place your chicken, breast side up, in a greased (cooking
spray) crock-pot. Generously sprinkle with dry seasonings. Chop ½ of
the onion and place around chicken. Place the other half inside the
chicken. Cut up celery and carrots. Place around the chicken. Cook on
low for 6-7 hours.
Thin
Crust Pizza
2
¼ tsp active dry yeast
1
tsp sugar
¾
cup hot water
1
¾ cups flour
½
tsp salt
1
(14 ounce) jar of Pasta/pizza sauce
Place
yeast, sugar, and water in a bowl. Mix well. Allow to sit for 8
minutes. Your yeast will begin to bubble and foam. Add your salt and
flour. Mix well. Add additional tbl of flour if dough is too sticky.
Flour your counter and knead for 3-5 minutes. Use a rolling pin to
roll out your dough. Place on a pizza pan. I use a pan with holes
throughout the bottom. Allows for a crispier crust. Add your sauce
and toppings. Bake @ 500 for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool
for 2-3 minutes and serve.
BBQ
Chicken Sandwiches
4-5
boneless, skinless chicken breast
1
(17.5 oz) bottle of BBQ sauce
1
(20oz) can of pineapple chunks
Put
everything in the crock-pot. Cook for 5-6 hours.
Serve
on rolls or over rice.
Grilled
Pork Chops
4-5 pork chops
Mrs. Dash low Sodium Garlic and
Herb Seasonings
Generously sprinkle each pork
chop with Mrs. Dash. Spray cooking spray onto a skillet. Fry your
pork chops, about 7 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Serve
with rice and veggies.
Here is a printable version of this menu plan + recipes.
You can print it below or click HERE.
Here is a printable version of this month's grocery list.
You can print it below or click HERE.
Remember to shop your pantry first!
Notes:
-For
chicken, I buy mine in 3 lb bags at either Costco or Winco. I pay
about $4.60 per bag. Each bag allows me to get about 3 meals out of
it. I have not stated how much chicken you need. It is up to you on
how it is packaged.
-Also a few recipes only use a
little bit of chicken. I will use left over chicken from the whole
young chicken. I will use this for one meal and use the left over
meat in other meals in the month.
-When
it comes to meat, I use ground turkey. It is much healthier. You can
also replace that with ground beef if you wish.
-When
it comes to seasoning packets, I either make my own or I buy them in
bulk at Costco. I also purchase my tortillas there as well. They come
in 2 packs. I freeze one and place the other in my fridge.
-Also
all of my grains are whole wheat and my rice is brown rice. We just
made the change, in an effort to eat healthier.
-All
recipes are included or are linked in the menu plan.
Win a Decor Steals $75 Gift Certificate
Don't forget to check out my new tabs for ready made
mixes and my where to get started tab.Thanks so much!

Very, very nice!
ReplyDeleteBobi
http://onedailymoneytip.blogspot.com
This was so helpful!! Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteP.s. I just made your Hawaiian roll sammies and we gobbled them up. Love your blog and your money-saving ideas are great :)
That is awesome!
DeleteI love trying new recipes and the printables are helpful! Did you get my email? I sent it to you on Thurs about my giveaway win. If not, my email is thetinyheart at gmail dot com. Thanks!
ReplyDelete-Sharon
The Tiny Heart
Chicnova giveaway!
wow! I bet this post took FOR-EVER to work on! Thank you so much for you hard work! I'm excited to try some of those recipes!!
ReplyDeleteYep it took quite a few late nights but well worth it;)
DeleteYou are so detailed in your posts - love all the work you put into it so people can really get the hang of it!!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad! All the details take time but all the sweet comments make it worth it;)
DeleteThis is fantastic!! Thanks so much girl! I love your contributors...but I love posts from you the best!! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're too sweet;) I have a lot more posts in the works;)
DeleteStopping by from D. House, and I'm so glad to be a new follower of yours. I was about to sit down and meal plan this week and I could really use your printable. You've inspired me to stick with it, and stop spending so much on food. Thanks for posting such good material (I browsed).
ReplyDeleteMy link is #171, and I invite you to stop by thepolkadotshoes.blogspot.com. I too shop everything second hand and love to budget. :) My children's book also teaches about saving to buy things and opposes instant gratification.
Blessings from Oklahoma,
Meredith
Love your blog just found you via pinterest! I personally just made many of the same switches when itcomes to eating healthier and shopping more frugally... thanks for sharing Your tips
ReplyDeleteThanks so much;)
DeleteSo glad I checked your site as I sat down to make my shopping list!! I was afraid you weren't doing the menu plans anymore! Thanks, Danielle!
ReplyDeleteJennifer
www.dainty-posies.blogspot.com
Me too;)
DeleteGreat post! Stopping by from Tip Junkie. Thanks for the recipes, I will try out the crockpot whole chicken next week. :)
ReplyDeleteI plan my meals two weeks at a time, but what a great idea to plan for the whole month! Do you shop for the whole month all at once too or shop as you go?
ReplyDeleteHow fantastically organized you are! Would love for you to share at my new party, What Mama Loves Wednesdays: http://whatmamaloves.blogspot.ca/p/what-mama-loves-wednesday.html?spref=tw
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to be so detailed and sharing your ideas. Question though -what do you do about lunches/breakfasts? Did I miss that somewhere?
ReplyDeleteWow Danielle! What a lot of hard work! So generous of you to share all of this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
Hope you have a fabulous week!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/
I don't know if mine printed funny, but some of the recipes came up twice when I printed; like oven turkey meatballs. I am so excited to try all the recipes!
ReplyDeleteYou are seriously AMAZING!! This is awesome! Thank you so much for linking up at The Little Giggler. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up to my party! I wanted to let you know I picked your link to feature this week! See my post and grab my feature button here http://toastiestudio.blogspot.nl/2012/10/made-monday-41-picks.html
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU, Danielle! You are my newest favorite go-to recipe blog for meal inspiration. I am making your easy chicken tacos tomorrow for dinner and there are a bunch more that I am planning to make (just as soon as I go grocery shopping!) All of the hard work and dedication you put into this blog is so helpful and appreciated!!!!
ReplyDeleteI made your buttermilk bread this evening. Fantastic! Kids loved it, too ! We are so in debt right now. So I am very thankful for all the time and effort you have put into this and I hope to use many many more of your ideas.
ReplyDeleteI tried mango chicken with rice recipe for today’s lunch. It has a good smell and healthy too. I wonder, from where you would you find these recipes. These are really useful for housewives to delight their family.
ReplyDeleteI look everywhere for my recipes. Cookbooks, pinterest, blogs, etc. Great recipes are everywhere:>
DeleteI saw that you have cream of chicken soup in your grocery list for many of your recipes. Have you ever considered making your own? Check out the link below. I made the huge batch of it. So tasty in recipes. Great Flavor!
ReplyDeletehttp://1orangegiraffe.blogspot.com/2011/07/anything-you-wanna-call-it-casserole.html?showComment=1310864846151#c3489139395376988271
How do you store your beans in the freezer? Do you soak them before or after?
ReplyDeleteI just found your website. I'm totally making it a new years resolution to plan meals once a month instead of once a week. AND I'm gonna start experimenting with making my own bread. My question is: In the BBQ chicken sandwich recipe.... do you DRAIN the pineapple? or not?
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for all the GREAT information!!! I'm spending the New Year catching up on your posts and PLANNING PLANNING PLANNING! :-)
It was very useful for me. Keep sharing such ideas in the future as well. This was actually what I was looking for, and I am glad to came here! Thanks for sharing such a information with us
ReplyDeleteCorporate events
It was very useful for me. Keep sharing such ideas in the future as well. This was actually what I was looking for, and I am glad to came here! Thanks for sharing such a information with us Kenra
ReplyDelete