In the past, we’ve done our menu plan based on 15 minute dinners with a little leeway for fancier dinners on the weekend. You can find links to our 15 minute meal plans and shopping lists by clicking here.
This week everything changes. Our very first baby is due on the 26th of August, but since he could make his appearance any day, I wanted to ensure that our menu plan could survive the unpredictability that we’re facing this week. I decided to do freezer casseroles for the entire week. This way, if the baby comes early, we haven’t lost any food and we’ll have plenty of frozen meals to help us out that first post baby week. Since I’ve stopped working and I’m at home all day until the baby comes, this also makes really easy dinners for me. Since I don’t have to prepare dinner, I can concentrate on nesting and psycho-organizing every detail of the house. As a side note- If you happen to be experiencing nesting, I know your pain. I tearfully told Jon the other day that I HAD to have the shelves mounted in the nursery before baby came. I mean, come on… I can’t POSSIBLY raise a baby without installed shelves, right? Ahhhh…. Pregnancy craziness… How I’ll miss you:)
Finding freezer casseroles that I liked was a lot harder than I thought it would be. So that I don’t make this an 8 page post, I’ll just insert a link to where you can find the individual recipe for the dinner. If you have any of your own favorites- let me know!
Breakfast Options for the Week:
* Since we’re both home now, Breakfasts are no longer self serve and have gotten a little more involved.
Waffles – Homemade on Sunday and frozen for the week. I use Krusteaz Heart Healthy Instant Pancake Mix. This can be served with bananas and walnuts, lite apple pie filling, or butter and syrup. To heat- Microwave for 90 seconds.
Milk and Cereal- Self explanatory.
Breakfast Pizza- Pre-made Pizza Crust (we use Wegmans’), topped with 4 scrambled eggs, crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese. Sometimes, I add green pepper and white onion. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes (just melt the cheese and get the crust to a crispiness that you like). P.S. This is a HUGE hit with bacon loving husbands.
Fruit and Yogurt: Wegmans Vanilla Super Yogurt rocks my world! Cut up any fruit we feel like- Bananas, Apples, Pears, Pineapple, melon, grapes etc, top with a few spoonfuls of super yogurt and then sprinkle with Wegmans vanilla granola cereal.
Omelets: Eggs, Cheese, and whatever leftovers I have: Broccoli and cheese, ham and cheese, fajita vegetables, tomatoes and feta. whatever strikes me:)
Reminders for the Week:
Baby can come anytime this week. (Like I need a reminder!)
Sunday: Jen, Levi, and Kori come for dinner. Invite Manny and Blake in case they are off. (Total Guests- 5-7 people: push tables together)
Tuesday: Rochelle’s funeral. Make a casserole and cupcakes for the family.
Thursday: Prenatal Doctors Appointment- Pack something to eat in the car to avoid the siren call of Chipotle.
Pick up cat treats for kittens to help with baby jealousy.
Menu:
Sunday:
Breakfast: Cinnamon Buns, fruit with super yogurt and granola.
Lunch: Jon- Turkey and Muenster
Rowy: Grilled chicken sandwich, chips and guacamole.
Dinner: (Dinner Party) 5-7 people. 2 pans of Lasagna (keep one frozen as a back up), french bread, mixed greens, homemade mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce.
Monday:
Lunch: Jon- Turkey and Muenster or leftovers.
Rowy- Baked Potato with broccoli and cheese. (Make extra plain baked potatoes for dinner tonight)
Dinner: BBQ Beef Filled Biscuits freezer casserole found here , Baked Potato, Baked Beans.
Tuesday:
Lunch: Funeral- Reception. Make and bring Freezer Casserole- Chicken and Sun dried Tomatoes (make 2 and leave one in freezer for later), recipe found here. Make and Bring Cupcakes.
Dinner: Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Freezer Casserole, recipe found here.
Wednesday:
Lunch: Jon- Turkey and Muenster
Rowy: Chicken Salad Sandwiches (waldorf salad if there are any apples left)
Dinner: Freezer Chicken Enchiladas, recipe found here.
Thursday:
Lunch: Jon- Turkey and Muenster, or leftovers
Rowy- Grilled Chicken Salad
Dinner: Tator Tot Casserole, recipe found here. Cauliflower and Cheese Sauce
Friday:
Lunch: Jon- Turkey and Munster, or leftovers
Rowy: Chipotle- Style Home made burrito bowl: Just make minute rice, saute green pepper and onion, dice chicken breast (homemade this week, but normally I use frozen grilled pre cooked chicken filets), salsa, cheese, and sour cream. Mix together in a bowl.
Dinner: Baked Penne, Ricotta and Sausage freezer casserole, recipe found here.
Saturday:
Breakfast: Breakfast Bake freezer casserole, recipe found here.
Lunch: Hamburgers on grill (hand formed pre-frozen patties, and frozen buns – wrap buns in aluminum foil and place in gallon sized plastic bag before freezing. Place foil wrapped bun on indirect heat on grill while cooking hamburgers. Buns come out perfect every time!)
Dinner: Freezer Sloppy Joe’s, recipe found here. Freezer Mashed Potatoes, recipe found here. Steamed Carrot Coins (from frozen veggie bag).
** Since I’m not working, and not even remotely up for a marathon cooking session, I plan to break these up into three days. I can shop for ingredients (except dry ingredients- I’ll do that all at once) the mornings that I cook so that they stay fresh. **
Shopping List:
** I also went and bought 15 disposable casserole pans from Party City for $.69 per piece. This will help with the post baby period as well, since I won’t have to clean casserole dishes all week.
Wegmans: (Prices current for my local Wegmans)
Wegmans Club Pack Turkey Breast- $8.99
Wegmans Muenster Cheese- $2.49
2 loaves of Wegmans Bread- $1.60
Hellmann’s Mayonnaise- $3.99
Club Pack Ground Beef – 6 pounds- $12.00
3 Jars Wegmans Pasta Sauce- $3.00
1 Jar of Marinara Sauce- $1.00
3- Four Cup Bags of Mozzarella Cheese- $11.00
4- 15 oz Ricotta Cheese- $8.00
2 Oven ready Lasagna Boxes- $2.50
1 Tube of French Bread (Simply line?)- $2.89
Club Pack of Mixed Greens- $3.99
2 Blocks of Mozzarella Cheese- $6.00
2 Cartons of Eggs- $5.00
2 Containers of Sour Cream- $2.80
3 Packages of Cream Cheese- $4.50
Bacon- Regular- $4.79
Frozen Broccoli and Cheese- $1.69
Refrigerator Biscuits (Simply Line?)- $1.99
Cheddar Jack Shredded Cheese-$1.79
3 Pounds Penne Pasta-$3.00
6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts- $3.69
Milk- $2.51
1 cup Oil Packed Sundried Tomatoes- $6.99
Frozen Mixed Veggies- $1.99
Philly Cooking Creme- Savory Garlic $2.69
Ready to Use- Fridge Pie Crust – $2.79
1 Whole Chicken to Roast-$4.00
1 Club Pack of Tator Tots- $5.99
5 Cups Cheddar Cheese Shredded- $3.49
1 Pound Sweet Italian Sausage – No Casings- $4.49
Ground Fennel- $1.99
1 Pound Pork Sausage- $3.69
Club pack of Hamburger Buns: $1.99
2 packages of Burrito Tortillas- $4.00
2 Bags of Mexican Cheese- $7.00
Total Cost of Wegmans Trip: 148.69
Aldi’s: (Prices are approximate based on memory)
Apples- 5 Lb Bag: $3.00
Tortilla Chips: $1.00
Cucumber- $.50
Bread Crumbs: $1.00
13 Baking Potatoes (Value Bag?) $4.00
1 Red Pepper: $.50
Celery: $1.00
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes and Green Chillies: $1.00
4 Cans Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup: $2.00
Large Bag of Green Peppers: $3.00
Salsa: $1.00
Can of Tomato Puree $.50
3 White Onions: $1.50
2 Cans of Tomato Sauce: $1.50
Aldi’s Total: $21.50
Total Cost of Groceries this week (Including freezer stock up): $170.19
I went over our normal $120.00 per week, since These meals will feed us more than once, I’m hoping to save 3 casseroles for next week (although I’ll still make more if baby hasn’t shown up yet), to give us a frozen casserole surplus.
Ingredients Already At Home:
Cinnamon Buns
Super Yogurt
Vanilla Granola Cereal
Frozen hamburger Buns
Frozen hamburgers
Lots and Lots of Guacamole
Onion Powder
Pizza Crust
6 Eggs
Instant Pancake Mix
Syrup
Ketchup
Baked Beans
BBQ Sauce
Cupcake Mix
Frosting
Parmesean
Cumin
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Dried Oregano
4 Filets of Grilled Chicken
Ranch Dressing
Italian Dressing
Frozen Cauliflower
Minute Rice
White Onion
Olive Oil
Minced Garlic
Bay Leaves
Carrot Coins
for the barbecue beef filled biscuits, do you freeze them before or after baking them, and what are the reheating instructions?