Meal Planning: February

I planned our February menus today and my goal this month was to have a more varied menu.  Jon pointed out that I tend to cook chicken a lot and he is right.  This month I've incorporated more beef, pork chops, and seafood, hopefully Jon will enjoy.  Each week also has a family favorite added: Crusty Lasagna for Buddy, steaks for Jon, Chicken Rotel for all of us, and Gumbo for me.

When we finally have a chance to get out of the house (it is still snowy here), I'm planning to buy the ingredients needed for meals and cook ahead as much as possible on Saturday.  I've been rushed lately at dinner time and want to make the prep work easier.  The beauty of planning out my meals in advance is to be able to cut down on the preparations for each meal because I can do several at once.  For example, I am not a fan of browning ground meat and so I can brown several pounds at once and divide it out for meals.  Spaghetti, tacos, and lasagna all start with browning the meat and by cooking it all at once, it is done and in the freezer ready to go for the day's meal.  Grated cheese is another item that can be prepared in a big batch but frozen for smaller meals.  We use grated mozzarella for pizza pockets, lasagna, homemade pizza, and several other casseroles.

I love having the organization of having my meals planned in advance.  I hope that your meal time is less hectic as well because of a meal plan, whether it is weekly or monthly.  If you are not sure where to start, check out my post on how I plan my meals by the month!