Month 1 Menu Plan

This is the first of the Monthly Menu Plans I have developed.  So far I have done three months (five weeks in each month) I will be posting a shopping list for this month shortly and I will put links in to recipes as well as including the recipes that I have developed myself.  My goal is to get 6 of these done and then we can just rotate them.  The shopping list will be broken down by the types of items to make shopping easier.  I make my shopping list up to feed 6 so adjustments may need to be made for you.  I feed 5 people, but preparing for 6 allows for intentional leftovers to help with the meals on Saturday. I will also be posting the items that I prep to put into the freezer for future meals.  I do a fair amount of freezer cooking, but rarely do I spend a day making freezer meals.  I tend to make casseroles and make 2 or 3 of them when we are eating that meal and put the extras into the freezer.  I also will prep meals for the crock pot and put into a ziplock bag so that it is only necessary to pour the contents into the crock pot and turn it on. I also make my baked spaghetti for example after we have spaghetti for a meal.  I use those leftovers to make up the one for the freezer.  I have tried to make items that use some of the leftovers from earlier in the week as well.  When I make Rubber chicken or a turkey I plan out what the leftovers will be used for.  I also make sure and use the poultry carcass to make up broth for future meals.  Planning out the menu helps us to use up the leftovers and saves money by not only using the leftovers, but by decreasing the number of trips necessary to the store to buy items.  When I made up the shopping lists I included everything necessary to make the meals minus salt and pepper which I always have on hand.  At some point I will post a well stocked pantry list because I rarely have to buy everything on my shopping lists.  But having the list complete allows me to take an inventory and determine exactly what on the list I need to purchase or retrieve from the meat locker. 
Month 1 Menu Plan

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Salisbury Steak Casserole Mashed Potatoes	Baked Cube Steaks Mashed potatoes Corn	Chicken Alfredo Pasta with zucchini Garlic Bread	Chow Mein Noodle Casserole	Crock Pot Roast Potatoes Carrots	Beef Fried Rice	Leftovers
Sticky Chicken Cauliflower	Baked Pork Cutlets Cheese Potatoes	Lasagna Garlic Bread	Rice Casserole	Crock Pot Pesto Ranch Chicken Noodles	Chili	Leftovers
Macaroni and Cheese Hot Dogs	Pork Chops Mashed Potatoes	Spaghetti Garlic Bread	Beef Fried Rice	Rubber Chicken Mashed Potatoes	Creamy White Chili	Leftovers
Turkey Mashed Potatoes Noodles Baked Beans	Chicken & Noodles Mashed Potatoes	Baked Tortellini Garlic Bread	Beef Manhattans	Crock Pot No Time to Cook Chicken	Turkey Noodle Casserole	Leftovers
Baked Spaghetti Garlic Bread	Pork Cutlets Mashed Potatoes Corn	Penne Pasta with Sausage	Italian Turkey Rice Pilaf	Crock Pot Chicken Stroganoff with Noodles	Chili	Leftovers

Shopping list to follow.