May 2016 Monthly Menu Plan

{ Includes Links to 15 Recipes }

 

When it was time to create a menu for May, I asked my family what dinners they would like. I’m not so sure that was a great idea, but here it is — a menu full of requests from my family. I’ve filled it in with some easy-looking crockpot meals for my late work days and a few new recipes.

Now that warmer weather has finally arrived (well, sort of — the temps dropped down near 30°F last night), my husband is excited about using the grill again! I’m excited about eating grilled chicken again — Yum!

 

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How much do we spend?

My monthly spending seems to naturally come in around $400, some months a little more or less. This amount feeds 3 adult-size people very well. Doing one big monthly shop and only popping into the store once or twice for milk and fruit saves my family at least $75/month compared to previous averages when I have shopped weekly. Having our older son at home with us for April-June has only added a few dollars to the $400 budget.

What do we eat besides dinner?

Breakfast – Not much. Sometimes eggs and bacon on the weekend, maybe once or twice a month.

Lunch – Leftovers, pb&j, lunchmeat sandwiches, crackers & cheese.

Snacks – Fruit, crackers, nuts, tortilla chips.

I usually do not make desserts, but I will plan at least a couple this month to take to family dinners. My family will be absolutely thrilled! 😉

 

• Related Post: Quick Food Prep Routine for a Week of Easier Meals – How 45 Minutes of Food Prep on the Weekend Can Save Your Week {Bonus: Free Printable Checklist}

The Plan

We will have some of these dinners twice. I’ve also left some open nights. We have a couple of away-from-home family dinners on the calendar, and we’ll probably have leftovers at least once or twice.  The highlighted links you see in the menu will take you directly to the website for each recipe. If you want to see photos of the linked recipes in one place, you can visit my Pinterest board for main dish recipes. I’m always pinning new recipes, so following my board is a great idea if you’re looking for dinner inspiration.

1. Fish fry, homemade onion rings (dinner at the cabin)
2. Brats, raw vegetables (dinner at the cabin)
3. Shish-kabobs (dinner at the lake)
4. *new menu item* Beef Piroshki (will make these to eat on the way to the lake, did not get to make in April as I had planned)
5. Cheeseburgers, frozen fries or chips, raw carrots & celery (twice)
6. One-pan roasted smoked sausage, chicken & vegetables (twice)
7. Grilled BBQ chicken legs, roasted vegetables (twice)
8. Cheeseburger Macaroni Casserole, green beans
9. Copykat Chef Boyardee-style beefy mac & cheese, peas
10. Nachos
11. Tacos w/fried shells (twice)
12. Spaghetti, peas or salad, garlic bread
13. Cold tuna-macaroni salad, peas
14. *crockpot meal* Slow Cooker Lasagna – a new favorite, SO easy!
15. *crockpot meal* Red beans & rice
16. *crockpot meal* General Tso’s Chicken, fried rice
17. *crockpot meal* pork butt (Paula Deen style), green beans
18. *new recipe* *crockpot meal* Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes
19. *new recipe* *crockpot meal* Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken, fried rice
20. *new recipe* *crockpot meal* Crockpot Smoked Sausage & Hashbrown Casserole, roasted or frozen vegetables
21. *new recipe* White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna, garlic bread
22. *new recipe* Chicken Paprikash, pasta or potatoes, roasted vegetables
23. *new recipe* One Pan Chicken & Broccoli
24. Smothered Baked Chicken Burritos – For my family, this was THE biggest new recipe hit of March. Use her Shredded Chicken recipe and add these refried beans
25. Oriental chicken salad (prep everything early & throw together for a fast dinner)

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