Meal planning is one of those simple habits that makes a tremendous difference in my kitchen.
I usually plan two weeks of dinners at a time, but there's one important thing I don't do: I don't assign every meal to a particular day.
Instead, I choose 14 meals that will work for our family over the next two weeks. Then I decide what we're having each day based on our schedule, who will be eating with us, what needs to be used from the refrigerator, and simply what sounds good that day.
For me, that's the sweet spot between having a plan and still having some flexibility.
And this time, I'm making those next two weeks even easier by stocking the freezer with 11 make-ahead freezer meals.
My Family Favorites Meal Planning System
I use my Family Favorites Meal Planning Bundle to make the process easier. It gives me one place to keep track of meals my family actually enjoys so I'm not starting from scratch every time I sit down to make a meal plan.
Want to try my system?
You can download my FREE 8-page Family Favorites Meal Planning Bundle here:
One of the things I like most about planning this way is that my meal plan isn't a rigid schedule.
If Tuesday comes and I don't feel like making the meal I thought I would-or our plans change-I simply choose something else from my list.
I still know I have the ingredients and a plan for dinner. I just haven't locked myself into what we're eating on a particular night.
What's on Our Two-Week Meal Plan
Here are the 14 dinners I've chosen this time:
- Chicken Adobo
- Chili - I'll probably make this vegetarian if it's just my husband and me. If the rest of the family is here, I'll add ground beef.
- Orange Tofu
- Margherita Pizza - a perfect choice right now because I have plenty of fresh basil growing.
- Chicken Piccata
- Borscht
- Ranch Chicken Taco Bowls
- Fish Tacos
- Caesar Salad with Roasted Chicken
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Arroz Caldo
- Chicken Spaghetti
- Mushroom Stroganoff
- Clean-Out-the-Fridge Soup - whatever vegetables are still hanging around toward the end of the two weeks can become soup.
That last meal is intentional. Planning one dinner around leftovers or vegetables that need to be used is an easy way to reduce food waste and stretch the grocery budget.
A Note About the Mushroom Stroganoff
For the Mushroom Stroganoff, I use Alton Brown's recipe, with one small change. His recipe calls for goat cheese, but I'm not particularly fond of goat cheese, so I substitute cream cheese.
That's another good example of how I cook. A recipe doesn't always have to be followed exactly. I adapt things to our tastes and to what I have available.
Adding 11 Freezer Meals for Convenience-and Sanity!
Along with making my two-week meal plan, I recently spent some time filling the freezer.
I made 11 freezer meals altogether: three family-size meals and eight quart-size meals for the times when it's just my husband and me.
Having meals like these in the freezer gives me an easy answer on days when I'm busy, tired, or simply don't want to start dinner from scratch.
Seven of the meals I prepared came from Freezer Fit:
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
- Chicken Fajitas
- Light Country Lemon Chicken
- BBQ Chicken
- Peach Chicken
For the Chicken Cacciatore, I used chicken drumsticks instead of boneless, skinless chicken because that's what I already had on hand.
That's something I think is important with freezer cooking-or really any cooking. Use what you have when it makes sense. You don't necessarily need to go out and buy a different cut of chicken just because that's what a recipe originally called for.
These recipes belong to Freezer Fit, so I'm not reproducing the recipes here. I obtained them through their free class, and you can do the same:
Cool Ranch Shredded Chicken Tacos
Another freezer meal I prepared was Cool Ranch Shredded Chicken Tacos from The Family Freezer.
This is another meal you can assemble ahead and put into the freezer for later.
And We Ate One That Afternoon!
While I was filming the video that goes along with this post, I had the Light Country Lemon Chicken cooking in my little 3-quart Instant Pot.
By the end of the video, lunch was ready!
That's really the whole reason I do this.
Freezer cooking isn't about filling a freezer just for the sake of having a lot of food stored away. It's about giving future me an easier day.
Watch Me Plan Our Meals and Stock the Freezer
In the video below, I take you through my Family Favorites Meal Planning Bundle, share all 14 meals I've chosen for the next two weeks, and show you the 11 freezer meals I prepared.
I also go through what's in each freezer meal and show you how that Lemon Chicken turned out.
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A Few Tools That Make Freezer Prep Easier
There are a couple of things you saw me using in the video that make freezer-meal prep easier for me.
Freezer Bag Holders
These hold the freezer bags open and upright while I'm filling them.
[Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4wM3f0A]
3-Quart Instant Pot
This is the smaller Instant Pot you saw me using for the Lemon Chicken. It's a handy size when I'm cooking for just the two of us.
[Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4xlcDJc]
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. These are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only share products I personally use and like.
Meal Planning Doesn't Have to Be Complicated
A good meal plan should make life easier-not give you another schedule you have to follow perfectly.
For me, planning 14 meals gives me direction for the next two weeks while still leaving room for real life.
Add a few freezer meals, keep a reasonably well-stocked pantry, use what you already have, and leave yourself some flexibility.
That's my kind of meal planning: a plan when I need one, choices when plans change, and something tucked in the freezer for the days when I need a little extra convenience and sanity.
I'd love to hear how you meal plan. Do you plan one week at a time, two weeks at a time, a month-or not at all?
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