Ok, so for the last few weeks (ie: 2 months), we’ve been discussing the idea of having a Meal Rotation. Broken down, a Meal Rotation is the idea of having roughly 10 EASY and QUICK weeknight meals on hand (and that your family likes), and rotating it over the course of 4 weeks. This means 5 meals on hand per week for 2 weeks, which is then repeated the next 2 weeks. So, over the course of 1 month, you have hot meals on the table, no matter how busy your days and weeks might be. You’ll see each meal only twice, which means that you aren’t stuck in the rut of having the same things WEEK after WEEK (after week after week after week). And the rotation aims to leave you some leftovers for lunches the following day.
Your kids will thank you.
I’ve posted Easy Weeknight recipes each week since the end of August, which I’ve encouraged you to put into a rotation. When I say “Easy Weeknight Meal,” my intention is that the meal is SIMPLE to prep/put together (being either a slow cooker recipe or something easily thrown together at the end of the day/between practice and homework) and TASTY (ie: your kids won’t turn their noses up). I’d like to think they are on the healthier side too.
I promised when I had an ample amount of these recipes posted, I would make a “master list” so that you would have a 1-post/page reference point to refer to with a Sample Meal Rotation to work from. Below, each recipe is linked to the recipe post, so you can easily find it or print it out.
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SAMPLE MEAL ROTATION
for
EASY WEEKNIGHT MEALS
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Week 1:
Monday: Birthday Chicken
Tuesday: Carrot Soup
Wednesday: Steph’s Slow Cooker Chili
Thursday: Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken
Friday: Stovetop Veggie-Beef Stew
Week 2:
Monday: Chicken Diablo
Tuesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup
Wednesday: Baked Ziti (this recipe is a favorite in Chesco Mom Sarah’s house)
Thursday: Steph’s One Pot Meal
Friday: Slow Cooker Pork and Saurkraut
Week 3, repeat Week 1.
Week 4, repeat Week 2.
::begin to work on NEW rotation for next month!::
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Now, some thoughts on Meal Rotation.
My family is presently tiny: Hubby, my 2 year old and myself (and a little one on the way). We don’t eat as much, say, as a hungry family of 5 or 6. We like to enjoy leftovers, but even then, too much leftover dinner results in food going bad in containers in the fridge. SO, we couldn’t possibly rotate through 5 meals per week. We’d have far too much food leftover. I tend to cook 3-4 meals a week, and eat the leftovers for lunch or dinner the next night. The other nights are reserved for the ever-so-simple frozen pizza with a salad, or the ever-so-rare take out/eat out.
Adjust the rotation for YOU. Larger families who will rip through these meals in a night will need 5 recipes per week. Medium families who enjoy leftovers might need it as well. Smaller families or couples will benefit from aiming for 2-4 meals per week. Start small and see how each recipe feeds you and your family. And add from there.
And as I said with my own rotation, I allow for take-out, eating out or “throw a pizza in the oven or make grilled cheese” nights. We all need them, and are often necessary if you are on the go or just don’t have time to get that more involved meal on the table.
Making the rotation in advance will allow you to use it as you make your grocery list, so the ingredient items are already in your pantry. No last minute (and frantic) trips to the grocery store because you JUST REALIZED you don’t have any ground ginger on hand, or you are short 1 can of beans. I hate doing that.
Feel free to incorporate YOUR Easy Weeknight family recipes into the rotation! These are just a guideline (and an easy reference point, as the recipe names are linked to the recipe post). If your family has a special chicken dish that you LOVE eating, add it to the rotation!
I hope I haven’t confused you TOO much. And I hope that, with the Sample Meal Rotation in your hands, your weeknights might be just a tad less chaotic (and a good bit more tasty). If you have ANY questions or thoughts, feel free to email me at: moderndaydonnareed@gmail.com.
Have a great week!
Philaburban Mom 