I’m back with another month of menu planning!

For those who’ve never planned a month long menu or haven’t read my little posts on them before, here’s the deal: Rather than planning my family dinners night by night, or week by week, I’ve taken the habit of planning out one menu for an entire month. This makes my grocery shopping much easier since I’ve already decided what dinners I’ll be making, I only have to pick up the ingredients missing for that week and the very regular cast of breakfast and lunch foods.

And the looming nightly dinners are now much less intimidating. No longer having to stand in front of the refrigerator scratching my head, trying desperately to figure out something nutritious and delicious to make for dinner? Love that. And by doing this monthly rather than weekly, it leaves more time for life in the days in between. It isn’t rocket science, and thanks goes to Simple Mom who inspired me with this idea.

So here’s my menu for the month of October:

Week One (1 lb chicken, bratwurst, shrimp)

• Saturday October 3rd: Leftover Spinach Feta burgers
• Sunday: Breakfast For Dinner: Pumpkin Pancakes with fresh fruit smoothies and sausage
• Monday: BBQ Chicken with sweet potatoes & frozen vegetables
• Tuesday: Chicken Parmesan with whole wheat dinner rolls
• Wednesday: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs & Mac & Cheese
• Thursday: Cheesy Shrimp and Rice
• Friday: Bratwurst, Hot Dogs & Corn on the Cob (dad is visiting)

Week Two (2 lb ground beef, 1 1/2 lb chicken, 1/2 lb salmon)

• Saturday October 10: Italian Style Meatloaf with mashed potatoes & salad (dad is visiting)
• Sunday: Homemade Pizza or Calzones (dad is visiting)
• Monday: Grilled Chicken with sweet potatoes, carrots & dinner rolls (dad is visiting)
• Tuesday: Spaghetti with Italian Sausage
• Wednesday: Soup & Sandwiches
• Thursday: leftover Enchilada Pizza
• Friday: Salmon with rice & black beans & salad

Week Three: (1 lb chicken, 1/2 lb shrimp, Italian Sausage)

• Saturday October 17: Chili with cornbread and salad
• Sunday: Leftover Irish Beef Stew
• Monday: Chicken with carrots and mashed potatoes
• Tuesday: Fettucini Alfredo with grilled chicken and spinach
• Wednesday: Grilled Chicken Burgers with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and mayo
• Thursday: Meatloaf Sandwiches (using leftovers)
• Friday: Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad

Week Four: (breakfast sausage, 1 lb chicken, 1/2 lb salmon, 1/2 lb beef)

• Saturday October 24: Homemade Pizza or Calzone
• Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner: French Toast, Sausage & Fresh Fruit
• Monday: Grilled Chicken with sweet potatoes & salad
• Tuesday: Fettucini Alfredo with grilled chicken, spinach and tomatoes
• Wednesday: Jen & Vic’s Taco Salad
• Thursday: Spaghetti with diced tomatoes and seasonings and dinner rolls
• Friday: Parmesan Baked Salmon