Advice on Long Term Meal Planning? Recipe Suggestions?

NekoneMeowMixx
NekoneMeowMixx Posts: 410 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My boyfriend's job means a bit of traveling. We're actually going to be renting a house for 2 or 3 months coming up in October, and I'll be coming along. I'm trying to gather a few dozen recipes that we could shop for. We plan on going to Costco before we leave and (ideally) don't want to have to shop for anything other than produce/meat while we're there, and even then as infrequently as possible. I use Pepperplate sporadically to plan our meals, but when it comes to planning wisely, I'm lost. We probably hit the grocery store on average, once or twice a week because we've forgotten something or ran out, or found a new recipe.

The big things we buy in bulk at Costco are primarily eggs, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, shredded cheeses, broth, canned tomatos/sauce, veggies... A lot of the non perishables I feel don't get utilized as often as they should. I like using as much fresh ingredients as possible, but I'm looking for recipe suggestions that should help us stretch out our grocery trips and really just use what we have more wisely.

Primarily looking for heartier and/or longer/lasting recipes (i.e- soups, casseroles, etc). I don't mind doing burgers, tacos, etc, but I'd really like something that will produce leftovers. My boyfriend's going to be working 12 hour days, 7 days a week, so I want to make sure he has something to bring in with him for lunch. Plus it seems like making lasagna is a lot smarter than making spaghetti, as the former would last (at least with us) fairly longer than the latter, and freezes well.

Not sure if anyone has any experience with this. I don't believe the rental house will have any groceries, so we'll need to tote everything we want with us, including (probably) dishware, so just trying to make this as pain-free as possible! Appreciate any advice, and if anyone has any go-to recipes, or recipe sites, etc, I'm happy to hear them!

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    pinterest is your friend.
  • rsnodgrass1128
    rsnodgrass1128 Posts: 16 Member
    Have you checked out the Fixate cookbook? I can provide more info about it but it has a ton of recipes for snacks, salad dressings, meals, desserts, etc. Most of the recipes are pretty simple and quick!
  • sparklyglitterbomb
    sparklyglitterbomb Posts: 458 Member
    What's your freezer situation?

    I'll pick up a pork shoulder on sale and make a giant batch of carnitas, then freeze out portions. I'll do the same with chicken breast, roasts, etc. If I freeze the meat in smaller portions, it lends itself to easily incorporating into soups, casseroles, salads, etc.

    I've also made breakfast and regular burritos and frozen them for easy lunches (and breakfasts), as well as my own version of McMuffins.

    Soups and stews mostly freeze well and are great to take along for lunches.

    Pinterest (as @cwolfman13 mentioned above) has tons of ideas on meal prep. I tend to go more toward freezing a protein and a few other things and incorporating them into spur of the moment meals, but I'm not a prepping cook, I make it up as I go :)
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    You don't need a few dozen recipes :# Most people rotate just 10-15 meals regularly anyway, and that can be plenty of variety, if you combine ingredients smart. Think protein+starch+veg. That's how almost any dinner is built up. Aim for as much variety and versatility as possible. Leave the novelties behind, and go for things like chicken, pork, beef, salmon, potatoes, rice, beans, pasta, frozen vegetables. You can assign each day of the week to a certain protein, or national cuisine, or something, to get structure and flexibility and ideas.

    Keep in mind that non perishables don't perish :D at least not for 2-3 months. This means that you can base your meals around them. Using a lot of fresh produce doesn't mean that you won't also be using and needing non-perishable staples. They compliment each other and make up balanced meals. But you have to plan your meals to achieve that.

    Shopping for perishables twice per week sounds not just normal, but also necessary, if you want it to be as fresh as possible. If you plan your meals, and write down everything you need, and follow your list, you won't have to go back for anything, because you remembered everything (and you can pat yourself on the back).
  • NekoneMeowMixx
    NekoneMeowMixx Posts: 410 Member
    Pinterest is definitely my best friend, but I'm always worried to venture into the recipes, because I feel like I'd cook us out of house and home in a single afternoon... xD

    I do like the idea of designating a certain protein to each day of the week. The protein + starch + veg thing helps out a lot too. I have really extreme anxiety and any grocery shopping will have to be done while he's at work, which makes me want to lie down and die just thinking about it (it's sad, I know :\) but I suppose I'll have to make do.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited September 2016
    I didn't know about your anxiety. Sounds awful :( If shopping just once weekly is important/helpful, you can plan so that you use the hyperperishables in the first part of the week, and the more sturdy produce in the last part of the week. If you buy bananas, buy some yellow and some green. Things like that.

    If you WANT to make elaborate dishes, you can do that - my tip on versatile foods/ingredients and "un-recipes", was to keep it simple. Just plan to use up and eat up everything. I think waste is the number one budget killer.
  • Sarah_Shapes_Up
    Sarah_Shapes_Up Posts: 76 Member
    I like the crock pot. Throw everything in, then portion it into servings to throw in the freezer. Grab and go as needed.
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    If shopping gives you anxiety, do you have any grocery stores that will do your shopping for you and then you just pick them up? We have that in my area- you go on line and pick your items, then you pick a time when you want to pick them up and voila - the bags are ready for you. You pay and go. You pay a bit of a premium on them, but sometimes its worth it. I have used the service a couple of times and even the produce is well selected - no brown bananas or wilty lettuce included.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    I love Costco. I do the vast majority of my grocery shopping there. That means that most of my veggies are frozen or I'm using the same ones for several meals each week, which doesn't bother me. Have you looked at some of the things they sell like shredded chicken breasts or carne asada? I always buy things like the frozen tilapia because it makes a quick and easy meal when I come home from work. I always have their frozen stir fry veggies on hand, too.

    Some of the best meal planning sites I've seen are based around cooking less and reusing what you cooked earlier in the week. For example, you have a main dish of chicken breast with a sauce you put on just before serving on Monday night and you bake a total of eight chicken breasts. You each have one breast for dinner and then another for lunch with the sauce the next day. That leaves you four cooked breasts which you can slice up and use in a quick stir fry on Wednesday. When you cook the rice for the stir fry you make three times as much as you need for dinner. That leaves some for lunch on Thursday and you use the rest to make a fried rice main or side dish on Friday or Saturday.
  • NekoneMeowMixx
    NekoneMeowMixx Posts: 410 Member
    @cross2bear I hadn't actually thought of that. I'm not sure if there are any stores in the area that do this, but I might have to look into it. A big part of my anxiety lies in getting to the grocery store, especially if it's a place I'm unfamiliar with. (I got into a nasty accident 5 years ago and got a TBI, so driving freaks me out now)...

    @Lounmoun Wow, lots of info! Thanks! :D I do actually use (and absolutely love) BudgetBytes. I'll look into those other ones, and your blog! I forgot all about Supercook too, which basically just has you enter everything you have in the kitchen and then tells you what you can make based on that.

    @SueInAz At risk of sounding uppity, or like an elitist, I have yet to find frozen fish that I like. Boyfriend straight out refuses to eat it, and I've not had much luck finding a brand that tasted good. I'm a big sushi fanatic so I like fresh fish. Was told I need to eat more of it though, so maybe I'll look into their frozen stuff. (More protein for me if the boyfriend won't eat it) xD
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    NekoneMeowMixx wrote: »
    @SueInAz At risk of sounding uppity, or like an elitist, I have yet to find frozen fish that I like. Boyfriend straight out refuses to eat it, and I've not had much luck finding a brand that tasted good. I'm a big sushi fanatic so I like fresh fish. Was told I need to eat more of it though, so maybe I'll look into their frozen stuff. (More protein for me if the boyfriend won't eat it) xD
    Can you buy fresh fish, divide into portions, and freeze at home?

  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    NekoneMeowMixx wrote: »
    @SueInAz At risk of sounding uppity, or like an elitist, I have yet to find frozen fish that I like. Boyfriend straight out refuses to eat it, and I've not had much luck finding a brand that tasted good. I'm a big sushi fanatic so I like fresh fish. Was told I need to eat more of it though, so maybe I'll look into their frozen stuff. (More protein for me if the boyfriend won't eat it) xD

    It was actually just an example. I'm certainly not telling you that you need to eat frozen fish! :lol: My issues are not necessarily yours. I'm always on the lookout for food that is relatively healthy, not too expensive, and that I can make with a minimum of fuss when I get home from being at work for 10.5 hours. Costco has a lot of options. I just thought that you might benefit from expanding your vision beyond the things you usually buy when shopping there. I've found some really nice side dish-type items there that are shelf stable, too. There's at least one quinoa dish and a lentil one that come in a pouch you toss in the microwave, for example.
  • NekoneMeowMixx
    NekoneMeowMixx Posts: 410 Member
    @lorrpb That's a good idea. I've never honestly even bought fresh fish, so I'd have to look into the best ways to freeze it, but definitely not a bad idea.

    @SueInAz I think I know which side dish you're talking about! Definitely tasty, yes. And I do need to branch out a bit more. Boyfriend's not the most adventorous when it comes to trying new foods (I don't think he even knows what lentils *are*) so I tend not to base meals around ingredients that deviate from the norm too much. Maybe I'll start incorporating them a little bit, or even just using them for lunches for myself. I bought a bag of quinoa from there a few months ago now and have yet to actually open it... T_T
  • newereveryday
    newereveryday Posts: 222 Member
    These use few spices (mostly just salt and pepper) and largely canned ingredients or other things that will keep for a while in the refrigerator or freezer, plus make multiple servings each. They all reheat well for being multiple dinners/lunches.

    http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/makeover-chicken-a-la-king-casserole
    http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/comforting-chicken-noodle-casserole
    http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/penne-sausage-bake

    If you'll have access to or can bring with you a slow cooker, making a huge batch of plain-ish shredded chicken is super versatile. Once it's shredded, you can do something different with it each time you use it. Add mayo for chicken salad, add wing sauce for buffalo style chicken, add barbecue sauce for BBQ chicken, add salsa for Mexican style.

    I do this every two weeks or so for my husband and it's SO easy! Dump the pack of BLSL chicken breasts into a slow cooker, add salt, pepper, and a little low sodium chicken broth, and then cook on high for four hours, turning over halfway. It falls apart easily to shred and gives him tremendous lunch variety through the week if we just keep the various add-ins in the fridge and flour tortillas (which keep fresh way longer than regular bread) in the pantry.
  • jcsgirl86
    jcsgirl86 Posts: 53 Member
    I will often cook one meat and use it for multiple meals:
    I'll cook a roast in the crockpot with potatoes and carrots. The first meal will be just that with a vegetable added. Leftover roast will be used for french dip sandwiches and add some mexican style seasonings to the meat when I reheat for another meal made into tacos.
    I'll grill a large batch of chicken breast and use some just like that with sides added. Make grilled chicken sandwiches one night, grilled chicken on a salad another night, cut up and made into quesadillas another night.
    The meat freezes great after cooking so you don't have to eat the meals from each meat on consecutive nights.
    Hope that helps!
  • NekoneMeowMixx
    NekoneMeowMixx Posts: 410 Member
    @newereveryday -- BBQ chicken sounds so amazing right now, haha. When it comes to eating it on the grill, or in tacos, or something else where the chicken "taste" is the most prominent, we generally use Miller Amish Chicken Breast (which is pretty expensive [imo] at ~$6/pound). We bought some GFS frozen chicken a while back and I find that using it in the slow cooker for shredded bbq chicken works well. It's also well enough in casseroles and soups. But it doesn't seem to taste the same on it's own. Good idea though, with the multiple meals using shredded chicken in the crockpot! I'm loving the low maintence ideas xD

    @jcsgirl86 Mmm, french dip! I don't believe I've ever made a roast before (in the crockpot or otherwise) let alone using it to make french dips and quesadillas! We have 3 crockpots of varying sizes, which can (and likely will) absolutely come with us. Definitely helps, thank you! :)

    We've been discussing getting a deep freezer (for home, that is) and after hearing all these suggestions I'm really thinking it would be a good idea! Would certainly help with meal prep, and would allow us to get a lot more freezer-ready foods from Costco/freeze leftovers, meets, etc.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    I usually have the seafood guy cut the filet into the portion sizes I want, then put them in freezer baggies at home, toss into freezer. If they last that long, haha. Fresh fish doesn't last too long in our house and I don't buy huge portions unless there's a great sale.
  • NekoneMeowMixx
    NekoneMeowMixx Posts: 410 Member
    @lorrpb I don't blame you- it can be pricey! And I don't think it would last very long here, either. I have all the fixings for sushi, including the fancy dishware. I don't think I could stop myself if I started... xD

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