Trying to plan long term with the latest weekly sales flyers.

For me, one of the most difficult things to deal with is What I Would like vs What is in the Pantry. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Magic Pantry. I try to keep it stocked with all the things I need to create the meals I enjoy but sometimes…

Lately I’ve been eyeing boneless pork chops on the sale flyer but … I’ll be honest, every time I try to make them, they come out dry. I’d prefer pork shoulder steaks. I also find myself contemplating a beef roast but … not enough to add it to the shopping list.

What do I have on hand? I have a pork loin roast, some ground beef, a package of meat balls, some Canadian Bacon, and a couple of small steaks. I also have a good variety of frozen vegetables.

So, I could create some sort of pot pie or a stew or maybe some version of quiche. I recently came across a couple of recipes using meat balls, and since I have some sour cream and a can of French Onion Soup on hand… maybe they could be something like a stroganoff?

I recently roasted some bone in, skin on chicken breasts and I have to say I haven’t enjoyed chicken so much in a very long time. It is easier to get boneless skinless breasts but really when you want something moist and flavorful, you need the bones and skin.

I am also restocking my spice drawer so I’ve been playing a bit with those flavors. They take a good piece of poultry or meat and elevate it in ways you often forget about. Add some potatoes and veg on the side…Yum!

I’ve also rediscovered an old favorite: oatmeal. I’ve had some in my pantry for a while and pulled it out as a change from the regular cold cereal. I have had fun playing with adding fruit from the freezer, some cinnamon, and even a touch of brown sugar to different batches. Who needs the prepackaged stuff? Not me!

As I contemplate the menu plan for the next month, I’m thinking about including some quick breads for a little something sweet and trying some new to me recipes that change up the regular rotation. As the budget gets tighter, this just seems to make more sense rather than find ways to spend on things that I can make myself.

What’s on your menu?

When the heat is on and you don’t want to heat up the kitchen, try using cool salads. You choose the protein and additions as well as the serving method. You can make wraps, fill rolls, top crackers.

Make use of precooked chicken, turkey, pork or beef that you have made yourself or purchased at the market. The deli section will have a selection to choose from and side salads. Don’t overlook canned tuna, salmon or chicken.

Or, I need to freshen my meal rotation

I love these 30 chicken pasta recipes! (click HERE) They are versatile, easy to do, and lend themselves to any updates or changes I want to make.

Don’t have the ‘right’ shape of pasta? Use what you have. Tired of chicken? Try using pork or ham instead.

There is a lot of versatility in allowing yourself to play with your food. Swap out ingredients, try different combinations. Surprise yourself!

Glen over at Glen and Friends recently posted a couple of videos where he made components to a fabulous meal. It started with a ‘What’s On Sale’ purchase.

The links to the roasted potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding recipes are below the video on his channel. Check them out, too!

The beauty of this is that it is flexible. You might not find a brisket when you are shopping. Customize your menu to fit what you can find.

Start thinking about alternatives. Roast potatoes…baked potatoes…mashed potatoes. What vegetable is available? Is there a sale in the frozen food section?

Think about leftovers. A good sized roast can become a stew or shredded for sandwiches. That leads us to looking at breads…cornbread…soda bread…

Enjoy!

Ground meat is one of those meal prep items that is a huge time saver. As the cost of ground meat has increased, however, it pays to have some useful hacks in your back pocket to save you money and time.

Check out a recent All Recipes video for prepping ground meat:

As you prep your meat, keep some things in mind: (1) Will you be using the same base seasonings (salt & pepper, onion, garlic) in all your recipes? Add it while you are cooking the meat and it will save you a step later on. (2) Customize the seasonings based on the recipes you intend to make later. Be sure you mark the bag! Add chili powder or other seasonings in a batch separate from your main batch.

You can also take your ground meat and mix it with seasonings for meatloaves or burgers. A burger press could be very helpful for creating burgers and getting them into the freezer.

Make the most of your meal prep and budget by taking advantage of sales and planning ahead.

Or, What do I do with all the leftovers?

Holiday cooking tends to create leftovers. Which, if you think about it, is a good thing. It stretches your budget. It can reduce the amount of cooking you have to do. It can drive you nuts. Um, well, that last one is a bit iffy…

Hey, I get it. There is only so much turkey, ham, roast, whatever I can manage withing a set period of time. After a while the excitement of eating things I don’t normally eat during the rest of the year wears off. So, what to do with what is left? And, let’s be honest, not everyone wants to take home a goodie bag…

I love my freezer, so I like to find options that would allow me to take left overs and freeze them for later use. Even better, I can put together some dishes that I can either tuck into the fridge for later or in the freezer for much later.

Casseroles are great options for cooked protein and they can be very flexible. Pot pies are also a great option (and who doesn’t love a good pot pie?) How about a baked sandwich?

Cooked ham can be cut up and used in scrambled eggs, quiche, or mixed with noodles. Turkey can be used in place of chicken. Turkey fettuccine, anyone? How about soups or chowders? Depending upon what else is left over most of the prep work might already be done…

Grab some biscuits, make some waffles, or a shortcake and top with the chowder.

You might discover ways to use up the left overs that require you to make more left overs. 😉