One Brilliant Meal Planning Hack

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Do you find yourself sitting there just wondering what you are supposed to make for dinner this week?  Out of any fresh ideas?  Are you eating the same thing over and over again?

It’s kind of like a writer’s block… except with meal planning.

I was so tired of trying to decide what to make for dinner.  Sitting at my kitchen table, with the planner in front of me, I would just stare at it.  Or, even worse, I’d start googling dinner ideas or searching Pinterest for “easy chicken casseroles”.  It could become hours of wasted time.

The Erin Condren planner I was using at the time of this epiphany had a section in the back for “Notes”.  I thought they were wasted pages for a long time, I didn’t have notes.  Then, it hit me…

A Meal Bank – Meal Ideas

I would start writing down the recipes I used frequently.  If I tried a new recipe, and it was a winner, it went into the meal log.

Then, I broke it up into categories to make it even easier.

A crockpot category, a casserole category, an instant pot category, Mexican, Italian…  you get the idea.

The meal log got more valuable as time went on and I added new, successful favorite recipes.  I would transfer them at the end of the year over to the back of my new planner, and grow it over the year.

You don’t necessarily need a planner with a note section.  Use a scrap piece of paper you hang from your fridge, or write the meal log wherever is convenient for you.  Or, even better, you can use the free printable I’ve provided for you.

Yes, I have made a meal bank for you!!!

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And it’s easy.  It costs no extra money.

It’s a brilliant time-saving hack for weekly meal planning.  

You can use the meal bank to write down all the “keeper” recipes and ideas, then each week, use the attached meal planning sheet to plug in your week’s meals!

Need some starter recipes for that meal bank? Let me help:

Breakfast For Dinner

Bacon and Sausage Quiche

Omelet Made Easy

American

Pepper Jack Turkey Meatloaf

Sloppy Joes

Italian

Spaghetti Sauce

(Hint: I make the above sauce in BULK and freeze it.  I love pulling out a package from the freezer and having homemade sauce!)

Italian Chicken and Potatoes (Crock Pot Meal!)

Soups/Stews/Chilis

Copycat Panera Broccoli & Cheese Soup

Cheeseburger Soup

Quick Beef Chili (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

I hope the meal bank and meal planning printables come in handy for you!  Save your brainstorming for something else and just rely on the food bank you create when you are planning!