A Rhythm for Planning Dinners

I often get asked questions like, “Do you really cook dinner every night?” or “How do you figure out what to make for dinner?” 

I do have lots of mouths to feed, and after all the years of trial and error, the best strategy I came up with is to have a rhythm in place. Now, I easily get bored with food. I really don’t like to have the same meals over and over, but I do appreciate the ease and simplicity of repetition. So I’ve tried to merge both variety and familiarity and here’s how I do it. 

Every week, we have the same categories of meals:

Sunday - Sandwiches

Monday - Meatless

Tuesday - Chicken

Wednesday - Pizza

Thursday - Soup & Salad

Friday - Favorites 

Saturday - Slow Cooker 

This puts my mind at rest. At the risk of sounding far too philosophical, it’s the safety of boundaries combined with the beauty of creativity. There are soooo many recipe options out there on Pinterest or AllRecipes that if I didn’t narrow it down somehow, I would never make any decisions about what to serve. The following is how this rhythm plays out practically: 

Sunday Sandwiches - This is almost always hamburgers. It still meets my need for variation because we can grill or broil the meat, make it beef or turkey, use different toppings, etc. On weekends where I feel busy or simply need a break from cooking, we have sandwiches that are deli meat, egg salad, or chicken salad. We can change it up even further by using different types of bread or cheeses. Sometimes I’ll skip bread and put the fillings in a lettuce leaf. Every once in a while, I’ll make quesadillas. They’re kind of like sandwiches.;) But I still know that Sunday is Sandwich night and it makes planning a snap. 

Meatless Monday - We’re not vegetarians or anything but meat can get expensive, and sometimes our tummies just need something else. I rotate through lentil soup, sauteed potatoes with eggs on top (Eggs aren’t considered meat, are they?), pasta with marinara sauce, black beans and rice, or a vegetable stir fry over rice. And I never have to worry about forgetting to take something out of the freezer to thaw on Mondays. 

Tuesday Chicken - We like sheet pan thighs or a roasted whole chicken. I leave the skin on, season, drizzle with oil and/or lemon and bake. I will either roast some vegetables alongside the meat or boil some frozen veggies. If it’s not enough for giant man-children, they add bread and butter or applesauce. 

Wednesday Pizza - Frozen pizzas are what we have most weeks because Wednesdays is youth group night and I’ve got to have something quick and easy. But sometimes, when youth group is canceled or I just have some extra time and energy (LOL, does that ever happen?), I’ll make homemade pizza. Very rarely, we’ll order from Anna Maria’s, a local restaurant that has an excellent authentic NY style pizza. I try to add a salad most weeks because I believe vegetables are extremely important, but if it doesn’t happen, I don’t stress about it. 

Thursday Soup & Salad - My crew will choose chili or corn chowder as their top favorite soups. Again, there is a wide assortment here. I might do chicken, shredded beef, ground beef, or ground turkey in the chili. Sometimes I’ll add sweet potatoes or pumpkin. I use different kinds of beans. I set out sour cream, avocado, shredded cheese, tortilla chips or Fritos for toppings, but not all of these every time. I will make other types of soups on occasion as well, like a sausage-kale concoction, broccoli cheese, or chicken noodle. The salad is usually romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, and feta. I keep 2 or 3 dressings on hand, maybe some croutons or dried cranberries, so little folks feel like they have some choices about their raw vegetables. Nothing fancy but it’s yummy and fills bellies. 

Friday Favorites - On Fridays, we try to have more of a leisurely evening, maybe watch a family movie or have friends over. This is the night I usually cook something that might be a bit more involved or even try a new recipe. Some of our go-to favorites, though, are spaghetti bolognese, curry chicken, tacos, ham in maple syrup, or a beef roast. 

Saturday Slow Cooker - Saturdays are always busy with yardwork, social events, Boy Scout activities, or volunteering. I try to get something in the slow cooker early Saturday morning so I don’t have to worry about getting home in time to cook. We like pulled pork, chicken mole, and sweet and sour meatballs. Since I have two slow cookers, I will often make a side item in the second one. This might be baked potatoes, macaroni and cheese, rice, or vegetables that can stand to be simmered for long periods of time, like carrots. Of course, the instant pot is the perfect stand-in here. I love mine!

In future posts, I will talk about rhythms for shopping and planning, getting kids to help in the kitchen, and teaching kids to eat what you serve. 

But guess what? If there are nights where you just can't pull it together to cook, and you go through the drive-thru or the kids make themselves PB and J again, its, ok. You're still a great mom. :)

How have YOU established a rhythm about what to cook? Let me know in the comments!

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