I feel like this should be pretty basic, but...

[MisaLady]

I feel like this should be pretty basic... one of those things you just intuitively know how to do. But, I'm having problems with meals. The short story is that while I know how to cook pretty well, I'm crap at planning. I'm also crap at doing frugal meals. I know a few, but it's mostly "canned cream of mushroom soup + carbohydrate + canned vegetable + protein = TADA! Dinner!" And that's fine from time to time, but I would also like to eat somewhat healthy - and a bit of variety if at all possible.

I think I could do this just fine if there were more of us. But it's just my husband and me. I grew up in a large family and it's easier to think in those terms. But if I want a little bit of onion for a recipe, for instance, it's less (quantity) for two people than it is for six.

I need help how to figure out menu planning for two. And I need help figuring out what meals to put in those menus. And, maybe, just possibly, some "I feel yous" from people who have or have had problems with this, too, because I'm feeling pretty inept right about now.

[pbobber]

In a lot of ways you can continue to cook as if for a large family. Go ahead and chop a lot of onions, put them in a baggie in the fridge or freezer and they are ready for the next time that you cook. Make a large batch of spaghetti sauce and freeze in meal size portions. Mashed potatoes can later be served as soup, potatoe cakes, or topped on sheppard's pie. Some meals can be frozen then reheated later. Check out 'once a month cooking' for ideas on what freezes well. I do what I call once in a while cooking. I will double or triple what I am already making and put the extras into the freezer.

Most recipes serve 4. Divide the recipe by 2 or make 4 servings and freeze the extra 2. If you only need 1/2 a can of something, freeze the remaining half.

Plan your menus around what is on sale. Make a weekly grocery list (or however often you shop) and save your lists. After a couple of months, look them over for re-occurring items. These are your staple items. When you find them on sale, stock up. For example, some items on my staples list are flour, canned tomatoes, and frozen vegies.

There are several threads on FV that are dedicated to budget cooking. Lots of great recipe ideas!

[mamamia]

Misa, don't feel inept! Cooking for just one or two is supposed to be one of the hardest tasks going. Phobber gave you some great advice, but I wanted to also mention that Taste of Home cooking magazine also puts out a publication called Cooking for Two. If you go to Tasteofhome.com, I'm sure you'll get the info needed to order it or even to look up recipes on the site. Maybe do a search for ~cooking for two~ and see what pops up.

I know a couple of things that people do is make meatloaf as you would for a large fanily, but shape them into "minis" and freeze individually. Also remember people freezing their mashed potatoes in muffin tins, than popping them out when frozen and put in freezer bags.

Do the same above, except mix your meat for meatballs, and store in pkges of 4-6. Spaghetti sauce is always better after freezing. Make a big batch and store in plastic containers. Find recipes for boneless/skinless chicken breasts, and freeze in pkges of twos. Having things pre-made will also help with your menu planning, and needless to say, save you time also

So maybe thinking in terms of using your favorite recipes, but storing it for two might be part of your answer. Do try that web-site though. The best thing about their recipes are that they're sent in by everyday cooks who use everyday ingredients.

I'm sure once you get a few good suggestions, you'll be coming up with alot more ideas on your own in no time!

Have fun!

Theresa

[rachelMcK]

Mamamia, I was just going to suggest meatballs! I love to make up a big batch, some for spaghetti and meatballs, and some for sweet and sour meatballs and rice. Serve with a salad and you've got veggies, carbs and protein for 2 days! Even use leftovers for meatball subs!

Ethnic dishes are also fairly cheap as well, like curries with lentils or chickpeas.

It took me a while to get used to planing but if you stick with it as best you can every week, it does get easier.

[Momto2Boyz]

I have always been frugal by nature, but learning to meal plan was the hardest thing for me to master!

Honestly, it took me about 5 years to get it right! And I agree, the thought process in feeding two is harder than four or more. But it's just in you mind! Get over the mental hurdle and you'll be fine!

When you make a meal for four to six (as most recipes do), take half of the meat or main part of the meal and freeze it! If you make tacos, cook the meat, add the seasoning, then take half and pop it into the freezer (just make sure you label it).

Then, the key is, each week when you meal plan, check out your freezer first and start with what is there! Whala! Taco meat, so you can make something with taco meat (if you don't want tacos or nachos again so soon, then make something else with the meat. ie. taco pie, taco casserole, southwestern spaghetti (just add taco meat and tomato sauce to spaghetti noodles).

You'll get there. It just takes a while to get it down!

[TheRootedNomad]

First off I don't do so well with the whole meal planning thing myself as far as planning out ahead of time. I've already given up on the meal planning challenge once again. I do ok without knowing specifically what I'm going to cook for each week. I hadn't really thought about dinner as a formula before but your equation points out to me I use one too for most of my meals. It generally looks like this.... fruit/vegtable + fruit/vegtable + carbohydrate + protein = dinner. Part of my problem with the equation is that there are plenty of times I think it would be ok to do away with the carb or protein, which is almost always meat, but DH only eats the carb/meat portion of the equation.

SOme food for thought ....Now what I do have is possibilities for different dishes floating in my head based on what I have on hand and several "stand by meals" that bore me to tears but are wonderful on days I don't want to think.
Possibility examples.....
Right now some things I know I have on hand for the fruit/vegtable variable are:
carrots (can be raw, baked, boiled)
spinach (raw with dressing or cooked)
frozen veggies in the freezer (broccolli, peas, brussel sprouts are always in there)
oranges (sliced and served raw)
apples (raw, diced in a salad, fried)
spaghetti sauce

My opinion is that raw vegtables are better for you (and there's not a big hassle to serving a raw fruit or veggie) so I tend to serve raw fruits or veggies pretty frequently.

For the carb variable I know I have:
potatoes (fried, baked, boiled, mashed, soup)
pasta
ramen noddles (served as flavored noodles not soup for when I absolutely can't think)
Rice

For the meat/protein I know I have
chicken (baked in a sauce, fried, chunked and stirfryed, boiled, baked in seasoning)
bacon
chopmeat (patties, sloppy-joed, mixed for meatloaf, meatballs, or cooked with pasta)

Stand-by meals are things I can always put together because they are always on hand such as

~ pasta with sauce and some sort of salad or raw vegtable (meatballs or chicken if I do meat that night)
~ chicken with chicken flavored rice, a bag of frozen veggies and a fruit
~ some kind of meat in the crock pot with potatoes and carrots and either a raw fruit/veggie or a frozen bag of veggies

I don't necessarily think this is the best way to go about things but it works better for me than anything else I've come up with so far.

As for the frugal part I agree with the other posters. I frequently cook much BIGGER than I need and store the already prepared meals. I also tend to cook something larger on Sunday when I don't work that I can repurpose the leftovers from for quicker meals during the week.
Example of a Sunday dinner
baked ham
baked sweetpotatoes
fried potatoes
peas

The ham leftovers will have pieces quick fried one night to heat them up with breakfast type foods, be used in grilled ham and cheese sandwhiches another time, and crockpotted with some beans.

I hope some of this was helpful.

[nancycg56]

If you go on a recipe site like Recipezaar or Allrecipes, you can change the number of servings on any recipe.

I basically only cook for 2 although the kids come once in awhile with no notice. I find it's easier to cook like I always have and either freeze the leftovers for another day when I don't feel like cooking or have them for lunches.

When it comes to things like ziti, casseroles, etc., I just make half of what I used to ~ a 9x9 dish instead of a 13x9 dish and that's enough.

If I have a chicken recipe that serves four, I'll use two chicken breasts but make the same amount of sauce or whatever it is.

You'll get the hang of it ~ look through the menu planning challenge for some ideas.

[IntlMom]

Nancy's suggestion of halving a 9x13 is exactly what I was going to say, but here's a bit more to that tip:
Go ahead and make up a 9X13 of whatever casserole-y thing you are making, but divide it up into 2 8x8 (or 9x9) pans. I cook one right away (it will prob last you a few meals), and with the other one, do this: line a 8x8 with foil, plastic wrap, or wax paper (I;ve used them all) and then plop your casserole in it. Stick it in the freezer just like that, then, when it is frozen, lift the frozen casserole out of the pan, wrap it, label it, and freeze it. Then when it's time to eat it, just upwrap it and stick it in the same pan you froze it in.....tada dinner!!

[redhead68]

Go ahead and chop a lot of onions, put them in a baggie in the fridge or freezer

I resisted doing this for a long time, because I hated the smell of onions that permeated everything in the fridge when I used plastic bags or boxes. It finally dawned on me to save an old wide-mouth, salsa jar and plop the onions into it for future meals. The jar seals in the smell very effectively.

[MomToTwoBoys]

Meal planning has been the bane of my existence for a lot of years. I'm also really good at cooking; it's the planning and health content of the meal that's eluded me.

Want to know my secret?

Lots of research and planning.

I bought a couple of cookbooks to help me out and one in particular has been the Bisquick cookbook that I got for $3.00. I'm able to thumb through the pages and find the recipes that cost the less and have the least amount of ingredients. I also will accompany a not-as-healthy meal with some salad and a vegetable on the side. If I'm having chili, I'll add some rice and a whole wheat bun to it. It's all in how you pair up your main dish with a couple of healthy side dishes.

Next, the stockpile is your biggest ally. All of the fruits and vegetables and healthier items that normally cost an arm and a leg are more affordable when you buy them in season.

You can also convert a lot of recipes that seem to be unhealthy by adding stuff into them. My chili would normally have been just beans, meat, onions, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices. However, I added different kinds of beans and brown sugar and some celery to it along with some mushrooms. All of the additives are stockpiled and healthy.

I'd say it took me about six years to find a menu that worked for us that was not only healthy, but cheap.

[MomToTwoBoys]

I resisted doing this for a long time, because I hated the smell of onions that permeated everything in the fridge when I used plastic bags or boxes. It finally dawned on me to save an old wide-mouth, salsa jar and plop the onions into it for future meals. The jar seals in the smell very effectively.

You can also store the onions next to a box of baking soda that's been opened.

[Grainlady]

I have "what's for dinner" complex, so I use the simple meal plan and food consumption guide, outlined below. Once a week I try to incorporate a new recipe to keep from making the same old things over and over.

The refrigerator-freezer (the only freezer I have) is well-stocked with single-serving or 2-serving size amounts of foods (2 of us at home), so cook once, eat now AND later.... I only make taco meat, or spaghetti sauce every few months, and it's frozen in portions. The FoodSaver is my friend . I even keep homemade frozen mashed potatoes in serving sizes - I cook 10# of potatoes (usually when they are buy one 5# bag, get one free) at a time, make into freezer mashed potatoes, and use them for months.

I also pre-package homemade breads in 1 or 2 servings in pop-up foil sheets I get at Sam's Club. So I can toss a couple pieces of corn bread (wrapped in foil) in the toaster oven or convection/microwave to reheat it, or add a couple dinner rolls to reheat in the oven while the meal is baking. Homemade hot dog and hamburger buns are also wrapped in foil and ready-to-heat, once thawed. Same with breakfast breads.

Whole foods are also our first choice - since they are nature's original "FAST FOOD" - wash, peel (or not), chop or slice, and eat. I really don't do all that much "cooking", or purchase convenience foods that come in a can, bag or a box. I also think whole foods are less expensive and better for us.

I have small, 1/2-size pie dishes and small casserole and pasta dishes, so I like to halve many recipes and use these instead of a full size for the two of us. Or make two out of a whole recipe, and freeze one. Bisquick Impossible Pie recipes can easily be halved and made in the 1/2-size pie dishes, or quartered and made in small pasta or casserole dishes. I cook most of these in the Sharp Convection/Microwave in less time, using less energy, than using the regular oven.

What has helped me out of the cooking doldrums is to utilize a very loose menu plan. Any one day can be substituted for another, when life happens, so it's easy to use from freezer foods and not have to make a full meal EVERY day.

Monday: Big Meal - large portion of meat (roast beef, chicken, turkey breast, etc.) and all the trimmings - this is then used throughout the week and portioned into the freezer to use later or use for sandwiches and lunches.

Tuesday: Leftovers - may or may not take on the same form as it was on Monday. Add a tossed salad or other fresh veggies and fresh or frozen fruit.

Wednesday: Stir-fry - often includes fresh veggies used on Tuesday in a tossed salad, so I just chop extra for stir-fry, or use frozen stir-fry veggies. It's also a good way to clean out the crisper drawer in the refrigerator. The meat source may or may not come from Monday's meat source. I keep chicken frozen in portions that can be used for stir-fry, as well as beef. Cooked rice (be sure to keep the leftover rice in portions in the freezer) and fruit for dessert, possibly cheese with the fruit (if we still need a serving of dairy for the day).

Thursday: International - which generally means something made with portions of frozen "taco meat" made from ground beef or ground bison (tacos, sanchos, taco salad), quesadillas made with leftover shredded beef or chicken, or homemade frozen spaghetti sauce added to cooked spaghetti or any number of other pasta dishes. Usually a taco shell, tortilla, or pasta is in this meal.

Friday: Vegetarian - Lots of great vegetarian dishes out there, and this is a good way to save on the meat budget. One of our favorites are homemade Bean Burgers on homemade wholegrain burger buns. I make a bunch of these and keep the extras in the freezer. A good time to make bean or egg dishes, as well. A good day to make 'breakfast'....pancakes, crepes, eggs...

Saturday: Soup and/or Sandwich (usually comprised of leftovers from one day or another). We're always busy on Saturday so I rarely cook. I keep all soup/stew/chili in the freezer in single portions. I quick-freeze them in plastic containers, remove them when frozen, stack in a FoodSaver bag and vacuum seal shut (freeing up the plastic containers for other things). Now I can take out a serving of chili and use it in a taco salad for two, or a topping for baked potatoes for two. A serving of soup for lunch...

Sunday: Homemade Pizza, or dinner salad in warm weather (both are a good way to use bits of leftover meat, beans, cheese, and clean out the veggies). I shred a lot of cheese on Sunday that gets used throughout the week in other foods, as well as the Pizza. Shredded cheddar makes wonderful grilled sandwiches...

I also follow the old Basic-4 (too much food for us in the Food Pyramid):

Bread & Cereal - 4-servings
Fruits & Vegetables - 4-servings
Meat/Meat Alternative - 2-servings
Milk/Dairy - 2-servings

[redhead68]

We do something very similar to Grainlady, although our big meal is on Sunday night. I usually spend Sunday making things for the week, using food I have on hand. Yesterday, I made bread, a huge stack of pancakes for weekday breakfasts, roasted a chicken (I buy these locally several at a time and freeze them), baked cookies for the week, made pizza dough, and simmered the chicken carcass for broth. Once that was done, I made my grocery list, which is significantly smaller than it would have been had I not done all the preparatory work.

This evening, we'll have burritos, using the leftover chicken. Tomorrow, we'll have tomato soup, using the broth I made on Sunday, and grilled cheese sandwiches. Tuesday, we'll have pizza, and on Wednesday, I'll make a quick pasta dish because it's a busy night. Thursday, it's chili and cornbread, because by that time, Sunday's wheat bread will be long gone. Friday, we'll have pork chops, rice, and a vegetable from the freezer. Saturday, we'll go out to eat.

Then, we start all over again.

[frugalfriend]

Meal planning has been the bane of my existence for a lot of years.

I can so relate! This is a great thread as I sit here and once again plan meals for the week. I'm not very creative so this is helpful!

[celina]

my husband is very picky..i mean not even meat and potatoes...just the potatoes...lol.....he hates eating, and doesnt enjoy food....i love food...but anyhow after 10 years failing the dinner game....


his mom struggled with depression (as do i) and found it easier to assign a meal to a week day and that was it...monday speghetti, wednesday..hamburger helper...etc..

i resisted this for over 10 yrs cause what if i don't feel like xyz on tuesdays.....guess what , it wasnt any better at 530 pm and not knowing what to eat....sigh..

so for 2 weeks now...i've done the plan,

sunday roast beast (porc, beef or chiken or turkey...)
monday porc chops and potatoes
tuesday pasta
wednedsay bacon and eggs with fried potatoes
thursday chicken and potatoes
friday fish and chips,
saturday, whatever day...

its worked wonderfully, and dh is soo happy, he likes to know what it coming and he can email me and remind me...not to mention he pulls out the meat frmo the freezer if he sees i forgot...

may not be "fun" or spontaneous...but its been working for us....