33 MEALS (The Plan) :)

As the title implies I  have planned 33 meals to make in hopefully one weekend and get in the freezer so I won't have to think about meals every day and hopefully get our grocery bill lowered as well as our waistlines.   :)   As I make things I can post the recipes for them too but for right now...here is my basic outline and plan.


My goal is to get all the shopping done at one time.  Before that I will clear out the refrigerator of everything that is old and really no used often.  I want to just come home from shopping and get everything out of the car and into the fridge right off the bat.
That evening I plan to put 2 whole chickens in a big stock pot w/ some celery, onion and carrots and cook the chickens.   (the meat will be shredded or cut up and measured out into freezer baggies for meals and the stock will be placed into a few containers to be frozen for a quick throw together chicken noodle soup.  :)  I also plan to put a pork roast into each of our 2 crockpots and season one with liquid smoke and garlic and the other will just have some salt and pepper on it.   (one will be shredded and used for pulled pork sandwiches and the other will be used to add to other dishes)


Day 2 will be cooking day!!   Chopping veggies will take up some time but I will chop it all at once and then line things up in bowls to just add the right amount to each dish.  I want to do this as quickly and as efficiently as possible so I will open up all the cans at once as well and line those up too.   


Here are the recipes I plan to put together that day...(some are just the meat component and will just need to be thrown in the oven or into a sauce to cook but the hardest part will be done).


I plan to make.....
Meatballs  *pasta & meatballs or meatball hoagies*
Chili w/ just beans (we can use some of the pork or even shredded chicken in this to bulk it up) * we will have the chili w/ cornbread a couple of times, and use it for Chili topped baked potatoes too.*
Taco Meat  ( just cook up hamburger w/ taco seasoning and then put in baggies, this will be for taco salad & Burritos)
Marinated chicken breasts (make a few simple marinades and let sit in fridge a few hours then freeze, no cooking involved until you want to eat them...thaw and cook)
Marinated Pork Loin Chops  (I found a few marinade recipes that look good..do the same as chicken)
Enchilada casserole  *using either chicken or pork that has been shredded* 
Chicken, green bean & stuffing casserole *my family loves this and it is real easy to make*
Beef & Bean burritos  (taco meat and refried beans w/ some cheese in a tortilla and freeze, it's just that easy)
Spinach lasagna w/ meat sauce   *Easy and yummy*  
Chicken broccoli Alfredo over angel hair pasta  (Uses pre-cooked chicken, frozen broccoli & jar alfredo sauce over pasta)
Breakfast for dinner....either pancakes or waffles (which I will premake and freeze)
A huge pot of spaghetti sauce (tomato & Basil) This can be used for many meals!!
Homemade pizza dough  *no more ordering out for pizza, we can make what we like at home* 




I also plan on premaking Breakfast burritos that can just be made and frozen and reheated in the microwave for a healthy, filling, and nutritious breakfast on the go.  These will have peppers, onions, mushrooms, sausage & cheese wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.  


I have other things I already do to  make Breakfast easier like making Crockpot Yogurt and homemade granola and also crockpot steel cut oats.  Which can be made once a week and then easily reheated.  


So far that is the plan.....Once I go shopping, and make the meals I will be able to post an actual shopping list of ingredients as I tweak it and refine recipes etc.   


Most of these recipes I will double or triple and we will eat them twice or three times in that month.   Some things I will only make one of and try out to see how they work w/ freezing so I don't waste money on making something I am not familiar with.   


Here's to a Happy New Year!!   :) 





4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I Corinthians 13:4-7