Wondering how to plan for a Pantry Challenge? Here are the strategies I’m using to help make our “eat-down-the-pantry” month go well.
This month we’re undertaking a low-spend, Pantry Challenge kind of month. My hope is that we will spend a few hundred dollars on groceries and focus on using up what we have –without anyone freaking out too much, myself included.
Yesterday I spent a huge chunk of time menu planning. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, taking inventory and planning are critical to a good pantry challenge. I am counting on the time investment paying in big dividends throughout the month.
Here’s how that all went down:
The Meal Planning Process for a Monthlong Pantry Challenge
1. Inventory.
I think that taking stock of what you have is pertinent to your having success in a pantry challenge. Even after one day, I find that having fresh knowledge of my supplies helps me think in different ways. An ingredient inventory is a must-do.
2. Meals we can make.
After I made a list of the things we had in the freezer, fridge, and pantry, I brainstormed list of meals I could make from those ingredients. I flipped through my copy of Good Cheap Eats: Everyday Dinners and Fantastic Feasts for $10 or Less to get ideas. Since I already had a mental framework for ingredients, it was easy to identify which recipes would work for our pantry challenge.
3. Four weeks of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Once I had my meal ideas rolling around in my head, I plotted them out on three calendars. I printed out three copies of this monthly meal planner and devoted each one to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I’m hoping to simply have a grab-bag of snacks available rather than serve a specific snack each day.
Obviously, I need to buy another color ink cartridge for my printer.
Some of these items will be subject to change since my people may eat more or less than I anticipate at this point. I might also have overestimated my supplies as well. Time will tell, eh?
4. Each week at a glance.
While I think a month-at-a-glance is good particularly for bringing variety to breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, I also wanted to see how the meals of each whole day would work out. Once I’d finessed the meals, I put together a week at a glance sheet. It’s not as pretty as the others, but it will do the job.
5. Lists of things to prep.
In addition to listing each day’s meals, I made a list of things to prep. (You can grab this printable meal prep worksheet if you want to be fancy.)
I’m notorious for forgetting to thaw, so I don’t want that to be an issue this month. I’ve got a list of things to thaw as well as reminders for thinks to prepare in advance so that actual meal prep can go easily.
FishChick8 and I spent some time doing this on Saturday. She is thrilled at the prospect of all this cooking.
The Meal Plan for the Month
Breakfasts
I planned a type of rotation for every five days. You’ll recognize the pattern. We have a lot of oats and corn ingredients on hand so those are kind of dictating the challenge.
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Corn Pancakes, loosely based on this recipe
- Oatmeal Bar
- Fried Eggs and Toast
- Granola
- Crepes
- Corn Waffles
- Oatmeal Bar
- Egg dish
- Granola
- Muffins
- Popovers (from Good Cheap Eats cookbook)
- Oatmeal Bar
- Egg dish
- Granola
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Pancakes
- Oatmeal Bar
- Egg dish
- Granola
- Crepes
- Oatmeal Waffles
- Oatmeal Bar
- Egg dish
- Granola
- Muffins
- Popovers and Jam (from Good Cheap Eats cookbook)
- Oatmeal Bar
Egg Plus Salad Sandwiches
Lunches
Lunches may be all over the map. In order for school to go well, I need to have few interruptions. That means more sandwiches and easy-prep meals. Here’s the plan:
- Cheese Enchiladas
- Turkey Cheddar Melt
- Rice and Beans
- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- Tuna Salad Sandwiches
- Pesto and Feta Pasta Salad with Cranberries plus DIY Pasta Salad for Picky People
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Bagel Sandwiches
- Pasta with Sausages and Red Sauce
- Puff Pastry Pizzas
- Quesadillas
- Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
- Grilled Sausages and Potatoes (one of our favorites from France)
- Chicken and White Bean Chili
- Tuna Salad Sandwiches
- Pita Bread Pizzas
- Turkey Avocado and Chipotle Mayo Sandwiches
- Beans and Rice
- Lasagna, but with beschamel sauce instead of middle cheese layer (see Good Cheap Eats cookbook)
- Burrito Bar (see Good Cheap Eats cookbook)
- Turkey Sandwiches
- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- Stone Soup
- Quesadillas
- Egg Plus Salad Sandwiches
- Beans and Rice
Dinners
We may have some pretty fancy dinners based on what I found lurking. I hope that my energy level is up for the task.
- Lawnmower Taco
- Turkey and Spinach Lasagna with Feta Cheese (from Good Cheap Eats cookbook)
- Alfredo Mac and Cheese (from the freezer)
- Turkey Pot Pie
- Turkey Noodle Soup
- Chicken Sausage in Puff Pastry
- Pizza Night (with pepperoni and prosciutto for proteins)
- Summer Rolls
- Chicken Tamales
- Beans and Rice
- Pancake Supper
- Pork Tenderloin in Phyllo (maybe trying this recipe)
- Split Pea Soup with Bacon (from Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook)
- Pizza Night (with chicken for the protein)
- Asian Chicken Salad (from Good Cheap Eats cookbook)
- Carnitas Tacos with Homemade Corn Tortillas
- Pasta with Quick Meat Sauce
- Quesadillas
- Queso Fundido with Homemade Corn Tortillas
- Fish Chowder (from new book)
- Pizza Night (with sausage for protein)
- Pork Stirfry (from new book)
- Grilled Fish
- Alfredo Mac and Cheese (from the freezer)
- Sauerkraut and Pork
- Poorman’s Beef Wellington (adapting this recipe)
- Bday Supper out
- Pizza Night
- Summer Rolls
Yes, that was a lot of work. Oh my! I don’t know that I’ve ever gotten this specific in my meal planning for a Pantry Challenge. Here’s to it paying off!
