Monthly Menu ~ Eat from the Pantry Challenge

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If you’ve been following along, Kelli from The Sustainable Couple and I are hosting a Spending Strike this January. As part of that strike, my family is eating about 80% from my freezer and pantry {I love following along with Jessica from Good, Cheat Eats & Life as Mom on her Eat from the Pantry Challenge}. I have one freezer stuffed to the gills, a fridge freezer that’s mostly a big mess, and a huge pantry full of wheat, beans, rice, sugar and oats. All I plan to buy this month is a bit of fresh fruit/salad fixings, and some dairy products. Everything else will be made with ingredients I already have on hand. Here’s what we’ll eat…

Monthly Menu ~ Eat from the Pantry

January Monthly Menu

Breakfasts will be ~

  1. Homemade granola and yogurt
  2. German Pancakes
  3. Eggy Breakfast Muffins
  4. Scones
  5. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
  6. Eggs & Bacon
  7. Toast {on homemade bread} & Smoothies

Lunches will be ~

Left overs and sandwiches on homemade bread. We have a lot of lunch meat and cheese right now, but that will disappear quickly. Then it will be peanut butter and homemade jelly. 🙂

Dinners…In no particular order…

  1. Sauteed Spinach and Cheese Ravioli {from Costco and in my freezer}  –> check
  2. Turkey Pot Pie {from my freezer} -> check
  3. Spaghetti {Roasted Tomato Sauce already prepped with meat and in my freezer} -> check
  4. Italian Zucchini Pie {from my freezer}
  5. Taco Soup for the Crockpot –> check
  6. Beef Fajitas {from my freezer}
  7. Spinach Mozzarella Meatloaf {from my freezer} with Roasted Veggie Medley -> check
  8. Pork Chops & Home Canned Sauer Kraut -> check
  9. Turkey {from my freezer} with Roasted Greek Potato Wedges
  10. Turkey Tetrazzini {from Good Not Perfect blog}
  11. Zuppa Toscana {adapted from The Sustainable Couple-> check
  12. Shrimp Scampi {scrimp from my freezer}
  13. Salmon & Sauteed Veggie Pasta
  14. Chicken Florentine Burgers {from my freezer}
  15. Crock Pot Ham
  16. Fried Rice with Ham & Peas {leftover ham}
  17. Fried Potatoes & Sausage
  18. Fried Potatoes & Bratwurst -> check
  19. Round Steak & Mashed Potatoes -> check
  20. Lasagna
  21. Scalloped Potatoes & Bacon for the Crock Pot
  22. Tacos {meat from my freezer} -> check
  23. Skillet Sausage & Egg Hash

I’m leaving a few wild card spots for dinners to clean up any extra leftovers we may have {or food I find hidden in the freezer} or for me to re-group and change my mind as needed. Hopefully after this month, I have an emptier freezer and a cleaner and better organized pantry! I’m looking forward to cleaning up a bunch of food that needs to be eaten!

How about you? What will you eat this month?

Linking up: MPM;

About Michelle Marine

Michelle Marine is the author of How to Raise Chickens for Meat, a long-time green-living enthusiast, and rural Iowa mom of four. She empowers families to grow and eat seasonal, local foods; to reduce their ecological footprint; and to come together through impactful travel.

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13 Comments

  1. Looks like you have a plan of attack – that is definitely the hard part! I am just so excited to see how it goes. PS – Thanks for including our turkey tetrazzini, I hope you enjoy it. Let me know!

  2. Well I’m not doing a whole month in one go, but 2 weeks prepped and planned. Breakfasts, lunch and dinners. Tonight was sausage and potato. Tomorrow Knorr Side kicks with chicken and peppers, next baked ravioli, crockpot chicken fajitas etc..

  3. I hope your baby girl is doing well and healing properly. Praying for a quick recovery for,her and her tired family.

  4. That is so smart to do weekly or monthly lists of pre-planned meals. I try to do that but I find it so hard to stick to.

  5. Nice work and thanks for sharing. This is a great idea. I’d be interested in knowing how much this ends up saving you.

    1. I will let you know, Matt. It’s saving a ton so far – I’ve spent right around $100 only this month. It’s a pretty good feeling.