Plat du Jour – A Menu Plan For Everyday

We have always planned our meals each week. Our system over the years has changed and evolved, but the basic plan stays the same.

Our chalkboard in the kitchen states Plat du Jour and although we do not post every meal on a chalkboard, we have our meal planner and recipes to reference each day.

The Meal Plan

Typically, we plan five meals every week (the plan below includes meals for the whole week). Some are new recipes that we want to try and some are old favorites that we incorporate into our meal plans frequently.

Especially right now with the stay at home order, we are limiting the number of trips to the market to only one time per week. Of course, we go early in the morning wearing our mask and with a container of disinfecting wipes in the purse. Typically, I will only see about 4 other people in the store and it has been sanitized the night before.

Prior to heading to the market, we complete our meal planner that has sections where you can write in what produce, dairy, meat, pantry, freezer, and miscellaneous items needed for the recipes. This is useful in keeping organized in the market and not spending too much time there.

 Plat du Jour – The Method

http://www.luxedujour.com/the-method-meal-planning-and-shopping-lists/

The menus are on the back and then we fill in the planner with what ingredients are needed for each meal on the front. There is no order in which meal we enjoy on a specific day. In the middle of the day, we decide what we have a taste for and get things out and prepped. Of course, when we are working, this timing varies based on our schedule. It is so much more organized to have everything you need on hand for the week versus running to the grocery store constantly.

In our area, we have not had any issues with getting what we need at the market. The hubs LOVES Costco and will stock up on all of our paper goods, cleaning supplies, etc. So, we had all of those items already in our pantry.

On The Menu This Week (planned for the whole week)

Monday

• Chicken and Kale Sausage
• Sauerkraut and Red Skin Potatoes
• Assorted Mustards on the side

Tuesday

• Pork Tenderloin with Marsala Cream Sauce
• Herbed Brown Rice
• Sauteed Broccolini

Wednesday

• Marcella Hazan’s Pasta Sauce with Penne Pasta
• Green Salad (with our house dressing) sliced red onion, Campari tomatoes, and parmesan cheese

Thursday

• Stuffed Red and Yellow Peppers with Sausage Stuffing
• Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze and Fresh Basil

Friday

• Chicken Chili with all of the fixin’s (sour cream, chopped green onions, guacamole, and hot sauce)
• Homemade Cornbread with Green Chilis

Saturday

• Tuscan Grilled Chicken
• Cannellini Beans with Lemon and Fresh Rosemary
• Arugula Salad with Parmesan shavings

Sunday

• Traditional Roast Chicken
• Buttered Red Skin Potatoes
• Fresh Green Beans