How far in advance do you plan your meals?

[Michael_in_TX]

Generally speaking every Saturday or Sunday evening, I'll plan out what I think I want to cook for dinner each night for the upcoming week. I usually revisit the plan on Wednesday, which is when I tend to go to the store for the stuff for the remainder of the week and make any changes.

For the most part, I tend to stick to it....although I might end up swapping, say, Wednesday and Thursday's dinners. Of course, some weeks the entire plan goes out the window by Monday.

And then I have weeks like this week. Yesterday I was certain I wanted fajitas on Monday, but now I'm feeling more Greek.

Weekdays are more fluid than weekends; I do tend to stick with the more involved cooks that I have scheduled for the weekends.

So how do yall do your planning?

[RonB]

That's easy - make Greek style fajitas.

We normally plan far ahead - at least half a day.

[CaptainMike]

Wow, you are a planner!!

[58limited]

Often I decide around lunch time what I want for dinner. On Thursday I decide if I want to do a major cook over the weekend so I can thaw and start the dry brining process.

I really should do weekly meal planning to better utilize the three deep freezers full of food.

[dubob]

Plan? Y'all plan for a meal? Boy, that's a novel idea! I usually think about it when my stomach says 'Feed me!'

[CaptainMike]

I have been known to change the plan while starting to cook something else. And it's not a rare occasion!

[DaveD]

We typically map out the coming week's meals, but are happy to make a later change if we feel like it. Anything involving having to thaw out meat from the chest freezer requires some forethought, and if I'm looking to cook outdoors, the weather forecast comes into play as well. So yeah, I do a fair bit of at least having a few contingencies on a days-ahead basis.

[captainlee]

About a week since we pull so much from the freezer,but things can change due to weather or an unplanned activity. It's usually 80% correct.

[RichardCullip]

Each month I put together a month long menu where my wife and I alternate cooking days. I draw from a list of meals I like to cook and meals she likes to cook. We've been doing this for about 2 years now and the system seem to be working well.

[Michael_in_TX]

A 30 day menu? That is indeed some planning!

[Mosca]

I’m mostly like 58limited but sometimes I plan a little bit.

Right now I have a meat loaf thawed that needs to be cooked today or tomorrow, some cheese stuffed tortellini that should have been used two weeks ago but still looks okay, a ham slice we opened a couple days ago that needs to be used in the next few days, another ham slice that’s good until May, about half a pound of pastrami, a bag of baby spinach. Oh, and some Bob Evan’s Mac and cheese that Mrs picked up, that’s good for a couple weeks. And a pint of coleslaw and a pint of potato salad that she picked up at a new place, Butcher Bob’s BBQ*, that opened within walking distance from chez Mosca. And the chest freezer is full to the top with meat, and the freezer side of the fridge is filled with meat and leftovers.

We’ll have the meatloaf and the sides tonight. That’s actually enough food for 3 meals, I’ll figure out something. If Mrs wants Reuben sandwiches tomorrow that will solve the pastrami; if she doesn’t, I’ll make something with it for breakfast tomorrow.

But then I think of goofy stuff: I mean, why not make leftover meatloaf tacos? I have half a dozen uncooked corn tortillas, and that sounds really good….

*I tried Butcher Bob’s once before, but it was out of his food truck and not under good circumstances (cold outside, long line, inexperienced kids working the truck). The sides are decent, the brisket beans are excellent, the pulled pork was good, I don’t remember the ribs or brisket. I’ve meant to give it a try, but you know, the smoker is right there, like 5 steps away, and why buy his when I can make mine? Well his place used to be about 10 miles down the road in a direction not many people travel (driving south on Rt309 takes you to Hazleton, and nobody goes to Hazleton unless you have to), but now he opened up in the middle of Mountain Top, and I can walk there. So idk, maybe I’ll give it a go, y’know?

Edit: I’m going to have those meatloaf tacos. I might even make that my part of tonight’s meatloaf dinner. It just sounds like fun.

[FireMan]

About seven minutes give or take two.

[ofelles]

If I'm doing a family gettogether I start at least a month in advance. It gives people time to open their schedules and me time to get things ordered. We have a couple of people who think they can wait until a few days before to respond and want to change the menu (ya, like that is going to happen)
I try to give myself several days for just the two of us. Then there is always a quick grilled cheese or tuna salad sandwich.

[Skip]

Usually 1-3 days. Often times my decision includes how I'll use up the leftovers. If we're planning for Company or upcoming Holidays sometimes we plan weeks in advance. Easter Sunday menu is pretty much planned already.

[Richard Chrz]

I like to have an idea of what’s in our freezer, and other ingredients, then I can plan about a weeks worth, I might not know how I’m going to cook and serve it until the day of. But I know what I have access to, and a general idea of how and when I can/should defrost it accordingly. And like you, I have my wife hit up a grocery store most weekends to get any herbs, and other produce we might need, we always keep big supplies of onions and generslly potatoes, and now I can make our pasta.

[Jerod Broussard]

Varies. Bought a double quarter pounder last night (10pm) with a 10 piece nugget. All of the nuggets were for breakfast today, but two went with the burger. Had the others for breakfast but just realized I wanted a break since I am about to install the LAST of the insulation on this smoker. Corndogs it is.

[Dan Deter]

I'm pretty close to the same schedule you do. Plan out most of the week, assume I'm going back to the store later in the week for fresh veggies, and usually plan the Thurs-weekend then. Often plan on going out on Friday or Sat, and then the planned nights may shift based on what happens during the week.