Meal help

Lexxi

I need some help meal planning, I don't usually plan out for the week(s) what we are eating but do have a vague idea of what I can make, I'd rather plan it all properly so that I don't have to keep nipping out as it costs a fortune!! I have done a list of everything I have in, there is loads! I didn't realise there was that much and I want to make the most of it, like sometimes I'm not quite sure what I can do with leftovers. I'm hoping I won't have to get a huge amount of shopping in for about 3 weeks. There's only two of us and it'd be great if things can be prepared in advance or thrown in the slow cooker as I work shifts and OH works long hours.
Anyway, food we have;
3 x super noodles
2 x flavoured savoury rice
3 x tinned peas
5 x soup
7 x tinned tomatoes
Dried pasta - twirls, spaghetti and lasagne

Frozen
2 x pork chops
HM soup
4 x burgers
2 x minced beef 500g packs (one might be bigger)
Carrots
Bread
6 x chicken breast
4 x packs of flavoured chicken, think its tandori style
Waffles
2 x breaded fish
5 x packs of chicken think these are legs
2 x smoked dyed haddock - huge pieces!
5 x chunks of beef - bought a great big piece on offer and have cut it up will easily do meals and leftovers
Bag mixed peppers
Bag frozen onions
I think both bags are 1.5kg, might be more,

We also have potatoes, mushrooms, onions, wine, flours, spices, rice.

OH could do with things that can be reheated for a flask for him to take with him, I get fed at work. Anything you can suggest would be a big help, I've not really cooked for quite a while and like I said haven't properly planned meals out before

Also, some of the chicken I have I'm not sure if it's been frozen twice so my mum thinks it should be cooked from frozen, I have a sauce I usually cook chicken in, do you think it would make much difference to cook them seperately then add them together afterwards?

TIA x

esmf73

Hi there, Firstly in the next few weeks you have Christmas and New Year. Are you going elsewhere for your main meal? A lot of people go and see family over this time, so if you're travelling it can be a "free" meal!

Best thing I have found is to draw out a diary, put in any commitments that you have so you'll know if you're cooking for one, two or are expecting a free meal! Then have a look at what you like to eat. Very often I've planned meals for a week and half way through been bored and ordered a takeaway curry! So now I ensure that I cook a curry once a week - or something a bit spicy.

Then its just a question of writing it all down and thinking what you'd like to eat when - best of luck

La-Cara

As esmf said it's literally just a case of working through your inventory list and seeing what meals you can make from it that you like! From a quick glance you could make:

• lasagne/pasta, meatballs and tomato sauce/ spag bol (using mince & tin toms). If there's any bolognese sauce leftover this can be turned into chilli the next day by adding kidney beans and spices

• kedgeree using rice, onion, smoked fish, egg & spices

• curry, roast or stew using your meat, you don't need to have a whole joint to make a roast, just 1 chicken breast/pork chop can be cooked in the same way. To make things easier, you can always roast more meat than you need, then reheat the next day as curry

• frozen peppers and onions can easily be thrown onto pizzas or into bolognese sauce

• you can make an easy dinner using your waffles and burgers

Hope that gives you some ideas

lunches could be soup, leftover stew & bread or macaroni cheese. They should all keep ok in a flask

Lexxi

I did burgers and waffles for a lazy tea tonight!
Thanks for the suggestions, I've just looked up a kedgeree recipe, it's not as complicated as I thought!
We've decided on
Bolognaise sauce which I can make into lasagnes too
The other mince meat for pie and shepherd pie
Pork in apple and mustard sauce
Flavoured chcken with a curry sauce
Beef stew
Merengo sauce for chicken - think that's how it is spelt
fish n chips
Kedgeree
Chicken fried rice
Chicken chassuer

Just going to stick with these for now and see what's left after. We won't be getting free meals as I think we only have 25th and 26th together and as its our first xmas being married we're having lunch as just the two of us, but that's what the beef is for as OH doesn't like turkey.
Am I ok to freeze sauces that have wine in them, I bought a cheap bottle and was going to make a load of sauce then split it and freeze it?

BitterAndTwisted

I can't see any problem with freezing sauce made with wine.