Menu Monday + An Easy Lunch {1.3.22}

I’m kicking off the first Monday of 2022 with a regular old Menu Monday post, because one thing that’s always the same no matter the year is people’s need to eat! Here is a full week’s worth of meal ideas that I hope will inspire you!

You’ll see that on New Year’s Day I served, as I usually do, a menu of appetizer type food. I made the Chicken Bacon Ranch sliders that my sister served on Christmas Eve because they were too good to only have once during the holiday season! The recipe is linked in the menu – they would be perfect for the Super Bowl or any party like that.

Easy Lunch Tip: Last week my office coworker and I decided to have lunch together the next day, so that morning I stopped at the grocery store and picked up two pre-made salads (I grabbed the spinach/bacon/parm Fresh Express ones) and a container of Panera’s Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup from the deli.

It was such a delicious lunch! We were able to enjoy the whole lunch break while we chatted and ate our food, instead of spending most of the time in the car. Bonus: I spent the same amount – or less – that I would have spent in a restaurant!

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On The Menu

Breakfast:

• “Kill the Winter Crud Smoothies” – orange juice, oranges or clementines, frozen banana, fresh spinach, vanilla greek yogurt, frozen pineapple or peaches
• Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole (I made this twice over the holidays and it was a big hit both times! This would be a great make-ahead breakfast for the first day back to school.)

Lunch:

• Spinach Salads and Creamy Chicken Soup from the grocery store
• Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Supper:

• Best Ever Sunday Roast/Mashed Potatoes/Southern Green Beans
• Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup/Caesar Salad
• Crab Cakes for Frugal Crab Cake Lovers/Spinach Salads with Bacon and Hard Boiled Eggs/Baked Potatoes
• New Year’s Day: Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders, Cheddar Bacon Cheeseball, Pigs in a Blanket
• Mini Meatloaves/Mac and Cheese/French Peas
• My Go To Taco Casserole/Fruit