Free Halloween Menu Downloads
After a long HOT Summer, the weather has FINALLY dipped into the 60’s and 70’s where I’m at.
After that first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season, I’m already thinking about Halloween.
Menu Planning Tips
I know I’m not the only one but I’m going to say it anyway, I LOVE FALL FOODS!
Butternut Squash, Pumpkin, Spicy Sausage, Cinnamon, Cloves, Hearty Soup, Roasted Root Vegetables…..YUM.
To kick off the season I have some of my favorite recipe links below as well as some Halloween Printables for you.
But first, here are a few tips and tricks for the kitchen:
- Waste less food by planning out 1-2 weeks of menus. I usually plan 5-6 menus per week and I start with new exciting recipes I want to try or a few of the family favorites.
- Think about ways to keep using the same ingredients. Need a bag of carrots for that hearty pot roast on Sunday? Work carrots into another recipe that week like a quick Bolognese Sauce or Chicken Noodle Soup. Won’t be using all of your bell peppers for that spicey sausage pasta, chop the rest and throw it in with the taco meat on Tuesday. If I plan my week and grocery shopping list this way I cut WAAAAY down on produce spoiling.
- POST your menu plan on the family bulletin board or stick it on the fridge. This not only helps keep the whole family updated but also helps keep you on course. Especially if you have kitchen helpers or just really hungry teens that keep asking “What’s for Dinner?”.
- It’s okay to move some things around, rarely does a week go by when I don’t sketch an arrow on my menu plan to switch a night around. Either forgetting I needed a simpler meal since we had an event to go to, or frankly, I just wasn’t in the mood for soup that night.
- Watch your portions on new recipes or plan to eat leftovers for lunch. For my family of four, I often have leftovers with a new recipe. Luckily I have a single 30-year-old brother that helps clean those up, otherwise, we’ll eat them for lunch the next day. Another great option is to split that lasagna into two smaller dishes and freeze the other portion. You can also do it with a lot of other recipes. We made philly cheesesteaks the other month and I just pulled out the leftover filling the other day from the freezer and threw it in with some hot buttered pasta. It was a hit and I had dinner ready on the table in less than 30 minutes (which almost never happens).
- When planning your menu for the next 1-2 weeks, take inventory of what’s in your freezer. Add those easy freezer meals in on for busy or feeling lazy nights. Usually, by the time Friday rolls around I need a break.
- Don’t forget to enlist kitchen helpers if you have them! 🙂
FREE Printables
Please enjoy the following free printables for this Halloween Season.
Either Pin the image for later
or here’s the link to download:
Free Halloween Menu Printable – PDF
Free Grocery Shopping List Printable – PDF
The pages are 8.5 x 11 inches and fit a US Letter sized paper. The file is a PDF and can be opened with Adobe Reader.
Editable Versions in the SHOP!
If you’d like an EDITABLE Dinner Menu Planners, please visit my Etsy Store.
Favorite Fall Menus
My favorite soup last Fall was this one from Half-Baked Harvest Slower Cooker Tortellini Vegetable Soup
I also love this one but it takes a little longer in the kitchen, Creamy Wild Rice Chicken Soup
Top this chili with Fritos and I’ll be in Heaven, Pumpkin Chili Slow Cooker from Taste and Tell Blog
Check out my Pinterest Board for even more ideas: MindyanaJones on Pinterest
Before you go, check out some of my other blog posts about Dinner Menu Planning.
