We frequently eat fish on Fridays but only because there are no leftovers- the rest of the week there are intentional leftovers for lunches. Otherwise its up to my mood- I work from home so I have the luxury of creating elaborate meals when I feel like it. Last night was beef rendang and it was nice to have something warm and incredible smelling bubbling away on the stove for 4 hours on a blustery rainy day.

We try to buy what is fresh and local, and looks best at the time we are buying. So no routine here, except that on Sundays we will generally make one soup, stew or other meal to eat sometime during the week.

I don't have a specific schedule for certain dinner rotations but I do look at our upcoming week when planning our dinners for the work week. My kids, well all of our schedules actually, change from week to week. Some nights, 2-3 of my kids have practice, at overlapping times, so I'll make something that reheats well. Or, one may have an away game that I want to attend, so I'll make something ahead that one of my other kids can put in the oven that will be ready shortly after we get home. That said, Friday nights are often pizza nights and weekends might be a heartier meal, in winter, like a roast. I usually cook during the week, and Dh likes to cook the weekend meals. Dh travels often, so when he's away I usually do more casual fare like breakfast for dinner or use something from the freezer. This week, Dh is traveling so I pulled some leftover homemade meatballs from the freezer and made subs last night. So I guess my routine is that I plan our dinners, for the most part, on Sundays for the week, then grocery shop on Mondays.

Even after making dinners for 25 years, I still used to go to the grocery store and wander around in a fog. So a few years ago I started a running list in my phone of family favorites ( there are about 25). So, if I am in the grocery store and my mind goes blank my list always bails me out.

On the list are the usual suspects - spaghetti, hamburgs, etc. I also have chicken gyros, panzenella with chicken, chicken, tomato and feta with rice, grilled eggplant parmesan, green curry, make your own grilled pizza, etc.

I'm always curious about what other people make for dinner. Years ago, I read that the average person has a repertoire of something like 8 things that they cycle through.

I like a lot of diversity in our dinners and don't like to repeat the same recipe too often. I don't care much for leftovers so I generally aim for just enough left over to provide lunch for my husband. I've become the master of a leftover amount that is too much for one serving, not enough for two. It's a skill, not a good one, but there you have it. I do all the cooking.

We usually have fish twice a week, chicken twice, meatless once, beef once and a wild card. We have pizza once every two weeks or so. I don't like pork or ham so I only serve those when we have company. And I load up on side dishes those nights.

I keep a log book of what we eat, where I found the recipe (so I can find it again if necessary), and comments about the recipe. In spite of getting daily food emails from NYT, Epicurious, Smitten Kitchen, Once Upon a Chef, and my sisters, and having many cookbooks, sometimes I need an idea about what to make so I'll review the logbook for inspiration. It makes me laugh. Sometimes the comment is "not worth making again." My favorite comment was from my husband "I would like the record to reflect I don't always agree with your assessment." He thinks I judge too harshly, and I might since planning and preparing it makes me more critical of the end result than he is. He's very agreeable and happy to get a home cooked meal so he's a very easy judge.

I plan a rough idea of what I'll be making for 3-4 days at a time.

Both DH and I love to cook and I'm always trying out new recipes for us, that I can pass along to patients on our clinic's website (I made a great new Thai Chicken Coconut soup last night that I'll be adding). I don't like to make anything, though, that we will have to eat in the next day or so. If I can't freeze it to eat sometime in the next couple of weeks, I make only enough for that one meal. But, I do now have many great recipes that freeze well.

For dinners, the only routine we have really is that DH brings pizza home on Friday evenings, and we eat it while we watch a Netflix movie or two. And, before he picks up the pizza on his way home from work, he stops at the market in town for a nice big fresh slab of salmon. And then, on Saturday evenings, we cook it together with one of several great sauces and sides. I shop a Traders Joes once a week, and DH says he can always tell that I've shopped that day, because dinner that night is alway something frozen that I've purchased there for a quick and easy meal. Their Orange Chicken is one of my favs, along with sautéed, marinated tofu and an Asian salad.

Weekend lunches are a chore for me. I'm a BIG sandwich lover, but we're not eating bread much these days (low carb). Ugh, I really need to get some new,quick recipes someday soon! Oh, we do have the rest of the salmon for Sunday lunch most weekends, but with a different sauce or on a bed of greens.

Weekend breakfasts are kind of routine, though. Either DH makes omelets (he is such a great cook!), Irish oatmeal, or his delicious, super healthful almond meal pancakes. Or, I'll make turkey bacon and eggs, one of my almond meal coffee cakes, Huevos Rancheros or Breakfast Burritos.

Tonight is a 'whatever sounds good' night, and I'm trying another new recipe. Hope it turns out!

(Edited to add, tonight's new recipe- Slow Cooker Honey Pork Roast - did NOT turn out well (sigh!). Toss that recipe!)

Suero, I'm with you on that one. I adore leftovers!!! They do taste better.

I'm of the cook once, eat twice school.

I'm of the cook once, eat four times school! I make a big bunch of something on Sundays (chilis, roasts, etc) so that I have a dinner ready to warm up at least 4 x a week when I get home tired and crabby from work. By Friday I'm ready to go out or have something like soup or an omelette.

I have tired having a routine, but our life is not routine enough. We have three kids who fairly often might have a meet or performance or somesuch. I'm in the oity for one long day each week and don't cook that day. We go away a lot of weekends, and in summer are in 2 different houses. Plus we travel 2-3 times a year too.

I don't like to freeze food and most of what we eat is fresh.

The only thing I do is treat it like a puzzle. Protein, starch, veggie, plate of fresh sliced fruit (IDKW, but my kids nearly arm wrestle for sliced fruit, but a piece of whole fruit is ignored). Anyway, at least that way I have parameters and I can mix and match if you will. The other thing I find helpful is to make several good salad dressings to have on hand, because making a big salad is always an easy veggie but no one likes the bottled stuff. I always keep baby spinach and romaine on hand, because they last the longest so if I am desperate I have a veggie.

BTW I do often google "what to make for dinner tonight" but a lot of it is heavy. If you want to eat light, most casseroles and stews and such make less sense than the protein/starch/veggie paradigm.

I cook from scratch and try to vary our meals. My kids are gone so it's just DH and me. I try to cook clean, fresh meals so lots of stir fry, roasted vegetables, while keeping an eye on the fat content but also trying to keep the protein and fibre content up.

Our older son usually comes for dinner on Sunday so I cook a larger meal that will have leftovers so that he can take them home for he and his GF for lunch the next day. It has to be gluten/lactose free for his GF but I've come up with some good options.

I do not like leftovers but Tuesdays I try to have something leftover for DH for Wednesday as i'm not home for dinner that night.

I've started to make the occasional casserole (yes it produces leftovers but i skip a night and then have them) but it takes a lot of research to find something that does not call for cream soup in it.

We have never had a "cooking routine". Well, other than I do the cooking! Ha! My hubs is a very handy guy and he helps with cleaning, etc. but cooking and laundry are the two things I'd prefer he not do. Anyhoo, I somewhat plan out typically 4 meals a week. I usually always have things on hand for another quick meal (such as ingredients for soup). We are both fine with left-overs so I also often cook two meals that will give us leftovers for a second night. Like Mt., I always have salad ingredients on hand and can usually throw together a pasta dish or even "breakfast" for dinner. In our in season (produce) it's even easier because we have more fresh veggies and fruit on hand. We eat out a fair amount, mostly weekends although I will sometimes cook a meal. IE, this past weekend we had brunch out on Friday and then dinner out that evening, with various appointments and errands in between! Lunch out on Saturday and Sunday. I made a big pot of soup Saturday evening and we had leftovers of that on Sunday night. Often we eat breakfast later on weekends and dinner earlier, so we will only have 2 meals instead of 3. I like variety and like trying new dishes.

I'm an organized person but I don't like to cook and so at least subconsciously, I'm not very organized about meal planning. One kid has moved out, one is away at college, and one is home (she's 15). DD is a gymnast who doesn't get home until 9 pm Mon-Fri, so her dinner is always reheated from whatever DH and I ate earlier, and she eats while doing homework. It's a lousy program but it is what it is! We eat at least one meal together over the weekend.

When the kids were younger we ate dinner all together almost every night.

I don't even have a regular shopping day; I shop when I notice we're low on food. I generally cook 4-5 nights a week and I do try new recipes but nothing too elaborate. Lots of soups at this time of year. In better weather, we try to grill a lot. Friday night is usually take-out, Sat night we often go out to dinner, and often on Sun, DH (who is really just learning) and DD (who loves to cook) will plan and cook a meal together.

Every so often I'll get creative and announce that it's "soup week" or "sandwich week" and I'll make a different soup/sandwich/whatever every night. It's kind of a fun challenge and the family seems to enjoy it. No one was terribly excited when I did Vegetarian Week, tho.

I haven't made lunch for anyone but myself in a long time! DD makes her own lunch for school (her choice), DH eats at work, and on weekends we hardly ever all eat lunch at the same time.

Though we don't have a routine of the sort that we eat certain things on certain days, we do plan out our meals in advance at the beginning of the week. We are like Mtnrd in the sense that most of our meals are protein, grains, veggies. So we will usually decide on Sundays what protein we are eating over the coming week and make sure we have them available or defrosted as needed. I find that planning ahead leads to healthier choices.

For most foods, I really dislike leftovers, so we don't do much of the cook once, eat several times meals. I wish I did like leftovers, as it would make life much easier.

I more or less had a cooking routine on Sundays when I was working. I'd make food for most of the week including lunches for most working days. I'd sometimes make two or three portions but dole each out a little differently, or add a different sauce to one or another. Or make a couple of items in bulk, and alternate.

Lunches would be something to nuke or a salad - the only sandwiches I like are hot/grilled, which wasn't going to be possible. Nuked bread... no.

Weekday dinners could be leftovers or things that cook up fast, like fish or other seafood, or pork,... Anything extra could be layered over greens and cukes and the like for a lunch salad the next day. I'd really look forward to cooking on Friday night and Saturday - Saturdays in the summer at least is Farmers Market Day, and I'd love putting together what came to hand at the spur of the moment.

Things could sometimes fall apart on 10-12 hour working days, though. As for the crock pot, only brisket stands up to that length of crocking.

I typically don't eat pasta, it just doesn't satisfy either nutritionally or via the taste bud, for me. Pizza is reserved for when others (say at work, or some of us get together); a pizza night is just something I don't plan for. (I like pizza; I just try to cut back on it.)

Now that I have retired I havent't yet developed a specific routine for this. Sometimes I'll eat dinner type food for breakfast. Depends on mood and what's in the fridge.

I enjoy cooking and try new recipes every week. I have few "standard" dishes, and no real routines; my standard dishes might appear once every 2-3 months. I have to mark certain recipes so I will remember them and make them again--it drives my husband and son (currently living at home, but itching to leave) crazy when I make something once that they particularly loved, and they want to have it again. I sometimes prep 2-3 meals on Sundays so I'll have some meals "in the bank" during the work week.

One of my cook once , eat twice recipes (proportions aren't important):

Cornish hens

Russet potatoes (sliced 1/2" thick)

Carrots (sliced on the diagonal so that the pieces are all about the same size)

Celery (about 1" long chunks)

Onions (sliced into wedges)

Mushrooms

White wine or vermouth

Salt, pepper, thyme

Season hens inside and out with salt and pepper. Sprinkle generously with thyme. Place veggies on the bottom of a baking dish, add wine to cover to a depth of 1/2". Place hens on top, breast side down. Cover and bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes. Uncover, turn hens over, baste and cook uncovered another 20-30 minutes until the juices run clear.

I am a fickle/moody eater/cook. I enjoy cooking, just not every day. With 4 kids, eating out is too expensive to do regularly. I try to come up with 2 weeks of meals at a time and sub things as my mood dictates. I have to do that many at once so I can pick up any specialty items in town. I try to limit my trips to once a payday cycle. Most weeks we will have some sort of stir-fry. During the winter, I will make a big batch of soup with enough leftovers for lunches. We usually have pasta once a week for the quickness factor. Since I work a 10 hour day on Mondays, my 14 year old daughter cooks dinner and because I work during the dinner hour on Saturdays, my 18 year old son cooks. The 18 year old is less experienced (and less interested), so that is often an easy meal or a crockpot meal (also because I am not in there to supervise). Within every 2 week cycle I also try to do one large batch of something for dinner and for the freezer for when time (or energy) gets away from me. Right now we have pumpkin chili, lasagna, broccoli tofu enchiladas, meatballs and a chicken and dumpling base.

I wish I could be onboard with the cook once, eat twice camp, but for some reason, I really really do not like to eat reheated meat or poultry, with the exception of ground beef in something like chili, tacos, meatballs, lasagna. I will, however, eat cold chicken (but not red meat), so if I have leftover chicken, I will throw it in a salad or make a cold cous cous or quinoa salad and mix in some leftover diced up chicken. I think my biggest problem with meal planning is trying to come up with varied ideas that will please the majority of my family. There are several things my boys like that my girls don't, and vice versa. But that said, if I want salmon, I make salmon and older ds, who for some reason is not a fan of salmon but does like most other seafood, can eithe choke it down, make himself a sandwich or I'll plan it for a night he's not home for dinner.

Lynn, all four of my kids love the Trader Joes orange chicken. In fact, Dh is gone this week, so I just bought it today to have for dinner tomorrow night - my kids all have activities and this reheats well. I always serve it with their vegetable fried rice and a side of edamame. I don't usually buy packaged meals for dinner, but since this is one they all like, we have it maybe once a month when Dh is traveling.

one thing I do look forward to when Dh and I finally are empty nesters is being able to cook meals that Dh and I both enjoy that I don't have to worry about whether the majority of the family will eat (for instance, mushroom risotto-none of my kids like mushrooms or risotto!). I will also shift to much more vegetarian-style meals that would never satisfy my boys. I could easily give up red meat, but the men in my house would never!

I had an ironclad cooking schedule when the kids were growing up-cook something big on Sunday that could either be reheated or recycled like a roast beef or chicken, spaghetti etc. Then I had a nightly meal menu for Monday-Thursday, Friday was leftovers and Saturday was pizza night. I have always shopped on a weekend morning and in the meal rotation years, I'd actually make a list with the menus guiding what I shopped for. It was posted on the fridge every week. This was very much a function of having a streamlined routine; I'm not a particularly enthusiastic or creative cook, nor is it something I particularly enjoy.

But now that it's just my husband and I, it's been a real struggle to keep a meal time cooking routine. I got into a bad habit of hitting the food court fat our university with my office husband (AKA friend/colleague) for lunch and eating a heavy meal there, leaving me not hungry at all for the rest of the day. And I've found it so much easier to order takeout, or for us to each nibble on whatever we feel like having. Husband is uncomplaining and will eat anything or almost nothing such as a bowl of applesauce, some cheese and crackers for dinner. Actually, he doesn't care much about eating anyway so never praises or is terribly enthusiastic about anything I cook. If I ask, he'll say something was 'ok' and he will eat heartily, but I just don't have a spouse grinning happily, smacking his lips and thanking me for a great meal LOL.

I am trying to cook/eat more from my own kitchen though. Aside from the cost of buying prepared or takeout food, the nutrition is certainly lacking compared with what one makes at home. Maybe I'll get into a more casual version of my former meal rotation. This is an inspiring topic!

I have a written list of the top 50 meals that I make and my family enjoys. When making my weekly shopping list, I review for things we haven't had in a while. I also like new recipes and variations of favorites. I make notes on the bottom of the recipe card to any changes made or how we liked it. I like to freeze leftovers.

I make green salad, cooked veggie and fresh fruit just about every night (i don't cook on Saturdays), my meat eating guys are free to throw something on the grill or put something in the oven.

I wish I could get organized like most of you, but when I do, it doesn't last long. I don't work in the winter, so I'm home to do more. We eat meatless at home, and there are only so many ways to combine rice, beans, and veggies. I don't care for meat substitutes, or tempeh. We do eat tofu when I remember to defrost it. We also seem to eat a lot of pasta, partly because it's my favorite food group. :)

During my working season, I might get home at 5:30 or 7:00. And DH has an unpredictable schedule. Plus, if he had a big lunch, he might not want dinner. My disclaimer is, if he's not hungry, I'm not cooking! We happily eat leftovers, but those often get used up for my lunches.

If anyone has any wonderful meatless recipes, I'm all ears. We are pretty adventurous, love Asian, curry, soups, stews. Most things, really. I'm in such a rut, and I really need new ideas!

I was so organized when our three kids were still at home, but now that it is just DH and me I am not as organized. I am so tired of grocery shopping and cooking, I guess. I love good, fresh food but have just gotten a little lazy about making it. DH is not picky, and loves leftovers (I do not). Anyway, I need to get back into a better routine so I appreciate this thread.

My fella and I mostly nibble, like runningplace.

I've always been curious about how larger families determine what's for dinner. Who's the decider, the cook? What if someone doesn't want tacos, or whatever?

Mrrogers, I typically decide what is going to be for dinner since I do most of the work week cooking and shopping. I have four kids ages 12-17, two boys, two girls. At this point I know what most of them will eat and I cook for the majority. It is not at all appealing for me to slave over something that only 2-3 of us might eat, so I pick things that most of us or all of us will eat. Tonight was a family favorite that all will eat...Greek chicken, wild rice pilaf and green beans with lemon/garlic oil. Ds16 doesn't like salmon but everyone else does. I either make that when he's not around, or sometimes he will eat a small piece and just fill up on side dishes or make himself a sandwich. I don't care if someone doesn't "want" tacos. Unless you are willing to cook for the whole family, then you have to suck it up and eat what is planned b/c this isn't a short order kitchen.

Occasionally I'll get in a rut and might say to Dh, " I have chicken defrosting - any suggestions what to,do with it?" Or sometimes I'll ask the kids before I grocery shop if there is a meal we haven't had in a while that they want me to make. On birthdays, I will make whatever the birthday celebrator wants. They really enjoy trying to come up with something special. One of ds13's favorites is grilled lamb chops with mint pesto.

No children at home, so we eat very simply...grilled chicken breast or fish and steamed or roasted vegetables. When it's very hot, we turn to salads and when it's very cold, we add soups to the rotation. Occasionally, I'll make a batch of potato salad or orzo or some other carb-licious side. I experimented with some of the meal delivery services just to see if we would enjoy adding different flavors to our routine, but most of meals were pretty boring. I did like the taste of rainbow trout so I've added it to our list of fish we like to eat. Grocery shopping for me is easy...boneless, skinless chicken breasts or fresh fish filets in season and whatever vegetables look good. Dinner is on the table in 30 minutes or less and clean up is easy.

aok, I've been pleased with the meatless recipes in my Plant Pure Nation cookbook. Although she shies away from using the label (probably because it scares people off), her recipes are vegan. I don't adhere to that, so I'll use real cheese in a recipe.

One of my many, many quirks is I don't like bringing in and putting away the groceries. I don't know why but it makes me irritable for a few minutes. I don't mind shopping for them, which you might think should be the annoying part.

Tonight I made beef with broccoli from Once Upon a Chef. Not worth the trouble to me, but to be fair, I'm not a huge beef fan. Her recipes are reliably good but this one wasn't something I'll make again. No surprise, my husband liked it.

Thanks, hhireno. I'll check out Plant Pure Nation. It looks like it was written by the wife of T. Colin Campbell, whose Forks Over Knives got me eating meatless in the first place. Interesting!

I plan out the week ahead, including menus each weekend. I try to grocery shop just once a week, but occasionally have to make a second stop if we need an ingredient that isn't available or wouldn't keep during my weekend trip. I generally look at the weather and our commitments after work for the week and try to plan quick meals for most nights. I count anything under an hour as quick. Many of the recipes that say 30 minutes never seem to include the time needed for chopping, grating, and mincing ingredients. Or I am just a very slow sous chef.

We belong to a CSA which gives us most of our veggies weekly June - October, and a local meat share, which is monthly (frozen). The shares provide some structure based on what we have to use up, and have introduced me to many new vegetables and cuts of meat. Except in the summer, I try to do a slow cooker meal once a week so I can get to a yoga class directly after work, then get home and have a dinner ready to eat. We generally do chicken one or two times a week; beef once; pork or turkey once, fish once, and vegetarian two or three times.

I try not to exactly repeat too often. I keep a running list of a few dozen healthy quick recipes to choose from, and only try a brand new recipe one weeknight each week. I save leisurely cooking for the weekends.

I used to have a routine. Then one day my 7-year-old said "mom, are we having chicken or fish with the rice and peas tonight?" LOL! He really did!

So, I signed up for a weekly menu planning service. I've mentioned it in similar threads here. I subscribed for several years and saved the menus, so now here is my routine:

Every Wednesday (the day sales overlap at my grocery store) I choose a weekly menu from the current month. It includes menus for 6 dinners, plus a shopping list. I shop. Each night I pick one menu, and I know I have everything I need...unless, of course, DH decided to cook, and he just uses what's on hand, so I may no longer have what I need the next night. I don't mind, though!

So interesting how varied everyone's approaches are! I am very impressed by having a "top 50" list!

When our kids were growing up, we did a major shopping weekly and I did most of the cooking. We tried to eat dinner together and were pretty strict about protein, veggies, fruit. Sundays we cooked a big family dinner. As they got older, we often took the family out for an early dinner on Friday night. So I guess we had somewhat of a routine.

Over the years DH became interested in cooking and as he scaled back on work he scaled up in the kitchen. Now that he is retired, he does most of it and enjoys going out most days to pick up fresh produce and whatever strikes his fancy in the fish or meat department. He is inventive, and also likes to try and combine new recipes. We still eat well balanced meals, and we have our favourite recipes, but dinner is usually a surprise to me. If we entertain though, we like to work together in planning the menu and I enjoy cooking.

I was reading above where someone said they had greek chicken, green beans and rice last night and I laughed, as it is pretty much what we had.

First I made Near East rice pilaf, an absolute staple in my house. I marinated boneless, skinless chicken in some EVOO & white balsamic, seasoned w garlic salt and pepper. DH grilled them. I steamed some haricot verts and sauteed slivered almonds in butter until it browned, then added the beans. Add a plate of fresh pineapple and orange slices. Dinner.

It made me think, why don't we each list the top 10 meals we make for family dinners? We might get inspired.

That sounds like a great idea, Mtn. Why don't you start a new thread for it?

I agree, it does need a new thread. Off to make my list.

I love my big chest freezer and often cook big batches and freeze single size meals so I don't have a 'rotation' by day of what to eat. I like having salad for lunch and it does not bother me that often from one day to the next the salads will be similar.

When my children were still at home, I planned a week at a time, taking into account who had activities when/what day. There was a rotation of multiple menus each week.

Then children left home and husband and I were alone for a year - did pretty much the same. Then husband took a job at a Maine boarding school but we kept our house in KY. I went up for 4-6 weeks in the fall, back for nearly 3 months in the winter. We ate in the dining hall every night except Sat, when I cooked. DH was home for various vacations and for the summer. We ate out once or twice a week - meals a bit less planned.

Since I lost DH 11 1/2 yrs ago, I would describe my meal planning as more a shopping plan. I keep lots of my favorite staples on hand so I can cook whatever strikes me. I usually buy a rotesserie chicken at Fresh Market every two weeks - can get many different meals out of it and often just freeze wings and kegs for future use in a soup or with mushrooms. I rarely spend more than 20 minutes fixing dinner as I eat pretty simply. I nearly always gave a cheese omelet once a week, and in winter, tomato soup with cheese on an Eng muffin (fewer calories than grilled cheese). In the summer, I always keep chicken salad I buy from a gourmet deli and gave that with melon or tomatoes. A time or two each winter, I'll fix shrimp/asparagus risotto and yea, it reheats beautifully. Right now, I have a pkg of individually flash frozen sea scallops and some fresh asparagus - had planned on fixing it tonight but elderly dig is unwell and I'm worn out from dealing with him all day, so it will be postponed til Thurs or Fri and tonight will be leftover black beans and rice.

I'm all about easy, quick, and mainly prepared freshly by me.