Make your September easy with this one-month meal plan! Full of real food Fall recipes your family will love like rosemary olive oil bread and homemade chicken alfredo. Use as is or for inspiration to make your own meal plan!
Ah… September. The month when summer heat meets autumn cool. Zucchini mingle with squash, tomatoes hang out with apples.
I think September is one of my favorite months really. Any of these slow cooker soups for dinner isn’t out of the question, but neither is corn on the cob fresh off the grill.
This one month meal plan is a tribute to summer, with a tease to the upcoming fall. As always, feel free to take/leave the meals you like, or re-arrange as you need to fit your schedule. Remember that while this is a plan, it’s not written in stone – that’s the beauty of meal planning.
About this One Month Meal Plan for September
- This meal plan is based on an average family of 4, costing less than $400 for the month. You may need to tailor the portion sizes to suit the needs of your family size and budget.
- The goal of this meal plan is to feed our family well while wasting as little as possible. You’ll notice that we’re often re-using one part of a meal (like leftover chicken) in another part of a meal (like chicken enchiladas) in order to meet both of these goals. Keep this in mind if you rearrange the meals.
- This meal plan is mostly plants, with some meat. Viewing meat as a “side dish” is one way we’re able to afford grass-fed and organic meat every month! You can easily add more meat though, if you have meat and potatoes people at your table. Having all purpose chicken on hand is a great way to please the meat eaters and keep the budget down!
- This one month meal plan is what I feed my own family, although I might add a few extra vegetables on the side. If you want a detailed “action plan” of what this looks like in real life – what I batch cook, what I double, what I freeze for later, how I get the most out of each meal, and when I get it all done – come join the Meal Planning Made Easy Challenge!
MEAL PLAN NOTES
Included after each week are some extra ideas on how I would make the most of my time in the kitchen. While making food from scratch does take more time, I don’t need it to take ALL of my time!
Use these tips to help you get ahead each month and have food stashed away for the busy nights or even if you just need a night off.
Fight Inflation Workshop
Sign up for my FREE Fight Inflation Workshop and learn simple strategies to save money, even with rising food costs!One Month Meal Plan for September
Fall Recipes: Week 1
- (S) Baked Potato Bar // Toppings: sour cream, lettuce, shredded cheese, bacon, etc.
- (M) Creamy Root Vegetable Soup // Rosemary Olive Oil Bread
- (T) Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken // Instant Pot Brown Rice
- (W) Spaghetti // Side Salad
- (T) Skillet Quesadillas // Homemade Tortillas // Simple Guacamole
- (F) Homemade Pizza // Side Salad
- (S) Mediterranean Grilled Cheese // Crispy Potato Wedges
Meal Prep Tips:
- Bake extra potatoes for easy lunches.
- Make a two loaves of rosemary olive oil bread and use for grilled cheese later.
- Double or save leftover brown rice for next week.
- Double your side salad and serve with pizza.
- Drain liquid from leftover salsa chicken and use as filling in the quesadillas.
- Double the tortillas and freeze extra for next week.
Fall Recipes: Week 2
- (S) Instant Pot Whole Chicken // Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower // Instant Pot Brown Rice
- (M) Spinach & Chicken Enchiladas
- (T) Crunchy Quinoa Salad // Thai Peanut Sauce
- (W) Pasta Primavera // Side Salad
- (T) Chicken Salad Sandwiches // Artisan Bread // Sliced Veggies with Pesto Hummus
- (F) Bulgur Veggie Burger Sliders // Homemade Buns // Oven Roasted Potatoes
- (S) Minestrone Soup // Artisan Bread
Meal Prep Tips
- Make an extra whole roasted chicken or reserve half for chicken enchiladas and chicken salad.
- Use brown rice from freezer or make double batch and save for later.
- Use tortillas in freezer for enchiladas if available.
- Slice extra veggies and make extra hummus for easy snacks.
- Make two loaves of artisan bread and save one for minestrone soup.
- Make a double batch of homemade buns and save for next week.
- Minestrone soup is a great “catch all” meal. Use this opportunity to clean out the fridge of any stray veggies and proteins.
Fall Recipes: Week 3
- (S) Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps // Coconut Rice
- (M) Taco Salad Skillet
- (T) Beef Ragu // Side Salad
- (W) Cold Noodle Salad
- (T) Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Detox Soup // Dinner Biscuits
- (F) Best Burger Recipe // Homemade Buns // Carrot and Sweet Potato Fritters
- (S) Chicken Alfredo // Side Salad
Meal Prep Tips
- Make a double batch of coconut rice and save for next week.
- If desired, buy double ingredients for beef ragu and put in a freezer bag for a quick dump dinner recipe later.
- Use homemade buns from the freezer if available.
Fall Recipes: Week 4
- (S) Vegetarian Lentil Chili // 90 Minute Man Bread
- (M) Buffalo Chicken Potatoes
- (T) Instant Pot Pineapple Curry // Coconut Rice
- (W) Kale Caesar Salad // Homemade Croutons
- (T) Broiled Balsamic Vegetables with Rice
- (F) Homemade Pizza // Side Salad
- (S) Vegetable Fried Rice
Meal prep Tips
- Make an extra loaf of man bread for homemade croutons.
- Use coconut rice from freezer if available or make double and freeze extra for later.
- Vegetable Fried Rice is a great “catch all” meal. Use this opportunity to use up any stray veggies and proteins in the fridge.
Fall Recipes for Breakfast
- Peach Oatmeal Breakfast Crumble
- Strawberry Lemonade Donuts
- Cinnamon Granola
- Sweet Potato Apple Breakfast Bake
- Best Scrambled Eggs and Breakfast Biscuits
Fall Recipes for Lunch
- Cranberry Apple Spinach Salad
- Skillet Veggie Pizza Pasta
- Vegetable Greek Salad
- Kung Fu Panda Soup
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Leave a Comment