FREE May 2019 Monthly Menu Plans (Regular & Instant Pot) Downloadable with Clickable Recipe Links

Can you believe we are already heading in to May? This year is just flying by and if your May is anything like ours, it is just about to get every crazier! May is so busy for so many families between proms, end-of-the-year parties and activities, graduations, and even wedding preparations as we head into the busiest months for those!

With all the crazy and busyness of life, it makes it that much more important to do some meal planning. Well have no fear, I have done some of the planning for you! Meal planning can be a daunting task, especially if you aren’t sure where to start.

Whether you follow our meal plan exactly or you want to move things around a bit, here are some rules I follow when creating them. First, I pick out seasonal recipes for salads and put them in at least once a week. This is not only a great break from cooking, you can use up leftover meat for the topping or as a side with the salad if you don’t want it on top. You can also an easy way to add a little healthy to your meal plan.

After I choose and place my salads, I start with Friday nights. We love grilling out, but with my husband’s work schedule Friday night or the weekend is really the only time we have to do it. So, I put all the grilled meals on Friday nights. I try to find a mixture of meats and sauces, because who wants BBQ chicken every. single. week. right?

After that, I fill in some Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Meals on days we have busier schedules (typically Sunday and Wednesday). Then all I have to do is fill in the rest of the days. This is a great system to follow whether you are creating your own meal plan or moving things around on ours. If you have a busier week than others, move more IP or slow cooker meals to that week to help alleviate some stress.

Meal plans are so simple and customizable, which makes them a wonderful asset for any busy family. You are certainly welcome to download our plans as is and use them, but I know many families love the flexibility of being able to move meals around to fit sales or your schedule.

Special Meals for the Month

If your family includes Star Wars fanatics like mine, they are probably looking forward to May 4th – Star Wars Day. This year it falls on a weekend, so why not set up a marathon weekend and make up some sweet treats to add to the celebration!

May weather will be warming up in preparation for summer, which means I typically use my oven less and less. I love being able to make sandwiches for my kids at lunch, but sometimes you want to mix it up a bit. Check out these fun hoagie/sub recipes or these unique twists on peanut butter and jelly!

And if your family loves pretzels as much as mine, they are sure to love these yummy recipes that include pretzels! They are the perfect blend of sweet and salty!

Choose from Two Meal Plans

The regular meal plan includes slow cooker meals on Sundays and Wednesdays, for a break in the kitchen or those busy days. There are a variety of soups to get you through those chilly nights as we welcome in spring and some salads to break it up just a bit.

Or choose the Instant Pot Meal Plan. On this plan I have included some delicious winter and festive meals with a variety of meats (fish, chicken, pork, beef), plus a few salads. Also, the suggestions for breakfasts, lunches, snacks and desserts at the bottom are all Instant Pot recipes!

As always, feel free to move any of the recipes around as needed to fit your family’s schedule. However, you can combine the two for more variety. And if you’d like to switch up some of the Slow Cooker Meals to an Instant Pot recipe, check out this Instant Pot beginners post for a great link to help! 

There is a variety of meats (fish, chicken, beef, pork) as well as soups and salads (on both plans) to keep the whole family happy. My hope each month is that you will find some new favorites to add to your own must have rotation.

You can download each meal plan by clicking on the corresponding images below. 

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