Two Monthly Meal Plans for October 2020 {Downloadable with Clickable Links}

October is one of my favorite months of the year. The weather is just starting to turn cooler (if you live north-ish), which is perfect for football games, taking nature hikes (without the sweat), watching the leaves turn colors, and enjoying more time around the campfire with family and friends.

Another reason I love the month of October is because it really is the start of the holiday season. This year we will be traveling during the holidays and we are looking forward to spending time with our “on-the-road” family while enjoying time outside with each other.

We spend a lot of time outside when the weather starts getting cooler, so creating and sticking to a meal plan saves us a ton of time. It also saves us from trying to figure out a last minute meal when everyone is cranky and hangry. I love mixing the two meal plans to fit our schedule, tastes, and sales for the week. 

Usher in the Fall Season with these Recipes

If you’re like my kids, you love to wake up and have a warm bowl of oatmeal on a chilly fall morning. Check out these oatmeal recipes perfect for starting a fall day. Another favorite on those cool fall days is a nice big bowl of warm soup. If you’re looking for some inspiration, be sure to check out these delicious fall soup recipes!

Heating up your kitchen on a crisp fall night is a great way to stay warm and make an amazing meal for your family. If you don’t want a lot of dishes to clean up, you’ll love these mouth-watering fall casseroles – and so will your family! And of course, you’ll want to finish off your day with a sweet fall-flavored pie!

Mix and Match from Two Meal Plans

The regular meal plan includes slow cooker meals on Sundays and Wednesdays, for a break in the kitchen or to use on those busy days. There are a variety of meats and seafood with some seasonal salads to break it up just a bit. With the weather cooling down this month, I have added soups on both meal plans too!

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

There is a variety of meats (fish, chicken, beef, pork) as well as 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.

As always, feel free to move any of the recipes around as needed to fit your family’s schedule. You can also 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! 

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