Mon–Thu · 2 adults, 2 kids · Nov 2026

November Meal Plan

Four weeks, nothing over 20 minutes on a weeknight, everything comes out of the freezer the night before. Lunches are tomorrow's leftovers.

The weekly pattern (same all four weeks)
Monday
Partner in office · Me home · Big kid gym 4–5
15-min cook. Make double for Tuesday lunch.
Tuesday
Both in office · Sport 5pm
Freezer or 5-min assembly. No chopping.
Wednesday
Both in office · Sport 5:15
Freezer or 5-min assembly. No chopping.
Thursday
Both home · Little one home · Music 4:15
20-min cook. Make double, half goes to the freezer for next Tuesday.
Saturday 31 Oct, night before

Take 1kg mince out of the freezer

Sunday 1 Nov, 40 min, not a weeknight: brown the mince with an onion and 2 garlic cloves, add all 4 tins of Mutti polpa and the Mutti sugo jar, simmer 20. Split into two tubs, label BOL, freeze both. This covers Week 1 Wednesday and Week 3 Tuesday. Skip it and both nights fall over.

Week 1

Mon 2 – Thu 5 Nov
Mon
2 Nov
Partner in office · Me home
Big kid gym 4–5pm

Marion's cashew chicken + rice

Cook · 15 min

Thighs sliced, kit as per packet, capsicum and broccoli thrown in. Cook double rice.

Sun nightFreezer → fridge: ~500g chicken thighs
Tue lunchCashew chicken and rice, reheated
Tue
3 Nov
Both in office
Sport 5pm

Shepherd's pie #1

Freezer · 5 min hands-on

Into the oven as soon as someone's through the door. Cucumber, cherry toms, avo on the side so nobody has to chop.

Mon nightFreezer → fridge: shepherd's pie #1
Wed lunchPie leftovers if there are any. If not: tuna slices, capers, gherkin, cucumber in a wrap
Wed
4 Nov
Both in office
Sport 5:15pm

Bolognese on pasta

Freezer · 5 min

Sunday batch, reheated. Pasta on, sauce in the microwave, done. Rocket on the side if anyone's feeling virtuous.

Tue nightFreezer → fridge: BOL tub #1
Thu lunchBol pasta (both adults + little one)
Thu
5 Nov
Both home · Little one home
Music 4:15pm

Spice Tailor mango curry + rice

Cook · 20 min · makes 2

Both packs of Coastal Mango Curry, 1kg thighs diced, onion. Half to the table with rice, half into a tub labelled CURRY for Week 2 Tuesday. Freeze the sauce only, never with rice in it.

Wed nightFreezer → fridge: ~1kg chicken thighs (double batch)
Fri lunchCurry and rice

Week 2

Mon 9 – Thu 12 Nov
Mon
9 Nov
Partner in office · Me home
Big kid gym 4–5pm

Taco night

Cook · 15 min

500g mince, Old El Paso fajita mix, mini tacos warmed. Avo, cherry toms, cucumber, yoghurt standing in for sour cream. Cheese if you bought it.

Sun nightFreezer → fridge: 500g mince
Tue lunchTaco mince in a wrap with rocket and avo
Tue
10 Nov
Both in office
Sport 5pm

Mango curry + rice

Freezer · 5 min

Last Thursday's tub, reheated. Rice on. Done.

Mon nightFreezer → fridge: CURRY tub
Wed lunchTuna slices, capers, gherkin, cucumber on wholemeal (no leftovers this one, curry's gone)
Wed
11 Nov
Both in office
Sport 5:15pm

Lamb tagine #1 + rice

Freezer · 5 min hands-on

Tagine reheated, rice on. Cook double rice and fridge the extra: it's tomorrow's lunch.

Tue nightFreezer → fridge: lamb tagine #1
Thu lunchEgg fried rice from the cold rice: 4 eggs, capsicum, soy, 10 min (both adults + little one)
Thu
12 Nov
Both home · Little one home
Music 4:15pm

Marion's pad thai

Cook · 15 min

Kit as per packet, sliced thighs, 2 eggs scrambled through, broccoli florets. Doesn't freeze, so eat tonight and lunch tomorrow only.

Wed nightFreezer → fridge: ~500g chicken thighs
Fri lunchPad thai, cold or reheated

Week 3

Mon 16 – Thu 19 Nov
Mon
16 Nov
Partner in office · Me home
Big kid gym 4–5pm

Marion's satay chicken + rice

Cook · 15 min

Thighs sliced, satay paste, capsicum and broccoli in the pan. Cook double rice.

Sun nightFreezer → fridge: ~500g chicken thighs
Tue lunchSatay chicken and rice
Tue
17 Nov
Both in office
Sport 5pm

Bolognese on pasta

Freezer · 5 min

Second Sunday tub. Pasta on, sauce reheated.

Mon nightFreezer → fridge: BOL tub #2
Wed lunchBol pasta
Wed
18 Nov
Both in office
Sport 5:15pm

Shepherd's pie #2

Freezer · 5 min hands-on

Same as Week 1. Oven on, pie in, salad bits on the side.

Tue nightFreezer → fridge: shepherd's pie #2
Thu lunchPie leftovers if any, otherwise tuna and egg mayo on wholemeal (both adults + little one)
Thu
19 Nov
Both home · Little one home
Music 4:15pm

Mango curry + rice, round two

Cook · 20 min · makes 2

Last 2 packs of Coastal Mango Curry, 1kg thighs, plus 3 potatoes diced small so they cook in time. Half to the table, half to a CURRY tub for Week 4 Tuesday.

Wed nightFreezer → fridge: ~1kg chicken thighs (double batch)
Fri lunchCurry and rice

Week 4

Mon 23 – Thu 26 Nov
Mon
23 Nov
Partner in office · Me home
Big kid gym 4–5pm

Taco night, second pack

Cook · 15 min

Same drill as Week 2. Mince, fajita mix, mini tacos, avo, toms, yoghurt.

Sun nightFreezer → fridge: 500g mince
Tue lunchTaco wraps
Tue
24 Nov
Both in office
Sport 5pm

Mango curry + rice

Freezer · 5 min

Week 3's tub. Rice on, curry reheated.

Mon nightFreezer → fridge: CURRY tub
Wed lunchTuna and egg mayo on wholemeal, gherkin on the side
Wed
25 Nov
Both in office
Sport 5:15pm

Lamb tagine #2 + rice

Freezer · 5 min hands-on

Tagine reheated, rice on, double rice again for tomorrow's lunch.

Tue nightFreezer → fridge: lamb tagine #2
Thu lunchEgg fried rice from the cold rice (both adults + little one)
Thu
26 Nov
Both home · Little one home
Music 4:15pm

Potato, capsicum and ricotta frittata

Cook · 20 min

3 potatoes diced small and microwaved 4 min, onion and capsicum softened in an ovenproof pan, 8 eggs poured over, ricotta dolloped on top, under the grill till set. Salad on the side.

Wed nightNothing. Eggs and veg only.
Fri lunchFrittata slices in a wrap with rocket

Stock check

against the last two shops

What this plan uses up

  • All three Marion's kits (cashew, pad thai, satay)
  • All 4 Spice Tailor mango curry packs
  • Both packs of mini tacos, the fajita mix
  • All 4 freezer dinners: 2 shepherd's pie, 2 lamb tagine
  • All 4 polpa tins + the sugo jar (Sunday batch)
  • About 2 dozen eggs, 3 of the 4 packs of wraps, most of the potatoes and capsicum

Plan B (untouched, for when a night goes sideways)

  • Fish fingers + wedges: the 1kg bag stays in the freezer. Oven, 20 min, zero thinking.
  • Tuna pasta: pasta, garlic, a polpa tin or the sugo, 2 tins tuna slices, capers. 12 min, all pantry.

VERIFY, I can't see your freezer

  • Mince: plan needs about 2kg (1kg Sunday bol, 500g per taco night). Less than that, drop Week 4 tacos to fish fingers and move the frittata to Wednesday.
  • Chicken thighs: about 2.5kg across five nights (500g × 3, 1kg × 2).
  • Rice and pasta: heavy use. Check the bags before the 4 Nov shop request.
  • Assumed in the pantry, not on either invoice: oil, soy sauce, a stock cube. No grated cheese on either shop. Tacos and frittata are better with it; add a block to the Thursday shop request or live without.

Don't

  • Don't cook fresh on Tuesday or Wednesday. You're both back from the office with a 5pm sport. Freezer or it doesn't happen.
  • Don't double the pad thai or cashew kits. They go gluey frozen. Eat-tonight meals only.
  • Don't freeze curry with rice in it. Sauce only, rice fresh.
  • Don't skip the Sunday batch to save 40 minutes. It costs you two weeknights.