AllRecipes.com Menu Planner

A majority of my soup recipes are created on a whim. It all depends - some days I'll think of an idea a day or two before a post and decide that is the soup I want to try or I'll be inspired by a picture or an ingredient and take it from there. Not the most organized system and thankfully there are websites out there like AllRecipes.com that can help me get it together. 

I recently learned more about getting organized and planning of my soups (and meals, in general) at an event sponsored by AllRecipes.com featuring tips from Deb of The Make-Ahead Mamas. The event also included tips on how to use the new Menu Planner on AllRecipes.com, an online tool is designed to help users create their own personalized meal plan through a unique search that is catered to their needs. The feature acts likes like an app where users can simply drop and drag various recipes into their personal database that is saved into a weekly menu plan. This allows users to create meals for up to 10 days that also creates a personalized shopping list for you based on your recipes. The tool also allows home cooks to sort by dish type (appetizer, beverage, bread, side dish, etc), cuisine (African, American, French, German, etc), ingredient type, and how quick a dish can be prepared. Users can also locate pre-made menus such as 'Three Courses in Thirty Minutes' or 'Low Cal and Loving It' or by creating creative themed meals such as those for holidays, parties, or those based on the season.

Screen shot of the AllRecipes.com Menu Planner

I tested this concept out for a potential spring soup swap that I hope to have next month. Choosing unique soups that I have never worked with I found a Lettuce and Tarragon Soup, a rich Brie Soup, a Classic Vichyssoie, a Ratatouille, and a French Spring Soup that I am excited to learn more about and eventually create. The planner then gave me my personalized grocery list for these soups and allowed me to save the recipes for a future date.

After only using the planner once, I was excited to have my organized soup list and menu options planned and ready to go. With a personalized search featuring over 1,300 menu options, getting organized in the kitchen just got a lot easier.