When I was a kid my mom had a "Master Menu" that she lived by. It was 30 different main dishes, listed with main ingredients and the cookbook name & page. She could just grab it and go to the store. It kept us from eating the same thing over and over again. Spaghetti was on the menu only once a month!
I finally followed her example this fall and wrote one up for our family. Our daughter is just now three, and we both work. We don't have a lot of time to devote to dinner on weeknights. Some of the recipes are geared more toward adults (spicy, etc), but could be revamped for younger palates.
We aren't big on carbs (my husband doesn't care for them, my waistline doesn't do well on them), so our menu is pretty strong on protein and veggies and almost no pasta or rice.
I've tried the crockpot, but we are out of the house for too long (7:30 AM to almost 7 PM) and things would burn or dry out.
Anyhow, this is the list of main dishes from our master menu. It is five weeks worth of meals. I keep it in a spread sheet w/ suggested sides, list of ingredients, cook book info, and approximate time to prepare.
pot roast or BBQ ribs
flank steak
chutney chicken
shrimp w/ tomatoes and spinach
turkey or chicken sausages
sloppy joes
baked pasta
roast chicken or rotisserie chickens
pork chops
jambalaya
lamb chops
quesadillas
stir fry
catfish
meat loaf or pizza
pork tenderloin
BBQ chicken
mexican skillet
veggie burgers
stromboli
tuna steaks
chili or brats/hot dogs
crab cakes
cranberry chicken
beef stroganoff
chicken parmesan
ham steak
salmon
beef stew or cheese burgers
lemony chicken
italian sausage & peppers
hurry curry
kebabs
turkey burgers
cranberry meatloaves