I make my menu with a lot of flexibility. My seders are both the same (it’s just my family this year, and by the time the second seder starts beginning around 9:30pm or so!), I can’t imagine there will be too much eating from the littler people. Especially since we only have chicken legs and no other meat. But I’ll sub in another veggie the second night and call it good.
I also plan just a selection of meals for chol hamoed and we see what we’re up to and what we’re in the mood for as we go. See some of my ideas for Passover meals on my Passover Pinterest board. And many of these are just recycled from previous years – no need to reinvent the wheel! If you check out a previous year’s menu, you’ll see a lot of the same thing. Good for memories and because I know what worked and what didn’t. (I take notes just after the holidays to help with that.) And a note: we’re Sefardi, so we eat rice and kitniyot.
Here’s my plan for this year (see 2013 menu)
Seders: Matza, Marror, Charoset, etc. Plus: matza ball soup, roasted cauliflower / moroccan eggplant, spice rubbed chicken stew, and matza crack
veggie salads served throughout: israeli, eggplant, zucchini, tomato
1st day lunch: Matza, veggie salads, chicken salad with blueberries (from this Passover cookbook), and strawberry lemon sorbet
2nd day lunch: Matza, veggie salads, ceasar salad (minus the croutons, but with glazed pecans) crudites, meringues
Breakfasts: coffee cake, matza and spreads, fruit, yogurt
Lunches: matza pizza, tuna salad, quinoa with roasted veggies
Dinners:beans and rice, stir fry and rice, potato bar
Snacks: Yogurt, string cheese, fruit or veggies, cookies
Shabbat dinner: matza and salads, “noodle soup,” chicken and oven fried potatoes,
Shabbat lunch: matza and salads, spicy Moroccan fish balls, spinach quiche, meringues and matza crack
Second days:
dinner – salads, matza ball soup, chicken,
lunch – salad with avocado citrus dressing,
dinner – salads, potato soup, warm quinoa and spinach salad
lunch – remix of favorites (AKA leftovers!)
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For more Passover 2014 ideas, tips, and lists, check out the OJH Passover Superpage. I also just put up a 2014 Erev checklist to help you be sure you get everything done!