diff --git a/cookbook/migrations/0031_mealplan_recipe_optional.py b/cookbook/migrations/0031_mealplan_recipe_optional.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..76a8a1b67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cookbook/migrations/0031_mealplan_recipe_optional.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Generated by Django 3.0.4 on 2020-04-13 17:48
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+import django.db.models.deletion
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('cookbook', '0030_recipeingredient_note'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name='mealplan',
+            name='recipe',
+            field=models.ForeignKey(blank=True, null=True, on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.CASCADE, to='cookbook.Recipe'),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/cookbook/models.py b/cookbook/models.py
index f0611a1f7..0f1763654 100644
--- a/cookbook/models.py
+++ b/cookbook/models.py
@@ -220,11 +220,17 @@ class MealPlan(models.Model):
     OTHER = 'OTHER'
     MEAL_TYPES = ((BREAKFAST, _('Breakfast')), (LUNCH, _('Lunch')), (DINNER, _('Dinner')), (OTHER, _('Other')),)
 
+    recipe = models.ForeignKey(Recipe, on_delete=models.CASCADE, blank=True, null=True)
     created_by = models.ForeignKey(User, on_delete=models.CASCADE)
-    recipe = models.ForeignKey(Recipe, on_delete=models.CASCADE)
     meal = models.CharField(choices=MEAL_TYPES, max_length=128, default=BREAKFAST)
     note = models.TextField(blank=True)
     date = models.DateField()
 
+    def note_head(self):
+        try:
+            return self.note.split('\n')[0]
+        except:
+            return ''
+
     def __str__(self):
         return self.meal + ' (' + str(self.date) + ') ' + str(self.recipe)
diff --git a/cookbook/templates/meal_plan.html b/cookbook/templates/meal_plan.html
index 0691e473b..653ca57fd 100644
--- a/cookbook/templates/meal_plan.html
+++ b/cookbook/templates/meal_plan.html
@@ -76,7 +76,10 @@
                                 <a class="mealplan-add-button" href="{% url 'new_meal_plan' %}?date={{ day_key|date:'Y-m-d' }}&meal={{ plan_key }}"><i class="fas fa-plus"></i></a>
                                 {% for mp in days_value %}
                                     <a href="{% url 'edit_meal_plan' mp.pk %}"><i class="fas fa-edit"></i></a>
-                                    <a href="{% url 'view_recipe' mp.recipe.id %}">{{ mp.recipe.name }}</a><br/>
+                                    {% if mp.recipe %}
+                                        <a href="{% url 'view_recipe' mp.recipe.id %}">{{ mp.recipe.name }}</a><br/>
+                                    {% endif %}
+                                    <span>{{ mp.note_head }}</span>
                                 {% endfor %}
                             </td>
                         {% endfor %}