Simple Weekly Menu

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The start of this school year has me more exhausted than ever. I’ve been feeling the need to simplify my life even more lately, especially at mealtimes. A lot of people I talk to have a weekly meal plan that they eat and it got me thinking! I’ve never done that before because I can get sick of a food quickly but I thought it would make my life easier if I made a simple category for each day of the week with written out options of our tried and true favorite recipes. It’s been a big help so far and can help kick me out of decision paralysis! This is what I have so far and I plan on building on it as time goes on. I’ve added some free printables at the bottom for easy reference — feel free to screen shot or print! I would love to know if you have any favorites we can add to the list as well — please share! :)

Monday: New Recipe // Tried & True Easy

Sometimes our weeks are stressful and sometimes they are more relaxed. On weeks we have less going on, I’ll make a recipe I’ve been wanting to try and on weeks we have a lot going on, I'll make one of our tried and true easy meals. I’ll link our favorite easy recipes below.

  • sausage and bell pepper skillet

  • meat loaf (serve with baked potatoes since the oven is already on and frozen vegetables)

  • brie, apple, and bacon sandwiches with a side salad

  • cashew beef

  • eggroll in a bowl

  • tuna cakes

  • bean pasta with tuna and trader joe’s vegan kale pesto

  • shrimp scampi (garlic, evoo, lemon) with shrimp and frozen veggies or zoodles

Tuesday: Grill or Roast Meat + Vegetable (add rice if needed)

This one is so simple. Pick a protein and veggie and dump them all onto the grill or a sheet pan and roast! I don’t want to offer a low carb meal to my kids, so if we are lacking carbs I will add microwave rice or some fruit.

  • Proteins: burgers, steak, sausage, chicken thighs, fish, pork tenderloin

  • Vegetables: brussels sprouts, butternut squash, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, peppers, broccoli, onions, zucchini (best for grill).

Some of our favorite combinations so far:

  • Burgers // zucchini and onions // microwave rice // BBQ sauce (grilled)

  • Italian sausage links // fingerling potatoes // peppers // onions (great grilled or roasted)

  • Pork tenderloin // brussels sprouts or broccoli // served with jarred applesauce (roasted)

  • Chicken thighs // butternut squash // red onion // thyme (roasted)

  • Roasted broccoli // broiled salmon

Wednesday: Soup // Salad // Add Rotisserie

  • yellow pepper soup // top with bacon OR serve with rotisserie chicken

  • sweet potato chili

  • Roasted butternut squash soup

  • Pumpkin soup (recipe coming soon!)

  • Split pea and ham soup

  • Lamb stew (recipe coming soon!)

  • White chicken chili — I omit the cream and use EVOO instead of canola oil I also usually use a rotisserie chicken

  • Chicken noodle soup

  • Salad with buffalo chicken

Thursday: Tacos or Fajitas

  • black bean & sweet potato tacos

  • blackened salmon tacos // confetti corn

  • regular beef & cheese tacos with broccoli slaw

  • fajitas (grilled or in pan)

  • enchiladas verdes (recipe from the defined dish — I used canned roasted tomatillo salsa and added shredded zucchini)

Friday: Takeout + Movie Night

  • pizza

  • Thai

  • sushi

  • Chipotle

Saturday: Flexible (Date Night // Family Out // Leftovers)

Favorite babysitter dinners (can be made ahead of time, lower risk of choking):

Sunday: Slow Cooker // Snack Board // Prep 1 Thing

Admittedly I am not the biggest fan of slow cooker meals! To me a slow cooker meal should be simple and not require a lot of finishing touches after it’s been cooking. This is what we’ve liked so far:

  • Pulled pork - I always take the sauce at the end and put it in a sauce pan and reduce and add to the shredded pork for a thick sauce. We serve it with broccoli slaw.

  • Asian short ribs - I like to serve this with green beans and microwave rice.

  • Tikka Masala - recipe from the defined dish

  • Salsa + chicken

Since I don’t need to fuss much about dinner with slow cooker meals, it frees me up to prep 1 thing for the freezer or for the week. I’m not great at meal prep but find I can usuaully talk myself into making one thing.

For the freezer:

  • waffles

  • pancakes

  • muffins

  • “uncrustables”

  • pizza roll-ups

  • zucchini bread

  • traditional meatballs

  • asian pork meatballs

For the week:

  • make a salad dressing

  • roast sweet potatoes and cook chorizo

  • hard boil eggs

  • make a breakfast bake (love this strawberry oatmeal one and I always double it)