It’s time to start thinking about your meal plan for next week. From BBQ Chicken Meatballs to a 15-minute Carbonara, we’ve got five weeknight dinners that will get you through the week ahead. So grab a pen, make your shopping list, and stock up before the weekend’s over. And if it’s easier for you to do that from your inbox, be sure to sign up for our weekly meal plan emails.
Top: BBQ Chicken Meatballs | One Hungry Mama
Related: Our new family cookbook obsession. Seriously.
When I’m not loading up our #MeatlessMonday meals with cheese — you know, for some table side kid appeal — I’m putting chickpeas center stage. Hearty, healthy, and versatile, my kids have come to love chickpeas in all forms, and I know they’ll eat up this Coconut Chickpea Curry at Jessica in the Kitchen. All we need is some rice or flatbread on the side to make sure that none of that sauce goes to waste.
Anyone who’s followed me at my own blog, One Hungry Mama, knows that I’m more than a little obsessed with meatballs. They’re just so easy to throw together (literally), can be flavored any which way, and kids love them. Seriously, all of them. So why not try my BBQ Chicken Meatballs? Just be sure to make extra to pack for school lunch or stash in your freezer. You’ll be happy you did.
Related: Comfort food upgrade: 7 ways to turn plain grilled cheese into a legit family dinner.
Nicole of Brown Sugar Mama has been looking for an easy Shrimp and Grits recipe that comes together quickly without skimping on flavor, and says that this is the one. Enough said: I’m in! I can’t wait to give it a try, and in an attempt to make it even easier (because you know how I love a good shortcut), I plan on reusing the pan with onions and peppers in step two to cook the shrimp as well.
All it takes is 5 ingredients and 15 minutes to make this Spaghetti Carbonara at Damn Delicious and I have a tip to make it even faster! You know the bacon you have to cook for the Shrimp and Grits above? Well, make that on Wednesday and cook extra bacon. Set it aside for this recipe on Thursday night. You won’t have the reserved fat in the pan per the recipe (unless, of course, you save some of that from the night before too), but a little olive oil will do the job. Yum.
Puerto Rico has been on my mind these days. It’s a magical place and one of my boys’ favorite spots, in part, for all of us, because of the food. We’re major fans of Puerto Rican food (I even made a Puerto Rican Christmas feast two years ago!), which so deeply reflects the flavor and soul of the Puerto Rican culture and people.
Having spoken to the boys about how to help the victims of Hurricane Irma, I think it would be nice to also celebrate and honor Puerto Rico with a traditional meal like this Pollo en Fricase (Chicken Fricassee) at The Noshery. I admit that this needs an hour to cook, but it preps in just 30 minutes and sits on the stove mostly unattended. Worth it, especially moving into the weekend.
I made the coconut chickpea curry and it was so flavorful, my husband asked if I’d added kielbasa, LOL.