It’s time to start thinking about your meal plan for next week. From a fresh take on tacos to a sweet idea for pizza night, we’ve got five weeknight meals 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: Chickpea Taco Bowls at Alexandra’s Kitchen | Salami, Jalapeno, and Olive Pizza at The Modern Proper | Turmeric Cauliflower Pasta at Noghlemey
Related: 7 tips to make prepping family dinner faster and easier.
Chickpeas. Tacos. Bowls. These Chickpea Taco Bowls at Alexandra’s Kitchen combine three of our favorite food things in one kid-friendly #MeatlessMonday meal. Add some sliced avocado or guacamole and I say that makes enough veg for this to count as a one-bowl meal.
This Coffee Rubbed Pork Tenderloin at Let’s Taco ‘Bout It looks insanely delicious and is easy to make too. I’m not worried about using espresso powder in the spice rub and feeding this to the kids, but if you are, use less or skip it all together…on the kids’ portions. Oh, and if you don’t have espresso powder, it’s definitely worth getting some. Add leftovers to any chocolate baked good recipe for more intense chocolate flavor. Yum.
It seems so many kids are into seaweed snacks these days, which suggests that they’re open to Japanese flavors. If you count your kids among them, give these Teriyaki Salmon Bowls with Sesame Greens and Avocado at The Brick Kitchen a try. This healthy meal is pretty straight forward and simple as written, but it can also be easily adapted: use whatever veggies you have on hand and feel free to skip the toasted nori. It’ll be delicious no matter what.
Related: Make-ahead stir-fry freezer packs: 3 steps to always have a dinner ready & waiting.
I’m so into Noghlemey, a new food blog find with both Iranian and global dishes offered in both English and, I believe, Persian. There are so many recipes on this site that I want to take the time to try, but for now, I’m bookmarking this Turmeric Cauliflower Pasta as a quick weeknight find. I’ve been looking for new ways to incorporate this spice into my family’s diet, especially during cold and flu seasons (as it’s said to help boost the immune system and reduce inflammation), and this seems just perfect.
Let’s get back to basics, shall we: Friday pizza night. Sure you can order in, or you can buy some store-bought dough and high-quality jarred pizza sauce to make your own with just a little extra effort. It’s so worth it when you can throw together this mouthwatering Salami, Jalapeno, and Olive Pizza with Honey at The Modern Proper. One of my favorite (and a NYC-renowned) pizza spots puts honey on one of their spicy pies and OMG it’s insanely good. Trust me that this pie is worth a little extra work. I just KNOW it will be delicious. (And, yes, even if you skip the jalapeno on the kids’ half.)
