It’s time to start thinking about your meal plan for next week. From an easy Fat Tuesday meal to the ultimate brinner, 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: Jambalaya Soup Recipe | Grand Baby Cakes
Related: 7 tips to make prepping weeknight dinners faster and easier.
If you’re having a hard time turning your family onto #MeatlessMonday, you need to amp up the flavor. This recipe for Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew in Chili Colorado at Dora’s Table should do the trick. While Dora cooks up only plant-based food from her native Mexico, if you love the sauce as much as I think you will, you can also use it for cooking up chicken, beef, or pork. Just saying.
If you’ve celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans, you know that the celebration starts long before and ends way after Fat Tuesday, but if you’re not up for days of super rich food and heavy drinking, you can celebrate more modestly with this super easy Jambalaya Soup Recipe at Grandbaby Cakes. It’ll totally hit the spot without any of the debauchery — unless of course you want the debauchery, in which case, at least you’ll be done cooking early.
Related: Healthy comfort foods to get you through winter without an extra 15 lbs.
Since we skipped #TacoTuesday, let’s serve them on Wednesday. (Hey, being flexible is key in the family kitchen!) I’m intrigued by these Nigerian Beef Suya Tacos at The Kitchenista Diaries. They look insanely good and easy, too, once you make the spice rub, which sounds divine! In fact, I predict that it will become an all-purpose rub, so I plan on making extra to store in the freezer.
Photo by Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
You can always count on Melissa Clark at the New York Times to serve up the most delicious simple meals. She’s the best at coaxing big flavor out of simple ingredient combinations and this Sautéed Chicken with Meyer Lemon is a great example of how she works her magic. If you’ve never used Meyer lemons before, you’re in for a treat: A cross between lemons and mandarin oranges, they’re slightly sweeter than a traditional lemon and in season right now.
Related: Everything you need to know about citrus: Picking, storing, and cooking, oh my!
Last year, Jane taught us that Fat Tuesday is also called Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Tuesday. That’s a lot of names for one day, but who cares when it means eating pancakes for dinner. This year, I’m saving our pancake dinner for Friday, because festive. If you’re with me, whip up one of these best pancake recipes or just grab a mix. With these box pancake mix hacks, you can make any flapjacks taste like homemade.
