It’s time to start thinking about your meal plan for next week. From oven BBQ chicken to our favorite cold noodle salad, we’ve got five dinners that will get you through the busy 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.

Related: 6 summery slow cooker and Instant Pot recipes to avoid heat in the kitchen.

 

Cold Soba Noodle Salad from MAKE IT EASY COOKBOOK by Stacie Billis at Cool Mom Eats

The Cold Soba Noodle Salad from my cookbook Make It Easy is a staple all year around, but especially in the summer. Noodles of any kind always make my kids happy and this refreshing dish is great for when it’s just too hot to even think about sitting in front of a hot bowl of pasta. Plus, you can prep everything ahead of time to throw this #MeatlessMonday meal together in just 5 minutes.

 

Roasted Bratwurst With Peppers and Onions at Budget Bytes

Roasted Bratwurst with Peppers and Onions | Budget Bytes

Hot dogs make a great, easy summer dinner, but Roasted Bratwurst with Peppers and Onions make an even better one! I love this recipe that we found at Budget Bytes while rounding up recipes that can feed a family of 4 for under $10. It’s like a hot dog dinner supreme, but without the supreme price tag. It’ll become a go-to all summer long.

 

Cool Mom Eats weekly meal plan: Oven BBQ Chicken wings | Steamy Kitchen

From brats to BBQ chicken: I don’t know about you, but I’m clearly in the summer swing of things! I found the recipe for these Oven BBQ Chicken Wings at Steamy Kitchen, though it’s from a book by Food Network’s Chef Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar. Whoever wrote the recipe, I’m all over it. Though for dinner, I might slather the sauce on legs and thighs. Yum.

Related: 4 delicious make-ahead grain salads that make summer dinners so easy.

 

How to make kid-friendly ceviche: A simple recipe and tips and tricks | Cool Mom Eats

Alright, summer mode is still in effect, but I think that I’ll want to lighten things up after the last two dinners. Anne’s family-friendly ceviche recipe looks like the perfect way to do so. And, yes, ceviche for kids! My boys fell in love with it while traveling through Costa Rica over spring break, so they’ll be psyched when I whip this up. Plus, you get to serve it with guac and chips. A serious parent win.

 

Cool Mom Eats weekly meal plan: Caprese Panini at Heavenly Home Cooking

 Caprese Panini Sandwich | Heavenly Home Cooking

When you don’t want to disappoint the kids, but summer’s heat has you feeling like even pizza is too heavy for pizza Friday, it’s time to make the delicious Caprese Panini Sandwich at Heavenly Home Cooking that Caroline found while rounding up family-friendly recipes for backyard garden veggies. Slices of sweet, summer tomatoes and just a few pieces of fresh mozzarella serve up all the deliciousness of pizza, but with the lighter touch that you crave from a summer dinner.