We have another round of weekly meal plan recommendations, with easy, low-stress meals your whole family will enjoy. These five recipes will get you through this week ahead easily and deliciously.
So grab a pen, make your shopping list, and stock up on ingredients before the weekend’s over to make your weeknights that much easier.
And if it’s even easier for you to do all that planning from your inbox, be sure to sign up for our weekly meal plan emails. You’ll love them, promise!
At top: Mediterranean Seafood Stuffed Pasta Shells at Killing Thyme; Italian Melt sandwich at Halfbaked Harvest
Related: 5 easy dinner recipes that make delicious leftovers for lunch the next day.
5 easy dinner ideas (and 1 dessert!) for the week ahead
This Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken at The Seasoned Mom is a great kid-friendly option for a busy night. They’ll love the sweet-and-savory sauce on the chicken, and you can even sneak in some bell peppers or sugar snap peas to get some extra veggies in. And if you’re trying to cut back on meat, switch out canned jackfruit for the chicken (2 cans is usually plenty for my family of 6).
If you don’t have much time to prep dinner, plan on this Instant Pot Lemon Chicken at Suburban Simplicity. Of course, you can use the same ingredients on the stove top even if you don’t have an Instant Pot; it will just take a little longer. Either way these fresh, bright flavors are bringing on all the spring feelings.
Okay, hear me out on this Mediterranean Seafood Stuffed Pasta Shells recipe at Killing Thyme. While mackerel-stuffed pasta may not seem like something your kids will eat, it’s all mixed in so they won’t even notice. That said, you could also just leave it out and make it vegetarian or substitute sausage or chicken for the fish.
Related: The diced vegetable mixture that will become your mealtime hero
On a chilly winter night, there’s nothing I like more than a cozy, hearty soup. This Kale and White Bean soup at The First Mess is calling to me this week, and I’ll probably make grilled cheese sandwiches to go with it.
For a weekend night, I love the idea of this party-size Italian Melt sandwich at Halfbaked Harvest as an alternative to pizza or tacos. I think my kids would get a kick out of this huge, family-sized sandwich that we all share.
This carrot cake recipe at The Minimalist Baker is my family’s go-to dessert. It’s so easy (one-bowl, yay!) and is perfectly moist and tangy. It happens to be vegan, but I say there’s no need to mention that to anyone who isn’t eating a plant-based diet. (Pro tip: substitute 1 Tbsp aquafaba for the flax egg for a quicker, easier recipe.)
