A new batch of weekly meal plan recommendations are here, and it’s Memorial Day this week! So we’ve found some tasty recipes perfect for your weekend cookouts, plus easy meals to get you through the rest of the week.
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!
Related: All the Memorial Day eats: Over 50 summer recipes and party tips for your long weekend
For Memorial Day weekend, this Grilled Skirt Steak with Tomato Salad at What’s Gaby Cooking is a great crowd-pleaser meal that doesn’t take too much hands-on time to cook. (Veg option: Use Gaby’s marinade over portobello mushrooms or your other favorite veggies to grill.)
For an easy BBQ picnic dinner (or, dinner around the kitchen table) we love this Instant Pot Pulled Pork at Rachel Cooks. It’s another great option for your Memorial Day weekend celebrations, and the leftovers can be put to great use all week long — on baked potatoes, in tacos, and even in Brunswick Stew. (Veg option: Substitute jackfruit for the pork.)
One of my favorite clean-out-the-pantry meals each week are Buddha bowls. Each family member gets to DIY their own dinner, so even the picky eaters are pleased. If you need some inspiration, start with this Moroccan Buckwheat Buddha Bowls at I Am Chef. Of course, you can use what you have on hand — rice instead of buckwheat, chicken instead of chickpeas, and so on. Make it work for you!
Related: 4 delicious, make-ahead grain salad recipes for easy summer dinners
This easy Spinach Tortellini Salad at Salt & Lavender is great for quick weeknight dinners because you can fix it ahead of time and serve it cold for dinner. (Veg option: Just leave out the meat — you won’t miss it! Also, if you’re looking for vegan tortellini, my family loves the new Kite Hill version — but it’s pricey!)
This recipe for Chicken Bacon Ranch Paninis at Small Town Living USA is an ultimate kid-friendly dinner. Of course, they can leave out any of the ingredients they don’t want, and you could add spinach, peppers, or any other extra option to make it a little more grown-up. (Veg option: Just layer your favorite veggies inside instead. You could even cut tofu very thin in place of the chicken.)
I’m craving these Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Pies at Carlsbad Cravings, which we featured earlier in in our roundup of easy icebox pies. They’re perfect for summer gatherings, because you don’t have to turn on the oven and you can easily make them ahead of time.
