Weekly meal plan: 5 easy meals for the week ahead, including great party food for watching the big games

Grab your pen and grocery list, because next week’s meal plan is ready! We’ve found 5 great recipes that make smart use of your time in the kitchen. We have tips to stretch your cooking, so one session in the kitchen lasts for more than one recipe (whoo!). We also have some great vegetarian options and ideas to help with other dietary needs.

Happy eating, parents! Fingers crossed, your kids might even ask for seconds on these easy dinners.

At top: veggie-filled lasagna at Halfbaked Harvest; pulled pork sliders at Salt Jar

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This veggie-filled lasagna at Halfbaked Harvest is a great #MeatlessMonday dinner, and I also love that it all cooks in your cast iron skillet. Grab a baguette from the bakery and toss a salad on the side for a hearty but meat-free dinner.

If you’re planning to watch any particular big games this weekend, these pulled pork sliders at Salt Jar can be cooking in the slow cooker all day. Using slider buns seems to make them more palatable to my kids, is it just me? Tip: Make extra pork and use it for the sandwiches below.

These sheet pan BBQ chicken nachos at Easy Chicken Recipes, call for shredded chicken, so I’d cook double in my slow cooker and save half for the chicken chili later in the week. Then, just layer these simple toppings on your chips on the sheet pan and make for 15 minutes. So easy.

Um, where have these pulled pork and grilled cheese sandwiches at Candy Jar Chronicles been all my life? If you have saved any leftovers from your BBQ sliders, use that meat in these sandwiches for a really easy—but hearty—dinner. Of course, if anyone wants cheese only then that works too.

When it’s cold and dark in the afternoons, I love soup for dinner. This white chicken chili at Zeste’s Recipes is also a great meal for watching the football games. The base of the recipe is dairy free and gluten free, and the recipes has directions with the slow cooker and stove top directions—so you can make it whether you’ve planned ahead or not.

For a fun dessert this week—especially if the weather is bitterly cold where you are—a fancy mug of hot chocolate hits the spot. We rounded up 9 of our favorite hot chocolate recipes, like this thick, spicy Aztec hot chocolate at A Beautiful Mess.