Grab your pen and grocery list, because next week’s meal plan is ready! This week I’ve taken a look back at some of my favorite dinners from past meal plans, because I’m craving some easy meals that are guaranteed to please my family. These have been crowd-pleasers in the past, so I’ll be bringing them back again.
At top: Kung Pao Tofu at The Modern Proper; Slow Cooker Carnitas at Gimme Some Oven
Related: How to make our 4 favorite pasta salads: Italian, Mexican, Greek & Asian
My picky kids really love this BBQ Chicken Salad at Damn Delicious. Even though it’s full of veggies, it’s nothing too unfamiliar. And chicken plus BBQ sauce equals yum for them. This is the one that had them sneaking seconds after they swore they didn’t like salads. You can also serve the different elements separately for toddlers or picky older eaters, to make it less of a battle for you.
These Slow Cooker Carnitas at Gimme Some Oven are on regular rotation at our house. They’re so, so easy—just put it all into the slow cooker and let it work its magic. And they’re juicy, just the right amount of spicy, and so tender. I put them into tortillas, but you could also serve them over salad, baked potatoes, or just on the side with some veggies.
I’ve been making double portions of this super easy penne pasta at Halfbaked Harvest lately, and we use the leftovers for lunch all week. (If it lasts that long.) Tieghan includes stove top, Instant Pot, and slow cooker options in the instructions for this recipe, so you can do whatever works best for you. And you can definitely substitute in vegan or vegetarian sausage; that’s what we do every time.
Related: 5 meals my family requested for dinner this week
I feel like salmon is the most accessible fish for my kids, except maybe some frozen fish sticks every now and then. I love this 10-Minute Maple Crusted Salmon at FoodieCrush because, 10 minutes. Also, the maple glaze makes my kids dig into it. Serve it with your favorite green veggies for a quick, healthy dinner the kids will actually eat.
I wouldn’t say my kids jump up and down when I announce we’re having a vegetarian dinner, but I also don’t know that they realize that this Kung Pao Tofu at The Modern Proper is vegetarian. The stir-fry tofu is crispy and spicy and delicious. They usually ask for seconds, and these are not kids you’d expect to ask for seconds on tofu. That said, you could always substitute chicken or beef…or just leave the protein out altogether for a veggies only dinner.
