It’s starting to look like spring around here with daffodils popping up and flowering trees, even if it is still a bit chilly. Still, I’ll take it after the winter we’ve had!
While I’m really eager to start cooking “spring” food and can’t wait for farmer’s markets to open, I know we are not quite there yet. So next week, I am planning a few spring-ish meals that feel a bit lighter and brighter to me, even without the true spring produce bounty that’s yet to come. Not that they’re all about greens or cold soups, but they’re just easy to whip up and less heavy than some of the stews and roasts that make up our winter menus.
I’m also throwing in a cookie recipe for you, because it got me pretty excited when it popped up in my feed this week. And like, do I ever need an excuse to share new cookie recipes? No I don’t!
So, grab your pen and paper, or open up that AnyList app and make a shopping list for these plate-licking good recipes for the week ahead.
Top: Pea and Prosciutto Pizza from The Modern Proper
Bonus: If you want to lighten up your tableware too, how beautiful are the classic Marimekko poppy bowls that just showed up at Nordstrom? Perfect for all those gorgeous spring soups we’ll be cooking soon enough.
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5 dinner ideas that feel like spring…
even if it’s not spring
1. Tortellini with some spring veggies
Spring and peas just go hand in hand, and even if you can’t get your hands on fresh peas just yet, frozen ones will do just fine. This super easy and delicious recipe for Crispy Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto from Smitten Kitchen is a busy week lifesaver. It comes together in a snap and there are rarely any leftovers.
When you make your shopping list, I suggest you double up on the frozen peas and prosciutto so you have some for the pizza later this week.
Related: 5 delicious dinners all made in the Instant Pot
2. Easy tomato soup and easier grilled cheese croutons
My kids have been asking for this Easy Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Croutons from Barefoot Contessa for a few weeks now because it’s a family favorite around here. We have been in the middle of a move, so now that my kitchen is finally unpacked and I’ve found my stock pot for the soup, I’m happy to oblige their request. I don’t have a panini grill, so I use my waffle iron and it works brilliantly — and keeps you away from the stove.
Related: 10 Easy and Delicious 5 Ingredient Soups
3. Enchiladas and a bright green salad
These Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas from Living Lou are so delicious and will please even the pickiest eaters in your home, especially if you tailor it to their liking. I like to throw some roasted sweet potatoes into the filling mix and serve with a bright green salad which always feels like spring to me. (We have lots of salad topping ideas if you’re looking to change things up in that department too.)
I think we could even stir up some fun spring mocktails for the family to make dinner more festive, and help break up the monotony of the week.
Related: 4 clever dinner ideas that make life easier for families with picky eaters
4. An Instant Pot meal to keep you away from the stovetop
This recipe for Easy Tom Yum Chicken Rice is just plain delicious and using your Instant Pot simplifies everything. Especially if it starts warming up in your neck of the woods.
I’ve shared recipes from Marvellina at What to Cook Today over on the Cool Mom Eats Instagram feed, and she is simply one of my favorite Asian food bloggers. She has so many amazing Asian recipes thanks to her childhood growing up in a Chinese family in Indonesia; you can see the pan-Aisan influence is woven into all of her dishes. Also she is a mom of young kids, and all of her recipes are tried and tested on them so you know they pass the all-important kid test!
5. DIY pizza night with some fresh new toppings
The end of the week always calls for DIY pizza around here. You can make your own pizza crust, or take it easy on yourself and pick up some from the store or your local pizzeria (most will sell you just the dough). This Pea and Prosciutto Pizza from The Modern Proper just looks like spring – and even if it’s still snowing outside where you are you can get all of those spring vibes on your dinner table.
And if you don’t yet own a pizza stone, this one comes highly recommended, and it’s a great investment in more DIY pizza nights in the future. Seriously, once you have one, you’ll find you’re more inclined to find ways to use it.
Related: 25 creative pizza toppings for the most awesome DIY pizza bar
Bonus: I am so making these cookies
This recipe for My Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from Hummingbird High popped up in my Instagram this past week, and it was a drop everything and make these right now kind of moments. They are GOOD. Like make a batch and go sit in your car by yourself and eat them all. (Which I may or may not have done, ahem.) They disappeared pretty quickly, so I’m doubling up the recipe next time and making them again next week — and probably the week after that as well.
Follow our Weekly Meal Plan Ideas for Families board on Pinterest @CoolMomEats for even more ideas!
I put these weekly meals plans together based on recipes I am actually cooking for my family, and with you in mind. If you have suggestions, tips or recommendations for recipes or other food bloggers I should check out please comment here, or shoot me a message in our Recipe Rescue group on Facebook. – Lisa
