We are sliding right into the time of year where my to-do list is longer than the hours I have in a day, so next week I am lining up five meals that are quick and easy to prepare. Here’s hoping they give me more time so I can check all of the other things off my list.
So grab your pen, paper or have a conversation with Alexa and and let’s make a shopping list for next week’s meals.
Top Image: Brown Butter Pumpkin Tortellini Alla Vodka from Half Baked Harvest and Cheeseburger Pizza from Spicy Southern Kitchen
A vodka sauce with pumpkin and cheese tortellini? Yes please. This mouthwatering recipe for Brown Butter Pumpkin Tortellini Alla Vodka from Tieghan at Half Baked Harvest looks like the pasta of my dreams. I have mentioned this before, but when you cook with vodka, the alcohol burns off, but if you would rather skip it, vegetable broth is a good substitute to keep this #MeatlessMonday friendly. If you do use vodka, buy a large bottle and save it for these super cute infused vodkas as holiday gifts!
Related: 14 delicious dinners featuring pumpkin
Apples are one of the jewels of November produce and I am always eager to put them in all sorts of recipes during the fall. These Autumn-Spiced Cheddar Chicken Tacos with Apples from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles caught my eye last year when I was locked in my house with my family, and it has been a regular feature at our table ever since. The sweetness of the apples is a nice contrast to the taco seasoning. I skip the onions and grate some jack cheese for the kids to sprinkle on top – because cheese makes everything better.
Related: How about a Taco-Cleanse?
One of my daughter’s very favorite meals is split pea soup, and until now I didn’t have a good quick recipe that didn’t involve soaking the peas overnight and cooking it all day long. Enter this recipe for Instant Pot Split Pea Soup from Little Sunny Kitchen and now my daughter gets her favorite soup in the middle of a busy week! Just a tip: use the hamhock if you can. It adds so much flavor to this soup. You can usually find them in a freezer or fridge near the butcher section.
Related: 5 ingredient soups that are super easy to make.
I always forget BFD (Breakfast for Dinner) when meal planning, but not this week! BFD is a BFD around here. (Ha, get it?) My kids go crazy when I say we are having pancakes for dinner. How genius is this Sheet Pan Pancake from Dinner Then Dessert? You can throw this in the oven, and while it bakes scramble some eggs, slice up some fruit, fry some bacon or sausage and when it is done baking sit down with your family to eat rather than standing at the stove flipping pancakes long after they are all done eating. If you are in the mood, you can make half of this pan a bit more savory by topping with crumbled bacon and corn.
Related: More amazing BFD recipes your family will cheer for
My son has been asking for cheeseburgers, but it is supposed to be cold and rainy here this week, so standing outside in the wet to grill burgers sounds terrible. I was pretty darn excited when I searched online for this Cheeseburger Pizza from Spicy Southern Kitchen. All of the goodness of a cheeseburger baked on top of a pizza crust. Brilliant.
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
