It’s time to start thinking about your meal plan for next week. From 35-minute lemony chicken cutlets to sheet pan quesadillas, we’ve got five dinners that make good use of spring produce and lighter nights (yay!) to help get you through the busy week ahead. So grab a pen, make your shopping list, and stock up before the weekend’s over.
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Updated for 2024
5 easy spring recipes for the week ahead
Pesto Asparagus Egg Skillet | Naturally Ella
I rarely say this, because I like most vegetables, but… I’m not a big fan of asparagus. Since I don’t cook it often, it’ll come as no surprise that my kids don’t like it much either. The one exception is shaved asparagus. There’s something about thin wisps of the normally astringent stalk that makes it more palatable for us. Then toss in pesto, one of our favorite sauces, and you quite possibly have a winning meal, which is why I can’t wait to try this Pesto Asparagus Egg Skillet at Naturally Ella for #MeatlessMonday. This is the season to give this a try, and I have a feeling it might actually win us over.
Related: 4 mouthwatering simple pesto recipes
One-Pot Creamy Tuscan Garlic Spaghetti | Creme de la Crumb
It’s no secret how much we love a good one-pot meal like a pasta. Just throw everything together, turn on the heat, and dinner’s done in 20 minutes. For this One-Pot Creamy Tuscan Garlic Spaghetti at Creme de la Crumb, if you buy the mushrooms pre-sliced, all you have to do in the way of prep is chop one onion, mince about one clove of garlic, and run your knife through two roasted red peppers. Done and done!
35-Minute Chicken Piccata | Munchkin Time
This 35-Minute Chicken Piccata at Munchkin Time had me at 35 minutes — because you can’t beat a flavorful weeknight meal cooked in that time. But truth be told, you get more than that when you click over. The clear directions and step-by-step photos can be used to make any simple chicken cutlet sautéed with a pan sauce. So follow this recipe once (or maybe three times, because yum), and then get creative with whatever ingredients you have on hand. This recipe is a keeper that keeps on giving.
Related: 5 easy meals you can cook in 30 minutes or less
Shrimp Scampi Skewers | Gimme Some Oven
If you’ve been using our meal plans for a while, you know that I’m a sucker for shrimp scampi. But now that the weather is warming up, these Shrimp Scampi Skewers at Gimme Some Oven are the perfect version because you can just use those super affordable packs of wooden skewers (good excuse to grab some now if you don’t have them), and pop the shrimp scampi on the grill! How perfect is that? Serve these with grilled veggies and a side of rice, pasta, or pasta salad if it’s warm enough for backyard BBQ vibes. In which case, eat outside wth a glass of rosé — for the grown-ups only, of course.
The perfect, classic Weber barbecue grill at a great price
Sheet Pan Cheesy Beef Quesadillas | Whisk It Real Gud
Okay, these Sheet Pan Cheesy Beef Quesadillas at Whisk It Real Gud are sheer genius. Quesadillas. Made on a regular sheet pan! Why isn’t this done as a matter of course? (And way better than a microwave, promise.) April suggests this recipe for a crowd, but I also think it’s a great way to handle fun family dinner on a Friday night, especially if you have a large family. Even if you don’t, leftovers are always welcome. And of course, you can skip the beef if it’s not your thing — try chicken, shrimp, or just veggies and cheese for the kids. Hard to go wrong!
Related: 5 meals that make great use of leftovers
Top Image: Lottie Griffiths via Unsplash
