Weekly meal plan: 5 easy meals for the week ahead, including fun ideas like a burger upgrade and a party platter for dinner

A new batch of weekly meal plan recommendations are here, and we’ve found some easy meals to get you through the rest of the week.

So grab a pen, make your shopping list, and stock up on ingredients before the weekend’s over to make your weeknights that much easier.

And if it’s even easier for you to do all that planning from your inbox, be sure to sign up for our weekly meal plan emails. You’ll love them, promise!

At top: Ultimate party platter at Emilie Eats; Bruschetta Burgers at Dance Around the Kitchen

I love DIY bowls for dinner, because my kids can each pick what they want on top so everyone’s happy. These Cilantro Lime Chicken Burrito Bowls at Oh Sweet Basil are on our menu this week, and they’re easy because the Instant Pot does all the work. (Veg option: substitute tofu or jackfruit for the chicken…or just leave it out and do beans and rice only.)

I’ve never thought about serving a party platter for dinner, but my kids would think this Ultimate party platter at Emilie Eats is so fun. Of course, let this recipe be your inspiration — fill it with the ingredients you know your family loves — and you can skip the unnecessary garnish if you want. In fact, it seems like a perfect clean-out-the-pantry dinner to me.

While I’d serve this Chicken, beetroot and feta salad at Your Ultimate Menu to my husband and I for dinner, I’d pull out pieces of chicken, beets and some couscous to serve to the kids separately. The ingredients on this one can get pricey if you don’t already have pine nuts and feta cheese on hand, so feel free to leave them out or sub in something like goat cheese if you already have some in your fridge. (Veg option: Substitute chickpeas or tofu for the chicken.)

The total time for this Pan-seared Salmon in Garlic Butter recipe at Dinner at the Zoo is just 20 minutes, and all the ingredients (except the salmon) are things I already have in my kitchen. Sounds like a perfect easy weeknight dinner.

Give your burgers an upgrade this weekend with this recipe for Bruschetta Burgers at Dance Around the Kitchen. It takes barely any extra effort, but you’ll feel like you’re eating a gourmet burger from a fancy burger joint. (Veg option: substitute a vegetarian burger patty–easy!)