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An Easy Weekly Meal Plan

This weekly meal plan is straight forward and no frills, but having a plan helps me wrap my brain around the week ahead and know what’s coming. Planning our dinners also gives me more time to focus on my kids in the afternoons. I thought it might somehow get “easier” as my kids got older, but I’m realizing that it’s just a different kind of hard.

I’m usually at the grocery store early Monday morning with a coffee in hand, crossing off my list for the week ahead. With cooking classes and writing deadlines, I can’t wing our dinner plan or there probably wouldn’t be dinner at all. Try making your own weekly meal plan and let me know how it goes. And if you like receiving these emails, please forward this to a friend who might like it as well. My hope is to give you ideas for simple but delicious dinners with the people you love the most.

SUNDAY

Go Astros! Why not grill some burgers at the start of the game and douse them with some sriracha mayo. Roasted okra “fries” are a healthy side (and if you don’t like okra, just sub green beans).

MONDAY

I need something easy tonight, today I’m shooting recipes for a Houston Chronicle Halloween story and driving three rounds of carpool this afternoon. My favorite meatless Monday semi-homemade dinner is sushi purchased from Whole Foods, miso soup and salad with carrot ginger dressing.

TUESDAY

We have football and field hockey games tonight, so it’s a “set it and forget it” dinner for sure. Slow cooker beef stroganoff is in the works (cut the amount of mustard in half). If you can’t do dairy, just leave out the sour cream and you’ll be left with a flavorful beef and mushroom stew. If you don’t want to serve this over egg noodles, try it over quinoa, rice or polenta. I’m serving ours with a side of roasted broccoli.

WEDNESDAY

A friend recommended Skinnytaste’s lasagna soup, and I want to give it a try. Skinnytaste also has an enchilada soup that sounds like a perfect weeknight dinner.

THURSDAY

Slow cooker carnitas with all the taco sides: Pickled red onions, guacamole, tomatillo salsa, and cilantro. Make yourselfhttps://smartinthekitchen.com/2018/09/slow-cooker-carnitas/ a skinny margarita because it’s almost the weekend.

FRIDAY

My kitchen will be closed tonight, I plan to take my kids to dinner and call it an early night. If you’re cooking at home, arugula, basil and avocado pesto is one of the easiest and most satisfying dinners around. Serve it with spaghetti squash or your favorite pasta. This time of year, I like to sub the arugula with Tuscan kale.