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Save yourself some time, money and stress by using this FREE Meal Plan that is full of amazing recipes. Each plan includes 5 dinner ideas, 2 side dishes, 1 dessert and a shopping list making meal planning easier than ever!!
WEEKLY MEAL PLAN #102
Each week, I share with you a FREE meal plan that consists of 5 dinner ideas (Monday-Thursday plus one Weekend meal), 2 side dishes, and 1 dessert!
Included is a grocery list with EVERY ingredient you need for all the items on the meal plan.
This is meant to help simplify menu planning, shopping, and cooking so you can more easily enjoy meals with your family throughout the week!
TIP OF THE WEEK
Empanadas are on the menu for Mexican Monday. If you’ve never made them, don’t sweat it!
They just have a few ingredients including enchilada sauce and beef. If you don’t love beef, you can substitute Pulled Pork or Shredded Chicken (just omit the BBQ sauce and add 505 Green Chili Sauce instead).
When folding the empanadas, don’t overfill the center and, once assembled, place the empanadas in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. This can help them “set” and stay together while being cooked.
BENEFITS OF MEAL PLANNING
There’s nothing worse than the dread every time a family members asks, “What’s for dinner??” And your answer is “I have no clue.” Having a meal plan for the week eliminates that completely, which is the number one benefit in my book!
Besides having a game plan in place, there are several other benefits of meal planning, including:
- Cost: When you have a plan set in place, and a specific list of groceries, you eliminate cost wasted on impulse items or produce that never gets used.
- Decrease Waste: No wasted money, and no wasted food! Having a set grocery list will help to avoid both of those issues.
- Variety: Our meal plans specifically include a lot of variety, with Mexican, Italian, Breakfast for Dinner, and so much more! You can expose your family’s palates to all kinds of meals.
- No Indecision: Did you know there’s such thing as “indecision fatigue”? The idea is that when you can’t make a decision on something (like what to make for dinner) it actually makes you mentally fatigued. When dinners are already planned out, though, you avoid indecision completely!
- Health: When you plan for/anticipate making well-rounded meals, you’re much more likely to actually make them rather than defaulting to convenient boxed meals, or unhealthy fast food!
As you can see, there are so many benefits to meal planning!
And if you want to create your own menu, be sure to check out all our recipes and visit our recipe pages, including: Main Dish, Side Dishes, Desserts, Appetizers and Breakfast!
Monday
Beef Empanadas
Beef Empanadas are one of our favorite Mexican dishes. They are a crispy, airy taco made from dough, filled with shredded beef, red chile sauce, and olives.
We love having Guacamole, Sweet Salsa Verde and Homemade Salsa with our empanadas. They’re also delicious with a side of a side of Crock Pot Pinto Beans and Homemade Spanish Rice Recipe.
Tuesday
Chicken Parmesan Sliders
Deliciously cheesy chicken parmesan sliders make a perfect appetizer, but can hold their own as a main dish too!
Try these tasty sliders alongside our crazy good Pea Salad. It’s one of our sides this week and perfect for hot summer days!
wednesday
Belgian Waffles
Crispy, fluffy, Belgian waffles to start your day off with a smile. Top them with all of your favorite fruits , spreads and syrups. Once you try these homemade waffles, you’ll never want the box mix again.
You can’t go wrong when dressing up these delicious waffles. Some of our favorite toppings are Strawberry Sauce with Homemade Whipped Cream or our classic Buttermilk Syrup.
Thursday
Cheesecake Factory Luau Salad
Loaded with sweet, tropical flavors, this delicious Luau Salad is BETTER than its Cheesecake Factory double!
If you’re wanting to keep this meal light, an Aloha Tropical Smoothie would go great with this salad. If you’re wanting to serve something a little more filling with it, Hawaiian rolls or Easy Yeast Rolls would make a great side!
Weekend
Fried Pork Chops
Simple pan fried pork chops in lemon butter sauce are crunchy on the outside and perfectly tender and delicious on the inside!
For a complete meal, serve with a green salad or Parmesan Crusted Zucchini and some Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Bread, one of our featured sides this week. This bread is to die for!
Sides of the week
Our Top Two Choices
Pea Salad is made with a creamy mayo dressing, bacon, cheese, and bright pops of peas. It only requires a handful of ingredients and is easy to make!
One of the highlights of this salad has to be the bacon! Who doesn’t love some bacon in their salad? Some other simple salads that include bacon are Favorite Broccoli Salad, Easy Tortellini Salad, Wedge Salad and 7 Layer Salad.
Deliciously Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Bread makes a perfectly yummy appetizer or side!! It whips up in only 20 minutes!
If you love the spinach and artichoke duo, you’re in the right place! It’s one of our favorite combos and you can find it in our Spinach Artichoke Dip, Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese, Spinach Dip Bites and Spinach Artichoke Cups.
Dessert of the WEek
Fruit Pizza Cookies
With a sugar cookie base, these fruit pizza cookies are individual-sized versions of a classic favorite. They’re fresh and customizable!!
For more Desserts with Fresh Fruit, try:
- Fruit Tart
- Easy Strawberry Shortcake
- Paradise Parfaits
- Fruit Salsa
- Strawberry Nutella Pizza
- Cheesecake Fruit Salad
Download the Meal Plan!
Click the link below to download this week’s FREE Meal Plan!
And remember – if you want to create your own menu, be sure to check out all our recipes and visit our recipe pages, including: Main Dish, Side Dishes, Desserts, Appetizers and Breakfast!
Click HEre to Download the pdf!
