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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 #2
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
This week we have everyone’s favorite summer fruit on the list: WATERMELON!
In order to make sure you pick a good one, take note of these tips:
- Look for the large yellow spot
- Listen for a hollow sound
- Find one that feels heavy for its size
- Look for bee stings/white scars (that means it’s sweet!)
Be sure to check out all our tips for picking out a good watermelon as well as the Best Way to Cut a Watermelon.
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
Loaded Nachos
These Loaded Nachos are piled high with chips, beef, beans, cheese, pico de gallo, and avocado. They’re the perfect game day food, are easy to make and are so easy to customize based off of your favorite nacho toppings.
If you don’t want ground beef on your nachos, you can always use Shredded Chicken, Cafe Rio Sweet Pork, or even Carne Asada. (Just make sure you add them to your grocery list!)
Tuesday
Zucchini Boats
Stuffed Zucchini Boats are filled with Italian sausage and tomatoes. They are a delish go-to healthy dinner idea.
This dish has both vegetables and protein built into it! We like to serve it with fresh cut watermelon (one of the sides of the week).
Wednesday
Breakfast Pie
This cheesy Bisquick breakfast pie takes only 10 minutes to prep, and is perfect for brunch or holiday. Loaded with eggs, cheese, bacon and potatoes, it’s a hearty and delicious breakfast recipe!
This would be best accompanied with watermelon (one of this week’s sides), or even a fruity smoothie!
Thursday
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
This Delicious and Easy Pulled Pork Recipe is one that is made in the slow cooker and takes just minutes to prep! Serve it up on hamburger buns for a delicious Pulled Pork Sandwich.
Serve this up with fresh fruit or a light salad (just don’t forget to add the fruit and salad ingredients to your shopping list this week!).
Weekend
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Casserole
This Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Casserole is a simple, quick and delicious dinner filled with chicken, broccoli and cheese and topped with buttered bread crumbs! The whole family loves this easy dinner idea.
It’s not on the meal plan this week, but we highly recommend adding some cheesy garlic bread on the side of this casserole. So add the ingredients to your shopping list, and whip it up this weekend—you won’t be sorry!
Sides of the Week
Our Top Two Choices
Watermelon is probably the most versatile sides of all summer sides!! If you need tips on how to pick a good one, or the best way to cut it, we’ve got you covered! You can easily pair this one with any of this week’s dinners – even the breakfast pie!
Tip: Add some strawberries and grapes to your grocery list and use leftover watermelon to make a Quick and Easy Fruit Salad the next day.
Broccoli Salad is a simple, tasty and hearty broccoli salad served with bacon, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and mixed with a delicious, homemade mayonnaise-vinegar based dressing that is perfect for BBQs and get togethers. This side pairs great with the Pulled Pork Sandwiches!
Take a look under each day of the week for even more side ideas that go well with this week’s meals!
Dessert of the Week
No Bake Oreo Cheesecake
Everyone’s favorite cookie is the star of this show! No Bake Oreo Cheesecake is a cool and creamy dessert with a crisp Oreo crust and a rich cookie-filled cheesecake base. It comes together in 15 minutes, no oven required!
If you like cool Oreo Desserts, check out:
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!
