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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 #35
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
One of our VERY favorite desserts is our White Texas Sheet Cake. It’s SO good! More of a chocolate fan? Then give our Chocolate Sheet Cake a try instead.
Another favorite combination is our White Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting. Best of both worlds, right? Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of these sheet cake options. Trust us! They are great for serving large groups.
On another note, St. Patrick’s Day is this coming up! Enjoy some fun St. Patty’s Day themed recipes found HERE!
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
Albondigas Soup
Albondigas soup is a delicious Mexican recipe filled with meatballs, vegetables and spices! Packed full of flavor, this simple Albondigas soup is sure to become a favorite.
The recipe contains instructions for making meatballs especially for this soup, but you can also use pre-made meatballs (from the store) or leftover Homemade Meatballs you might have in the fridge or freezer!
Also, be sure to pair it with Focaccia Bread, a side of the week this week. It’s perfect for soaking up all that yummy soup!
Tuesday
Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells are creamy, cheesy, and smothered in a rich homemade Alfredo sauce. They’re so good, even the kids won’t mind the spinach!
These shells are super filling since they’re packed with grains, protein, spinach, and a creamy sauce. That’s why the Quick Caprese Salad on the plan for this week is a perfectly light and refreshing side to pair with it!
wednesday
Breakfast Strata
This breakfast strata is great for brunches, holidays, or a yummy family breakfast!! With buttery layers of bread, ham, cheese, and egg, this Strata recipe is guaranteed to please any crowd!
We like to pair this strata with a light and refreshing breakfast smoothie or side of Fruit Salad to balance out our breakfast dinner!
Thursday
Sweet and Sour chicken
No need for take-out when you’ve got this yummy recipe for simple and flavorful homemade sweet and sour chicken!
We always serve this over a bed of white rice (our favorite way to make rice is in the crock pot!), but you could also do brown rice or Cauliflower Rice. Don’t forget a side of Egg Rolls and Cream Cheese Wontons!
Weekend
Sausage and Potatoes
This hearty sausage and potatoes bake is deliciously savory and filling! It is simple, easy, and loaded with flavor.
Sausage and potatoes already has meat, veggies, and potatoes making it hearty and filling all on it’s own. However, you can always pair it with a side salad, or dinner rolls!
Sides of the week
Our Top Two Choices
Focaccia Bread is a crisp, yet fluffy, bread topped with delicious herbs and seasonings. It’s so easy to make and is perfect for sandwiches, dipping in soups, or enjoying on its own!
We’re pairing it with Albondigas Soup this week, but it’s really versatile and can be enjoyed with the Stuffed Shells or Sausage and Potatoes as well if you have any leftover bread.
Simple and quick Caprese Salad is easy and delicious with pops of mozzarella, tomatoes, avocados and drizzled with a balsamic glaze!
The Italian flavors make it perfect for serving with the Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells on the plan this week!
Dessert of the WEek
White Texas Sheet cake
A white version of classic sheet cake! This cake is moist and is topped with an amazing frosting with hints of almond throughout. It also feeds a ton, making it great for parties and get together.
Be sure to check out the tip of the week for a few of our favorite white and chocolate Sheet Cake variations!
For Even More Sheet Cake, try:
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!
