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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 #56
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
Chicken & Waffles is this week’s “brinner”. The recipe calls for buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, did you know you can make your own substitute?
1 cup buttermilk= 1 cup milk+ 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes and ta-da! You’ve got a buttermilk substitute.
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
CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
Chicken Enchilada Casserole is a crowd pleaser!! This simple dinner dish is sure to make it on your weekly dinner rotation.
I keep cooked shredded chicken on hand for recipes like this, and I love to use Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce in this casserole too!
Tuesday
ENGLISH MUFFIN PIZZAS
English muffin pizzas are a quick and easy meal the kids will love. They are savory, delish, and sized just right!
These pizzas are so easy, I don’t mind taking some extra time to make Homemade Pizza Sauce or Pizza Seasoning.
wednesday
CHICKEN AND WAFFLES
No need to count calories with these Chicken and Waffles, this sweet and salty classic is worth every bite!
There’s a recipe included for the waffles, but you can use whatever waffle recipe you like: Belgian Waffles, Buttermilk Waffles, or even Crispy Waffles!
Thursday
BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD
Spicy Buffalo Chicken Salad is filled with buffalo seasoned chicken, crumbled blue cheese, and ranch. It’s your favorite wings in salad form!
If you don’t want the bleu cheese dressing included in the recipe, you can use Homemade Ranch instead!
Weekend
DR. PEPPER RIBS
Pork ribs cooked in Dr. Pepper, grilled to perfection, and smothered in BBQ Sauce. These Dr. Pepper ribs are fall off the bone delicious!
Both sides of the week pair perfectly with these Dr. Pepper Ribs! If you want any additional sides, we love Grilled Asparagus or Mashed Potatoes.
Sides of the week
Our Top Two Choices
Corn on the Cob is a cinch to boil! You will love this juicy corn on the cob to put on the side of any summer meal.
If you don’t want to boil it, we also have recipes for grilling corn on the cob, or even microwaving it! All three methods are super easy and delicious.
Watermelon ist the most versatile summer side dish of all time—and one everybody loves!
Be sure to check out all of our watermelon tips, including How to Pick a Good Watermelon, and How to Cut a Watermelon!
Dessert of the WEek
KEY LIME PIE BARS
Key Lime Pie Bars are a favorite dessert in a bar!! They have a graham cracker crust and a delicious cream cheese and lime filling.
For more lime flavored treats, 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!
