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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 #69
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
Got a ton of leftover candy from Halloween? Put it to good use with this week’s dessert!
Pro tip: Prep all the layers beforehand (brownies, pudding, candy) and store separately. Then assemble right before eating.
We also recommend our Candy Bar Brownies or Candy Bar Cookies to use up that extra holiday candy!
Your kids won’t even be mad when they find out you’re taking their candy to make dessert.
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
Crock Pot Taco Soup
Creamy & delicious Crockpot Taco Soup is SO easy to make! It’s packed with flavor and takes just 5 minutes of prep time!
If you’d rather not use the Crockpot, try our Chicken Taco Soup or our traditional Taco Soup. You can’t go wrong with any of these tried and true recipes!
Tuesday
Chicken Cacciatore
Enjoy a lean version of your favorite ‘hunter-style’ chicken in this Chicken Cacciatore with mushrooms, onions, and red bell pepper.
With this dish, we usually enjoy Roasted Broccoli or Tomato Mozzarella Salad and breadsticks. All together, they make for a great, well-rounded meal.
wednesday
Yogurt Parfait & Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins
Fresh & creamy yogurt parfaits are filled with fresh fruit and topped with crunchy granola. Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins are soft and tender, studded with creamy butterscotch chips.
This grab-and-go meal is great on its own, but if you want to add some protein, try serving with Bacon in the Oven or Avocado Eggs. You won’t hear any complaining about dinner tonight!
Thursday
Cabbage Soup
Cabbage Soup is an easy healthy soup loaded with fresh veggies. Warm up with a cup of this low calorie and low carb delicious soup!
A great complement to this yummy soup is homemade French Bread, one of our sides of the week. It’s soft, moist and, best of all, easy to make!
Weekend
Hamburger Stroganoff
Creamy, savory hamburger stroganoff is a perfect weeknight dinner. It is full of flavor and comes together quickly.
You know what we love to eat with this delish dish? Caramelized Brussel Sprouts. We know brussel sprouts are not for everyone, but you’ve got to give these a try. We think they turn out pretty darn good!
Sides of the week
Our Top Two Choices
This is the BEST Homemade French Bread recipe and is so easy to make! It’s soft, tasty and comes out perfect every time.
Some of our other favorite dinner breads are Italian Bread, Focaccia Bread and Sourdough Bread. If you’re looking for something fast, try easy Cheesy Garlic Bread. We promise they’re all good!
Fabulously sweet and a little crispy, These Caramelized Brussel Sprouts are one of our favorite side dishes! Even your pickiest eater will enjoy this recipe.
We have some other great Brussel sprouts recipes too including Balsamic Brussel Sprouts, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Parmesan Brussel Sprouts, and Brussel Sprouts with Bacon. With all of these brussel sprout recipes, you’re bound to find one that the whole family will love!
Dessert of the WEek
Candy Bar Trifle
Use up that leftover Halloween candy in a delicious Candy Bar Trifle layered with brownie chunks, chocolate pudding and candy.
For more CANDY DESSERTS, try:
- Candy Bar Cookies
- Candy Bar Brownies
- White Chocolate M&M Popcorn
- Rolo Pretzels
- Pumpkin Snack Mix
- Halloween Cookie Cake
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!
