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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 #74
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
When you see ribs on the menu, they are usually pork ribs but sometimes can be beef.
In this week’s Baby Back Ribs, we used pork.
They get their name not because they come from piglets, but because they are smaller than spare ribs. They are also leaner and more tender!
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 TACOS
Make your own restaurant-style shredded Chicken Tacos at home. They are easy to make, perfectly crunchy, and SO delicious!
We love devouring these yummy tacos with our famous Homemade Spanish Rice and Easy Refried Beans. For a real treat, you could also serve our homemade Horchata. All together, they will make for a Mexican fiesta at your very own dinner table!
Tuesday
PIZZA ROLL UPS
Crazy fast and easy to make, these pizza roll ups are oozing with cheese and pepperoni. They are tiny pockets of big flavor!
When we have these heavenly roll ups for dinner, we love to serve them with Broccoli Cauliflower Salad or Caesar salad made with homemade Caesar Salad Dressing. Everyone will enjoy this fun and easy weeknight meal!
wednesday
Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Fluffy Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes are whipped up in minutes for a family-favorite breakfast for every occasion!
To add some protein, we like to have bacon or sausage on the side. We also love drinking fresh-squeezed orange juice or Orange Julius with this tasty breakfast-for-dinner meal.
Thursday
Slow Cooker Chili
Slow Cooker Chili is packed with meat, beans, and flavor! It comes together in minutes then the crockpot does the rest.
When we have this chili for dinner, our Homemade Cornbread, one of our featured sides this week, is a must-have! They go perfectly together and make for a delicious, warm meal for those chilly late fall nights.
Weekend
Baby Back Ribs
BBQ Baby Back Ribs are slathered in both a dry rub and sauce for a flavor explosion. They are tender and utterly delicious!
Try pairing these flavorful ribs with our Southwest Caprese Salad. This scrumptious salad is one of our sides this week and is a slightly spicy twist on traditional Caprese Salad.
Sides of the week
Our Top Two Choices
Southwest Caprese Salad substitutes queso fresco and a bright cilantro jalapeño vinaigrette to add some flair. It is fresh, vibrant, and full of flavor!
We love caprese salad in all of its variations including Quick Caprese Salad, Caprese Kabobs, Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad and Caprese Stuffed Avocados. All of these recipes are easy, quick, healthy and delicious!
Melt-in-your-mouth Homemade Cornbread has a hint of sweetness! It’s especially perfect to serve with your favorite soup and chili recipes.
We have so many other great cornbread recipes like our Mexican Cornbread, Sweet Cornbread, Buttermilk Cornbread and Cornbread Muffins. We can’t even choose a favorite because we love them all!
Dessert of the WEek
Peppermint Brownies
Layered Peppermint Brownies are a delicious treat with a brownie base, cream cheese center, and chocolate topping sprinkled with crushed peppermint candy!
For more PEPPERMINT DESSERTS, try:
- Peppermint Brownie Trifle
- Marbled Peppermint Bark
- Peppermint Chocolate Delight
- Peppermint Ice Cream Dessert
- White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels
- Peppermint Oreo Fudge
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!
