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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 #97
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
If you’ve never had Indian Fry Bread, you’re in for a treat!
These crispy-on-the-outside-and-soft-on-the-inside pillows of dough work for both dinner and dessert!
The recipe includes a beef and bean topping, but you can also top them with chili, shredded chicken or guacamole.
Or, if you’re wanting something sweet, try topping them with honey butter or cinnamon butter.
Any way you eat them, they’re delicious!
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
Southwest Salad
Our favorite Southwest Salad recipe is filled with chopped chicken, peppers, beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado and topped with a homemade cilantro ranch dressing.
If you’re wanting to try a different dressing with this flavorful salad, try our Chipotle Ranch, Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette or Café Rio Cilantro Ranch Dressing. All go great with this salad!
Tuesday
Easy Baked Ziti
Easy Baked Ziti is a meaty baked pasta smothered in a cream cheese tomato sauce. It’s great for feeding a crowd!
Some sides that pair well with this dish are Tomato Mozzarella Salad and Olive Garden Breadsticks. All together, they make a super satisfying meal!
wednesday
Omelette
A simple yet delicious Omelette is a hearty and filling egg recipe, perfect for breakfast, and completely customizable.
Whenever we have omelettes, we love a side of homemade Hash Browns. They’re one of our sides this week. They require a tad more work than store-bought hashbrowns, but we think the extra effort is worth it!
Thursday
Indian Fry Bread
Indian Fry Bread or “Navajo Tacos” are crispy pillows of dough with a soft inside. Complete it by adding sweet or savory toppings!
However you decide to top this heavenly fry bread, you can’t go wrong. Besides what’s listed in the recipe, some of our other favorite toppings are Guacamole, Pico de Gallo and Cinnamon Butter.
Weekend
Crock Pot Ribs
Juicy BBQ Crock Pot Ribs is the best and easiest dinner idea! Great for a small family, big family, or cooking for a crowd!
These juicy ribs go great with Baked Beans. They’re one of our sides this week, and we just know you’re going to want to bookmark this recipe with those summer barbecues right around the corner.
Sides of the week
Our Top Two Choices
A breakfast just isn’t complete without a delicious side of golden Hash Browns! Never made them? Read this post for the easy how-to!
We love using these hash browns or Breakfast Potatoes in our Breakfast Burritos. A couple of our other favorite breakfast dishes that use potatoes are Cheesy Breakfast Potato Casserole and Favorite Eggs and Potatoes.
Easy Homemade Baked Beans is a must-have at all of our BBQ’s. Everyone who tries it agrees it’s the best baked beans recipe!
Some of our other most popular slow cooker side dishes are Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, Slow Cooker Creamed Corn and Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes. For even more slow cooker sides, check out our collection of Crockpot Side Dishes.
Dessert of the WEek
Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight
A delicious and cool layered dessert with a cookie base, cream cheese layer, and pudding layer, all topped off with Whipped Cream and mini Chocolate Chips. Everyone loves Cookie Delight!
For more Chocolate Chip Goodness, try:
- Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
- Magic Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chip 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!
