Easy Weekly Dinner Menu (from someone who doesn't love cooking)
Something about adulthood and parenthood that I wasn’t prepared for was that we have to figure out dinner every night for the rest of our lives. Ugh. Cooking does not spark joy for this stay at home mom. While I don’t hate it, you definitely won’t see me making TikTok videos of delicious and nutritious recipes. (I do watch this genre of videos occasionally and suffer from Mom Guilt, though).
In fact, wondering what to make for dinner is often an added stressor in my life. We used to eat at restaurants far too often, but that became too expensive once we bought our home. Recently, I began planning dinners for the week on Sundays. I’d read about dinner routines before, but only started the practice in the last month or so. It. is. Awesome.
My husband and I take turns in the kitchen. In the good ole days, he actually cooked way more often than I did. Now though, and especially on the days he works a 12-hour shift in the ICU, I try to have a simple, but yummy dinner hot and ready. Giggity. And when I know what I’m going to make beforehand, it makes it even easier.
Without further ado, here is an example of an easy weekly dinner menu (that our 5-year old eats, too).
Meatless Monday
I’m not gonna lie to you, we eat a lot of meat in this family. While one day I hope to cut that amount down, right now we’re shooting for one meat-free day a week. It’s better than nothing, right?
Pasta is a smash hit in this family every time. Spaghetti with marinara sauce, fettuccine Alfredo, mac and cheese, it doesn’t matter. I want it all in my mouth. Just last week, I made this pesto pasta recipe and it was simple and AMAZING.
We like to eat a yummy salad as a side. I usually buy the premade bagged salads, but as those aren't cheap, we recently started making a giant homemade salad that we munch on for the whole week. My son likes to help make it, too, so it turns into quality with my baby AND saves money. Win win. However, my son won’t take a single bite of salad, so I usually cut up some tomatoes or fruit or whatever veggie he likes as a side to the pasta.
Taco Tuesday
Who doesn’t love tacos? Mmm just thinking about it makes me want Rosa’s Cafe and their heavenly tortillas. Plus, tacos are super easy to make. Brown some beef, add the seasoning and a little water, throw it in a hard shell or tortilla with cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, salsa, and BAM. You have a delectable delicacy. We usually add a can of refried beans, too.
Our son thinks tacos are too spicy, so we usually give him a simple refried bean and cheese burrito. Chips are a great side, but if you wanted to get extra fancy, there’s always Spanish rice.
Wheatless Wednesday
Have you gathered that I like alliteration yet? One of our favorite recipes lately is oven baked chicken breasts. They are juicy, tender, and an overall 10. Yes, I’m still talking about the chicken.
This recipe takes around 30 minutes from start to finish and goes great with mashed potatoes (mine are typically instant), mac and cheese (can’t go wrong with Kraft), or whatever side your heart desires. Vegetables that go great with it (that my son actually eats) are oven-roasted asparagus or carrots. Every time I make this meal, I feel like Martha freakin' Stewart.
Important side note: when I use a recipe from an online blog, I often click that “Jump to Recipe” button real quick. However, the oven-roasted chicken blog I've shared has some really important tips on how to improve the taste. For example, brining chicken is something I’d never heard of before a few months ago, and now I know not to cook the chicken without first doing this step. So, sometimes taking those few extra minutes to read the whole blog can prove beneficial.
Second side note: If your child is like mine and won’t touch anything remotely spicy, add less paprika to this dish.
Tuna (or Hamburger) Helper Thursday
A can of tuna: $1.17. A box of tuna helper: $1.48. Eating a bowl of the creamy delight knowing it saved you oodles of time and money: priceless. Add a salad (or not) to this dish and you’ve done a kick ass job with dinner. If tuna helper isn’t your jam, switch it out for Hamburger Helper. There are tons of options – my favorite is stroganoff – that are just as easy and tasty.
French Toast Friday
French Toast Friday doesn’t necessarily have to be french toast. It’s more of a “breakfast for dinner” Friday. But, that didn’t work with my alliteration fascination. Breakfast for din is ALWAYS a win in this house. Our son will tear it up, and my husband and I love it, too.
Bacon, egg, and cheese burritos? Winner. French toast and strawberries? Winner. Bagels, hard-boiled eggs, and blueberries? Winner. Banana pancakes and sausage? DOUBLE winner. It doesn’t matter which option, this house loves breakfast. And if my picky eater kid eats a full meal at dinnertime, I feel like an Olympic gold medalist in momming.
Soup Saturday
Especially during the colder months, you can’t go wrong with soup. We bust out that giant salad we made or even add a baked potato or simple grilled cheese sammie to make it a meal.
Some of our favorite soups include:
Copycat Zuppa Toscana (tastes like Olive Garden’s)
Chicken Taco Soup - Add some sour cream and eat over tortilla chips… Channing Tat-YUM
Sunday Funday
Unless we have a gift card, we try to limit eating at a restaurant to once a week or less these days (life is expensive). This option of the week is like a free choice and gives us something special to look forward to. We cherish these occasions as a family date.
If we’re trying not to eat out at all, another option we love is a chuck roast in the crock pot. The recipe my mom taught me is extremely simple: add the chuck roast, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a packet of Lipton onion soup mix to the crockpot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Throw in some potatoes and carrots at the halfway mark. Serve with A1 and have leftovers for the next day. Family favorite.
Conclusion
As a busy family, finding time to cook extravagant meals isn’t always feasible. We usually go for meals that take 45 minutes or less to put together. The meals in this blog might not be the healthiest or the most delicious, but they are easy, cost-effective, and family favorites. Plus, having a dinner meal plan for the week takes a load off mine and my husband’s shoulders.
At the end of the day, my family and I are fed, loved, and safe, and that's something I'm extremely grateful for. **Pats self on back.**
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