Coming up with dinner every.single.day. can be such a struggle. I know so many people have a hard time coming up with ideas and hate putting together a shopping list.
Each week I create a simple meal plan and share it with you to help get one thing off your to-do list. Just get your shopping done and you’ll have ingredients and flexible meal choices ready to go for the week.
What’s a “Flexible Dinner Plan”?
Flexible dinner plans are for those who need a loose schedule of dinners so they don’t have to wonder what to make, but have the flexibility to switch things around a bit when life interrupts their plan.
I started meal planning years ago because I had a stressful job and would constantly be working late. I did not have the time or headspace to stop by the grocery store every night to pick up items for dinner and then get home and cook.
Also, when I’m hungry I get even more indecisive than I already am. Either I want allll the food. Or literally nothing sounds good. There is no in between.
And then I get hangry and things go downhill real fast.
So flexible, easy dinner plans became my thing. Rather than having a rigid 5 or 6 day meal plan that I would never stick to because, honestly, some days are just too hard to have to make dinner. And some days, I really just want some take out food. I would only plan for 3 or 4 meals per week. The other days are for leftovers, drive thrus, date nights … or just some boxed mac and cheese or ramen (because we’re not above ramen over here.)
So How Does it Work?
People are typically put off by commitment but if you give yourself a guideline with the flexibility and permission to make changes as needed, you’ll be more likely to stick to it. That’s why flexible easy meal plans work.
I give you 5 suggestions and you pick 3-5 meals for your week. Each week I scour through my collections of recipes from a variety of amazing food bloggers, recipe sites, cookbooks and personal recipes to thoughtfully create a dinner plan that is easy and delicious. Pick 3-5 of them for your week based on what works for your schedule and include days for eating out, leftovers, etc.
Use the order of the meals as a guideline. You’ll notice dinners are not listed as Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. and that’s on purpose. I don’t want you to feel too constricted. That sense of “I HAVE to do this” is what makes people stop meal planning. Keep things flexible and be realistic with your expectations and schedule.
Make mindful adjustments as needed. Sometimes, you need to consider foods (i.e. meats) that need to be used by certain days. For example, if you planned on making steak fajitas on Tuesday, but now it’s Tuesday and you can’t or don’t want to, think about your ingredients for a minute. Check your steak, if the date is good til tomorrow then just make sure you make that meal tomorrow. Otherwise, throw it in the freezer and plan to make it on Friday instead (just take it out the day before to thaw.)
Grocery shop for the week. Get all your groceries for the week so you have everything on hand. This will save you so much time and extra money spent on impulse purchases. If you’re subscribed to my emails, you’ll get a super convenient grocery list for this week’s dinners. (And it’s color coded because I’m just a nerd like that.) Subscribe below if you haven’t already:
What Can You Expect?
- Mostly quick dinners. If there’s a longer one in there it’s because you can make it on Sunday and have leftovers on a weekday.
- Realistic menu. I include basic “go-to” dinners that don’t require a recipe, like tacos or spaghetti to give you ideas without needing to follow recipes every night. We need basic to keep us sane 🙃
- Variety. I don’t want chicken three nights in a row and I assume you don’t either.
- Repurposing ingredients. Using remaining ingredients for another night this week or next week. Like when you only need 2 tbsp of parsley for a recipe but you have to buy a bunch, I’ll make another dinner this week or next week to use up more of that parsley.
- Suggestions and Tips. For add-ons, adjustments, or things to know. Read the notes under each night’s recipe in the post!
What These Meal Plans Are Not:
- Everything from scratch; I don’t have the time for that ish and I presume you don’t either.
- Clean, raw, unprocessed, etc; I like to eat healthy-ish but I also eat for convenience and availability. Like most things, there’s a balance.
- Vegan or vegetarian; though there will sometime’s be a meatless meal, I wouldn’t be authentic and doing any justice to include things we don’t actually eat.
Weekly Dinner Plan #3
- Quick Garlic Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein
- Buffalo Chicken Wraps with Fries
- Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Rice
- Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
- Sheet Pan Nachos
SEE BELOW for Additional Info, Add-On Suggestions, and Pinnable images for linked recipes.
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Quick Garlic Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein from The Recipe Critic
FYI:
- This recipe calls for 8 oz of lo mein noodles and an 8 oz flank steak for 4 servings. Personally, we eat more than this so I double it up for my family of 3 adults and 2 kids (and we’ll usually have a lunch portion leftover.) HOWEVER, the grocery list is per the original recipe. You can always serve a salad, soup, additional veggies, or fruit on the side. Adjust as you need!
ADDITIONAL SIDE SUGGESTIONS: (not included in shopping list)
- Edamame
- Simple salad of romaine lettuce (could add shredded carrots, cucumber, snap peas) with an asian ginger dressing such as Primal Kitchen’s Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette or Makoto Ginger Dressing.
- Mangos, mandarin oranges, or even this fruit salad from Rasa Malaysia
Buffalo Chicken Wraps with Fries (basic dinner)
FYI:
This is what I call a “basic dinner” – no recipe needed.
- Grilled chicken, air fried chicken, frozen or ready-made tenders from the grocery store. Do whatever works for you.
- Once it’s cooked or warmed up, toss with some buffalo sauce.
- Divide chicken onto tortilla shells and add toppings such as lettuce, tomato, shredded mozzarella, a drizzle of ranch and extra buffalo sauce if you wish.
- Roll up your tortilla and serve with fries, chips, fruit, or veggies.
Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Rice from Southern Bite
FYI:
- This is a slow cooker recipe but it can also be made in the instant pot.
- The gravy mix in the ingredients is the LARGE packet. There is a helpful note in the recipe about making a cornstarch and water slurry to thicken the gravy in the event you can’t find the large packet (or accidentally get a small one, like I do, every.time.)
- Don’t be afraid to substitute other cuts of meat. For example, Sirloin Tip Roast was on sale when I made this last so I just cut it into roughly 2 inch cubes before throwing everything into the Instant Pot. Larger roasts such as chuck roast, round roast, or rump roast become super tender and delicious when slow or pressure cooked.
- Instead of rice, you could also serve these beef tips and gravy over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or gnocchi.
- Rather than measuring out 8 oz of water, just fill your emptied can of mushroom soup with water and you’ll end up with about 10 ounces.
INSTANT POT:
To make this in the Instant Pot takes about one hour:
- Add everything to the pot, cover with the lid, set to Sealing, and cook on High pressure for 25 minutes.
- Once done, let the pot natural release for about 10 minutes and then quick release (cover the vent with a dish cloth to avoid getting splattered by steam.)
- Stir and add salt and pepper as preferred. If you want the gravy thicker just set the IP to saute and make the cornstarch slurry as noted in the recipe. Let it boil for just a minute or two while it thickens and then turn it off.
- Serve!
SIDE SUGGESTIONS: (not included in shopping list)
This is a basic, hearty, comforting meal that can certainly be eaten on its own but could use a side of veggies. It goes well with a side salad, broccoli, green beans, peas, carrots, etc. But personally, I like it with a half sour dill pickle and/or pickled beets.
Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet from Life Love Liz
FYI:
- The sweet potatoes should be cut into approximately 1/2 inch thick cubes in order to cook in the amount of time as specified. If they are larger it could take more time and possibly burn your food if you’re not paying attention to adding more water as needed. Alternatively, par-boil or microwave your sweet potatoes before adding them to the pan.
Sheet Pan Nachos (basic dinner)
Who says you can’t have nachos for dinner?!
Piled high with allll the yummy toppings, nachos can be filling, quick, and a fun family dinner to eat around the coffee table during Friday family movie night. Or off a paper plate, in the car, on the way to after school practices.
And they’re super easy to customize to everyone’s liking!
Sheet pan nachos are the literal best.
HOW TO MAKE SHEET PAN NACHOS:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- Cook up some taco meat, shred leftover beef, or go meatless.
- Line a baking sheet with tin foil
- Layer tortilla chips, meat, and cheese plus any toppings you want warmed such as beans or corn
- Bake for about 5-7 minutes
- Remove pan and add your remaining toppings
- DIG IN!
FYI
If you’re family likes different toppings you can mentally divide the nachos and put each person’s toppings onto separate rows or quarters of the pan. Otherwise divide the nachos onto separate plates before adding your cold toppings OR, make individual nacho piles like below.
MAKE IT A FAMILY AFFAIR
Get the kids involved in making dinner.
Everyone gets their own plate, lined with tinfoil. Have them layer some tortilla chips, meat, cheese and toppings they want warmed. (You can also go big with a double layer.)
Then, carefully slide the tinfoil nacho piles off the plates onto a backing sheet. Depending on how many people, you might need two sheets or to bake in two batches. Place the baking sheets into the oven and cook. Once done, carefully slide the tinfoil nacho piles back onto individual plates (or lift up by the sides and transfer.) Top with remaining toppings and enjoy!
Week 3 of easy meal plans is done! Hope this helps make dinner time less stressful for you this week! If you have questions or feedback let me know in the comments or email me, I’d love to hear from you 💜
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