Coming up with dinner every.single.day. can be such a struggle. My weekly dinner plans are created to help you get one thing off your to-do list and have less stress at dinner time!
Visit the WEEKLY DINNER PLANNER archive for more meal planning ideas!
Table of Contents
Dinner Plan #39
Meal Prep Tips
These are some basic prep ideas you can do before the week starts to get ahead of the game! Do some, do them all, whatever works for you! I just barely make it to the grocery shopping part, so actual meal prep is a stretch for me personally …. but I hear it’s super-efficient 😬🤪
| Easy Air Fryer Burgers | – |
| Lemon Pepper Chicken Tenders | Marinate chicken the morning of. |
| Creamy Garlic Shells | Shred cheese if using block cheese. |
| 7 Layer Chicken Burritos | Prepare shredded chicken. Prepare seasoned black beans. Shred cheese if using block cheese. |
| Jambalaya | Slice sausage. Dice onion, jalapeno, bell peppers, and celery. |
Recipe Links • Side Ideas • Helpful Tips
Air Fryer Burgers
This is just a basic dinner idea for this week so make whatever your fave burgers are.
HOWEVER, if you’re looking for a super simple way to make burgers that results in the juiciest burger ever… then you MUST try burgers in the air fryer.
They take just a few minutes and result in some perfectly juicy and tender burgers that might seriously make you reconsider grilling them ever again.
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Directions
- I recommend either an 85/15 or 80/20 ground beef to keep it juicy and flavorful and use whatever seasonings you want. I use 85/15 with Montreal seasoning.
- Pre-heat your Air Fryer to 400°F (Air Crisp setting). Depending on the size of your basket, place 2-4 burgers and cook for 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. For thicker burgers(appx 1/2″thick), this will result in a Medium doneness. Adjust your timing a few minutes up or down depending on the thickness of your burgers and how well you want them cooked.
- Once done, you can add a slice of cheese and close the lid for another minute just to let the residual heat melt it a bit. You could then turn the air fryer back on for about 2 minutes to crisp up your buns if you’d like.
SIDE IDEAS:
- Sweet potato fries
- Onion rings
- Pasta Salad
- Garlic parmesan fries
- Corn avocado tomato salad
- Fried pickles
Lemon Pepper Chicken Tenders
from Butter Be Ready
I just can’t even begin to express the deliciousness of everything going on in these chicken fingers. Citrusy, peppery chicken with a sweet kiss of garlic honey butter. I seriously cannot get enough!
FYI:
- MARINATING TIME REQUIRED. This recipe does call for marinating your chicken in seasoned buttermilk for a minimum of 3 hours up to 10 hours. You can get these going in the marinade in the morning and then fry them up after work.
SIDE IDEAS:
- Garlic mashed potatoes
- French fries
- Cole slaw
Creamy Garlic Shells
from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
So you know the Lipton Creamy Garlic Shells packets? This right here is a homemade version and I’m so glad I came across it. I used to love eating those for dinner, and this homemade version is just as good!
Yes, technically this should be a side. But it’s just as delicious as your main course, especially when you want to bundle up on your couch with a big bowl of comfort food.
FYI:
- You can add proteins like shrimp or chicken.
- Add veggies like peas, spinach, or asparagus. Or top with fresh diced tomatoes.
SIDE IDEAS:
- Salad
- Garlic roasted broccoli (or microwaved butter broccoli if you want to go minimal effort.)
- Steamed asparagus.
7 Layer Chicken Burritos
from 5 Boys Baker
These right here are my favorite way to make burritos – all the good stuff rolled up inside so each hearty bite is full of flavors and textures.
FYI:
- USE IT UP! Have leftover shredded chicken from last week? Use it up in these burritos. Because there is so much other stuff in them, don’t worry if you don’t have much chicken left.
- Though many of the components can be made ahead of time (beans, chicken, rice), I wouldn’t suggest preparing the full burritos in advance because the pico, salsa, and guac won’t hold up well.
- SHORTCUT: Buy a can of seasoned black beans instead of making your own.
SIDE IDEAS:
- Chips & salsa
- Salad
- Corn
- Cinnamon tortillas
Jambalaya
from Gimme Some Oven
An incredibly hearty dish full of bold, zesty flavors and a warm heat laced throughout.
FYI:
- This one does take a little longer to make (about an hour) but it makes a lot so you’ll free up another night of cooking with leftovers.
- Substitute smoked kielbasa if you don’t like andouille.
SIDE IDEAS:
- Cornbread
- Salad
- Roasted corn on the cob
- Crispy air fryer okra
- Cornmeal and jalapeno cheddar biscuits
- Deep-fried hush puppies
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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How To Use the Meal Plans
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 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 weekly 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 restricted. 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. 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.) This will become second nature as you continue meal planning.
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.
