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 #45
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 😬🤪
| Pulled Pork Sandwiches | Cook and shred pork. |
| Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Casserole | – |
| *Enchiladas or Nachos* | Grate/shred cheese if using block. |
| Coconut Shrimp Tacos | Slaw (up to 1 day in advance.) |
| Shallot, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Garlic Butter Pasta | – |
Recipe Links • Side Ideas • Helpful Tips
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Basic Meal Idea
After a busy holiday week, we’re going with basic pulled pork sandwiches because they don’t require much effort but they sure do hit the spot! Whether you have a go-to recipe to make your own pulled pork, get some by the pound from your local BBQ joint, or buy a package or two from your grocery store, do what works for you. I’ve recommended two recipes below that you can check out if you want.
FYI:
- Here are two great recipes for Pulled Pork you can check out: (both are equally delicious)
The Salty Marshmallow: https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/instant-pot-pulled-pork/
Inspired Taste: https://www.inspiredtaste.net/30817/slow-cooker-pulled-pork-recipe/ (IP instructions as well) - The Inspired Taste recipe uses a sauteed onion sauce added to the pork that creates an amazing depth of flavor. They also use a 4.5-5 lb pork which is perfect to have leftovers for a second dinner this week. Their recipe includes instructions for the IP as well.
- The Salty Marshmallow pork gets its flavoring from a spice rub instead. This recipe also calls for a smaller 3lb boneless pork roast cut into chunks which is ideal if you don’t want as much leftover and want your meal cooked quicker.
- LEFTOVERS: Use up leftovers in Enchiladas or Nachos later this week (or freeze and make either of those recipes another week!)
SIDE IDEAS:
- Coleslaw
- Collard Greens
- Green Beans
- Mac & Cheese
- Fries
- Sauteed Broccoli and Bacon
Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Casserole
from Family Fresh Meals
Breakfast for Dinner tonight with this velvety, peppery, delightfully comforting Biscuits & Gravy Breakfast Casserole.
FYI:
- If you like a lot of gravy with your biscuits and gravy, consider doubling the batch of gravy and saving half to serve on the side with the finished casserole.
SIDE IDEAS:
- Fried or scrambled eggs
- Fruit/fruit salad
- Roasted asparagus
*Enchiladas or BBQ Pork Nachos (using pork leftovers)
from Great Grub Delicious Treats
Two great ways to use up your leftover pulled pork in a new way rather than just repeating sandwiches again!
FYI:
- Depending on what you’re feeling AND how much pulled pork you have left over: the enchiladas need about 4 cups of pulled pork to make 4 servings of 2 enchiladas per person.
- Otherwise, you can make Nachos much the same as you would regular nachos and only need about 2 cups of leftover pulled pork (more is good too!) Simply layer warmed pork onto tortilla chips, top with shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese, and pop in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes to melt the cheese. Top with sour cream, red or green onions, cilantro, and an extra drizzle of BBQ sauce if you want. You could also add jalapenos or tomatoes if you want.
SIDE IDEAS:
- Side salad
- Chips and Salsa
- Fried plantains
Coconut Shrimp Tacos
from Homemade Home
These sweet, crispy, tangy coconut shrimp tacos are so addicting and absolutely delicious!!
FYI:
- SHORTCUT: The recipe shows you how to make coconut shrimp from scratch, they’re perfectly sweet and crispy, and they’re oven-baked so their way better for you! However, always a however from me, many (most) times I use frozen coconut shrimp to save time.
SIDE IDEAS:
- Black beans and white rice
- Roasted corn
- Yuca Fries
- Conch Fritters
Shallot, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Garlic Butter Pasta
from How Sweet Eats
A delightfully simple but tasty recipe that’s made with minimal effort and ready in 30 minutes!
FYI:
- SUBSTITUTE: GOAT CHEESE – I’ll be honest, I do not like goat cheese. I make a similar dish using ricotta instead (and bacon) and it’s fabulous!!
SIDE IDEAS:
- Garlic bread
- Mozzarella sticks
- Sauteed Mushrooms
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.
