Planning out the week’s meals is something I do every Sunday for my family. I do this for a few different reasons – one it helps me get into the mindset of a new week ahead. Two it gives me the opportunity to look through the freezer, fridge and pantry to see what might need to be used up, what do I already have on hand, and what do I need to get from the store. I also try to think ahead of how can a double prep something one night to use another night, or say when a recipe calls for half an onion – I make sure to make something that needs the other half within a few days.
I also like to check in with the family to see if they have anything they have been specifically craving or wanting to try something new. Sometimes this is a fruitful ask and sometimes I get bupkitz. But I still try to ask because I also get the ‘don’t forget I’m going to dinner with a friend this night’ or ‘just please no more rice/pasta/whatever’. This is all valuable info for making a dinner menu plan for the week ahead. I also like to use a menu planner with a grocery list – like this one – to make things that much easier.
Tools You May Need
To have success with the recipes this week – here are few items that I think you may consider adding to your kitchen if you do not already have them.
A Good Sharp Chef’s Knife – this week’s menu has a few recipes that really need good knife cuts
An Extra Large Saute Pan – also called an “Everyday Pan”, these are perfect one pan meals.
A Grill Pan – I use this to give those beautiful grill lines to sandwiches, meats, and tortillas. It’s just that something extra.
Here is my plan for the week ahead. I have included the links to the original posts (you can find more info about substitutions, and processes in the full posts), as well as the full menu right here so that you don’t have to go anywhere if you don’t want to.
MONDAY
#Onepan Cheesy Sausage Pasta – Weeknight cooking is centered on the idea of simplicity while still being packed with flavor. You shouldn’t have to slave over the stove all day to make a delicious family meal. One pan meals are always a great way to build flavor because when you cook it all together you get a cohesive final dish. This particular recipe for #OnePan Cheesy Sausage Pasta checks all the boxes – it’s simple and flavorful.
#OnePan Cheesy Sausage Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Oil
- ½ Yellow Onion fine chopped
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 2 lb Smoked Sausage halved and cut into ½inch pieces
- 1 lb Medium Pasta Shells or any short pasta
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- 2 cups Milk
- 2 cups Broccoli rough chopped
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Ground Mustard
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
- In your largest saute pan over medium high heat, add oil, onions and garlic. Saute about 3 minutes then add sausage chunks. Cook for about 5 minutes. Then reduce heat to medium.
- Add pasta, milk, chicken broth, broccoli and seasonings. Add enough eater to fully submerge everything. Bring just to a bubble, then cover pan and let cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove lid and add heavy cream and cheese. Stir until fully combined. Let cook another 5 minutes. Then let rest away from heat for 5 minutes before serving (sauce will thicken up.)
TUESDAY
Bacon Cheeseburger Smash Tacos – We have all been there – we can not decide what to make for dinner because you have two things in mind. This recipe came from exactly that situation. I wanted bacon Cheeseburgers and Tacos in equal measure so I merged them and came up with Bacon Cheeseburger Smash Tacos and they were amazing.
Bacon Cheeseburger Smash Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 18 Flour Tortillas street taco size
- 18 slices Cheddar Cheese thin-sliced
- 1 Tomato diced
- ½ White Onion diced
- 1 cup Romaine Lettuce shredded
- 1 lb Bacon
For the Burger Patty
- 1½ lb Ground Beef
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
For the Special Sauce
- ⅔ cup Mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup Ketchup
- ¼ cup Yellow Mustard
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix patty ingredients. Place a large layer of parchment paper on the countertop. Add half of the tortillas in a single layer. Using a 2oz food scoop, place a portion of patty mix to center of each tortilla. Cover with another layer of parchment paper. Use a burger press (or small frying pan) to flatten out each scoop of patty mixture on to each tortilla. Repeat with remaining tortillas. **Meat should be pressed all the way to the edge , and even over hanging. It will shrink up while cooking.
- In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add bacon. Cook until crispy and remove to paper towel covered plate. Allow to cool some before chopping into bites. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan.
- In a small bowl, combine special sauce ingredients.
- Begin frying patty/tortilla, patty side down, in same pan bacon was fried in. Cook for approximately 3 minutes on patty side, then flip and cook for 2 minutes on tortilla side. Add slice of cheese and remove from pan. Repeat with remaining smashtacos.
- Add portion of bacon to smashtaco. Sprinkle with romaine, tomato and onion. Drizzle with special sauce. Repeat with remaining smashtacos.
WEDNESDAY
Mexican Breakfast Bowls– Since we raise chickens, we always have a lot of eggs. So often, I find meals to utilize a large amount of eggs for dinner to make sure none go to waste. This recipe accomplishes just that – uses up a large amount of eggs and still counts as dinner. With the combo of beans, pork, bell peppers, cheese, and eggs, you are going to love this recipe for Mexican Breakfast Bowls.
Mexican Breakfast Bowls
Ingredients
- 1½ lb Ground Pork
- 2 tbsp Taco Seasoning see recipe below
- 1 tbsp Oil
- ½ White Onion minced
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Red Bell Pepper small diced
- 1 15oz can Black Beans drained, rinsed
- 1 15oz can Pinto Beans drained, rinsed
- 12 Eggs beaten
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese fine shredded, divided
- 1 cup Mexican Gravy see recipe below
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 2 stalks Green Onions chopped
- 6 Flour Tortillas burrito sized
Instructions
- In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add ground pork and half of the taco seasoning. Cook until no longer pink.
- In a bowl toss onions, garlic and bell pepper with oil. Add to pan with pork. Let cook a few minutes. Reduce heat to medium low. Then add rinsed beans and remainder of taco seasoning. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- In a separate pan over medium heat, add beaten eggs. Let cook – untouched for about 2 minutes. Then gently move the eggs around to allow to continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper and 1½ cup of shredded cheese, then fold in. Remove from heat once cooked to desired doneness. Remove from heat.
- In a bowl, add portion of bean mixture. Add portion of eggs on top. Then add dollop of sour cream, sprinkle of green onions and a drizzle of Mexican gravy. Serve with tortilla (warmed if desired).
Notes
THURSDAY
Cheesy Mushroom & Rice Bake – Classic weeknight cooking is often a casserole or bake style meal. You put all of the ingredients (some partially prepared) into a baking dish and let it all bake it all up in the oven. These are ideal for busy weeknights as you do a very small amount of active time in the kitchen, and then oven does all the rest. Chicken and rice is a great starting point for a bake and this recipe adds in some delicious mushrooms and cheese. Your family is sure to really enjoy this Cheesy Mushroom & Rice Bake.
Cheesy Mushroom & Rice Bake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Oil
- ½ Yellow Onion diced
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 cup Long Grain Rice
- 2 cup Chicken Broth
- 2 lb Chicken Breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup White or Cremini Mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 1 tsp Parsley
Cheese Sauce
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 4 tbsp Flour
- 2 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 tsp Parika
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a saute pan over medium high heat, add oil, onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes then add rice. Toast for 3 minutes more. Transfer to 13×9 baking dish. Add chicken broth, mushrooms, and chicken.
- Preheat oven to 400degF.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add butter, onion powder, and garlic powder. Once melted, whisk in flour and let cook for 3 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth and paprika and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and cheese. Cook another 3 minutes. Then add to baking dish. Stir to thoroughly combine.
- Cover baking dish with foil and place in over to bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil from baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese and parsley. Bake for another 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
FRIDAY
Meat Lovers Pizza – Pizza is a staple in our home. Even made from scratch – most of our family can prepare the dough to have time to rise before making from dinner. Because it really is that easy. But sometimes that simple – yet delightful – pepperoni pizza occasionally needs to be stepped up a notch. This recipe for Meat Lovers Pizza gives you that one extra pop that #pizzanight really needs.
Meat Lovers Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 Pizza Dough Recipes see below
- 6 oz Pepperoni Slices
- 1 lb Italian Sausage
- ½ lb Bacon
- ½ lb Ham Steak diced
- 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese shredded
- 2 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
For the Sauce
- 1 15 oz Tomato Puree
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning see recipe below
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Dried Onion
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Prepare all of the ingredients.
- In a frying pan over medium high heat, add bacon. Cook until crispy and remove to a paper towel covered plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan.
- In the same frying pan, add Italian sausage. Cook and crumble until no longer pink. Remove to a paper towel covered plate.
- In a sauce pan over medium heat, add ingredients for the sauce. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce to low and let simmer while dough cooks.
- Add cheeses to a bowl and toss to combine.
- Once the pizza dough is completed as listed in the recipe below, start building the pizzas.
- Remove pizza crusts from oven. For one pizza, spread half of sauce over top of crust. Evenly sprinkle with 2 cups of cheese mixture. Layer with a single layer of pepperoni then sprinkle with half of each of the ham, bacon, and sausage. Sprinkle with ½ cup of cheese mixtures. Repeat on second pizza. Place in oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove and let cook for 5 minutes before cutting.
Notes
SATURDAY
Chicken Tortellini Soup -Full of flavor hearty soups are the perfect cold weather weeknight meals that the whole family will enjoy. This recipe for Chicken Tortellini Soup is fairly simple to put together, with not a ton of active cooking going on. What makes this particular soup special is that it has not one but TWO unexpected ingredients – Worcestershire Sauce and Tabasco Sause. You get that deep earthly flavor from the Worcestershire and a pop of heat from the tabasco for a great bite.
Chicken Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 1 Medium White Onion diced
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 3 Carrots diced
- 3 Celery Stalks diced
- 2 tbsp Poultry Seasoning see recipe below
- 2 qts Chicken Broth
- 2 lb Chicken Breast
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
- 2 lb Fresh Cheese Tortellini
Instructions
- In a large stock pot over medium high heat, add butter. Once melted add garlic, onion, carrot, celery and half of poultry seasoning. Let saute until onions are mostly translucent.
- Add broth and chicken breast. Bring just to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium and let cook for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and shred. Return to pot and reduce heat to medium low.
- Add lemon juice, remaining poultry seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and tabasco. And let cook for 30 minutes more.
- Increase heat to medium, and add tortellini. Cook for a final 15 minutes (or until tortellini are all floating).
Notes
SUNDAY
Mongolian Beef – This popular Chinese-American menu mainstay is another favorite in our family. Crispy steak pieces with bell pepper, and onion in a delicious ginger soy sauce makes for a truly great weeknight dinner. Mongolian Beef does have a bit of a kick to it (there is Sriracha in the sauce) but nothing crazy. You can serve this with Simple Chow Mein or Egg Fried Rice
Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- 1 Large Red Bell Pepper cut into ¼-inch strips
- 1 Medium White Onion cut into ¼-inch strips
- 1 Large Green Bell Pepper cut into ¼-inch strips
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- Oil for frying
For the Chicken
- 1½ lb Sirloin Steak cut into ½-inch strips
- 1 tbsp Ground Ginger
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 cup Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Salt
For the Mongolian Sauce
- ¼ cup Sriracha
- ½ cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Sesame Oil
- ¼ cup Rice Vinegar
- ¼ cup Hoisin Sauce
- 2 tbsp Corn Starch
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
Instructions
- Combine all sauce ingredients a small sauce pan. Bring just a bubble over medium-high heat. Then reduce to medium low and let simmer.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add bell pepper. onion, and sesame oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, salt and ginger. Add steak strips to bowl and toss to evenly coat.
- Add enough oil to a frying pan to be about ½ inch deep and put over high heat. Once up to at least 375degF, start add coated pieces of steak (shake a little to separate). Do not over crowd the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove to a baking rack over paper towels on a baking sheet. Repeat till all steak is cooked.
- In a separate frying pan over medium high heat. add pepper mixture. Saute for about 5 minutes.
- On a large serving dish, add pepper mixture to bottom in a mostly single layer. Pile crispy steak on top. Then pour sauce over top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Serve with rice or noodles.
Do you have any tips for making a dinner menu plan each week? Which one of these recipes do you plan to add to your dinner menu plan this week?
Now Let’s Get Cookin’!
I love to link up my posts to lots of blogs around the internet – check out this Ultimate Handy Linky Party List to find some of the places I share to!
Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:
AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS
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That sounds like a yummy week! We had tortellini soup on our menu this week too.