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
Food Baskets w/ Liners – these are some of my very favorite ways to serve up meals. They do not just make clean up way easier, but it also just adds to the experience of the meal when serving things up like burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, sliders and more.
13×9 Glass Baking Dish – I use these baking dishes several times a week for casseroles, roasting and baking. They are very important for weeknight cooking.
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
Dill Pickle Sliders – Nowadays you can find dill pickle everywhere – chips, ice cream, beer, pork rinds – literally everything! And I am totally here for it. I love pickles, in general, and dill pickles are at the top of that list. Dill pickles that delicious tang of vinegar with the divine flavor of dill and salt. If you love pickles like we do – you are going to love these Dill Pickle Sliders!
Dill Pickle Sliders
Ingredients
- 18 Slider Buns
- 18 Dill Pickle Chips
- ½ Medium White Onion thin sliced
- 1 cup Iceberg Lettuce shredded
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Dill Pickle Relish
- 5 slices Cheddar Cheese quartered
For the Patties
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 lb Ground Pork
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Dill
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375degF.
- Combine the patty ingredients and portion into 18 balls. Press them down slightly between your palms to be slightly bigger in diameter than your buns. Place a cooking rack on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Line out patties and place in oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine mayo and relish.
- Remove patties from oven and top each with a quarter slice of cheese. Return to oven for 5 minutes more. Remove from oven.
- Build the slider – Smear bottom bun with relish mayo. Add shredded lettuce and onion slices, then add patty. Next a pickle chip and the top bun. Secure with long toothpick or wrap in food paper.
TUESDAY
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
WEDNESDAY
Pizzadillas Supreme – I can be indecisive sometimes – do I want pizza…do I want quesadillas? How about both of them made into one amazing meal. My favorite type of pizza is red sauce with Italian sausage crumbles, pepperoni, bell pepper and red onion – so that is exactly what I put in these Pizzadillas Supreme. Along with this super easy homemade Marinara – perfect for dipping.
Pizzadillas Supreme
Ingredients
- 6 Tortillas extra large burrito sized
- 3 cups Mozzarella shredded
- 1 lb Italian Sausage remove from casing if needed
- 1 Green Bell Pepper diced
- ½ Red Onion diced
- ½ lb Pepperoni quartered
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning see recipe below
For Marinara
- 2 15oz can Tomato Puree
- 1 tbs Italian Seasoning see recipe below
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 tbsp Dried Minced Onion
- 1 tsp Parsley
- 1 tbsp Honey
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add marinara ingredients. Stir to combine and cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until ready to serve.
- In a bowl, combine green peppers, red onions, pepperoni, and Italian seasoning.
- In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add Italian sausage. Cook and crumble until no longer pink. Add to pepperoni mix and toss to combine.
- Preheat griddle to high. Build quesadillas: Add ¼ cup cheese, spoonful of pepperoni mix, then ¼ cup cheese to half of tortilla. Fold over and place on griddle. Cook for 5 minutes on each side. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Cut each quesadilla into thirds. Serve with ramekin of sauce and 2 or 3 quesadillas triangles per serving.
Notes
THURSDAY
Sweet & Sour Chicken – Y’all know how much we like our #chinesefakeaway meals. There is just something about making those classic Americanized Chinese Food dishes at home. My latest endeavor was to tackle the Chinese takeout staple – this home version of Sweet & Sour Chicken is loaded with crispy chicken pieces with bell pepper, onion and pineapple in a delicious sweet & sour sauce. What is so amazing about this dish is the mix of textures from the glossy sauce to the crunchy chicken.
Sweet & Sour Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Large Red Bell Pepper cut into 1-inch squares
- 1 Medium White Onion cut into 1-inch squares
- 1 20oz can Pineapple Chunks in 100% Pineapple Juice reserve juice for sauce
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- Oil for frying
For the Chicken
- 1½ lb Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 Large Eggs beaten
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 2 cups Flour
- ½ cup Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
For the Sweet & Sour Sauce
- 1 cup Ketchup
- ½ cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Sesame Oil
- ¼ cup Rice Vinegar
- Reserved Pineapple Juice
- 2 tbsp Corn Starch
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
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. onions, pineapple and sesame oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, add cut chicken. Combine ginger and beaten eggs. Pour over chicken and toss to evenly coat. Combine flour, cornstarch, salt and ginger. Add flour 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 chicken (shake a little to separate). Do not over crowd the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove to a baking rack over paper towels on a baking sheet. Repeat till all chicken 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 chicken on top. Then pour sweet & sour sauce over top. Serve with rice or noodles.
FRIDAY
Chicken Alfredo – Sometimes I find myself with an extra window of time to make dinner, so I like to go the extra mile. This recipe for Chicken Alfredo Roll-ups may be a little extra labor, but it so worth it in the end. The creamy homemade alfredo sauce melts down into the rolled up pasta stuffed with garlicky chicken, parmesan ricotta and fresh spinach.
Chicken Alfredo Roll-ups
Ingredients
- 18 Lasagna Noodles
- 2 lb Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 qt Chicken Broth
- 16 oz Ricotta Cheese
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning see recipe below
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
- 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese shredded, divided
- 1 tsp Parsley
For the Alfredo
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 4 tbsp Flour
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400deg. Start water boiling for noodles
- In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add chicken broth, chicken and garlic. Let cook for 20 minutes.
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add butter, and garlic powder. Once melted, whisk in flour. Cook for 2 minutes, then whisk in chicken broth. Cook for 2 minutes, then whisk in heavy cream and black pepper. Add parmesan, whisk and cook until fully melted. Remove from heat.
- In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning and 1 cup of mozzarella.
- Add noodles to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes LESS than package directs (they need to be pliable but not fully cooked). Drain in colander and rinse with cool water.
- Build roll-ups starting with smear of ricotta, layer of spinach, portion of chicken and sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Roll up and layer into baking dish (2 9×9 pans work best). Repeat with remaining noodles. (See photo in post)
- Pour alfredo sauce evenly over rolls. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parsley. Place in oven for 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- **The Alfredo makes a great breadstick dip, so reserve some if serving with breadsticks.
Notes
SATURDAY
Coney-Style Chili Cheese Dogs -Sometimes you just want a chili cheese dog! While the idea of a chili dog is pretty simple, there are actually quite a few different versions out there. Mostly it comes down to the type of chili and not just the beans vs. no beans debate. I personally prefer a Coney-style chili for my chili cheese dogs. This is much more like a sauce than a traditional chili. Coney-Style Chili Dogs almost always have onions on top and often yellow mustard (our family is not a fan of that though).
Coney-Style Chili Cheese Dogs
Ingredients
- 12 All-Beef Hot Dogs
- 1 Red Onion diced
- 3 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 1 Fresh Jalapeno sliced
- 12 Hot Dog Buns
For the Coney Sauce
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion grated
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- ½ cup Honey
- ½ cup Ketchup
- 1½ cup Water
- 2 tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 6oz can Tomato Paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
- In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add oil. Once hot add onions and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes then add ground beef. Cook and crumble until no longer pink and beef is in very small pieces (no chunks).
- In a mixing bowl, add remaining sauce ingredients and thoroughly combine with a whisk. Once the beef is cooked through, add mixture. Bring just to a bubble, then reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the sauce is simmering, heat up your hot dogs using your preferred method.
- Once the sauce is to your desired consistency (it thickens the longer is cooks), build your chili dogs. Place a hot dog in the bun, spoon coney sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheese, red onions and jalapenos.
SUNDAY
Comfort Casserole – All the classic comfort foods of a southern Sunday Dinner, layered up on in a hearty casserole. Comfort Casserole has your mashed potatoes and gravy mixed up with crispy chicken, corn and bacon – and then sprinkled with some cheese – because why not? This casserole is perfect for the cooler months ahead, as it is a real stick to your ribs kind of meal.
Comfort Casserole
Ingredients
- ½ lb Bacon cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 15oz can Sweet Corn drained
- 1 qt Chicken Broth
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
For the Mashed Potatoes
- 5 lbs Golden Potatoes peeled
- ½ cup Butter
- 2 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp White Pepper
For the Chicken
- 2 lbs Chicken Tenderloins
- 2 cups Buttermilk
- 4 cups Flour divided
- 2 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Add chicken tenders and buttermilk in a bowl and let rest (at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours) in refrigerator.
- Start water boiling for potatoes
- Once the water is boiling, add peeled potatoes. Let boil until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add remaining mashed potatoes ingredients and mashed together.
- In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove to paper towel covered plate. Reserve all grease in the pan.
- Add flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic and paprika to a bowl and stir to combine.
- Add enough oil to a saute pan to be one inch deep. Once hot (around 350degF), begin frying chicken. Remove each piece of chicken from buttermilk and put right into flour mixture. Fully coat with flour and place right into hot oil. Cook for 4 minutes on each side and remove to a baking rack over a paper towel covered baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken tenderloins. Let cool for about 5 minutes before cutting into 1-inch chunks.
- Preheat oven to 400degF.
- In a separate saute pan over medium high heat, add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove to paper towel covered plate. Reserve all grease in the pan.
- Spread mashed potatoes into 13×9 baking dish. Sprinkle with chicken chunks, corn, bacon and lastly shredded cheese. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Whisk cornstarch into bacon grease and let cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth while whisking. Once all broth has been added stir in salt, pepper and paprika. Reduce heat and let simmer while casserole is baking.
- Remove casserole from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Ladle gravy over top of each serving.
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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This looks like a great week of meals!
I couldn’t be without meal planning, it keeps us on track and saves us money.
It sounds like you have some tasty meals planned.
Definitely helps with the budgeting too!
That chicken alfredo dish looks extra yummy! I too swear by meal planning.
Estelle, what a great meal plan. So many yummies I want to try.
Visiting today from April’s #1,2,17&127