What’s for Dinner? Week of August 5

Last week, Brandon was out of town for most of the week so I didn’t stick to a normal meal plan. I knew the kids and I could sort of “wing it” with food. I made a big seafood gumbo and we ate that for about two days (gumbo is much better the day after it’s cooked.) We also snacked on other things we liked, picked up Chick-fil-A once, and then ate dinner with Brandon, in New Orleans, after picking him up from the airport. What’s my point? If your week is abnormal – go with it! Don’t stress about food. As soon as you can get back on the meal planning train, jump right back on.

Over the weekend, I planned our meals, picked up groceries at the store and using grocery pickup, and did some refrigerator cleaning. By Sunday night I was feeling ready for the week ahead. It looks like we will be away for the upcoming weekend so my meal plan should last until then. I made sure to purchase quick snacks for the kids – cereal, fruit, and GoGurts. School will be starting next week and I’m trying to be mindful of picking up healthy convenience snacks. Anyways, here is what we will be eating for dinner this week. It’s nothing fancy, I promise. However, hopefully someone gets inspired for their next meal.

Taco Soup

Taco soup is an easy meal to cook. It’s basically a healthy chili. You can use almost all canned goods (buy organic if you’d like), and a few fresh ingredients. Plus, it’s a one pot meal and that’s one of my favorite ways to cook. We all enjoy adding our favorite toppings to this meal. I like sour cream, green onions, cheese, and Fritos, whereas the rest of my family just likes cheese and Fritos.  Also, you can swap out ground beef for ground turkey. I’ve done that several times but my husband always picks up on it. Make the proper swaps for your family and make it work.

Photo by Tai’s Captures on Unsplash

Beef Tacos + Spanish Rice + Black Bean Dip + Guacamole

Groceries are expensive! To save money, one thing I’ve been trying to do with each week’s meal plan is find ways to make meals based on what I’m already cooking. For instance, since we were having taco soup and I only needed about a pound, I decided to get about 3 pounds of ground beef and make tacos too. Does that make sense? I’ll also be cooking Spanish rice, bean dip, and guacamole to go along with this. By the time I’m finished, you can make a burrito. This entire meal takes under 45 minutes to cook (start your rice first) and allows each family member to choose what they like. Thankfully, I get all the guacamole to myself and no one even cares.

The Mom 100

Shortcut Jambalaya 

My five year old’s absolute favorite thing to eat is…drumroll, please – RICE! That boy can eat a bowl of white rice every single day. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper or better yet, Tony’s Chachere’s and he’s good to go. But I’m always trying to make him have better eating habits. Jambalaya is a great dish for all the rice lovers out there. I’m sure there are keto-friendly and brown-rice friendly versions of this recipe if you need that. This week, I’ll be trying Katie Workman’s Shortcut Jambalaya recipe. I’ll let you know how it goes on Instagram.

Photo by Carissa Gan on Unsplash

Naan Bread Pizzas + French Fries + Salad

Naan bread pizzas are another easy meal to make that allows your family to choose their own toppings. For my family of four, I buy about 6 pre-made naan breads. They are the perfect size for personal pizzas. If I have a little beef to cook, I’ll add that in, but my family is completely happy with pepperoni, cheese, and my daughter loves olives. I bake some french fries and make a fresh salad to go along with this meal. It will be quick and easy!

Roasted Chicken + Lemon Herb Asparagus + Salad

This lemon herb roasted chicken recipe was a hit with the family, so I’ll be using it again this week. This time I plan on cooking drummettes instead, not leg quarters. They are easier for the kids to eat and healthier than if I fried them. I’ll roast some asparagus and make a salad to go along with the chicken. The chicken takes around 45 minutes to cook so be sure to put in the oven first. The crispiness on the skin is what my kids love the most, though I have to remind them to eat the chicken too. Ha, kids!

If you’re wondering how I manage to meal plan and what process I use, download my FREE E-BOOK now. I share my simple 3 step process for getting dinner on the table every weeknight. I surely hope that it helps. Feel free to send me an email if you need more help or use the contact form here.

Are you trying any new recipes this week or sticking to the norm? Let me know in the comments below.

-Crystal 

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