I don’t know why, but this time of year is always crazy-busy for our family. During this hectic (but oh-so-wonderful!) time of year, I rely on SIMPLE food to get me through. This week wasn’t fancy, wasn’t frilly, and wasn’t especially “pin-worthy,” BUT, we enjoyed our meals and were thankful for what we had.

I hope this sparks an idea or two for you (or helps you get a glimpse of someone else’s “real life”!) If you’re looking for more ideas, please feel free to check out the Weekly Menu archives. There are lots of past menus to browse through!

Happy planning everyone!

Sunday: Tuna Melts, Tots, Fruit Salad

Monday: Homemade Deep Dish Pizza

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This is one of our “go-to” meals that we all love. The dough recipe makes 3 round cake pan size pizzas, giving us each space to customize our pizza.

Tuesday: Sandwiches

My husband works late on Tuesday nights, so the kids and I always do something super-simple. Tonight, the kids had various forms of peanut-butter sandwiches. 2 had PB&J, one had Nutella and PB, and one had PB and Marshmallow Fluff. =)

Wednesday: Parmesan Chicken Strips, Pasta Box

I gave myself a lot of room for short-cuts this week! I used Shake N’ Bake for the chicken (turned out moist and delicious) and used a pasta box for our side dish. I love having ready-to-go side dishes in my pantry for nights when making the homemade option suddenly doesn’t appeal to me at 4:30. 😉

Thursday: Taco/Nacho Bar featuring Guajillo Chile Chicken and Crockpot Refried Beans. I made Death by Chocolate Bundt Cake for dessert.

guajillo chile chicken

EASY, fuss-free meals are my new favorite thing to make for company! I am less stressed leading up to the evening, and I think guests feel more at-home and relaxed with a fuss-free meal. Everyone gets to customize just what they want, and accommodating allergies and food preferences is simple with a “bar” type meal.

Friday: Homemade Meatball Subs, Fries

One of our FAVORITE meals is meatball subs. I typically buy the bags of frozen meatballs, but decided to make my own this time. I mixed up ground beef, milk-soaked bread, parmesan cheese, and some spices. I baked off my meatballs, and then added them to some of my home-canned tomato sauce. These are delicious and easy to make.

We had a fun family day on Friday. We went to the zoo and watched Captain America: Civil War (*aff link) as a family.

Saturday: Pizza Rolls

I’m keeping it SUPER REAL y’all. We had my Grandma’s memorial service on Saturday, and I was emotionally and physically drained when we got home. I wanted to curl up on the couch with a plate of junk food. The kids had leftovers from the taco/nacho bar, and my husband and I indulged after they went to bed. It’s okay to be human.