Happy Monday everyone! Now that everyone is starting back to school, so many of us are looking to get back into the swing of things around the home. This is the time when we fall back into the busy routine of fall – and the time of year when a little extra planning can help a busy parent out!
Meal planning is one of those things that just alleviates my stress. You can check out the 10 Reasons I Love Meal Planning – and see if it would help YOUR family.
Hopefully my meal plan will spark an idea or two for you. Happy planning everyone.
Monday: Turkey Sloppy Joes, Oven Fries, Carrots
I absolutely LOVE swapping out ground beef for ground turkey – especially in meals like sloppy joes where you can really amp up the flavor of the meat with seasoning.
Tuesday: Tacos (It’s Tuesday after all!), Mexi-Quinoa
My Mexican Quinoa is one of my “go-to” dishes for potlucks – and something I really need to get up on the blog!
Wednesday: Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken, Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Casserole, Green Beans
I love Cracker Barrel. The “copy cat” chicken just takes a sauce of Italian dressing, lime juice, and honey. You can marinate and then grill your chicken, or simply cover the chicken with the sauce and bake.
Cracker Barrel hashbrown casserole is one of those incredible foods that you just love – but know you can’t eat very often. I lightened it up just a bit by subbing out potatoes for spaghetti squash and fat free versions of the soups and sour cream. Even my husband (who is not a squash fan) really likes this side dish!
We also had green beans fresh out of our garden! Nothing better. =)
Thursday: Spaghetti, Roasted Broccoli
So often when I menu plan, I let myself get overwhelmed. I’ll see all the new recipes I’ve found on Pinterest, see the pile of cookbooks in my kitchen, and just feel like I need to make something new and exciting every night.
Ladies, I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to make the “standards.” There is nothing wrong with keeping it simple! Make the things everyone likes.
I like jazzing up my roasted broccoli by adding some fresh minced garlic and parmesan cheese to it before roasting!
Friday: Backyard BBQ – Burgers, Hot Dogs, Squash
There’s no wrong way to bbq! Throw some chicken, burgers, brats, or veggies on your grill, and serve it all up with some fresh summer melon, a salad, and/or some chips! We love soaking up the end-of-summer-sun in the evenings.
Saturday: Homemade Deep Dish Pizza
We are pretty big pizza fans – and my kids love anything they can customize. This recipe makes 3 round cake pan sized pizzas – so there will be plenty for your whole family to top to their liking!
Sunday: Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken with Rice
This is one of my favorite crockpot meals. I threw the ingredients in my crockpot after we got home from church and enjoyed a fantastic meal later that night. It’s easy, tasty, and great for busy days/nights!
Dessert of the Week: Easy Peasy S’mores Cake
What would a week be without something sweet? We currently have a burn ban here in Washington – which means no backyard fires around the fire pit, which means….no s’mores. =(
This cake is beyond simple and gives you the tastes of a classic s’more.
