Meal Plan Monday

Another Monday, another meal plan!

Taking the time to sit down and plan out our week’s worth of dinners on Sunday mornings has proven to be such a huge help!  Going into the week with a plan makes me feel much more organized and less like I am flying by the seat of my pants each evening when I get home.

I usually have plenty of ingredients to make “whatever sounds good” but that always proved to be too much of a thought process come 6pm! Having the menu posted on the fridge takes all the pressure off, and we end up eating much healthier, well-rounded dinners all week.

I have to admit, we did stray a little last week and ended up eating out 3 nights in a row. That is pretty rare for us, and we are both feeling a little lethargic this Monday morning. It’s just not good for the bank account or the belly! 😉

While we are planning on eating out on Friday due to a fun date night at Petco Park, the rest of the week will be filled with good ol’ fashion home cooking!

Once again, you will see a lot of zucchini going down this week because our garden is still producing it like crazy!

I am also using the crock pot and quick one-skillet meals to help keep things simple and get dinner on the table BY 8pm. (That is still so much later than I would like but it’s just our reality and I need to accept it 😉 )

Monday

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore (W/ Steamed Artichokes)

I went to the OFD archives for this one. I was looking for more crock pot meals and remembered how delicious this one was. I used chicken breasts last time, but had frozen thighs in the freezer, so I decided to try using that this time. I will serve the chicken and peppers over zucchini noodles, with a steamed artichoke on the side. (I have a hard time resisting the baby artichokes from Trader Joe’s whenever I see them there…$4.99 for 4 is a deal!)

Side Note: I think my new thing will be Crock Pot Mondays because there is nothing like leaving the house on Monday with dinner already prepped to cook away while I head off to work!

Tuesday

Turkey Taco Skillet

I don’t have an exact recipe for this, but I think it will end up looking similar to this recipe from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen. I plan on sauteing peppers and onions in a cast iron skillet, then adding ground turkey and a couple tablespoons of my taco seasoning. Once it is cooked through, I’ll add in drained and rinsed black beans, and sprinkle a little cheese on top. I’ll serve it with salsa and guacamole and call it good!

Travis will probably want his in a tortilla because that’s how he rolls!

Wednesday

Zoodles & Meatballs  (W/ Tomato/Cucumber Salad)

Another Italian recipe on the menu in an effort to use more zucchini in the form of zoodles! This is another recipe that I need to add here to the blog.

It can be made in one skillet and makes the perfect weeknight meal!

I will make the meatballs using ground beef, garlic, Italian seasoning, almond flour, and an egg. I’ll use the cast iron skillet to cook the balls (a couple minutes on each side) and then once they are about cooked through, I’ll add premade marinara sauce. While the sauce simmers for a bit, I’ll make the zoodles and heat them up in another skillet. Easy Peasy!

On the side, I’m going to make a little tomato/cucumber/red onion salad to enjoy something fresh and summery…plus, we are finally getting tomatoes and cucumber from the garden!

(This is a similar version I made a while back and served with spaghetti squash.)

Thursday

BBQ Pulled Pork Sweet potato Sliders (W/ Roasted Broccoli)

This is actually a recipe I will be testing to post here next week! I am planning on cooking the pork in the crock pot with a rub, and then attempting to make my own BBQ sauce free of sugar (aside from honey) or any sketchy ingredients.

If everything goes as planned, I think it will be the perfect 4th of July recipe!

Friday

Padres Game!

We are heading to downtown to watch a Padres Game. As much as I despise the parking and traffic situation, I equally love watching a game once we are inside the stadium. We are meeting Travis’s brother and sister-in-law and it should be a really fun night!

I am not sure if we will stop for dinner on the way down, or eat inside the stadium (there are so many yummy options!)…

But if we were going to be eating at home, I think I would be making these Pizza Stuffed Bell Peppers…because nothing says “FRIDAY” more than Pizza!

And that will get us through the work week! I am going to try to get a bunch of recipe testing done over the weekend so I can get some delicious summer-y recipes posted here soon. So I think we will be eating well (and from home!) this weekend. What’s on your menu this week?