sunday:
dinner:
grill and chill, explained in this ig post about our latest dinner themes
we’re skipping this week thanks to last night’s wedding, so we’ll eat some easy leftovers
and here’s our night before the first day of school cupcake tradition!!
meal prep:
unload groceries for the week
assemble our veggie box
prep any fruit for easy snacking + easy dinner sides
monday:
dinner:
friend dinner, explained in this ig post about our latest dinner themes
but we’re skipping this week with it being the first day of preschool, so let’s do an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner: instant pot spaghetti with a big salad, roasted carrots, lots of fruit, and garlic bread
meal prep:
make a big batch of our favorite ip oatmeal for the week
here’s why this serves us well all week long
tuesday:
dinner:
let’s do the build your own bbq chicken sliders we never got around to eating
slow cooker bbq chicken + slider rolls + coleslaw + good pickles + diced onions
assembled sliders shown in this post
bigggg bowl of fruit + sweet potato fries
Brett can roast a chicken like this too, if time/energy.
big bowl of fruit + big bowl of mashed avo
meal prep:
make some egg muffins for the week
make Weekly Pot of Beans*
make a big batch of rice* with chicken/bone broth for added flavor
I love my beloved rice cooker for this
caramelize onions, or roast onions and peppers*
oven roast some bacon*
dice onions and jalapenos*
put cilantro* in water (here’s why)
* Brett works from home, and loves having components for bowls, quesadillas, tacos, etc to eat lunch at home. Taking half an hour to prep these things each week really helps our food budget…and elevates our at-home eating. Since I prep them on Tuesday, I plan something for dinner that use these components for a two birds one stone situation.
wednesday:
dinner:
leftovers - let’s clear out some leftovers, and do a Quesadilla Night with leftover bbq chicken quesadillas or bbq chicken bacon quesadillas or plain cheese quesadillas :) with ranch dressing? mashed avocado? time will tell.
meal prep:
let’s make these strawberry oatmeal bars and some mini blueberry muffins
thursday:
dinner:
our go-to easy, last-minute dinner: air fryer breaded chicken sandwiches
hoping to post this on Instagram, but know I keep these frozen patties from Costco in our freezer always for dinners like this. I heat them in the airfryer, I buy our favorite buns (Martin’s), and offer up onion, tomato, lettuce, etc. SO GOOD.
but know there’s a chance I might cut up my chicken patty to make my absolute favorite chicken caesar wrap with crushed croutons and parmesan cheese instead
big batch of comeback sauce and/or a big batch of honey mustard sauce (and either roasted broccoli and/or frozen sweet potato fries)
meal prep:
catch up on any meal prep I didn’t get around to doing this week
this quick little routine of seeing if there’s any leftovers from the week I can freeze
throw any lurking produce into these containers to make smoothie cups
friday:
dinner:
something easy, frozen, or IP
because Friday nights call for something easy, but our weekly habit of getting takeout was no longer working. and once I realized we had upcoming roadtrips, I reframed my mindset to look at Fridays as an opportunity to practice quick, road trip-friendly meals. (a second Leftover Night is definitely an option, too.)
let’s do that orange chicken I grabbed from costco, with rice, fruit, and some sort of veggie.
saturday:
dinner:
snack dinner saturday, explained in this ig post about our latest dinner themes
usually a toddler-friendly movie is involved, too
meal prep:
clean out the fridge
new posts this week
none! excited to get back to our normal routine next week after a crazy, crazy month. august, you were good to us, but whew! looking forward to a calmer fall.
want more?
i’m always sharing our favorite routines, our favorite systems, and our favorite dinners on Instagram.
and know that when you share kind words with me or share my page with your followers, I do a happy dance. your support means everything, and your support allows me to spend time creating free content, like this menu plan. xo.