It makes me so happy to be able to plan ahead and put together delicious dinners during the week. I meal plan on the weekends. Grocery shop on the weekends and write out a menu for the week. It's flexible, but it always feels good to have a plan. It also ensures that we save money by eating at home. I usually cook 5-6 nights a week and simple dinner options save me on busy days. And you'll see that Sams is saving me these days.
Let's talk family dinners - Meal #7 might just change your life. It's our new favorite!!
1. Make your own pizza night was a hit. I bought pizza crust (the kind that comes in a can - we used two cans) and we each made our own pizzas. I had sauce, turkey pepperoni, cheeses, pizza salt, olives, veggies and noodles. Everyone was happy with their topping situation and Leo opted to eat just breadsticks and veggies.
2. Soup night! I made homemade vegetable soup with okra from our garden. It was enough for two dinners when I added a side of bread each night.
3. Pasta night! Try out a new noodle shape to make spaghetti night a little extra exciting. I grabbed this pumpkin pasta at Walmart and it was so fun to eat. It held sauce and meat very well. I wish I'd bought more. I made homemade fettucini sauce, meatballs and then everyone built their own pasta bowls.
4. Panda Express at home! We had egg rolls, edamame, pot stickers, rice and grilled chicken with all the sauces. It was delicious!
We got these from Sams and are obsessed with them. They are a great quick lunch option on the weekens and we love them for dinner. I serve them with soy sauce and yum yum sauce.
5. BBQ night. I grabbed some pulled pork from Sams and all the sides from Sams. It was so good with plenty of leftovers for lunch. I accidentally bought the jumbo shells mac and cheese. The kids loved it!
6. Chicken Alfredo. This was fine - great sauce and noodles, but the chicken was a little meh. My kids wolfed down the pasta part and picked around on the chicken. I wish it ame without the chicken so you could just chop up a rotisserie chicken to add to it.
7. Grilled Chicken Salad bar. We tried these grilled chicken nuggets from Sams and they were AMAZING. Such good chicken that I was honestly shocked. I cooked the nuggets for about twice as long as it says and they come out perfect. Just make sure they are slightly browned. Then I chopped up all the salad toppings I could think of. The adults built proper salads and the kids just ate a plate full of all their favorite salad toppings with chicken nuggets.
What is your family eating for dinner these days?
It all looks so yummy! we let our Sam's membership lapse and your post is making me regret it!
ReplyDeleteThis all looks so delish! I have been feeling slightly burnt out with dinner planning and have been trying to come up with more wintry meals that everyone will enjoy. I would love to have your veggie soup recipe!! I've loosely been doing soup and bread dinners on Sundays in hopes my kids will learn to love soup more (I'm the only fan here, but it's so cozy with fresh bread that I want to convert them all, haha!).
ReplyDeleteQuesadillas have been an easy and quick option here lately-- either chicken/cheese/BBQ sauce or taco style with beef/beans/cheese/rice. Then a fresh veggie or steamed veggie for side. Lasagna is coming up on my meal plan but I don't make that often. Swedish meatballs, 9x13 pancake with sides of quiche or sausage, pizza with either homemade dough or Naan bread, taco bowls, DIY hamburger helper pasta....these are all frequently on our rotation.
I will definitely check out the grilled chicken nuggets, and I still need to try the little potatoes. I might pick up the potstickers for the holidays...I bet Jack would like them. I am impressed with the bettergoods line at Walmart...good quality for a decent price. Hope you have a good week.
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