Need help planning dinners for the week? You’re in the right place. This meal plan offers seven family-friendly dinners, a consolidated shopping list, simple meal-prep suggestions, and quick ideas for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks to keep your week running smoothly.
The approach this week focuses on using overlapping ingredients in different, delicious ways so you spend less time shopping and more time enjoying meals. Zucchini and a jar of pesto (or homemade pesto) appear in several recipes to create distinct, flavorful dinners without extra effort.
Meal Plan 118
As with other weekly meal plans, this one includes seven dinners, plus breakfast, lunch, and snack suggestions, along with practical meal-prep tips and a shopping list. The goal is to simplify weeknight cooking by reusing a few core ingredients across several meals so you cook less and enjoy more home-cooked food.
You can download the complete meal plan with the shopping list and prep tips here, or read on for the week’s recipes and strategies.
Dinner Recipes
- Sunday: BBQ Chicken Burger with Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
- Monday: Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- Tuesday: Vegetarian Fajitas with chips and Blender Salsa
- Wednesday: Pesto Pasta served with warm bread and an Olive Oil Bread Dip
- Thursday: Pesto Chicken with a Grilled Zucchini Salad
- Friday: Pesto Pizza
- Saturday: Sloppy Joes with Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
Breakfast Ideas
- Whole Wheat Pancakes — quick to prep and freezer-friendly
- Overnight Oats — a grab-and-go option that keeps well
- Potato Frittata — hearty and easy to reheat
Lunch Ideas
- Spinach Quinoa Salad — make extra quinoa for quick lunches
- Air Fryer French Bread Pizza — a fast, kid-friendly option
- Leftovers from dinners — one of the easiest time-savers
Snack & Treats
- Homemade Fudgesicles — simple to make and portion
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins — a sneaky veggie-packed treat
- Blackberry Crisp — a great dessert or snack when berries are in season
Tips for this Week’s Meal Plan
Instead of day-by-day step-by-step prep, here are practical ways to use your groceries efficiently so you save time and reduce waste.
- Chicken usage: Skip buying pre-ground chicken. Use the method in the chicken burger recipe to process boneless, skinless chicken breasts into “ground” chicken. A single large pack can cover BBQ chicken burgers, baked pesto chicken, and even sloppy joes if you decide to substitute ground chicken.
- Extra quinoa: If you make extra quinoa for the stuffed portobello mushrooms, reserve some for the spinach quinoa salad at lunch. That saves time and gives you a ready base for quick meals.
- Vegetable kabobs: Use whatever vegetables you have—zucchini, bell peppers, and onions work especially well and appear in several recipes this week.
- Cheese choices: Fresh mozzarella is lovely but pricey. Buy a block of mozzarella to shred yourself for pesto chicken and pizza. A block of cheddar is versatile for tacos, sloppy joes, and burger toppings.
- Pesto: Homemade pesto (basil, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon, garlic) gives the best flavor and is easy to prepare. Jarred pesto also works well and saves time. You’ll use pesto for pasta, chicken, and pizza.
- Zucchini salad: Combine tomatoes, basil, zucchini, and a squeeze of lemon for a bright, fresh side that ties multiple dinners together.
- Pesto pizza add-ins: If you have leftover pesto chicken, dice it and scatter it on the pizza for added protein. Otherwise, keep the pizza simple to save time.
- Buns: Plan for four buns for Sunday’s burgers and four for Saturday’s sloppy joes; buy two packs if you prefer more on-hand extras.
Printable Meal Plan
Click HERE to print the meal plan that includes the shopping list, estimated prep times, and money-saving suggestions to streamline your week.