Easy Peasy ‘Theme’ Weekly Meal Plan

Meal time at our house is when we all sit down together and talk about our days and just enjoy each other. It’s a small window of time for us to be together, but it’s one of the most important times. So prepping the meal so dinner time can be as calm as possible is key.

That’s why I like to go easy peasy. As in, as little brain power as possible.

If you’re like me, you want easy, cheap, and quick. At our house we also have a few food intolerances, so cooking dishes where each person can choose what goes on their plate is vital. Therefore, picking a meal plan that is predictable but allows for some creativity is the goal. So we have a typical theme for each day.

Here is my basic weekly meal plan:

• Sunday – a big piece of meat in the crock pot with sides like veggies and potatoes
• Monday – a big all-you-can-eat salad
• Tuesday – tacos (switch between beef, chicken, fish)
• Wednesday – soup (we have 3-4 we love)
• Thursday – a chicken dish with sides like rice and veggies
• Friday – fun (pizza, nachos, hot dogs, noodles)
• Saturday – grab-n-go (sandwiches, picnic, bbq, leftovers, eat out)

What is so great about these “theme” days is that there are many different options, so we can vary it every week. It makes it easy peasy, but also not boring. So instead of spending a lot of time planning and worrying and being frustrated, instead the plan is in place, and getting the grocery list together is simple, and when it comes time to cook things are so routine that cooking has become automatic. The kids even like to help mix and pour with me.

If you’re trying to start your own meal plan, here are some recipes to help you get started. I chose these ones because they are the easy peasiest! Click the links to save them to your own rememberstuff.me profile.

Taco Bar >

A taco bar lets guests select their favorite fillings and fixings, choosing from chicken, pork, lettuce, radishes, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, salsas, and a squeeze of lime.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 12 to 16 taco shells or warmed soft tortillas, as desired
• Grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar, for garnish
• Diced tomatoes, for garnish
• Minced jalapenos, for garnish
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Shredded iceburg lettuce, for garnish
• Guacamole, recipe follows, for garnish
• Salsa, recipe follows, for garnish
• Chopped red onion, for garnish

Southwestern Salad Bar >

We had fun putting together our own salads - this lineup has something for everyone.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
• 5 teaspoons fresh lime juice, divided
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
• 2/3 cup chopped red onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
• 3/4 cup light ranch dressing
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 12 cups packaged chopped romaine lettuce
• 3 cups chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted baked tortilla chips, crumbled (about 2 1/2 ounces)
• 1 cup bottled sliced peeled mango, chopped
• 1 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes

Slow Cooker Multi-Bean Soup >

Soup's on! Enjoy a hearty slow cooker multi-bean soup.

Ingredients

• 8 ¾ cups Progresso™ chicken broth (from three 32-oz cartons) or 5 cans (14 oz each) vegetable broth
• 1 package (16 to 20 oz) 15- or 16-dried bean soup mix (2 1/4 cups), sorted, rinsed
• 4 medium carrots, chopped (2 cups)
• 3 medium stalks celery, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic diced tomatoes, undrained

Super Nachos >

2 bags corn tortilla chips in 2 colors or different flavors, such as blue corn, red corn, yellow corn, lime flavored, chili flavored or black bean chips -- pick 2 favorites

Ingredients

Pico de Gallo Salsa:

• 4 vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped, for medium to hot heat level
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup, 2 handfuls, cilantro leaves, finely chopped -- substitute parsley if cilantro is not to your liking
• Salt

Beef and Beans Topping:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dark chili powder
• 1 1/2 ground cumin, half a palmful
• 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper sauce, giving you medium to hot heat level
• 1 can black beans, 15 ounces, drained

Cheese Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 pound pepper jack cheese, shredded, about 2 1/2 cups

For more easy peasy meal inspiration, search for recipes on rememberstuff.me here!