The Fourth of July is upon us! It’s summer’s main event and we break our our smoker and have lots produce-inspired side dishes. I know that by the end of the weekend, I’ll be a little “over” cooking. So, quick stir fry dishes, sheet pan and crock pot meals are the name of the game for the rest of the week.

Let me explain:

Meal 1: This is our Fourth of July meal. We use Southern Living’s July 2013 Smoky Dry Rub and Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce. I started using these recipes that year and have never used another. It’s that good (and my husbands smoking skills are top notch, so that helps!). I’ll post the Herby Corn and Potato Salad Recipe that we are having as a side very soon. Also having watermelon, Mom’s Peach Blueberry Cobbler with ice cream, and something else… not sure yet. That’s not like me, is it!? The kiddos usually eat chicken and melon, Wes will probably devour the potato salad, and the goal will be to have Reed tolerate it on his plate.

Meal 2: Quick and easy meal. I love Kirkland frozen stir fry veggies. I’ll sauté those, add the shrimp and then do a little experiment - add Trader Joes Mango Ginger Chutney and soy sauce as a stir fry sauce. I’ll let you know how it pans out. I’ll microwave some rice, steam those delicious Trader Joes Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons (because I love them!) and that will be dinner!

Meal 3: Always on the meal plan. Maybe one day we’ll make our own… but not this week.

Meal 4: I’ve made this chicken and bulgur (the grain that is in traditional tabbouleh) dish in the crock pot a handful of times now and I think I’ve tweaked the recipe how I like it. I’ll post it soon if I think it’s perfected. Like many of our Mediterranean meals, we’ll do this “bowl style” with roasted zucchini and yellow squash (might roast with the fish and veggies - below), pita and alllllll the dips.

Meal 5: If you think mayonnaise and fish don’t go together, think again! This is a quick and easy sheet pan meal where you basically smother white fish in a cheesy, lemony, mayo mixture, add some veggies and pop it into the oven. While that bakes I’ll microwave a tried and true Trader Joes side - Creamy Polenta with Spinach and Carrots. We’ll add some bread and fruit to this meal because mayo fish is a hit or miss thing for the kids.

Meal 6: This meal is just for me (of course it’s for the family, but I’m craving it, so I’m making it… whether people like it or not!). I created this recipe years ago when I used to have this fabulous garden that produced so many eggplants I didn’t know what to do with them all! I basically made eggplant parmesan (linked the recipe here… its my go-to from Cooking Light) every week. One night I had leftover breaded eggplants and I decided to make a deconstructed eggplant parm. It’s delicious! Quick… not exactly. I’m expecting a lot of turned up noses at this meal so I’m planning for easy mac as a “side dish”.

Meal 7: OUT! We’ve already decided it will be Mexican… and margaritas.