Happy back to school week (for some, maybe not others)! For some odd reason this meal plan was written in less than 5 minutes, which is a rare gift. I needed to make Costco and Trader Joe’s trips this past week and wanted to clear out some of my freezer space. Hint hint, every main dish item you see on this plan was in my freezer. So the meal plan basically wrote itself!

I’m planning to experiment with a very light, if any, afternoon snack for Reed to see if he’ll come to the table a little more hungry and possibly try more new foods. I saw a glimpse of that last week and want to re-create that experience to see if it works more consistently.

Let me explain:

Meal 1: A classic roast chicken. I take that back. Mine way is not so classic. I usually spatchcock it - cut it so it lays flat on a sheet pan or baking dish so it bakes more evenly and quickly. There are great youtube tutorials if you’ve never tried it and are curious. It takes a little bit of knife skills and the confidence to really “dive in” with handling raw chicken - if that’s for you! Before it cooks, I’ll either marinate it or rub it down with butter and poultry seasoning to get a nice, crispy skin. I’ll roasted some sheet pan veggies along with the chicken. Sometimes I do my veggies on a different dish because I feel like they get soggy with the chicken juices. These items served with fruit, bread, perhaps a side salad and we’ll call it dinner!

Meal 2: When I light up the grill I’ll cook the Carne Asada and the Beef Tips all at once. While the meat cooks, I’ll saute some peppers and onions. This might be a nice night to try “family style” or “assembly line” plate making (highly recommended in family feeding, but also something I loathe - so many dishes!) I’ll have the platter of grilled meat, bowls of the corn, beans, cheese, peppers and onions, guacamole and salsa and everyone can load their bowl up how they please. The only problem with this is the shredded cheese. It’s a very popular and MESSY topping in my house. I can just envision the piles of it that I’ll be sweeping off my floors afterward. I’ll also put out fruit and the meal wouldn’t be complete without… chips!

Meal 3: I believe mayo baked fish has been on the menu plan in the past. You might be thinking, “Mayonnaise and fish? Really?” Don’t knock it till you try it! I use this Garlic and Parmesan Baked Halibut recipe and IT IS delicious - and simple! I’ll make the meal easy by serving it with simple sides of rice, broccoli, fruit and bread.

Meal 4: Iowa Girl Eats (love this blog!) used have to have this amazing steak pasta salad recipe on her blog. This was years ago. I can’t find it anymore, but I think I can recreate it. It had steak, fusilli pasta, feta cheese, artichokes, tomatoes, green beans, and a balsamic dressing. I’m going to chop up the Trader Joe’s Balsamic Rosemary Beef Tips, combine it with all those ingredients, make a simple balsamic dressing and see how it goes. Bread and fruit will also be on the table.

Meal 5: In my effort to eat at least one meatless night, I came across this recipe from Eating Well - Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans. I have cauliflower gnocchi in the freezr and I’ll use kale instead of chard (because kale comes pre-washed and shredded!). It says it comes together in 30 minutes, but I’m going to play around with the recipe to see if I can make it faster (and I might have to make more adjustments using cauliflower gnocchi). Anyway, another night where bread and fruit and a side salad go on the table to make everyone happy.

Meal 6: Leftovers or pizza

Meal 7: OUT!