I’m back with more recipes!
If you missed the first post in this series, click HERE to catch up. I detail the reasons why we started the 4 week meal rotation and how it has benefited our family, not only health-wise but also in the simplification of meal prep and grocery shopping. You’ll want to read it for my disclaimers too, and info on how much we spend each week.
Remember, I began last week with Week 2 meals – so now I am on to Week 3 and have quite a bit of deliciousness in store for all of you!
Links to printable items directly below + short descriptions and some photos after.
{Monday}
AFD/ KID NIGHT
We call this ‘kid’s choice’ night, because Craig has fire department meetings every Monday evening and eats at the fire station. The kids will usually ask for spaghetti or PB&J. Typically I will eat a salad or leftovers from a previous meal.
{Tuesday}
Chicken & Steak Fajitas + pineapple, avocado slices and black beans
Continuing with the ‘Taco Tuesday’ theme, but wanting to add in a bit of variety, we have fajitas every other week. The beauty of fajitas is that they can easily be eaten without tortillas for a healthier option. Just mix the meat and veggies together and top with some beans and avocado slices and you’ve got yourself a tasty and filling meal.
{Wednesday}
Meatloaf + mashed potatoes and honey glazed carrots
I know that meatloaf sometimes gets a bad rep – but around our house, it is a favorite. This version is super simple to make and ultra healthy without the bread crumbs and thick glaze. It has a lighter quality which pairs great with the potatoes and simple honey glazed carrots.
{Thursday}
Scalloped Potatoes & Ham + peas and cantaloupe
Our kids kept coming home from school saying how much they LOVED the scalloped potatoes & ham on the lunch menu, and it came to my realization that I had never made that meal for them before! Of course, while looking into recipes I found that many of them were loaded with butter, cream and flour. Then I spied this version online and tweaked it a bit to fit our taste. It’s just as delicious as the original in my opinion!
{Friday}
Pizza Night!
This day on the rotation is considered a treat night. We love us some pizza around here, and didn’t want to give it up completely. Now we look forward to the one night every four weeks when we can indulge – and either go for some home made goodness or stop in and pick up a Papa Murphy thin crust option. Yum!
{Saturday}
Lunch: Big Salads (adults) / chicken nuggets (kids)
Our Saturdays are usually pretty busy, so we keep the afternoon meal simple and the same each week. Our ‘big salads’ consist of romaine lettuce and maybe some spinach, topped with a variety of veggies + chunks of chicken or ham and maybe a bit of blue cheese crumbles. We love the Newman’s Own Olive Oil & Vinegar dressing.
Dinner: BBQ Pork Ribs + sweet potato fries, broccoli and cheese
Our middle son loves ribs. I mean LOVES them. When creating the meal rotation, we asked each of the kids what type of foods they would like added and of course ribs made the list. This recipe has a great flavor to it, though it is on the mild side. If you like a spicy or super barbecue flavor, you may want to look into some sauce options to add after the meat is cooked.
{Sunday}
Lunch: Sausage, Egg & Broccoli Casserole + 4 ingredient granola bars
The casserole tastes sort of like a quiche – and is super simple to make. The beauty of this recipe is that you can easily divide it into 24 muffin tins, then freeze them to use as a quick breakfast during the busy work week.
The granola bars are SO GOOD. And although they are no-bake, they do require a bit of prep work. I would recommend making them up the night before you plan to eat them.
Dinner: Shredded Mexican Chicken + baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and strawberries
Another Mexican style meal that our family loves. Craig isn’t a huge fan of baked potatoes, and he sometimes prefers to just eat the chicken mixture by itself. The mixture would also taste awesome over rice or in tortillas!
For those of you interested in simplifying your grocery shopping for these specific recipes, just click on the link below for a complete shopping list that includes everything you need to make this week of healthy meals for your family.
I will be back sometime next week with the menu, recipes and shopping list for week #4. Happy cooking everyone!
In the meantime, see those cute little buttons below this post? If you hover over them you can see that they give you multiple options for sharing the content from this blog. Know a friend who has been asking about meal planning? Email this blog post directly to their inbox or share with them on Facebook!
School is about To start again , and even witout kids at home we are busy attending sports activities. Easy Make ahead meals that are also delicious is just what we were looking for! Will definite be makIng theSe & sharing the recipes 🙂