Meal Plan #9 (May 18-24)

This week’s meal plan is a good fit for late May, with easy dinners that feel fresh, simple, and perfect for this time of year.

The rhythm of this plan works really well. Monday starts with a quick fish dinner, Tuesday keeps things easy with a bright skillet chicken, Wednesday gives you a creamy meatless dinner, Thursday brings in a cozy one-pan chicken recipe, and Friday ends with grilled beef steak kabobs that I love so much. I also added Lemon Muffins as a simple breakfast idea for the week, since you’re already buying lemons.

A few helpful tips for the week

• All of the dinner recipes this week serve 4, except for the Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Orzo, which serves 6. That’s a nice one to make in the middle of the week because you can save the leftovers for lunch the next day.
• Monday and Tuesday are the quickest dinners this week. Both the cod and the honey lime chicken come together fast, so the start of the week should feel easy.
• If you have time, marinate the beef for the kabobs earlier in the day or overnight. It can marinate for up to 24 hours. If you’re using wooden skewers, don’t forget to soak them first.
• Chicken Pizzaiola goes under the broiler at the end, so make sure you’re using an oven-safe skillet for that one.
• The Lemon Muffins make 12 muffins, so they’re a good breakfast to bake once and keep for a few days.

1

Monday – Lemon Butter Pan Seared Cod

This is such a good Monday dinner. It’s quick, light, and ready in about 20 minutes, but it still feels like a proper dinner thanks to the lemon butter sauce. The fish is seasoned simply, then finished with garlic, chicken stock, lemon juice, and parsley, so it has plenty of flavor without feeling heavy.

View Recipe →

2

Tuesday – Honey Lime Chicken

Tuesday’s dinner is fast and full of flavor. This one-pan chicken uses boneless skinless chicken thighs and a sauce made with honey, lime, garlic, soy sauce, and a little chili powder, so it lands in that sweet, tangy, slightly spicy place that always works. It’s also on the table in under 20 minutes, which makes it especially nice for a weeknight.

View Recipe →

3

Wednesday – Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Orzo

Midweek gets the meatless dinner, and this one is easy to look forward to. The orzo cooks in a creamy sauce with mushrooms, garlic, vegetable stock, half and half, Parmesan, and spinach, so it feels cozy but not too rich. It also makes 6 servings, which is always helpful in the middle of the week.

View Recipe →

4

Thursday – Chicken Pizzaiola

This is the dinner that makes Thursday feel a little less ordinary. Chicken cutlets are simmered in a tomato sauce with onions, peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and olives, then topped with fresh mozzarella and finished under the broiler. It has a lot of flavor, but it’s still just one pan and about 35 minutes from start to finish.

View Recipe →

5

Friday – Grilled Beef Kabobs

Friday gets the grill. These beef kabobs use sirloin steak, a simple savory marinade, bell peppers, mushrooms, and red onion, and they cook quickly once everything is skewered. They’re a really good fit for this week because they feel relaxed and fun without turning dinner into a big project.

View Recipe →

Side Dish Ideas to go With Dinner

Buttered Noodles

Crispy Smashed Potato Salad with Tzatziki Dressing

Baked Potato Bar With Toppings

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

All Sides→

Breakfast idea

Lemon Muffins: These are bright, simple, and easy to make ahead. They use lemon juice, lemon zest, Greek yogurt, and pantry basics, and they’re a nice breakfast to have around for the week. Since the dinner plan already calls for lemons, this one fits very well. It’s also one of the first recipes I ever shared on my site!

Shopping List

This shopping list includes everything you need to make all five dinners, plus the dessert included in this week’s plan. Click the button below to print it and take it to the store.