Summer dinners should feel easy, colorful, and worth looking forward to. This week’s meal plan brings together simple recipes with plenty of fresh flavor, from creamy chicken orzo and grilled pizza to salmon, chicken skewers, and zucchini boats.
You’ll find five family-friendly dinners, quick tips to help the week run smoothly, and a printable shopping list so grocery planning is already done.
Helpful Tips for This Week
- For the creamy chicken orzo, start with cooked shredded chicken to save time. A rotisserie chicken works perfectly, and any extra meat can be used for chicken salad for quick lunches.
- For honey mustard salmon, don’t overbake it. Check it early, since thinner fillets cook faster, and let it rest for a minute before spooning the honey mustard sauce over the top.
- For chicken spiedini, cut the chicken into even pieces so it cooks at the same rate. Marinate it earlier in the day, and soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
- The zucchini ground beef boats can be assembled ahead and baked when you’re ready.
- For grilled pizza, have the sauce, cheese, and toppings ready before the dough goes on the grill. Once the crust is flipped, it moves quickly.
1
Monday — Creamy Chicken Orzo
Start the week with an easy one-pan dinner that still feels fresh. Orzo cooks right in the broth, then shredded chicken, kale, corn, cream cheese, and Parmesan make it creamy and satisfying.
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2
Tuesday — Honey Mustard Salmon
This salmon is quick, flavorful, and perfect for an easy fish night. The honey mustard sauce is made with mustard, honey, garlic, lemon, and olive oil, then baked in foil until tender.
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3
Wednesday — Chicken Spiedini
Chicken spiedini makes the middle of the week feel a little special. The chicken is marinated with lemon, garlic, rosemary, and parsley, coated in a Parmesan breadcrumb mixture, then served with buttery lemon Amogio sauce.
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4
Thursday — Zucchini Ground Beef Boats
These zucchini boats are a great way to use summer zucchini. They’re filled with a simple ground beef marinara sauce, topped with Parmesan and mozzarella, and baked until tender and bubbly.
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5
Friday — Grilled Pizza
End the week with a fun grilled pizza night. Use homemade or store-bought dough, brush it with olive oil, grill it until lightly charred, then add pizza sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings.
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Shopping List
This shopping list includes everything you need to make all five dinners in this week’s plan. Click the button below to print it and take it to the store.
Produce
- 1 small red onion
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 bulbs garlic
- 2 medium lemons, or 3 if small
- 1 small bunch fresh parsley
- 1 small bunch fresh rosemary
- 1 bunch kale, or 1 (5-ounce) bag chopped kale
- 4 medium zucchini, about 2 pounds
Meat, Poultry and Fish
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 ounces cooked shredded chicken, or 1 small rotisserie chicken
- 2 pounds salmon filet, or 4 to 6 individual salmon fillets
- 1 pound lean ground beef, 90/10 if available
Dairy & Refrigerated Items
- 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese (you’ll use half)
- 1 small wedge Parmesan cheese, or 1 (5-ounce) container grated Parmesan
- 1 (16-ounce) bag shredded mozzarella or Italian-blend cheese
- 1 stick unsalted butter (you’ll use ½ stick)
- 1 to 1½ pounds refrigerated pizza dough, usually 1 large ball or 2 small balls
- 1 small bag frozen corn kernels, or use fresh
Pantry & Spices
- Olive oil
- 1 (7-ounce) jar oil-packed sundried tomatoes
- 1 small tube or can tomato paste
- 2 (32-ounce) cartons chicken broth, or Better Than Bouillon Premium Roasted Chicken Base to make chicken broth
- 1 (1-pound) box orzo
- 1 small jar grainy mustard
- 1 small jar Dijon mustard
- 1 bottle honey
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1 jar pizza sauce
- 1 package panko breadcrumbs
- 1 package Italian-style breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Dried oregano
- Granulated sugar
Supplies
- Aluminum foil
- Parchment paper
- Wooden or bamboo skewers
- Baking sheet or casserole dish, if needed
Optional Serving Ideas
- Extra Parmesan cheese for serving the creamy chicken orzo
- Extra lemon wedges or chopped parsley for the salmon and chicken spiedini
- Fresh basil leaves for the zucchini boats or pizza
- Garlic bread or olive oil pasta with the zucchini boats
- Pizza toppings of choice, such as pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, zucchini, peppers, onions, tomatoes, or roasted red peppers
- A simple green salad or crusty bread for rounding out the meals
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