Late July calls for dinners that are fresh, easy, and family-friendly. This week’s five-night meal plan includes a balanced mix of quick chicken dinners, comforting beef recipes, a creamy pasta, and a colorful seafood salad for a lighter summer meal.
You’ll also find simple prep tips, a make-ahead no-bake treat, and a printable shopping list to help make dinner planning and grocery shopping easier. The remaining two nights are open for leftovers, eating out, or a favorite meal from the freezer.
Helpful Tips for This Week
- For the Bruschetta Chicken, wait until just before serving to spoon the tomato mixture over the chicken. This keeps the topping fresh and prevents the chicken from becoming watery.
- Let the Sloppy Joe filling simmer uncovered until it is thick enough to stay on the bun. Toasting the buns also helps prevent them from getting soggy.
- Jerk seasonings vary widely in heat, so add the seasoning to the Rasta Pasta gradually and taste before adding more. If the sauce becomes too thick, loosen it with a splash of reserved pasta water.
- Dry the lettuce well before assembling the Shrimp Cobb Salad so the dressing coats it properly. Let the cooked shrimp cool slightly before adding it, and wait to dress the salad until you are ready to eat.
- Check your avocados early in the week. If they are ripening quickly, make the Shrimp Cobb Salad or the Frito Pie sooner; if they are still firm, move the recipes toward the end of the week.
- For cleanly sliced Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars, press the mixture firmly into the pan and chill it completely before cutting. Let the bars sit at room temperature for a few minutes if they are too firm straight from the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most of the dinners in this meal plan serve about 4 to 6 people, depending on appetite and the sides you choose. Check the individual recipe card for the exact serving size, and adjust the quantities if you are cooking for a larger or smaller household.
A meal plan takes the guesswork out of deciding what to make for dinner. It can also help you shop more efficiently, reduce food waste, and avoid last-minute takeout on busy nights.
This plan includes five dinners for the week. The remaining two nights can be used for leftovers, dining out, a freezer meal, or one of your family’s favorite easy dinners.
Absolutely. Feel free to replace any meal with another Little Sunny Kitchen recipe that better suits your family’s tastes, schedule, or dietary needs. Just remember to update the shopping list with the ingredients for your replacement recipe.
Check your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry before heading to the store. You may already have basics such as oil, seasonings, condiments, and baking supplies. Quantities may also need to be adjusted depending on how many people you are feeding.
Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator and follow the storage instructions included with each recipe. Leftovers can make an easy lunch the next day or help cover one of the two unplanned dinner nights.
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
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes
- 4 bell peppers, mixed colors (at least one green)
- 2 hearts romaine lettuce
- 1 English cucumber
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 bulb garlic
- 2 avocados
- 1 ear of corn
- 1 small bunch fresh basil
- 1 small bunch green onions
Meat, Poultry and Fish
- 5 large chicken breasts
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 pound raw shrimp, large or jumbo
Dairy & Refrigerated Items
- 2 eggs
- 1 small carton heavy cream
- 1 small tub sour cream
- 1 small bag shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 1 small package feta cheese
- 1 small wedge Parmesan cheese
- Butter, only need 1 tablespoon
- 1 small tub pico de gallo
Pantry & Spices
- Olive oil
- Italian seasoning
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Worcestershire sauce
- Cajun seasoning
- Jerk seasoning
- Taco seasoning
- Balsamic vinegar
- Balsamic glaze
- Dijon mustard
- Yellow mustard
- Ketchup
- Peanut butter
- Honey
- 16 ounces dried pasta
- 15-ounce can kidney beans
- 15-ounce can pinto beans
- 10-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chilies such as Rotel
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 9.25-ounce bag Frito corn chips
- 1 small box Cheerio cereal, check the price before buying, as the large box may be the better value if it’s priced the same as the smaller one.
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