For many of us, meal preparation and planning takes a more relaxed form over the summer, but it’s time to get back to business.
As you jump back into the swing of meal planning, make a general weekly plan first. Decide what type of meal you want to prepare each week night, then work within that framework every week. If you aren’t sure where to start, consider a few of our favorite nightly themes: Slow Cooker Sundays, Meatball Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Wake Up Wednesdays (“brinner”), Pasta Thursdays, Forever BBQ Fridays and Steak Saturdays.
A general weekly meal plan will eliminate so many decisions and free you to choose old favorite recipes, or find new recipes to try that fit your weekly criteria. Of course, you can always deviate and try something new; this is your kitchen, after all!
To get you started on the right foot, we’re here to share a few of our favorite easy dinner recipes – one for every weeknight!
Meatball Monday: Swedish Meatballs
Monday won’t get you down in the mouth with this delicious item on your dinner menu. Hearty ground beef is mixed with bread crumbs, eggs, nutmeg, clove and minced onion, then browned to perfection before cooked in a classic Swedish cream sauce. With only 20 minutes to prep and 35 to cook, this is one of our favorite quick and easy dinner recipes.
Taco Tuesday: Kansas City Steak Taco
Tender skirt steak, topped with a fresh, bright chimichurri and garden-fresh veggies, is served on lightly grilled corn tortillas. With just 30 minutes to prep and 15 to cook, we guarantee this will become one of the top taco dinner recipes in your rotation. Serve with your favorite spicy rice or black beans and a perfect salsa.
Wake Up Wednesday: Classic Steak and Egg Breakfast Bagel
If there’s one meal that’s guaranteed to bring a smile to even the surliest face, it’s “brinner.” Knock your next breakfast-for-dinner out of the park with this Classic Steak and Egg Breakfast Bagel, one of our most popular easy dinner recipes for families. With 5 minutes to prep and 20 to cook, you won’t spend your whole evening in the kitchen. Serve with fresh, cut fruit or a great hashbrown and everyone’s favorite: orange juice.
Pasta Thursday: Beef Filet Tips over Truffle Butter Pasta
Succulent, flavorful tenderloin Filet Mignon Tips, Kansas City steak seasoning, black truffle butter, thyme leaves, sage leaves, asiago cheese, pasta, onion cheddar and parsley make up the ingredients for another of our favorite dinner recipes. The black truffle butter takes this unique pasta dish over the top and will leave everyone at your table asking for more!
Forever BBQ Friday: Barbequed Pork Burger
There’s nothing wrong with a new twist on an old favorite! Beef burgers are delicious, but we think this Barbequed Pork Burger is a strong contender. Ground pork, buttermilk, seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, ground oregano and minced onion are formed into burger patties, then grilled for approximately 10 minutes on each side, until perfectly done. Serve on your favorite bun and top with barbecue sauce and any other toppings you like.
Tell us your favorite easy dinner recipe in the comments below, then share with all your Facebook friends!
