A Week Of Easy Dinner Recipes #1

Need a week of easy and healthy dinner recipes? Read this post to see what easy dinner recipes I’m making this week!

“What’s everyone making for dinner this week?” is a regular text my friends and I send each other. We’re always on the lookout for easy and healthy, from-scratch dinner recipes and new ideas.

Since I’m a new blogger, a mom to a toddler, a wife, and a teacher, this post won’t be filled with inspiring in-process and beautifully curated final product shots (yet!). But it will give you the information you need to get easy-to-make, healthy dinners on the table for you and your family.

These recipes will eventually become beautifully curated blog posts with in-process shots and printable recipes. But, in the meantime, I thought you might find it helpful to read my game plan for dinner for the week.

Before I dive in…

You should also know that I am an -ish person. What does this mean? Unless I’m baking, I am not the most precise in my measurements. I’m a “little of this, little of that” kind of cook. I also prefer a lot of flavor – butter, salt, pepper, lemon, you name it! I’ve tried my best to guess how much I use of each ingredient.

I don’t know about you, but if I know what I’m making for dinner for the week, things just go better and I feel more at peace. Also, since I’m at work for a good chunk of the day, I have more time freed up to spend with my family when:

1. I know what I’m making for dinner
2. I have all of my ingredients
3. Most of your food prep is done at least a day ahead of time
4. The recipe is easy and healthy.

When do I grocery shop?

Typically I figure what I’m making for dinner the Friday, Saturday, or Sunday before the week. As much as I would like to be the kind of person that has a set system where “I always grocery shop on X day”, I’m just not…like I said before: I’m an -ish person. It gets done. Just not always on the same day.

Next I either put in an order for a grocery pickup (gosh this saves so much time) or I make a trip to the grocery store. Currently, my daughter, Cora, is a year and half. Right now, she’s in a season where she loves going to the grocery store with me. I also don’t want her to grow up not knowing how to grocery shop, so right now it works for us to make an outing out of going to the grocery store.

My two tricks for making a trip to the grocery store with a toddler go well are:

1. I make sure she’s well fed before I go. We go in the morning, so I’ll give her a snack before we go. I also bring an emergency snack with me.
2. I park next to the cart return. This way, I can load her and my groceries into the car and then easily return my cart.

So here it is. These are the easy and healthy dinner recipes I’m making this week + logistics + a few helpful tips

Overview of easy and healthy dinner recipes/menu for the week

• Sunday: Fish, roasted delicata squash, and sourdough bread (with butter + salt)
• Monday: Pesto pasta with chicken and cherry tomatoes
• Tuesday: Easy Tortilla Soup
• Wednesday: Easy Tortilla Soup leftovers
• Thursday: Chicken sausage sheet pan stir fry
• Friday: Order pizza + salad

What you’ll need from the grocery store…

These quantities are based on my family of three (two adults and one toddler)

• 2 salmon fillets
• 5-6 lemons
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil
• Fresh garlic
• 1 medium delicata squash
• Paprika
• Honey
• 3 crowns of broccoli
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Pasta noodles (I like Banza noodles)
• 1 container cherry tomatoes
• 1 container pesto
• 2-4 chicken breasts
• Taco seasoning (optional)
• 64 ounces of broth (vegetable or bone is my preference, but any type will do)
• 2 yellow onions
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 2-3 limes
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 8 ounces of diced green chilis
• 1 can of corn
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 bag corn tortilla chips
• 1 package of Aidells Roasted Garlic and Gruyere Cheese Chicken Sausages
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 bunch of green kale
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1 package of brown rice

Sunday Dinner Recipe: Salmon, Roasted Squash, and Sourdough Bread

Normally, I enjoy making a more involved dinner for Sunday, but we’ve had family in town this entire weekend and my husband was gone overnight on Saturday so it’s just not going to happen this weekend. I need a dinner recipe that’s easy and healthy.

Roasted Delicata Squash Recipe

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Drizzle about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a baking dish.
• Cut delicata squash in half lengthwise (hotdog).
• Empty out seeds – these are healthy and delicious to eat! All you need to do is lightly roast the seeds in a skillet on medium-low heat with salt and pepper!
• Slice squash into 1/2 – 3/4 inch pieces (see image below).
• Place squash in baking dish with olive oil. Next, here are the two ways I like to season these puppies:
  • Option 1: Add salt and pepper. Toss until squash is well-coated.
  • Option 2: Add salt, pepper, paprika. Toss until squash is well-coated.
• Cook for 30ish minutes. Squash is done when fork tender.
  • ***Put salmon (next recipe) in oven after squash has cooked for 15-20 minutes.
• After squash is cooked, drizzle with honey.

Easy Salmon Recipe

• Mix 1/2 cup olive oil with 1 juiced lemon, salt, and pepper. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can add fresh garlic. Rub this blend on fish.
• Next, if you want to feel fancy, place sliced lemon on top of fish.
• Since oven is already preheated to 400 F, after squash has cooked for 15ish minutes, throw salmon in.
• Cook salmon for about 12-15 minutes.
• Salmon is done when the color is opaque and salmon flakes when you pull it apart with a fork.

Steam Broccoli With Lemon And Parmesan Recipe

• Fill 1/3 of quart size sauce pan with water. Add a generous amount of salt (a couple of pinches).
• Cut 1-2 crowns of broccoli and add to pot.
• Put on stove, turn on high, bring to boil.
• Once water is at a boil, turn temperature down to medium to medium-high (you want your water to be at a roiling boil).
• After about 10 minutes, you broccoli should be done. You can tell your broccoli is done when:
  • Color turns bright green
  • You can smell it
  • It’s fork tender
• Drain water
• Add parmesan cheese, lemon, salt and pepper (do this while broccoli is still warm so cheese melts).
• Do not transfer to a serving dish. Dish up straight out of the pot. One less dish to wash!

Easy Sourdough Bread

• Thanks to this wonderful sourdough cookbook, I have now found my groove with making sourdough bread so we always have a fresh loaf.
• Toast bread. Slather with butter and a pinch of salt.

Sunday prep for the rest of dinners for the week

If I get an early start of my prep, I mostly enjoy doing it. If I save it for when I’m cooking dinner or after I’ve put my daughter down for bed then I loathe it. I try to remind myself that no one ever said, “I really regret doing food prep!” I also use this reminder about working out – no one ever regrets doing that either.

List of food prep

• Wash and store cilantro for taco soup night.
• Cut onion and store for taco soup night.
• Wash, cut, and put broccoli, bell peppers, and onion in container for sheet pan stir fry night.
• Half cherry tomatoes and store for pesto pasta night.
• Make shredded chicken
  • Are you aware of this life-changing way to shred chicken???
    • Fill a large pot with water. Add some salt. Bring to a boil.
    • Put 2-4 chicken breasts in water. Boil for 20ish mins.
    • Take chicken out and cut into to see if done (this is what I do). You can also check that the chicken is at least 165 F.
    • Next, place chicken breasts in large boil. Use a hand mixer to shred your chicken – voila!
      • Full disclosure: I currently have a Cuisinart hand mixer and even the lowest setting is too high for shredding chicken. It’s too powerful. I end up with chicken flying everywhere, so I just use my hands. My mom, on the other hand, has a Black+Decker hand mixer that’s older than me and it works great. When I use it, my chicken is shredded in a few minutes.
    • Mix shredded chicken with olive oil (3-4 tablespoons per 2 chicken breasts), 1/2 tablespoon each of salt, pepper, tablespoon garlic salt. (Optional add ins: taco seasoning instead, lemon, lime, or any other flavors that will complement what dish you’re adding it to).
    • Divide into two containers or bags.
    • Put in fridge if you’re using both this week. Otherwise, put any extra in the freezer.
    • Tip: Shredding chicken is not my favorite thing in the world to do, so whenever I am making it, I do 4 breasts and freeze some of it for future meals.

Monday Dinner Recipe: Pesto Pasta With Chicken And Cherry Tomatoes

• Fill quart sized sauce pan with water and a generous pinch of salt.
• Bring to boil over high heat.
• Add/cook/drain pasta.
• Put pasta back on original sauce pan.
• Add a drizzle of olive oil and halved cherry tomatoes, and put lid back on. Let sit for about 5 mins to soften tomatoes.
• Add pesto (Costco pesto is my favorite!).
• Add shredded chicken (that you’ve already done).
• Optional: Add parmesan.
• Do not transfer to serving dish. Dish up out of sauce pan. One less dish to clean!
• Enjoy!
• Note: You can always double up on this recipe so you have leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.

Tuesday AND Wednesday Dinner Recipe: Easy Tortilla Soup

• Open and rinse can of corn.
• Using a dutch oven, place chopped onion, rinsed corn, in pot. Drizzle some olive oil on top. Cook over medium heat.
• With the lid off, saute on medium-high heat until onion is soft and corn has lightly charred. About 5 minutes.
• Reduce temperature to medium. Add can of diced tomatoes and can of green chilis
• Add 1/2 tablespoon (each) of salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Trust me.
• Add shredded chicken (1 breast).
• Add 2 squeezed limes.
• Add 64 ounces of vegetable or bone broth.
• Add 1 bunch of chopped cilantro.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce temperature to a simmer. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes.
• Stir in 3/4 cup sour cream.
• Optional: Add 5ish shakes of the best hot sauce ever to bring flavor to the next level.
• Once soup is dished up into bowls, top with a generous handful or two of crunched-up tortilla chips
• Enjoy!
• Note: After the leftovers sit in the refrigerator over night, this soup may thicken. Simply add some water or broth the next day to thin.

Thursday Dinner Recipe: Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan Stir Fry

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Cook brown rice.
• Drizzle olive oil on a cookie sheet.
• Slice chicken sausage (I prefer Aidells. I’m using roasted garlic and gruyere cheese chicken sausages this week) and throw on cookie sheet.
• Add chopped onion, broccoli, and yellow and orange bell peppers to cookie sheet.
• Drizzle some more olive oil on top.
• Add 1 tablespoon (each) of salt and pepper.
• Mix everything until well-coated.
• Cook for 20-25 minutes total
  • After 15 minutes, take sheet out and stir everything, then put back in oven.
  • You’ll know it’s done when veggies have softened and sausage has started to brown.
• Massage green kale. Yes, you are reading this correctly. If you don’t it won’t taste very good. To properly massage kale (haha) so it’s edible, tear kale off stem, and tear into small-medium pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and top with salt and pepper. Then…massage until it doesn’t crunch any longer. And the bonus? It doesn’t get soggy like other lettuces and you can keep it in the fridge for a day or two.
• Place rice and stir fry mixture in a bowl. Top with parmesan cheese (small handful) and kale.
• Optional: Top with hot sauce.
• Enjoy!

Friday Dinner Recipe: Order pizza. Dinner is served!

Helpful tips that have made my life easier

Growing up I heard my mom say, “Clean as you go! Clean as you go!” no less than one million times. And she was right. If I start cooking with real estate in the dishwasher, and if I clean as I go, cleanup goes soooo much faster.

Taking a little time to write out what I’m making for dinner for the week gives me the chance to see what I can prep ahead of time. Also grocery shopping for meals sets me up to be organized and I save money. This has made my life so much easier. And I tell ya, “I regret doing all that food prep” said no one ever.

If you didn’t get to food prep or getting dishes done until it’s late and all you want to do is plop on the couch to relax? I’ve started listening to podcasts if I’m doing work in the kitchen in the evening, and doing this actually makes it feel like I’m getting a little “me time” after a long day.

How did you like these recipes? Was this helpful? I’d love to know!

And just in case…

Easiest tortellini soup

Best ever cranberry sauce recipe

This delightful post on motherhood