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If I’m being honest, dinnertime looks pretty similar week to week around here, and you know what? It’s really working for me. My life feels a whole lot easier when I’m not constantly stressing trying to figure out what I’m going to get on the table every single night (until what feels like the end of time, haha).
This is more or less what we eat in a week. It’s not a perfect plan. In fact, I don’t overly plan anything, and that’s on purpose (hello, less dinnertime stress). I just make the same meals (we love) on repeat because they’re easy and everyone actually eats them. It’s pretty simple, actually.
Monday
Simple spaghetti with meat sauce
This is a staple in our house. Not a week passes without it. It’s easy, it’s reliable, and I always have what I need on hand. If the week feels busy before it even starts, this is usually my first choice.
Tuesday
Creamy Tuscan chicken thighs
This meal feels a little fancier, but it’s still simple enough for a regular weeknight because you just need one pan. It’s one of those meals that looks like you tried way harder than you did, which I’m always okay with.
Wednesday
Inside-out stuffed peppers
I make this when I want something that feels like a full meal in one pan. It’s hearty, easy to throw together, has a green veggie “built in”, and it holds up really well if there are leftovers (but there seldom are).
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Thursday
Old-fashioned beef and noodles
This is one of those comfort meals that sticks around all year. It’s simple, filling, and the kind of dinner that always works. Sometimes we do a veg on the side, sometimes not, and either option is a-okay with me.
Friday
Chicken teriyaki rice bowls
By the end of the week, I’m usually leaning toward something quick and flexible. Bowls are perfect for that. You can keep them simple or add whatever you have in the fridge or pantry, and it still feels like a complete meal. And, of course, anything teriyaki is a winner.
Saturday
Stovetop taco chicken and rice casserole
This is more of a “throw it together and call it dinner” kind of night. It’s easy, it feeds everyone, and it’s the kind of meal that doesn’t require much effort, which is usually the goal by Saturday. This is great in a tortilla burrito-style, in a bowl topped with lettuce, or as a topping for loaded nachos. It’s like a dinnertime free-for-all.
Sunday
Leftovers, something simple, or we figure it out as we go. It’s the one day I don’t plan anything, unless we have some sort of social engagment. Some weeks I cook, some weeks Jay grills, and some weeks no one does anything. It just depends, haha.
A Few Things I’ve Noticed (That Make This All Work)
I repeat meals. A lot. We don’t eat a whole new menu each week, and I’ve stopped trying to. There are a handful of dinners that always work, and I just keep them on repeat.
I don’t plan every detail; I usually have a general idea of what we’ll eat, but I leave room to adjust depending on what sounds good or what I actually feel like cooking that day (because that’s absolutely a thing for me—not wanting to cook a certain thing on a certain day).
And it doesn’t hurt that most of these meals are built around ingredients I keep on hand 99% of the time. It makes everything easier without me really even having to try.
The Bottom Line Here
I know, it’s not fancy, but this is what dinner really looks like around here most of the time. Simple meals that make sense for real life, that are made (and eaten) week after week. That’s pretty much all it takes.
