Weekly Meal Plan: Family Friendly
A meal plan full of recipes that are family friendly. All can be on your table in about an hour or less after you get home from a busy day!
I don’t know about you, but I sometimes get frustrated with my kids’ lack of appreciation for the finer things I bring out of my kitchen. In this week’s meal plan, I decided to just embrace simplicity! I collected recipes for five menu options that are totally family friendly, but still exciting and flavourful. You won’t find plain old chicken fingers here, but you WILL find classic meals kids love that adults can get behind too. I hope you get more cheers and fewer sighs from your family this week!
THE MENU INCLUDES
- A variety of family friendly meals can be made quickly, most of which you can have on the table within an hour of when you get home from a busy day at work.
- Yummy dessert ideas that can be made ahead for easy after dinner treats or lunch box snacks.
- A Bonus Meal of family friendly appetizers for a board game or movie night!
MEAL PLANNING SUCCESS
Of course, there are a few things you need to remember to make this kind of thing work for you and your schedule. Sometimes I hear people say that meal planning doesn’t work for their lifestyle, and usually, it’s because they don’t do at least one of the following.
- Make sure you have all the groceries! It is crucial to go through the plan the weekend before, to make sure you have all the ingredients and are ready to go when the work week starts and life gets crazy. I have tried to make sure ingredients are simple and on-hand in most pantries, but there’s always going to be a few things missing!
- Review and change the order you prepare the suggested recipes to suit your needs. For days you know you will be running errands or taking kids to activities, plan the meals with the lowest prep and shortest cook times. Save the slightly more involved recipes for evenings when you can breathe.
- Plan ahead. Look at the recipe for the next day the night before, and see if there’s anything you can do to get ready. Even chopping vegetables the day before will make you feel in control and give you that precious extra few minutes to get out the door on time.
- Take meal planning seriously! If you know what’s in your pantry and what your plans are for feeding your family at least a few days in a row, you will find that dinner will become far less stressful. I’m including the link for my FREE printable meal planning toolkit to help you really get organized and set up for success
Now, let’s get planning! I’m so excited to present this week’s meal plan full of family friendly meals. These are sure to get you and your family through the week well-fed and stress-free.
Monday
This menu includes a Creamy Tomato Macaroni and Cheese as a main dish, simple veggies and a Classic Spinach Dip to serve with it, and these stunning and delicious Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes for dessert.
Main Dish: Creamy Tomato Macaroni and Cheese
Side Dish: Classic Spinach Dip
Dessert: Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes
Tuesday
Try these All Dressed Lumberjack Turkey Burgers with all the fixin’s paired with potato chips and Summer Sunshine Cookies for a meal every kid will love!
Main Dish: All Dressed Lumberjack Turkey Burgers
Dessert: Summer Sunshine Cookies
Wednesday
These Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas served with all your favourite fajita toppings are a balanced meal all on their own! Finish up with this Easy 3 Ingredient Angel Food Cake for dessert.
Main Dish: Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
Dessert: Easy 3 Ingredient Angel Food Cake
Thursday
Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner? Try this Raspberry Baked French Toast or Bread Pudding recipe paired with sliced fresh fruit and sausages for a fun weeknight treat. For dessert, serve these Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal Muffins to keep things light and tasty!
Main Dish: Raspberry Baked French Toast or Bread Pudding
Side Dish: Sliced Fresh Fruit and Sausages
Dessert: Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal Muffins
Friday
You made it to the weekend! Serve these oven-baked Easy Meatball Subs for a meaty, cheesy celebration food. Pair it with this Simple Green Salad with Homemade Mayo Dressing and finish off with these fudgy and delicious Most Chocolatey Hot Chocolate Cookies!
Main Dish: Easy Meatball Subs
Bonus Meal
Having people over on Saturday night, or just having a fun family night in? Take a break from cooking a real meal and serve these family friendly appetizers instead! This Hot Pizza Dip can be customized for your family’s taste and is filling and delicious. You can’t go wrong with Crispy Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings, and this Platter Salad gives you a nice balanced meal. Keep the platter thing going with this Summer Dessert Party buffet-style ice cream bar!
That’s it! Five meals that should have your kids pretty excited about dinner time this week. Tag me @aprettylife and let me know which one your family liked best!
More Meal Plans
Here are even more meal plans to help you with dinner!
Have a delicious day!
