Easy Weekly Meal Plan #1: Five Dinners and Bread Pudding

For this easy weekly meal plan, we're making tuna salad sandwiches, cheesy chicken spaghetti, burgers in the oven, BBQ chicken thighs, and creamy taco soup. There's old-fashioned bread pudding for dessert, too.

This plan has five dinners for four people, one leftovers or eat-out night, and one night left open. Move the meals around to fit your week. Those two flexible nights leave a little breathing room!

I've linked a side dish for each dinner, plus easy shortcuts for nights when you need them. The grocery list includes the featured sides and the portions noted below. Click the dinner and side-dish names for their full recipes.

Jump to the grocery list

This Week's Meal Plan

Night	Dinner and sides
1	Tuna Salad Sandwiches Carrot Salad and apples
2	Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel BEST Side Salad
3	Leftovers or eat out Use what’s already in the fridge
4	Burgers in the Oven Red Skin Potato Salad — half batch
5	Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs Crack Green Beans and white rice
6	Creamy Taco Soup Air Fryer Garlic Bread
7	Open Your choice!

 

Something sweet: Bread Pudding, whenever it fits your week.

Night 1: Tuna Salad Sandwiches

Save this one for a busy evening. My tuna salad recipe has sweet pickle relish, celery, and red onion for a little crunch-and there's no cooking involved.

Time: 10 minutes for the tuna salad.

For four people: Make one batch and divide it among four sandwiches. You'll need eight slices of bread.

Serve with: Carrot Salad and four apples. One batch of the carrot salad serves four and takes about 10 minutes. The list allows for 8 carrots, 2 garlic cloves, and soy sauce instead of liquid aminos; walnuts and raisins are optional.

Easy shortcut: Serve plain carrot sticks with the apples instead of making the carrot salad.

Little tip: Drain the tuna well before mixing. Keep the filling chilled until you're ready to put the sandwiches together.

Night 2: Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel

This is our casserole night! Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel brings together shredded chicken, a creamy sauce, and plenty of cheddar cheese.

Allow: About 50-55 minutes with the chicken already cooked. That includes preparation, 30-35 minutes of baking, and a 5-minute rest.

For four people: Make the full recipe, which is listed as six servings. You may have about two portions left, depending on appetites.

Serve with: My BEST Side Salad. Make the full five-serving recipe, with a little extra for the table. Allow about 15 minutes to assemble it once the bacon and boiled eggs are ready. The grocery list includes the listed toppings, 4 bacon slices, and ¼ cup of bottled dressing; spinach is optional.

Easy shortcut: A bagged green salad and bottled dressing work here, too.

Want bread, too? My Cheesy Pull Apart Bread starts with a crusty loaf and adds garlic butter, mozzarella, and cheddar. One batch serves four and takes about 35 minutes, including 25 minutes in the oven. It bakes at 350°F, the same temperature as the casserole. Its ingredients are in a separate optional section of the grocery list.

Little tip: Use 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken to save a step. Measure 8 ounces of dry spaghetti, then cook and drain it before assembling the casserole. Drain the Rotel, too.

Night 3: Leftovers or Eat Out

Take a night off from making a new recipe.

There may be two portions of chicken spaghetti waiting in the fridge, but that won't be a full second dinner for four. Mix and match with other leftovers you already have, or make this your eat-out night.

If you'd rather save the spaghetti for lunches, that works, too. Refrigerate it in an airtight container and use it within three days, as noted in the recipe.

Night 4: Burgers in the Oven

No need to get the grill out for these Burgers in the Oven. Add cheese if your family likes it, and don't miss the foil-wrapped bun trick in the recipe!

Allow: About 30-35 minutes, including the optional bun-warming step.

For four people: One pound of ground beef makes four burgers. You'll also need four hamburger buns.

Serve with: Red Skin Potato Salad. Make half of the ten-serving recipe for about five side servings: use 1½ pounds of potatoes, 3 eggs, and half of every other ingredient. The grocery list already accounts for that smaller batch. Allow about 40 minutes, plus chilling if you prefer it cold.

Easy shortcut: Potato chips are fine here! Allow 4 ounces for four people in place of the potato salad. You can also make the potato salad a day ahead, as noted in the recipe.

Little tip: Have the buns and optional toppings ready while the burgers bake. Check that the burgers reach 160°F in the center.

Night 5: Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs

These Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs finish with a sticky BBQ glaze, all from the oven.

Time: 1 hour 10 minutes, including preparation and resting.

For four people: Make the recipe with four bone-in, skin-on thighs, about 2½-3 pounds total. That's one thigh per person.

Serve with: Crack Green Beans and white rice. One batch of the beans serves four and takes about 30 minutes on the stovetop. Cook 1 cup of dry white rice according to the package directions, using water, and divide it among four plates.

Easy shortcut: Use 16 ounces of plain frozen green beans, cooked according to the package, in place of the bacon-and-brown-sugar beans. Keep the rice.

Little tip: Get the rice and beans going while the chicken bakes. The glaze goes on near the end, so follow the recipe's timing rather than adding it at the beginning.

Night 6: Creamy Taco Soup

My Creamy Taco Soup has ground beef, beans, corn, and Rotel in a creamy broth. Seven ingredients, one pot, and dinner is on its way.

Allow: About 40-45 minutes. The recipe calls for 25-30 minutes of simmering after the beef is browned, so leave time for both steps.

For four people: Make the full six-serving batch. You may have about two portions left for lunch or the next night, depending on appetites. That won't be another full dinner for four.

Serve with: Air Fryer Garlic Bread, using four pieces of frozen garlic toast. Allow 6-10 minutes per batch in a single layer, and make it while the soup simmers. These four pieces are included in the main grocery list.

Easy option: No air fryer? Bake the same frozen toast according to its package directions.

Little tip: Cut the cream cheese into small blocks so it blends into the soup. Drain the corn; use the Rotel and chili beans with their liquid. The grocery list covers the soup without extra toppings.

Night 7: Your Choice

Keep this night open for whatever fits. You can use any soup left from the night before, add something already on hand, or go out. Extra food for this flexible night isn't included in the grocery list.

Something Sweet: Bread Pudding

Set aside six slices of bread for my Bread Pudding. It's an old-fashioned dessert made with simple ingredients, and one batch makes six servings.

Time: 50 minutes-5 minutes of preparation and 45 minutes of baking. Allow extra time if you need to dry fresh bread or soak very stale bread.

For four people: Make one batch and enjoy a little extra after dessert.

Little tip: This week's grocery list covers plain bread pudding. The recipe has sauce options if you'd like to add one; check the ingredients for your chosen sauce before shopping.

A Few Things to Do Before the Week Gets Busy

• Set aside eight slices of bread for the tuna sandwiches and six for dessert.
• Cook the 4 bacon slices and boil the 2 eggs for the green salad before assembling it. Keep its toppings separate until serving.
• Make the half batch of potato salad the day before burger night if that helps. Keep it refrigerated.
• Set aside 1 pound of ground beef for burgers and 1 pound for soup; freeze the soup portion for later in the week and thaw it in the refrigerator before cooking. Check your pantry and choose any shortcuts before shopping.

Already using my Dinner Theme System? Tuck these recipes into the themes you've chosen and move the nights around to suit your family.

Week 1 Grocery List

This list covers one batch of all five dinners and plain bread pudding, one batch each of Carrot Salad, BEST Side Salad, and Crack Green Beans, and a half batch of Red Skin Potato Salad. It also includes four apples, the white rice, and four pieces of frozen garlic toast for soup night. The green salad and half batch of potato salad each make about five side servings, so you may have a little extra.

The main list uses bottled salad dressing, sweet pickle relish in both the tuna and potato salads, soy sauce in the carrot salad, and all the green salad toppings listed in its recipe except the optional spinach. Optional toppings, ingredients for Cheesy Pull Apart Bread with spaghetti, and shortcut purchases are separated below. Breakfasts, lunches, and additional food for the two flexible nights aren't included.

Quantities are amounts needed; packages may contain extra. Cross off what you already have. If you choose a shortcut, skip ingredients used only in the side you're replacing, and keep what you need for the other recipes.

Produce

• ☐ 4 apples - tuna sandwich night
• ☐ 9 carrots - 8 for Carrot Salad; use ¼ cup chopped from the remaining carrot for the green salad
• ☐ 1 small red onion - use 2 tablespoons minced in tuna salad
• ☐ Celery - 1 stalk for tuna salad, plus ¼ cup chopped for the green salad
• ☐ 1 lemon - use 1 tablespoon juice
• ☐ 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley - use 1 tablespoon
• ☐ 3 heads romaine lettuce - BEST Side Salad
• ☐ 1 roma tomato and 1 radish - green salad toppings
• ☐ Green onions - 4 stalks, plus 2 tablespoons sliced: 3 stalks for Carrot Salad, 1 for the green salad, and 2 tablespoons for potato salad
• ☐ 2 garlic cloves - Carrot Salad
• ☐ Fresh ginger - enough for 1 teaspoon grated
• ☐ 1½ pounds red potatoes - half batch of potato salad
• ☐ 1 small yellow onion - use ½ cup diced for the green beans

Meat & fish

• ☐ 1 (12-ounce) can tuna in water - drain before using
• ☐ Cooked chicken - 2 cups shredded; a rotisserie chicken is an easy option
• ☐ 2 pounds ground beef - 1 pound for four burger patties, 1 pound for taco soup
• ☐ 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs - 2½-3 pounds total
• ☐ 8 slices bacon - cook 4 for the green salad; use the other 4 in the green beans

Bread, dairy & eggs

• ☐ Sandwich bread - at least 14 slices: 8 for sandwiches, 6 for pudding
• ☐ 4 hamburger buns
• ☐ 4 pieces frozen garlic toast - for taco soup night; buy a package containing at least four
• ☐ 2½ cups shredded cheddar cheese - 2 cups for spaghetti, ½ cup for the green salad
• ☐ 1 cup sour cream
• ☐ 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese - taco soup
• ☐ 2 cups milk
• ☐ 9 eggs - 4 for pudding, 2 boiled for the green salad, and 3 for potato salad
• ☐ 3 tablespoons butter - includes greasing the pudding dish

Cans, pasta & rice - check your shelves

• ☐ 8 ounces DRY spaghetti - cook before assembling the casserole
• ☐ 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• ☐ 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• ☐ 2 (10-ounce) cans Rotel tomatoes - drain one for spaghetti; keep the liquid in the other for taco soup
• ☐ 3 cups chicken broth - 1 cup for spaghetti, 2 cups for potato salad
• ☐ 4 cups beef broth - taco soup; one 32-ounce carton
• ☐ 1 (15.25-ounce) can corn - drain for taco soup
• ☐ 1 (15.5-ounce) can chili beans - include the liquid in taco soup
• ☐ 1 cup dry white rice - chicken thigh night
• ☐ 2 (14.5-ounce) cans cut green beans - drain for Crack Green Beans

Pantry staples - buy only what you need

• ☐ 1 cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon real mayonnaise - tuna and potato salads
• ☐ 6 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish - tuna and potato salads
• ☐ 1 tablespoon coarse Dijon mustard - potato salad
• ☐ ¼ cup bottled salad dressing - green salad
• ☐ 3 tablespoons avocado oil - Carrot Salad
• ☐ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar - Carrot Salad and chicken glaze
• ☐ 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons soy sauce - Carrot Salad and green beans
• ☐ 2½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce - chicken glaze and green beans
• ☐ ¾ cup BBQ sauce - includes ¼ cup reserved for serving
• ☐ 1 tablespoon honey
• ☐ ¾ cup white granulated sugar - bread pudding
• ☐ 6 tablespoons light brown sugar - 2 teaspoons for Carrot Salad, ⅓ cup for green beans
• ☐ 1 teaspoon each: vanilla extract and cinnamon
• ☐ 3½ teaspoons garlic powder; 1½ teaspoons onion powder
• ☐ 1 tablespoon dried basil and 1 tablespoon hulled sunflower seeds - green salad
• ☐ ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ☐ ¼ teaspoon each: chili powder and baking powder
• ☐ 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon salt; extra for burgers and pasta water as desired
• ☐ 1¾ teaspoons black pepper, plus more for burgers as desired
• ☐ Nonstick cooking spray - burger dish, casserole dish, and chicken rack
• ☐ 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning - taco soup

Optional extras - add only if using

• ☐ 4 slices American cheese - for cheeseburgers
• ☐ 1 teaspoon dried chives - optional in tuna salad
• ☐ Ketchup, mustard, or pickles - preferred burger toppings
• ☐ 2 cups chopped fresh spinach - optional in BEST Side Salad
• ☐ ¼ cup walnuts and/or ¼ cup raisins - optional in Carrot Salad

Optional bread with spaghetti - Cheesy Pull Apart Bread

Add these only if making the optional bread. These amounts cover one full four-serving recipe and are in addition to the main grocery list. Check your pantry before buying more.

• ☐ 1 crusty Italian or sourdough loaf - separate from the sandwich bread
• ☐ 4 ounces shredded mozzarella - about 1 cup
• ☐ 4 additional ounces shredded cheddar - about 1 cup, beyond the 2½ cups in the main list
• ☐ 1 additional green onion
• ☐ 2 additional garlic cloves
• ☐ 4 ounces unsalted butter - ½ cup or 1 stick, in addition to the 3 tablespoons for pudding
• ☐ ½ teaspoon additional salt
• ☐ ½ teaspoon additional black pepper
• ☐ ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional even when making the bread

Shortcut purchases - only if replacing a featured side

• ☐ 8 ounces bagged green salad - instead of BEST Side Salad; use the bottled dressing above
• ☐ 4 ounces potato chips - instead of the half batch of potato salad
• ☐ 16 ounces plain frozen green beans - instead of Crack Green Beans

For the carrot shortcut, use some of the carrots already listed as plain sticks instead of making Carrot Salad.

Check your supplies: Foil for the chicken pan and optional burger bun step, a wire rack, and a meat thermometer. Have a kitchen scale handy to measure the dry spaghetti. Use an air fryer for the garlic toast, or follow its package oven directions. If making the optional pull-apart bread, have parchment paper and extra foil ready, too.

Which dinner are you making first? I’d love to hear!