Weekly Meal Plan #3: 6 Delicious Dinner Recipes + Shopping List

Planning what to cook for your family should not feel like a punishment. If you have a well-organized, well-researched weekly meal plan, you will stress less about what to cook and spend more time preparing and enjoying a delicious meal with your family.

In this curated weekly meal plan, we bring you wholesome, protein-rich and fiber-rich meal combinations that are not only easy to prepare but also loved by many of my community members, who have vouched for the success of these recipes.

The meals are designed with a family of four in mind. The recipes are easy to put together on busy weeknights, and if there are any leftovers, they make for a perfect lunch the next day. We have deliberately designed a 6-day meal plan so that you are free to prepare your favorite comfort food on one of the days or go out to dine with family and friends.

To make it easy for you, direct links to the recipes are given below. These recipes are either on my own blog or will redirect you to those from fellow food bloggers. Further, a curated Week 3 shopping list is included to make your shopping experience so much easier and more efficient.

Weekly Meal Plan 👇

Day 1: Sheet Pan Lemon Herb Salmon + Roasted Potatoes

There is nothing quite as satisfying as a dinner that comes together in a single pan. Serve it with a side of garlicky roast potatoes to make it a complete meal.

Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon

Juicy salmon at home in 30 minutes that’s EASY and tastes BETTER than from a restaurant!! The butter is infused with lemon and garlic and adds so much FLAVOR! Each serving is about 675 kcal.

Tangy Garlic Butter Salmon Recipe

Garlic Roasted Potatoes | How to Make the Best Crispy Roast Potatoes

Garlic roasted potatoes are crisp on the outside, fluffy and creamy on the inside, super easy to prepare, making it a perfect side dish for any meal. Takes about 45 mins to prepare and is about 225 kcal per serving.

Crispy Roast Potato Recipe

Day 2: Sloppy Joes + Coleslaw

A nostalgic American classic where ground beef is simmered in a sweet-tangy tomato-based sauce that will surely become your family's favorite.

Best Sloppy Joes

Craving that familiar, saucy goodness? These Sloppy Joes deliver tender beef simmered in a sweet-tangy sauce—a family favorite! Takes about 30 mins to prepare and is under 400 kcal per serving.

Best Sloppy Joes Recipe

Serving Idea: Serve with a side of crunchy coleslaw for the perfect texture contrast.

The Best Coleslaw Recipe | Cabbage Salad

Coleslaw is a crunchy and creamy salad or side dish with tons of flavor prepared in less than 10 minutes. The shredded cabbage is tossed in a creamy mayonnaise dressing. Coleslaw is one of the best make-ahead recipes that can be served as topping for sliders, sandwiches, or tacos, as a side with wings, or even along with french fries.

Best Coleslaw Recipe

Day 3: Slow Cooker Beef Stew + Artisan Bread Loaf

This is the definition of "set it and forget it." Prep the beef and root vegetables in the morning, and by dinner time, the house will smell amazing.

The Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe (easy & comforting)

Best ever slow cooker beef stew recipe cooked to perfection with dry red wine, plenty of garlic & herbs and tender carrots and potatoes. This easy beef stew recipe is just like the classic one you grew up with and makes a delicious, protein-packed dinner the whole family will love! With a prep time of under 30 mins and calories per serving of 700 kcal, this is one of the best wholesome protein rich meals one can prepare on a weeknight.

Best Beef Stew Recipe

Serving Idea: A hunk of crusty homemade breadloaf is non-negotiable for soaking up that rich gravy.

Artisan Bread

Artisan Bread is an easy to make bread recipe prepared using just 5 basic ingredients from your kitchen. This bread has light and crispy crust, and soft texture on the inside.

Easy Artisan Bread Loaf

Day 4: Italian-Style Stuffed Peppers + Green Beans Almondine

These are hearty, healthy, and look great on a plate. It’s a fantastic way to sneak in extra vegetables, and they reheat beautifully for work lunches.

Italian Stuffed Peppers

Italian stuffed peppers are a fresh, healthy twist on a classic! Made with ground chicken, tomatoes, herbs and cheese, they're easy and freezer friendly. The dish can be prepared in under 40 minutes and is about 450 kcal per serving.

Recipe for Italian Stuffed Peppers

Pro-Tip: Don't skip the sprinkle of Parmesan or Mozzarella on top during the last 5 minutes of baking for that perfect melty finish.

Best Green Beans Almondine - Easy Side Dish for Dinner

Best Green Beans Almondine Recipe: Simple and easy to make, yet total crowd-pleaser dish ready in less than 15 minutes. The toasted almonds add the perfect crunch and nuttiness to the tender green beans. Serve this green bean almondine as a side dish for a weeknight meal, or add it to your holiday menu.

Best Green Bean Almondine Recipe

Day 5: Pesto Chicken Pasta + Peach Salsa

Friday night should be low-stress. By using a high-quality store-bought pesto and quick-cooking penne, you can have a restaurant-quality meal on the table in under 30 minutes.

Pesto Chicken Pasta

This Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta is perfect for busy weeknights. Everything cooks in one pot and is done in under 30 minutes!  Each serving is about 750 kcal.

Best Pesto Chicken Pasta Recipe

Peach Salsa (Easy and Spicy)

This fresh peach salsa is the best and easy-to-make homemade appetizer recipe that is sweet and spicy and can be prepared in less than 15 minutes.

Easy Peach Salsa Recipe

Day 6: Pulled Pork Sliders + Grilled Corn

Perfect for a weekend vibe. Whether you use a slow cooker or the oven, these sliders are crowd-pleasers.

Easy Pulled Pork Sliders

These Pulled Pork Sliders are warm, flavorful sandwiches loaded with tender pork and coleslaw. Brushed with savory poppy seed butter and baked golden, they’re can be made in under 30 mins and perfect for parties, game day, or easy dinners. Each serving (2 sliders) is about 600 kcal.

Recipe for Pulled Pork Sliders

Pro-Tip: Serve these with corn on the cob and a crisp side salad to balance the richness of the pork.

Best Grilled Corn on the Cob | Easy Summer BBQ Side Dish

Nothing says summer quite like grilled corn on the cob. Sweet corn is grilled until charred, creating a smoky flavor that pairs beautifully with melted butter and seasonings. Whether you are planning a backyard barbecue, family dinner, picnic, or cookout, this grilled corn is the crowd's favorite.

Grilled Corn Recipe

Why Will You Love This Weekly Meal Plan?

• Recipes are combined to produce complete, wholesome, and nutritionally balanced meals.
• From messy sliders to cozy stews, these are recipes that your family will ask for again and again.
• A curated shopping list ensures there is no waste or multiple trips to the grocery store.
• Since no meal is repeated, each weeknight dinner is exciting for the entire family.

Meal Prep Tips

• Wash, chop, and store your veggies on Sunday so they are ready to use in a flash any day of the week.
• Marinate your meats the night before - or the morning of - to ensure deep flavor, significantly faster cooking time, and juicier meats.
• If there are any leftovers, immediately freeze or refrigerate them, as they will come in handy for lunch the next day, or will rescue you on nights you don't feel like cooking.

Shopping List

To make your grocery shopping hassle-free and avoid multiple trips to the store, we have included a curated Week 3 Shopping List that categorizes items into Produce, Meat & Seafood, Dairy, Bakery, and Pantry Essentials. Follow the link to download and print your Week 3 Shopping List.

Note: The shopping list is designed for a serving size of four. Please adjust ingredient quantities on the individual recipe pages and in the shopping list if you need to scale recipes up or down for your family.

The approximate cost of purchasing the bulk of the items on this list at Walmart, ALDI, or other grocery stores in the 47906 (West Lafayette, IN) area is approximately $155. Note that we have excluded the cost of items in the Check Pantry category, as these may already be available in your kitchen.

Share Recipes From Your Collection 👇

We are always on the hunt for new favorites, and we’d love to feature your go-to dishes in our future roundups. Do you have a wholesome, family-friendly recipe that your household loves? We’d be thrilled if you shared it! Share your best recipes through our recipe submission page—we can’t wait to see what you’re cooking and hopefully showcase your masterpiece in an upcoming meal plan.

Previous Weekly Meal Plans

If you liked this meal plan and would like to check out our curated meal plans for the last few weeks, then check out our meal plan collections. Also, go over our Week 1 meal plan and Week 2 meal plan for more dinner ideas, family-friendly recipes, and organized shopping lists.

Happy Cooking!