Following a weekly meal plan is the best way to cook healthier for your family, save time and money! Each week I share six easy, healthy, and family-friendly recipes to help you simplify feeding your family!
The one meal that has benefited the most from grocery stores now stocking their shelves with more unique ingredients is the salad. Remember when a salad meant wilted romaine, a runny tomato, bacon bits, and some shredded cheddar cheese? (Nothing wrong with these ingredients but there’s also nothing really exciting about them either) These days our grocery store shelves are lined with every kind of topping you can think of – pickled onions, chickpeas, toasted nuts, carrot ribbons, and veggies galore. Not to mention you have like ten different types of lettuce to choose from.
Few foods are as adaptable as the salad. Take my most recent concoction the Chicken, Asparagus & Bacon Salad. It’s full of greens, mozzarella balls, asparagus, chicken, bacon, hard-boiled egg, and avocado drizzled with the easiest & tastiest dijon vinaigrette. Loaded with healthy proteins, it’s quite possibly one of the most filling salads I’ve ever eaten! Perfect for dinner or for lunch! For lunch, I don’t assemble the salad ahead of time. I cook all of the ingredients then build my salad for one serving the day of.
Chicken, Asparagus, Bacon Salad
- 4 cups of lettuce (romaine, mixed greens, butter lettuce – any will do)
- 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
- 1 lb. asparagus, chopped
- 1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, cooked ( I use my fool-proof method)
- mozzarella balls
- 1 avocado
Dijon Vinaigrette
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- salt & pepper
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the asparagus and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender yet firm. Drain and run under cold water to stop it from cooking further. Set aside.
In a small bowl mix the Dijon, oil, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange the lettuce, asparagus, and chicken on a plate, top with egg, mozzarella, avocado, and bacon then drizzle with the vinaigrette. Enjoy!
Meal Plan 3/13 – 3/18
Sunday, March 13th | Guinness Beef Stew | 140 minutes | Technically this dish should be made and appreciated on St. Patrick’s Day but the time requirements are too long for a weeknight dish. The perfect way to kick off a week of Irish celebrations plus it’s what Sunday comfort food dreams are made of. Tender beef, carrots, and potatoes simmer on the stove for 90 minutes in a tomato & Guinness broth. Enjoy!
Monday, March 14th | Grilled Salmon over Orzo Corn Salad | Total Time: 50 minutes | If this dish doesn’t get you in the mood for spring, nothing will. Orzo is tossed with corn cut straight from the cob, (my favorite way to eat it), tomatoes, pepperoncini, basil, and parsley, then topped with salmon. Notes – I will cook my salmon for a few minutes per side over high heat on the stove. Kid Tip – before mixing the corn & veggies into the orzo, pull out enough for your picky eaters. Serve them plain parmesan orzo, a side of corn, and salmon.
Tuesday, March 15th | One Skillet Mexican Shrimp Diablo | Total Time: 30 minutes | Basically, shrimp cooked in a chipotle sauce served over cooked corn, zucchini, and onions. This recipe does call for you to blend a few ingredients. This can be done on Sunday for an even faster weeknight meal.
Wednesday, March 16th | Spicy Pork Brussels Bowls | Total Time: 30 minutes | An awesome low carb option, pork (or ground beef) is seasoned with cumin, chili powder, paprika, and oregano then tossed over shredded and cooked Brussels sprouts. Some top with a runny egg – I’m debating.
Thursday, March 17th | Bruschetta Pasta | Total Time: 20 minutes | My very Irish family are going to kill me for posting an Italian dish on St. Pat’s. I’m hoping the Irish stew I made on Sunday will suffice. Sometimes you just need a quick pasta dish to get through the week. This one is it!
Friday, March 18th | Homemade Pizza | Total Time: 25 minutes | Take your Friday pizza night up a notch by purchasing a pre-made ball of pizza dough. The kids will love helping you roll out the dough and picking ingredients for their own pizzas. If you have the time, cook the dough on the grill as we do. SO worth it!
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