A one-week meal plan that your whole family will enjoy. Includes meal ideas that are simple, satisfying, healthy, require just a few groceries, and are quick and easy to prepare. Printable shopping list at the bottom.
I hope you and your family are continuing to stay safe and healthy during this devastating Coronavirus Pandemic. To help out a little during this time, I’m sharing another week of simple meal ideas that you can use now or in the future. A Shopping List is included (at the bottom) to help you get in and out of the grocery store fast.
Missed the first week? Take a look: Simple 7-Day Family Meal Plan with Shopping List: During Quarantine, Vol. 1
Find more helpful resources and meal plans on my Meal Planning Page!
About The Meal Plan
- To make life easier, my family and I follow a Rotation for Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks. I’m trying to keep my kitchen stocked with the basics I need to cover these meals. (See my Master Grocery List). The focus of this post is to share ideas for just dinner (or lunch, if you want).
- These meals are simple, family-friendly favorites. Nothing fancy, elaborate, or mind-blowing.
- Pick and choose the meals that sound good to you and your family, or follow the entire plan. Be ready to improvise if you find the grocery store is out of stock of certain items you need. (It’s better now, but in the beginning, I couldn’t even find eggs or bread… never mind toilet paper!)
- I’ve included ideas for simple sides and desserts, but feel free to change them to anything you like or already have in your kitchen.
- We’ve been using our Grill a lot lately, but if you don’t have access to a grill, the oven or stove-top can take its place!
- These meals are really simple, therefore, the directions are really simple. Often no recipe required! Some meals do include a Post that you can refer to.
- Each meal includes a list of ingredients that will help you make a shopping list. (I have also provided a complete printable shopping list that can be found at the bottom of the post.) You may already have some of the items. If not, write down what you need on a piece of scrap paper, add whatever else you need for breakfast, lunch, and snacks and you’re ready to head to the grocery store, or order online for delivery (such as from instacart.com).
- The amount of each ingredient is based on feeding 4 people. Adjust the amount you need to cover the number of people you are serving and if you want leftovers.
- Take-Out: Whether you choose delivery or pick-up, you can feel good about supporting your local restaurants while also giving yourself a break from cooking. Lately, we’ve been ordering take-out 1-2 times a week, so I’ve included that as part of the plan. #TakeOutTuesday
7-Day Meal Plan For Dinner
1. Grilled Barbeque Chicken served with corn and slaw
Ingredients: -4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (make extra for leftovers on pizza) -1 bottle Barbecue sauce -1pkg. frozen microwaveable corn -1 pkg. slaw mix
Directions: Place chicken breasts in a bowl or resealable plastic bag; add about 1/3 a cup of Barbecue sauce and coat chicken. Allow the chicken to marinate, in the refrigerator, for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Heat greased grill to Medium-High heat, remove chicken from bowl or bag, discard extra sauce, and place chicken on the grill. With the cover closed, grill chicken 6-8 minutes each side, brushing with additional 1/3 cup of Barbecue sauce during the last 2-3 minutes. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and thermometer in thickest part reaches 165 F. Allow chicken to rest 5 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, prepare the slaw mix and cook the corn; season as desired.
*Baked Chicken: Heat oven to 350 F. Place marinated chicken on a foil-lined baking pan and bake 15-25 minutes, or until fully cooked. Serve chicken with corn, slaw, and additional Barbecue sauce for dipping.
Dessert Idea: Strawberry Shortcake
2. Tuna Melts served with apple slices and potato chips
See The Post: Easy Dinner Favorite: Tuna Melts
Ingredients: -whole grain bread -2 (5 oz) cans wild tuna, drained -avocado oil mayonnaise -1 tomato (optional) -4 deli slices cheese (such as Muenster) -2 apples, sliced -1 bag potato chips
Directions: Toast 8 slices of bread. In a medium bowl, mix tuna with 2-3 tbs mayo to desired consistency. Line a large baking pan with tinfoil. Place bottom slices of toast on pan. Evenly distribute tuna mixture over toast. Place a tomato slice (optional) and a slice of cheese on top of tuna. Broil about 3-5 minutes (keep an eye on them) or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven. Top each sandwich with 2nd slice of toast and press down lightly. Omit top slice of toast for open-face version (fewer calories). Serve sandwiches with apple slices and potato chips.
Dessert Idea: Store-bought Cookies from the Bakery
3. Quick Salsa Chicken served with a salad and tortilla chips
See The Post: 3-Ingredient Salsa Chicken
Ingredients: -4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts -1 cup salsa -1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese -salad (lettuce plus your favorite add-ins such as cucumber, tomato, carrots, etc.) -salad dressing (store-bought or homemade) -bag of baked tortilla chips
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 F. Place chicken breasts in a foil-lined baking dish and pour or spoon Salsa over the top of chicken. Bake chicken breasts 15 minutes. Remove chicken from the oven, sprinkle evenly with cheese and continue baking about 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and chicken is no longer pink (165 F). While chicken is cooking, prepare the salad. Serve chicken with salad, salad dressing, and tortilla chips.
Dessert Idea: Fresh Pineapple Slices/ Spears
4. Grilled Hamburgers served with fries
Ingredients: -hamburger patties -hamburger buns -hamburger toppings (sliced cheese, pickles, onion, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, etc.) -bag of frozen french fries
Directions: Bake french fries according to package directions. Meanwhile pre-heat grill (high), oil the grates and place hamburger patties directly over the heat. Grill 3 minutes, flip, then grill about another 5 minutes for Medium (135-150 F) or 6 minutes for Medium-Well (150-165 F). Add cheese during the last few seconds of grilling. Remove patties to a plate, cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile toast buns on indirect heat and prepare hamburger toppings. Serve burgers with french fries.
*Cook On The Stove-Top: Place the patties on an oiled skillet or grill pan and allow them to cook for about 5 minutes. Flip and cook another 5-6 minutes or until desired doneness.
Dessert Idea: S’mores
5. Individual Barbecue Chicken Naan Pizzas served with a salad
Ingredients: -4 slices of naan bread -1 cup barbecue sauce -2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese -1 cup chopped chicken (use leftovers from meal #1) or shredded rotisserie chicken -1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced (optional) -leftover salad ingredients from meal #3
Directions: Heat oven to 425 F. Spread about 2 tbs barbecue sauce on each naan slice. Top each with 1/4 cup of chicken, 1/2 cup of cheese, and a few slices of red onion (optional). Place pizzas on a rimmed baking sheet or directly on the oven rack. Bake 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Meanwhile, prepare the salad.
Dessert Idea: Leftover Cookies
6. Chipotle Take-Out
It was so convenient to order online and have our food ready for us when we came by to pick it up. My kids each got a Burrito, while my husband and I each enjoyed one of Chipotle’s new Lifestyle Bowls. We both chose the Whole 30 Bowl which includes Grilled Chicken, Fajita Veggies, Fresh Tomato Salsa, and Guacamole on a bed of Supergreens Salad Blend. I could eat this every week!
7. Take-Out
This week we enjoyed a Family Bundle Meal from Carrabba’s! The Family Bundles serve up to 5 people and include your choice of an entree bundle, a salad, and bread. We dined, from the comfort of our home, on Chicken Parmesan, Penne Pomodoro, Caesar Salad, and Bread.
SHOPPING LIST FOR 7-DAY FAMILY MEAL PLAN: DURING QUARANTINE, VOL. 2
Print any section of this post by clicking the purple, round PRINT Icon (found on the left side or bottom of the page). The ? indicates you have a choice. Remember to check on what you already have in your kitchen; cross off the items you don’t need.
PRODUCE: -slaw mix -2 apples -tomato (sandwich and burger) -lettuce, etc. for 2 salads -small red onion ?
DELI/BAKERY: -cheese slices (Muenster) -cheese slices (burgers) -shredded Colby Jack cheese -shredded Mozzarella cheese -whole grain bread -hamburger buns -Naan bread
PANTRY: -barbecue sauce -2 (5 oz) cans tuna -avocado oil mayonnaise -salsa -salad dressing ? -condiments (ketchup, mustard, relish) -potato chips -tortilla chips
REFRIGERATED: -pickles ?
MEAT/POULTRY/FISH: -8-10 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-5 oz each) -hamburger patties -rotisserie chicken ?
FROZEN: -corn -french fries
OPTIONAL DESSERTS: -cookies -fresh pineapple -S’mores (graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate bars) -Strawberry Shortcake (fresh strawberries, buttermilk biscuits or angel cake, canned whipped cream or heavy whipping cream, strawberry syrup ?)
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