Happy Friday, friends!
I hope you’ve had a great week filled with easy planned out dinners or ToolBox Recipes your whole family loved. Here at BurntToast we have been loving more fall-like recipes and breaking out the old slow cooker for some chili this week. But all of this recipes are family favorites around here, and in the miracle of all miracles even my pickiest eater will eat each and every one of them.
Doubly fun for us has been sharing these meals with my parents who have flown in this weekend to spend time with the fam for the first time in what feels like forever and I am so excited to share these recipes with them. To attribute my love of food and cooking to my two wonderful parents is an understatement. So cooking for them in my own home is an honor.
This week the recipes are all fairly easy and quick, the longest one should take you no more than 30 minutes. I suggest chopping some onion this weekend or whenever you have time and throwing it in a bag in the fridge. It will last for the entire week and I find onion chopping to always be my most tedious task. A quick money saving tip on the chicken–most chicken breast these days are GIMUNGOUS, way more than any one of us can (or should) eat. To save money I always cut each breast in half, right through the middle, butterflying it. (HERE is a quick YouTube tutorial to help explain) This creates two much thinner pieces, cutting your cooking time considerably as well as saving you some money.
If there is one exceptionally busy day in your schedule I recommend moving the menu around, pushing the slow cooker chili to this one. The other recipes are all quick, but there is nothing better than walking in after a long day of running around to meal prepped and ready for you to go.
Enjoy this week’s recipes and PLEASE reach out with any comments or suggestions on these plans. I am really relying on your feedback (yes, even the bad stuff I promise) to get better. I want this to be a service to you and the only way I can make this happen is if I know what you need.
Week THREE Shopping List HERE.
Week THREE Menu HERE.
-
Monday: Poor Mans Ramen (Recipe HERE)
- OK, So technically this recipe says it’s for lunch, but we have been known to down this for dinner on a busy night with zero complaints from anyone. It’s so fast that you can make it in the paltry time it takes to make a pack of Ramen (3 minutes to be exact) and it is insanely delicious. EVERYONE loves it. My kiddos don’t like runny eggs so we sub in just a fried egg for them, it doesn’t loose any flavor to switch it up so feel free to change it for picky eaters.
-
Tuesday: MeatBall Subs
- This is one of those non-recipe recipes that make my children break out in smile from ear to ear. It’s so easy it’s almost laughable but it wins them over every time. I simply heat up some meatballs in sauce, hollow out the center of some sub rolls (throwing away the excess bread not only makes it slightly healthier, it also creates space for the meatballs), throw on some mozzarella cheese and broil until melted. SO EASY it’s ridiculous. Always serve with a salad to add some greens and you’ve got yourself a quick and easy ToolBox recipe!
-
Wednesday: Shrimp and Bacon Pasta in Lemon Wine Sauce (Recipe HERE)
- Fancy without the fuss, this is an elegant meal fit for company your whole family can enjoy. It takes just under 20 minutes start to finish and everyone loves it, mostly because of the bacon. If you want to shuffle this around to Friday to make it a semi-date night meal for you and your S.O., it’s pretty special. You can even do that whole Lady and The Tramp pasta kiss thing if you’re feeling extra cheesy. Wait. No. Please don’t do that. EVER.
-
Thursday: Easy Slow Cooker Chili (Recipe HERE)
- Oh my gosh how I love a good slow cooker meal. The joy of having dinner made for me when I walk in after a long day is something I can’t even describe. It makes evenings glorious! This entire meal can be prepped ahead and thrown together very quickly in the morning; I have even been known to brown the meat days ahead and store in the fridge for game time. Do what works best and be sure to enjoy with lots of cheddar cheese and tortilla chips and cornbread. The whole family will thank you.
-
Friday: Lemon Chicken over Egg Noodles with Roasted Broccoli (Recipe HERE)
- If it tells you anything about how easy and delicious this meal is, I am adding it to my menu plan long before I’ve had a chance to update the post, which is quite embarrassing and out of character for me. This is one of my earliest and, well, less polished, entries with less than stellar pics and a slightly different format. But it’s so good I just don’t care. Everyone loves this meal. It’s so easy and once you master the technique with the chicken, it opens up a million different variations (my Mushroom Rosemary Chicken is a riff off of this one). It’s perfect served over egg noodles to soak up the delicious sauce with roasted broccoli as a healthy side (this is a great recipe to follow).
I cannot thank you enough for following along with these menu plans. So far I’ve had way more participants than expected and it’s a joy to help bring your family back to the table. Keep me posted, share the plans on your social media if they work for you and please, take some pics of the meals and tag me in them! I love to see my recipes come to life on your table. It’s an absolute JOY!
Peace, love and planning,
Meg
Welcome to BurntToast! My name is Meaghan, and this is my safe space, a place where we can share stories, share recipes and share life. It’s my dream that you can come here, kick your shoes off and pour yourself a glass of wine while you read, laugh, and maybe even hop into the kitchen. This is my heart, for all of you to see. And ALL are welcome here.