Look at this: how we are only the first FULL week into February, and yet it is already practically half over! Spring is right around the corner, friends.
Now, seeing as I am QUITE late in posting this (as if anyone cares if or when I post these dinner ideas), I will get right to the meal plans:
Dinners for the Week of February 6-12
Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Bake: I am slightly wary of this for reasons I don’t entirely understand, but it sounds intriguing and I like all the ingredients (except tomatoes; I will not be including tomatoes).
Asian Chicken Salad: A couple weeks ago, Steph mentioned that she was planning something similar for her family and I have been thinking about it ever since. My husband likes to add mandarin oranges to his salad and sometimes I throw on a handful of chopped cashews as well.
Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls: This is a new-to-me recipe but it sounds spicy and satisfying. Hopefully we have some veggies left over from the salad to eat alongside this dish.
Roasted Pork with Mushrooms: We could do a side salad with this one, too, or maybe steam some broccoli.
Sheet Pan Chicken with Chickpeas: (inspired by Sarah) This sounds right up my alley. I do think I will use plain old chicken breasts, though, because – despite all the hype around chicken thighs and despite knowing that skin adds flavor – I do not like chicken with bones and/or skin. So the cooking times will be a bit off, but that’s okay. I am Breezy.
What’s on the menu at your house this week?
Yes to winter being half over!!!
I’m with you on no chicken with bones or skin. Actually I’ve taken that further to pretty much no chicken but I did make up a bunch of instant pot chicken for my family to munch on in burritos for the next few days. I’ve got no plan beyond that!
I have been fairly chicken free lately, too. I don’t miss it… but I also don’t mind it. It’s a good place to be.
I am just so far off the meal-planning train right now, I need to just hail a cab. Sigh. Or find a full-time chef? Wouldn’t that be amazing? I like to cook, but mostly because I like to eat and right now life just feels all sorts of crazy.
So…I’m not sure what’s going to be on the menu this week. I am literally just pulling ingredients from the fridge day of and finding ways to make it work. I planned to make a soup for supper tonight, but then discovered we didn’t have the right ingredients and I had zero interest in going to the grocery store. The solution? Clear out the fridge and make wraps which turned out to be AMAZING! So tonight at least, my decision to not plan worked. But I know my luck will run out – haha.
YES. Full time chef! That sounds amazing. But barring that, doing a fridge clear out sounds very smart. And practical!
That enchilada bake sounds GOOD! Was that tonight’s dinner? How was it? I might make it this week. I do a skillet enchilada meal sometimes, which is probably similar to this, flavor-wise.
I haven’t tried it yet! If you do, let me know.
Honestly, I was sceptical at first after a lifetime of ‘only white meat for me, please’, but I now buy chicken thighs almost all of the time. The crucial thing is to buy the boneless and skinless ones – yes, the purists will argue that the bone and skin are The Flavour™️, but they are a brilliant compromise and just ARE better in any braised/stewed dish.
Well, that sounds much more appealing than thighs with bone/skin…!
Oooh that enchilada sounds nice. I was thinking of making enchiladas (black bean, sweet potato, pepper) this weekend! I have some avocados that will probably be ready by then – guacamole time!
Perfect!!! There are SO MANY avocados in the grocery stores right now, Nicole. I guess the Super Bowl must be a special guacamole occasion, because there are thousands, everywhere you look.
I printed the enchilada bake recipe. I will be making it with tomatoes, but no bell peppers.
Dinners have been a challenge since we’re in family therapy 45 minutes from the house during dinner-making time twice a week now (consecutive days to up the degree of difficulty). Yesterday I made (fake) tuna salad for tuna melts ahead of time and we had them with tomato soup. Today I’m going to try to make a lentil and kale soup before we leave and heat it up when we get home.
Oh, Steph, that DOES sound challenging. Lentil and kale soup sounds like a good thing to have on hand!
I love the two peas enchilada bake recipe. We eat it fairly often – I should add it back to the menu. The kids don’t like it (they’re in the single ingredient meal phase) but I love it. We often have it with Tortilla chips. We can’t get some of the ingredients in the UK but with some subbing we get somewhere close. I hope you like it!
I like chicken thighs better than chicken breast but I think that’s because I find them more forgiving on the timings and I tend to overcook chicken breasts. I like the price point and theory of chicken with bones but not the actual eating of it.
I also tend to overcook chicken breasts… so maybe thighs would be perfect for me.
These all look delicious, but I think I’ll try the Asian Sesame salad this week.
I just realized you linked the recipes. I can’t believe I never clicked on them before. 😂
YUM! I hope you like it!
I think I will!
I would love that enchilada meal but Phil would not because he is not a fan of quinoa. The buffalo chicken bowl sounds really good, too! I am off the hook for anymore cooking this week since we have so many leftovers in our fridge and Phil leaves for a work trip to Tx tomorrow!
A fridge full of leftovers sounds great!
We’re doing a frittata tonight and a pumpkin chickpea soup on Thursday. Hm.
I’m also going to make another attempt at lemon bars. Do you have any suggestions for a base using almond flour?
I wish I had a go-to recipe for you, but alas I do not. King Arthur has one on their site that sounds decent, and fairly simple: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/gluten-free-lemon-squares-with-an-almond-flour-crust-recipe
I have a friend who is gluten free — I will ask her if she has a go-to lemon bar recipe.
I might have to give that black bean enchilada bake a try. Actually several of these look yummy. We are (well not me obviously) leftovers for yet another pasta party last week alternated with leftovers of pot roast. I went overboard in order to use more veggies, so I put the meat in two different crockpots and we are practically swimming in pot roast. I’m taking some to my folks tonight.
Wow! Swimming in pot roast sounds like my kind of activity. YUM.
Your meal plan sounds amazing! This week, I’m trying to mash some meals up together; so, doing slow cooker chicken breasts for dinner last night and using leftovers for tacos tomorrow. It all sounds good, but may depend on a level of planning and organization I am not yet at haha!
Right?! The planning and organization required to make meals mash together is usually WAY beyond my capabilities.
That enchilada bake looks SO yummy. Considering I still haven’t scratched my enchilada itch, I may print it off and slide it under my husband’s nose!
Do it, Gigi!
Wow, these meals look amazing! Thanks for sharing.