Every season, I hit refresh on our meal plans. I comb through things I’ve saved on Pinterest (especially in my seasonal recipes section!), check back through things I’ve bookmarked on TikTok and just do some good ole fashioned Internet searches to grab ideas that look tasty, and fulfill our family’s requirements (for me, that means mostly whole, unprocessed foods with a focus on fiber and protein). I have a really easy system where I feed these links to a “meal planning” channel I’ve created on ChatGPT and ask her to rotate evenly and send me a grocery list … it makes the weekly meal planning chore pretty quick and painless. I just have to devote about an hour every quarter to finding the new well of recipes.
If you’d be interested in this method, you’re in luck! Below I’m sharing all the recipes I dug up for the next few months that our family will be enjoying on repeat.
Grill + Blackstone Favorites
Blackstone Fajitas
This is the quintessential warm weather essential. You can literally throw everything on the Blackstone AND it’s perfectly customizable. We usually do a couple of proteins and some veggie choices so everyone can make their own.
Recipe: Get Inspired Everyday
Veggie + Sausage Kebabs
Who doesn’t love food on a stick? I know my kids always enjoy that element of novelty!
Recipe: A Pretty Life in the Suburbs
Five Guys Burgers (Copycat)
The ultimate dream would be takeout burgers every night. But who can afford it? This is a VERY close copy of one of our favorite burger joints. I try to slate these in for Fridays for a little “fun Friday” energy.
Recipe: Foodie Holly
Bowl + Burrito Nights
Chipotle Copycat Burrito Bowls
Again, we love to take our favorite fast food joints and replicate them at home. Ella absolutely L-O-V-E-S Chipotle, but this is way less expensive AND we can make it a little less spicy (Linus always complains that EVERYTHING you get from Chipotle has a little too much heat for him). This is another one where everyone builds their own. Great for leftovers and meal prep lunches too!
Recipe: From Valerie’s Kitchen
Shredded Beef Burritos
This works well for days where we need a set/forget setup. You can throw this in your Crockpot (or for us, the oven) all day to slow cook the chuck roast until it falls apart. Then pile it high with the best burrito toppings and everyone is a happy camper.
Recipe: The Feathered Nester
Skillet + One-Pan Meals
Skillet Potatoes + Ground Beef
We eat a lot of ground beef in our house. We buy a half cow from a TN ranch about twice a year and then ALSO purchase their ground beef subscription. It’s an easy, cost effective way to enjoy high quality beef, but sometimes I struggle with fresh ways to present said ground beef. This one is a crowd pleaser.
Recipe: Lillie Eats & Tells
Parm Zucchini Corn (with Ground Beef)
See above, but make it the ultimate spring dish. Beautiful colors, textures and tastes!
Recipe: I Am Homesteader
Honey Lemon Chicken with Asparagus (with Brown Rice)
Anything I can do to minimize post-dinner cleanup, I’m here for. This is one of those famous “one pan” meals where you don’t have to do as many dishes. And it tastes pretty amazing as a side bonus.
Recipe: Cafe Delites
Spinach + Artichoke Chicken Orzo
Creamy without being heavy. It’s like spinach artichoke dip but dinner-ified. We sub in brown rice for the orzo to get a bit of an extra fiber boost.
Recipe: Half Baked Harvest
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Even though I usually stuff my fall and winter meal plans with casseroles, I do have this one in reserve for those chilly days of spring where you just need a comfort food that hits.
Recipe: Well Plated
Jambalaya
Veggies, chicken, shrimp, and sausage in a spicy tomato broth. One pot, big flavor.
Recipe: Downshiftology
Taco Rotation (We love a tortilla in this house!)
Pork Tacos
Another set it and forget it winner.
Recipe: Lillie Eats & Tells
Salmon Tacos
I consider myself very lucky because my kids actually adore salmon. Such a great way to get some lovely omega-3 goodness into our diet and the taco format means that nothing tastes too dry or “fishy.”
Recipe: Pinch of Yum
Salads That Actually Count as Dinner
BLT Pasta Salad
This is another perfect Friday night low lift AND you can make a big batch if you have unexpected dinner guests (which somehow seems to happen more when the weather is warm, amIrite?)
Recipe: Half Baked Harvest
Arugula + Farro Salad (with Chicken)
I’ll be honest, this is a bit of a stretch meal. My kids aren’t in love with radishes (yet), but I’m determined to make it happen, so this is just one way I attempt to buy their love by pairing them with a delicious goat cheese. We add chicken for a protein boost (and let’s be honest, we usually pull it from a ready made rotisserie bird), but you could just as easily add steak or pork tenderloin or something like that!
Recipe: The Kitchn
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
This is perfect for Ella right now. She’s obsessed with sandwiches (if she asks me to stop and get Pub Subs one more time!) AND chicken salad. This is perfect, and while it’s not as easy as just grabbing a container of premade … it’s pretty close and I think it tastes better.
Recipe: Downshiftology
Stir Fry
Chicken or Beef Stir Fry
We do this once a week to just clean out our pantry, fridge and freezer. Everyone picks some ingredients to throw in, we use up sauces and toppings (think nuts, raisins, seeds, etc.). Sometimes it really hits the spot and we make sure to note the exact bowl and ratio to use again in the future. I’m personally always trying to emulate my favorite order from Cava when I design mine.
Recipe: MAKE IT UP!
Less & More: The WFH Mom Edit 
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