Monday Menu of the Week: Quick & Easy Dinners for a Crowd
Monday Menu of the Week is here — and I am on my second cup of coffee, which tells you everything you need to know about how this Monday is going. Not bad! Just Monday. You know how it is. I pulled up my chair, wrapped both hands around my mug, and thought — it might be gloomy and foggy outside, but there is something about a hot cup of coffee that makes the whole world feel a little more manageable. So here we are. Let’s talk about what we’re eating this week, because meal planning is one of my favorite things to do for my family and I love bringing you all along for it. Pull up a chair and let’s plan the week together!
📋 A note from Stephanie: My weekly Monday Menu has grown into something bigger — my Weekly Meal Plans, where every week comes with a full dinner lineup, a printable grocery list, and a downloadable PDF. This March 9 post was the very first Monday Menu — I’m keeping these up for the ideas and the memories, but if you want the whole plan in one place, that’s where to find it now.
Before we get into the menu, I have a confession: I am not cooking tonight. We got invited over to a friend’s house for dinner and I said yes immediately, no hesitation, no guilt. And Saturday ended up being so busy that I never got to do my usual prep work for Sunday lunch, so we went out for that too. It’s still a cooking channel, I promise — the last couple of days have just been offline. And that is okay. Sometimes life just goes that way.
But we are back this week and here is what’s on the menu:
Tuesday Night — Creamy Beefy Shells
My kids absolutely love when I make this one. It is simple, it is hearty, it is basically a glorified dump pasta — but they love it every single time. I’m planning to serve it with some zucchini and squash on the side to round it out. If you haven’t tried it yet, it is one of those quick and easy weeknight wins that I always come back to. You can find my Creamy Beefy Shells recipe right here on the blog!
Thursday Night — Pancakes and Sausage Tater Tot Casserole
This is a crowd favorite in this house and I mean that literally — we are a crowd of seven and this meal gets cheers every single time. Pancakes AND tater tot casserole? Yes. Both. That’s the Thursday vibe. If you haven’t made the sausage tater tot casserole yet, I really think it will win your family over. It is another quick and easy recipe that delivers every time.
Friday Night — Grilling Out
We’re firing up the grill! I’m thinking hamburgers for sure and maybe some chicken — I haven’t fully decided yet. Friday night grilling is one of my favorite things and honestly the whole family gets excited when the grill comes out.
A Note on the Sourdough Journey
We will of course be continuing the sourdough journey every single day this week. If I’ve calculated correctly, we should be doing some actual baking by the end of the week or over the weekend — and I am so excited I can barely stand it. Willynilly has been working so hard and I just feel like we are so close!
I Have a Recipe Request!
If you know a good beginner-friendly sourdough recipe — particularly whole wheat ones, or tried and true recipes for dinner rolls and pizza dough — please drop them in the comments! Dinner rolls for Sunday lunch and pizza dough are my two biggest goals and I would love your recommendations. The community has been so wonderful throughout this whole journey and I know someone out there has exactly what I need. 😊
Whatever your week looks like, I hope it is a good one. And if you need me, I’ll be right here — probably with another hot cup of coffee. 😂
If you’re just getting started with weekly menu planning, Clemson University’s Extension program has a great beginner-friendly guide — but honestly, just pull up a chair and plan along with me every Monday and you’ll be a pro in no time!
Find all the tools and pantry staples I use every week on my Shop My Kitchen page!
Want the full weekly plan in one place? Head over to my Weekly Meal Plans page for every week’s menu, grocery list, and printable PDF.
More Monday Menus at the Longstreth Table
- Monday Menu of the Week — Spring Break — easy crowd dinners for a busy spring break week
- Monday Menu of the Week — March 23, 2026 — sushi bake, dad’s chili, and Cajun chicken pasta
- Monday Menu of the Week — March 30, 2026 — a big cooking week of family favorites, with a special appearance by Jonathan
Want a little note from my table every Saturday? Join my weekly newsletter — recipes, family moments, and whatever’s happening at the Longstreth house. Sign up here.
Monday Menu — About Stephanie Longstreth
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, sourdough journey, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.