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!
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!
Monday Menu of the Week: Quick & Easy Dinners for a Crowd — About the Monday Menu of the Week
Menu of the Week is Stephanie’s weekly series where she plans out a full week of meals for her family of seven — and shares it with you! If you’ve ever stared into the refrigerator wondering what’s for dinner, this series is for you. Every week Stephanie takes the guesswork out of meal planning with real, crowd-friendly meals that work for busy families. Pull up a chair and let’s plan the week together!
