Here is a deep dive on the current rotation. In this post, I detail the current dinner rotation, recipes I’m using, prep notes, and why these meals made the cut.
The New Rotation
| Week 1 | Week 2 | |
| Monday | Sausage and pesto pasta with peas | Pasta e fagioli soup + rolls |
| Tuesday | Glazed salmon + fried rice | Sheet pan sausages + roasted potatoes and broccoli |
| Wednesday | Take out | Gnocchi with brussel sprouts and brown butter |
| Thursday | Asian beef bowls | Salmon pasta with cream sauce + quick salad |
| Friday | Naan pizza bar | Hoisin burgers + roasted potatoes |
Recipes and Links
Sausage and pesto pasta with peas
- Recipe inspiration:
- Sausage pesto pasta with carmelized onions and peas (The Lemon Bowl)
- Notes:
- Instead of mixing all the elements together in the pot, serve each element separately so it stays kid-friendly. Adults can layer and mix everything together in their bowls.
- Great as leftovers the next day for lunch!
Glazed salmon and fried rice
- Recipe inspiration:
- Salmon: Honey garlic glazed salmon (Delish)
- Fried rice: Egg fried rice (Savory Sweet Spoon)
- Notes:
- It’s a little chaotic making these at the same time, though it’s doable if you need dinner in 15 minutes. Otherwise, make the rice first and let it sit, covered, on the stove, while you work on the salmon.
- It’s a little chaotic making these at the same time, though it’s doable if you need dinner in 15 minutes. Otherwise, make the rice first and let it sit, covered, on the stove, while you work on the salmon.
Asian beef bowls
- Recipe inspiration:
- Gochujang beef bowls (Little Spice Jar)
- Notes:
- I love “bowl” recipes like this because my husband and I can have it together while the kids have everything separately as elements. They’ll have a scoop of plain rice, a scoop of beef, some shredded carrots, and a couple pickled cucumbers. Everyone can find something they like.
- I love “bowl” recipes like this because my husband and I can have it together while the kids have everything separately as elements. They’ll have a scoop of plain rice, a scoop of beef, some shredded carrots, and a couple pickled cucumbers. Everyone can find something they like.
Naan pizza bar
- Recipe inspiration:
- Naan pizza with garlic and burrata (The Dizzy Cook)
- Mini naan pizzas 4 ways (It’s a Flavorful Life)
- Notes:
- The best part of this meal is that everyone gets to make their own pizza. I typically keep the list of toppings short to simplify my life, but you could also go full pizza bar and give everyone lots of options.
- The best part of this meal is that everyone gets to make their own pizza. I typically keep the list of toppings short to simplify my life, but you could also go full pizza bar and give everyone lots of options.
Pasta e fagioli soup + rolls
- Recipe inspiration:
- Pasta e fagioli soup (Cookie and Kate)
- Serve with a can of biscuits or rolls
- Notes:
- I get a lot of pushback from my boys when I serve soup, but I still love it and want to make it every now and then. Because this soup does a lot of simmering, I have plenty of time to put a batch of chicken nuggets in the air fryer as a backup plan if (…when) someone complains.
- Cookie and Kate’s recipe makes the perfect amount to feed our family 2 dinners, plus an extra serving for me to eat for lunch one day, which makes this recipe even better for the 2 week rotation. I make it fresh every other time, then freeze the leftovers in Souper Cubes, and reheat the next time we’re eating this meal.
Sheet pan sausages + roasted potatoes + broccoli
- Recipe inspiration:
- Sausage, potato and broccoli (No 2 Pencil)
- Notes:
- Shockingly, we have some cheese haters in our family so I leave cheese off and roast the veggies with just seasoning. But then I do a quick 1:1 mix of honey and dijon mustard so I can still have some salty yumminess to dunk into.
- Shockingly, we have some cheese haters in our family so I leave cheese off and roast the veggies with just seasoning. But then I do a quick 1:1 mix of honey and dijon mustard so I can still have some salty yumminess to dunk into.
Gnocchi with brussels sprouts and brown butter
- Recipe inspiration:
- Crisp gnocchi with brussels sprouts (NYT Cooking *paid subscription)
- Crispy gnocchi with brussels sprouts (Jenny Blogs)
- Notes:
- My husband claims that this is a side rather than an entree, so I usually throw a chicken breast or 2 in the air fryer to go with this one. Keeps the kids happy, too.
- My husband claims that this is a side rather than an entree, so I usually throw a chicken breast or 2 in the air fryer to go with this one. Keeps the kids happy, too.
Salmon pasta with cream sauce + quick salad
- Recipe inspiration:
- Salmon pasta with a cream sauce (Salt and Lavender)
- Everyday salad (Gimme Some Oven)
- Notes:
- For picky eaters, serve the salmon alongside plain noodles and save the cream sauce for adults.
- For picky eaters, serve the salmon alongside plain noodles and save the cream sauce for adults.
Hoisin burgers + roasted potatoes
- Recipe Inspiration:
- Mushroom and hoisin beef burgers (Blue Apron)
- Notes:
- Since it’s winter, I’ve been cooking these inside on the stove, but you could take it outside to the grill on a nice day!
- Add some apple slices or whatever other favorite fruit is lying around as a “veggie” for this meal.
Why These Meals?
I always look for recipes that are simple enough that I can make them quickly while distracted. I love it when there are elements that I can prep ahead of time to simplify dinner prep. And I need recipes that are flexible so I’m not making a different dinner for every person. These recipes all meet the mark, and feel seasonably appropriate for winter when we want warm, comforting food.
Our house gets cleaned every other Wednesday and I refuse to cook in a freshly cleaned house, so we get take out that night. Feel free to swap this to a night when you don’t want to cook.
What About Weekends?
We keep weekends simple, so I don’t have meals planned for those nights. When the weather is nice, my husband grills burgers, sausages, or chicken breast. Sometimes we pull some ravioli or chicken nuggets out of the freezer. And at least once over the weekend, we’ll get take-out or go out to eat.
Grocery Shopping and Prep
Having a meal plan for the week is a great first step, but it falls apart if you don’t follow through. Here’s how I structure my week to make sure I have everything that I need to cook the meals in my 2-week rotation.
(1) Keep your recipes in one place. Pick out the recipes that you want to make and put them in a note in your phone. This keeps everything accessible in the grocery store, in the kitchen, or when your family asks what’s for dinner.
(2) Build your master ingredient list. Copy-paste the list of ingredients from each recipe into the same note. Yes this is a bit tedious, but I promise it is worth the time and effort now. Future-you will be grateful!
(3) Do one main grocery run on Sunday or Monday. I buy everything on my ingredient list for the entire week that is shelf stable or can last in the fridge (basically everything except proteins and any finicky produce like fresh herbs), plus proteins for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday dinners.
(4) Do a quick midweek grocery refresh. On Thursday, I go back to the grocery store for proteins and any other super perishable items for Thursday, Friday, and weekend dinners. This is a quick and targeted grocery run.
(5) Use your freezer strategically. I keep a number of proteins on hand in the freezer so I don’t have to constantly buy those. Costco ground beef and frozen chicken are MVPs in this house! Set a recurring calendar reminder to thaw what you need the day before you’re cooking so they’ll be ready when you are.
The Meal Plan That Stuck 