In accordance with the Louis CK mantra of “It’s hard to be sad and useful at the same time,” I decided that instead of mourning summer’s end, I’d channel my woes* into something productive, namely, a Weekly Meal Plan that should help you get back into the lunch-making, shoe-tying, carpool-dreading, form-signing (form-forgetting?) crazy-making back-to-school routine. The line-up is below — as usual, every dinner is there for a reason, whether that reason is simplicity, efficiency, or because it elicited an “I could eat like this every night” review from one of the diners at my table. Because I’m feeling extra sad/productive I have also included a shopping list. You are very very welcome.
Click here for your Weekly Meal Plan, which starts on Sunday, but could obviously be adjusted to allow for Monday being a holiday. You’ll need to come back to this page to link to the recipes, but everything else should be there. Please let me know if I forgot something — I always do!
Sunday
BBQ Pork Sandwiches
Classic Slaw (recipe on PDF)
Corn on the Cob with Butter and Parm (no recipe; I think you can handle)
Monday
Caesar Salad with Rotisserie Chicken
Baguette (optional)
Tuesday
Hawaiian Pizza
Corn, Tomato, Basil Salad (scroll down on link)
Wednesday
Miso-Butter Tofu
Avocado Salad with Red Onion and Herbs (recipe on PDF)
White or Brown Rice (optional)
Thursday
Pasta Con Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas and Tomato Sauce)
Friday
Go out. Order in. Relax. You earned it!
*yeah, I know: Everyone should have my problems.
REMINDER: Summer Photo Contest entries are due on Monday, so there’s still time to capture some good ones on the long holiday weekend. Thank you to all of you who have submitted already — they make me so happy, you have no idea.
That pasta con ceci is in regular rotation in my house! (Every other meatless Monday). I have to double it, though, because we all want seconds, and then anything left over is delicious for breakfast with a fried egg on top!
Thank you!! Can you please share a meal plan every week?!
It’s such a good one, isn’t it? Wish I could take credit for it, but it’s all Victoria!
Our summer “ended” 2 weeks ago, and I was sad, but now it feels fun to be in the swing of things again. I’m looking forward to your celebrations book!!!
Jenny
I know you’ve written posts like this in the past- once with the NY Times, I think?
Can you include a PS with links to previous years back to school menu plans? Maybe it will help readers for more than just the first week…
Thanks
Here’s one I did three years ago. Funny that the shopping list is very similar. https://www.dinneralovestory.com/a-back-to-school-meal-plan-for-you/
Thank you!
Thank you!! If you do anything in future weeks, would love extra ideas for things that can be prepped ahead on the weekend — whether soups to reheat or just vegetables to roast and other components to prepare in advance. New year, new routine with very limited time…
And! Victoria’s book on the sweets of Sicily is the BEST!
Always LOVE your meal plans, thank you!!!! Was just going through your cookbooks to make some meal plans for the next couple of weeks.
You are AWESOME! And I’m pumped about celebrate everything. It’s kind of my motto! Now I will have a cookbook to match! 🙂
YOU are awesome. Thank you ANNIE!
And the shopping list so that I don’t forget everything and just get take out all the time, thank you!
I love this so much – thank you for putting this together!! I would love to see more of these in the future.
oh, wow! that miso butter tofu was a huge hit in my house!! that, too, is going into the regular Meatless Monday rotation!
good, right? it’s the only tofu dish my kids will come close to eating…and eating is not really the right word…more like “choking down.”
I just love these, thank you!!