Seven Easy Family Dinners, One Delicious Dessert and a Complete Grocery List to Make Planning This Week’s Meals a Little Simpler

Some weeks, the hardest part of making dinner is simply deciding what to make.

That’s why I’ve gathered seven easy, family-friendly dinners for the week—plus a simple lemon dessert and one complete grocery list to make shopping a little easier.

This week includes comforting slow-cooker meals, quick Instant Pot recipes, an easy one-pot dinner and two simple oven meals. There’s a little something for every kind of evening.

Click any underlined recipe title to go directly to the complete recipe.

This Week’s Meal Plan: 7 Easy Dinners + Something Sweet

Does anyone else feel like figuring out what’s for dinner is half the battle?

Instead of standing in front of the refrigerator at 5:30 wondering what sounds good, here are seven dinners already planned for you—plus something sweet.

Choose the meals that work best for your family, rearrange the days if needed and check your kitchen before shopping. You may already have many of the pantry staples on the grocery list.

Click any underlined recipe title to go directly to the complete recipe.

Monday: Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken and Potatoes

Let’s make Monday as easy as possible with a comforting crock-pot dinner.

Tender chicken and baby potatoes slowly cook in a sweet and savory honey-garlic sauce. Everything cooks together, giving the potatoes plenty of time to soak up all that delicious flavor.

Add steamed green beans, roasted carrots or a simple salad for an easy meal the whole family can enjoy.

Tuesday: Instant Pot Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Rice

Tuesday’s dinner is creamy, comforting and made almost entirely in the Instant Pot.

Chicken and rice cook together with garlic, broth and seasonings before Parmesan and cream are stirred in to make everything rich and flavorful.

Serve it with broccoli, peas or a simple green salad. It’s an especially good option for a busy evening when you want something filling without using several different pans.

Wednesday: Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken & Cheesy Potatoes

Wednesday gets an easy oven dinner filled with familiar, family-friendly flavors.

Juicy chicken is coated in barbecue sauce and baked alongside seasoned potatoes topped with melted cheese. It’s simple, satisfying and requires very little hands-on preparation.

Add corn, green beans, coleslaw or a fresh salad to round out the meal.

Thursday: One-Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni

Thursday calls for a quick one-pot dinner.

Seasoned ground beef and macaroni cook together in a savory tomato-based sauce before everything is finished with plenty of melted cheddar cheese. It has all the comforting flavors of a cheeseburger in an easy pasta dinner.

Serve it with steamed vegetables, sliced fruit or a salad—and enjoy having only one pot to wash afterward.

Friday: Crock Pot Chicken & Stuffing

Friday’s dinner is cozy, comforting and incredibly easy to prepare.

Chicken cooks slowly beneath a creamy layer of seasoned stuffing, creating a meal that feels a little like Thanksgiving dinner without all the extra work.

Serve it with green beans, carrots, cranberry sauce or a simple salad. It’s an easy way to end the workweek with something warm and satisfying.

Saturday: Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff

Saturday gets classic comfort food without spending hours in the kitchen.

Tender beef, mushrooms and egg noodles cook in a rich, savory sauce before sour cream is added for that familiar creamy stroganoff finish.

Serve it with roasted broccoli, green beans or a simple salad. It tastes like a slow-cooked meal but comes together much more quickly with the help of the Instant Pot.

Sunday: Sheet Pan Parmesan Chicken, Potatoes & Broccoli

Let’s finish the week with an easy dinner that cooks together on one pan.

Chicken tenderloins, baby potatoes and broccoli are seasoned with garlic, Italian seasoning and paprika before being topped with Parmesan and roasted until golden.

You get your protein, potatoes and vegetables all in one meal—with fewer dishes waiting for you afterward.

And Now for Something Sweet

Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

These lemon cream cheese bars are bright, creamy and just sweet enough.

A buttery crust is topped with a smooth lemon cream cheese filling and baked until set. The refreshing lemon flavor makes these bars a welcome change from heavier chocolate desserts.

Serve them chilled with a light dusting of powdered sugar. They’re easy enough for a family dessert but pretty enough to bring to a gathering or potluck.

Your Grocery List

Before heading to the store, check your refrigerator, freezer and pantry. You probably already have quite a few of these ingredients.

Produce

4–5 pounds baby potatoes
2 heads or approximately 6 cups broccoli florets
1 medium onion
1 small onion
8–10 cloves garlic
8 ounces mushrooms
2–3 lemons
Green beans, carrots, corn or salad greens for optional side dishes
Fresh fruit, optional
Fresh parsley, optional for garnish

Meat

Approximately 8 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins
1 pound ground beef
1½ pounds stew meat or thinly sliced beef

Dairy & Refrigerated

1½–2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Approximately 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese
1 container sour cream
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1 pound butter
2 eggs
Milk

Bread, Rice & Pasta

1 cup long-grain white rice
8 ounces elbow macaroni
12 ounces egg noodles
1 box seasoned stuffing mix

Sauces, Soups & Canned Goods

Barbecue sauce
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Ketchup or tomato sauce
1 can cream of chicken soup
Chicken broth
Beef broth
Cranberry sauce, optional

Baking Ingredients

All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Powdered sugar
Honey
Cornstarch
Vanilla extract
Lemon juice, if not using fresh lemons

Pantry & Seasonings

Olive oil or cooking oil
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Italian seasoning
Paprika
Dried parsley
Salt
Black pepper

Dinner Is Planned

There you go.

Seven easy dinners. One refreshing dessert. One complete grocery list.

Hopefully, that means a little less time figuring out what to make this week and a little more time enjoying dinner with the people you love.

Save this meal plan before heading to the store, and send it to a friend who could use a few easy dinner ideas too.

And while I’m helping make dinner a little easier, I’m always happy to make Spokane real estate a little easier too.

If you’re wondering what your home might be worth, thinking about making a move or simply curious about what’s happening in your Spokane neighborhood, reach out anytime.

I’m always happy to be a resource, and I’m never too busy for a phone call.

509.979.5894

Ronda