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 three-ingredient cookie recipe and one complete grocery list to make shopping a little easier.

This week’s menu includes an easy sheet-pan dinner, a comforting slow-cooker soup, flavorful skillet meals, customizable chicken taco bowls and a simple casserole. Each recipe uses affordable, everyday ingredients that are easy to find at nearly any grocery store.

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 included on the grocery list.

The main ingredients repeat intentionally, allowing you to purchase larger packages and use everything instead of buying separate ingredients for every meal.

Monday: Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks with Potatoes

Let’s make Monday a little easier with a complete dinner that cooks together on one baking sheet.

Seasoned chicken drumsticks bake alongside chunks of potatoes and sliced carrots until the chicken is crispy and the vegetables are tender. Everything is seasoned with simple pantry staples, including garlic powder and paprika.

This meal already includes protein, potatoes and vegetables, so there’s no need to prepare several different side dishes.

Tuesday: Ground Beef and Cabbage Skillet

Tuesday’s dinner is a simple skillet meal made with affordable, filling ingredients.

Ground beef, cabbage, onion and carrots cook together with garlic and paprika to create a warm and flavorful dinner in approximately 30 minutes.

Serve it on its own for a lighter meal or spoon it over warm rice to make it even more filling.

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup

Wednesday calls for a comforting slow-cooker dinner.

Chicken, potatoes, carrots and onion slowly cook together in a lightly seasoned broth. The chicken is shredded before rice is added during the final portion of the cooking time, creating a hearty soup the entire family can enjoy.

Add a little extra water if the soup becomes thicker than you prefer. Serve it with gluten-free crackers, bread or a simple salad.

Thursday: Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

Thursday’s dinner combines savory pork chops with tender apples and onions.

The pork chops are seasoned and browned before sliced apples, onions and water are added to the skillet. Everything cooks together until the pork is done and the apples are soft and flavorful.

Serve this skillet dinner with rice, potatoes or a green vegetable to complete the meal.

Friday: Simple Chicken Taco Rice Bowls

Friday’s dinner is quick, colorful and easy for everyone to customize.

Bite-sized pieces of chicken are seasoned with chili powder, cumin and garlic before being cooked with sweet corn and served over warm rice.

Set out any toppings you already have, such as shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado or salsa, and let everyone build their own bowl.

Saturday: Potato, Sausage and Egg Skillet

Saturday is the perfect time for a hearty breakfast-for-dinner meal.

Crispy potatoes, savory gluten-free breakfast sausage, onions and fluffy eggs come together in one skillet to create a filling meal that works for breakfast, brunch or dinner.

Serve it with fresh fruit, salsa or sliced avocado. Everything cooks in one pan, which also means fewer dishes to clean.

Sunday: Hamburger Rice Casserole

Let’s finish the week with a simple, comforting casserole.

Ground beef, rice, carrots and corn bake together with familiar seasonings to create a filling dinner made with affordable ingredients. Once the beef and onion are browned, everything is combined in one casserole dish and placed in the oven.

Serve it with a salad, steamed vegetables or fresh fruit. It also makes convenient leftovers for lunch the following day.

And Now for Something Sweet

Three-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

These Three-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies prove that a homemade dessert doesn’t need to be complicated.

Made with only peanut butter, sugar and one egg, these naturally flourless cookies are soft, chewy and filled with peanut butter flavor. Simply mix the ingredients, roll the dough into balls and press each cookie with a fork to create the classic crisscross pattern.

They bake in approximately 10 minutes, making them perfect for a last-minute dessert, an after-school snack or any time you want something sweet without spending all afternoon in the kitchen.

If you need the cookies to be strictly gluten-free, check the labels on each ingredient to make sure it was processed without gluten or cross-contamination.

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

• 12 medium potatoes
• 10 carrots
• 5 medium onions
• ½ head cabbage
• 2 apples
• Lettuce, optional for taco bowls
• Tomatoes, optional for taco bowls
• Avocado, optional for taco bowls
• Salad greens, optional
• Fresh fruit, optional
• Fresh parsley, optional for garnish

Meat

• 8 chicken drumsticks
• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 4 pork chops
• 1 pound gluten-free breakfast sausage

Dairy and Refrigerated

• 7 eggs

Rice and Grains

• Approximately 3 cups uncooked rice

Frozen and Canned Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen corn
• Salsa, optional for taco bowls

Baking and Pantry Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• Cooking oil
• Garlic powder
• Paprika
• Chili powder
• Ground cumin
• Dried parsley
• Salt
• Black pepper

When purchasing sausage, peanut butter or packaged seasonings, check the labels to make sure they are gluten-free if that is important for your family.

Dinner Is Planned

There you go.

Seven easy dinners. One three-ingredient 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