Seven Easy Family Dinners, One Chocolate Dessert, and a Complete Grocery List

Planning dinner every night can take more energy than making it. This week’s meal plan brings together seven different family dinners, from a slow cooker meal to sandwiches, noodle bowls, and a cozy casserole. There’s also Chocolate Pudding Cake for dessert.

Choose the meals in whatever order works for your week. Each title links to the full recipe, and the combined grocery list is below.

Seven Dinners for the Week

1. Lemon Garlic Chicken and Green Beans

Chicken thighs, baby potatoes, and green beans roast together with garlic and lemon. The potatoes get a head start, then everything finishes on the same pan.

2. BBQ Pulled Pork Baked Potatoes

Let the pork cook in the slow cooker, then spoon it over fluffy baked potatoes. Add coleslaw or sliced green onions if you’d like.

3. Turkey and Sweet Potato Sloppy Joes

Ground turkey and finely diced sweet potato simmer in a simple tomato sauce for a familiar sandwich with a little twist.

4. Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Skillet

Chicken, wild rice, carrots, and celery cook together in a deep skillet. Stir in the cream at the end for a comforting dinner.

5. Sausage, Peppers and Onion Sandwiches

Italian sausages simmer with softened peppers, onion, and marinara, then go into toasted hoagie rolls.

6. Beef and Broccoli Noodle Bowls

Thinly sliced beef and broccoli are tossed with noodles in a garlic soy sauce. Choose spaghetti or rice noodles, whichever your family prefers.

7. Baked Ham and Potato Casserole

Layers of sliced potatoes, onion, and cooked ham bake in a creamy sauce, with cheddar melted over the top. It’s a handy way to use leftover ham.

Dessert: Chocolate Pudding Cake

Finish the week with a warm chocolate cake that makes its own pudding-like sauce as it bakes.

Complete Grocery List

This list combines the ingredients for all seven dinners and the dessert. Check your pantry first for items you may already have.

Meat

• 1½ lb boneless chicken thighs
• 1 lb chicken breast
• 1½ lb boneless pork shoulder
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 4 Italian sausages
• 1 lb thinly sliced beef
• 3 cups diced cooked ham

Produce

• 1½ lb baby potatoes
• 2 lb potatoes for the casserole
• 4 large russet potatoes
• 1 small sweet potato
• 1 lb green beans
• 12 oz broccoli
• 2 bell peppers
• 3 onions, including 1 small onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 lemon
• At least 5 garlic cloves
• Optional: coleslaw or green onions for the baked potatoes

Bread, Pasta, and Rice

• 4 buns
• 4 hoagie rolls
• 8 oz spaghetti or rice noodles
• 1 cup dry wild rice blend

Dairy and Refrigerated Items

• 1¼ cups milk
• ½ cup cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup butter

Canned Goods, Sauces, and Broth

• 2½ cups chicken broth
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• ¾ cup BBQ sauce
• ¾ cup tomato sauce
• ½ cup marinara sauce
• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Baking and Pantry Items

• 1 cup flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ⅝ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper

A little planning now can make the dinner decision easier later. Save this list before your next grocery trip, then pick the recipes that fit each day as your week unfolds.