Seven Family Dinners, Cinnamon Roll Apple Cobbler, and a Grocery List for the Week

A dinner plan doesn’t have to be complicated to be helpful. Sometimes, just knowing what you’re making—and having the ingredients ready—is enough to make the evening feel a little less rushed.

This week, I’ve gathered another mix of recipes from my collection, with seven different dinners from the last roundup. There’s creamy pasta, sheet-pan chicken, a breakfast-for-dinner skillet, and a few meals that let the slow cooker handle most of the work.

For something sweet, we’re making Cinnamon Roll Apple Cobbler with refrigerated cinnamon rolls and apple pie filling.

Move the meals around to fit your schedule, make room for leftovers, and click each recipe link for the complete instructions.

Monday: Creamy Beef & Shells

Start the week with a comforting pasta dinner that comes together in about 30 minutes. Ground beef and tender pasta shells are tossed in a tomato sauce made creamy with heavy cream and cheddar cheese.

It’s a filling meal on its own, so a simple salad or steamed green vegetable is plenty alongside it.

Get the Creamy Beef & Shells recipe

Tuesday: Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls

Chicken strips, bell peppers, and onions roast together with chili powder, cumin, and paprika before being served over rice.

Set out salsa, avocado, and lime wedges so everyone can finish their own bowl. Microwave rice is a convenient shortcut, and spreading the chicken and vegetables across two pans can help keep everything from getting crowded.

Get the Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls recipe

Wednesday: Crock Pot Honey Garlic Meatballs

This is a handy dinner for a day when you have a few minutes to prepare something earlier but very little time in the evening.

Fully cooked frozen meatballs simmer in a sauce made with honey, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, and fresh garlic. Serve them over rice or mashed potatoes with broccoli or green beans on the side.

Get the Crock Pot Honey Garlic Meatballs recipe

Thursday: Beef and Broccoli Noodle Bowls

Thinly sliced beef, broccoli, and noodles make a satisfying dinner without a long ingredient list. A simple sauce of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and cornstarch coats everything as it comes together in the skillet.

Use spaghetti or rice noodles, depending on what you have. Slice the beef thinly across the grain to help keep each bite tender.

Get the Beef and Broccoli Noodle Bowls recipe

Friday: Potato, Sausage and Egg Skillet

Change up the dinner routine with breakfast for dinner. Potatoes, onion, breakfast sausage, and scrambled eggs come together in one hearty skillet.

Cut the potatoes into small, even pieces so they cook through more quickly. Serve as-is, or put out salsa and hot sauce for anyone who likes a little extra flavor.

Get the Potato, Sausage and Egg Skillet recipe

Saturday: One-Skillet Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy

Pork chops with homemade mushroom gravy make a cozy weekend dinner. The mushrooms and onions cook in the same skillet used to brown the pork, adding flavor to the gravy without another pan to wash.

Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles, with peas, broccoli, or roasted carrots alongside.

Get the One-Skillet Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy recipe

Sunday: Crock Pot Chicken & Stuffing

Finish the week with a familiar chicken dinner that takes about 10 minutes to prepare before slow cooking.

Chicken breasts cook beneath a creamy sauce and a layer of stuffing. Add the optional frozen green beans to the slow cooker, or prepare a vegetable separately when it’s time to eat.

It’s a warm, filling meal for a quieter evening at home.

Get the Crock Pot Chicken & Stuffing recipe

Something Sweet: Cinnamon Roll Apple Cobbler

Warm apples and cinnamon are a welcome addition to a fall week in Spokane, especially when dessert doesn’t require making dough from scratch.

This cobbler combines refrigerated cinnamon rolls, apple pie filling, melted butter, and cinnamon. After baking, drizzle the reserved cinnamon roll icing over the top.

Check that the cinnamon roll pieces in the center are fully baked before serving. Enjoy it warm on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Get the Cinnamon Roll Apple Cobbler recipe

Your Grocery List

These quantities cover one batch of each main recipe and the dessert. Most dinners serve four to six, and the cobbler serves eight. Optional sides, toppings, and ingredients for serving are listed separately.

Meat & Poultry

• 1 pound ground beef
• 3½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 pounds frozen fully cooked meatballs
• 1 pound beef suitable for thin slicing
• 1 pound gluten-free breakfast sausage, as specified in the skillet recipe
• 4 boneless pork chops, about ¾ inch thick and 5–6 ounces each

Produce

• 3 bell peppers
• 3 onions: 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small
• 4 potatoes
• 12 ounces broccoli
• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 10 garlic cloves

Dairy & Refrigerated

• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup sour cream
• 6 eggs
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cans refrigerated cinnamon rolls, including their icing

Pasta, Rice & Stuffing

• 12 ounces medium pasta shells
• 8 ounces spaghetti or rice noodles
• Rice to make 3 cups cooked for the fajita bowls
• 1 box chicken stuffing mix

Canned Goods, Broth & Sauces

• 1 can tomato sauce, 15 ounces
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ cup beef broth
• 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can apple pie filling
• ¾ cup barbecue sauce
• ⅓ cup plus ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Pantry & Seasonings

• ¾ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus up to 1 tablespoon cooking oil for the breakfast skillet
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3 teaspoons garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Salt
• Black pepper

Optional Sides & Extras

• Additional rice or potatoes for serving with the meatballs
• Potatoes and your preferred ingredients for mashed potatoes, or egg noodles for the pork chops
• 1 cup frozen green beans for the chicken and stuffing
• Salad greens and dressing
• Extra broccoli, green beans, peas, or carrots
• Salsa
• Avocado
• Limes
• Hot sauce
• Fresh parsley
• Vanilla ice cream

A Few Ways to Make the Week Easier

Check your rice supply. Rice is part of the fajita bowls and also makes a convenient side for the honey garlic meatballs.

Keep vegetables simple. Frozen vegetables or a bagged salad can round out dinner without adding much preparation.

Choose your slow cooker nights carefully. Move the meatballs or chicken and stuffing to the days when preparing dinner earlier will help the most.

Leave yourself some flexibility. If you have enough leftovers for another meal, save one of these recipes for next week.

Hopefully, this gives you a few dinners to look forward to and one less thing to figure out at the end of the day. Save the list before your next grocery trip, and share it with someone who could use a little dinner inspiration.

And if you’re thinking about a move in Spokane or Liberty Lake, I’m happy to help you plan that next step, too. Reach out with questions about buying, selling, or what’s happening in your neighborhood.

Ronda Swanson
509-979-5894