It's the end of November, the week after Thanksgiving, and I think I'm still recovering from all the turkey and pumpkin pie but we're on the move to Christmas right? Lucky for me, my two boys love (I mean LOVE) decorating for Christmas! This year I let them decorate the entire tree themselves while I took care of decorating the rest of the house and the husband took care of the outside decor and lights, whoop! Now I will admit... I had a hard time letting the kids take over the Christmas tree. The type A's are falling apart at the thought of a 5 year old and 8 year old decorating the tree, right!? I know I know...
It's a struggle but if I constantly remind myself to let go of the little things, my life will be better off for it. And! This gives me extra time and energy to get cracking on the week's meal plans.
So here's what we're cooking this week!
Monday: Tater Tot Hot Dish
- Since it takes an hour to bake and I'm working from home Monday, this will work!
- Serving up with a quick side of peas.
Tuesday: Easy Chicken Parm Bake
- I have some sad looking grape tomatoes sitting on the counter and a bag of mozzarella, and a half bag of Rigatoni which is the inspo for this meal
- I'll be splitting up two chicken breasts, pounding thin, breading in egg wash/panko and quick frying both sides in a small amount of oil
- Put those in a casserole dish, turn the oven on to 350° and toss grape tomatoes, chopped red onion in the skillet to cook up for 5-8 minutes, tossing in crushed garlic at the end (or powder!), salt and pepper, and italian seasonings
- Top the fried chicken with the cooked grape tomato mixture, then layer on the mozzarella cheese and bake about 15-20 minutes.
- Serving up with a side of Rigatoni noodles tossed in a little olive oil, basil, butter, and steamed broccoli
Wednesday: Italian Beef
- Another easy day! Rub thawed chuck roast with salt & pepper and saute in instant pot, couple minutes each side. Just to give it a little char and lock in that moisture!
- Add in one can of beef broth, half jar and juices of pepperoncini's, and one packet of Italian dressing seasoning.
- Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes per pound (my 3 pound roast will take 45 minutes) and let natural release for 15 minutes.
- Remove roast and let rest for at least 5 minutes before shredding
- Toss back in juices after shredding and stuff that deliciously juicy meat into some thick rolls and top with provolone (or no cheese at all!)
- Serving with a side of glazed baby carrots and choose your own chips!
Thursday: Deer Brats
- Did I mention my husband is an avid deer hunter? We always have a good stock of jalepeno cheddar deer brats in the freezer and since it should be sunny and the warmest day of the week, we'll grill up these brats on the blackstone!
- Serving up with a side of foil pack brussel sprouts (cut off bottoms, slice in half or quarters if sprouts are extra large, toss with olive oil, s&p, garlic and wrap in foil) grill those babies for 15 minutes alongside the brats
- Will also serve up with some classic macaroni and cheese or maybe some air fried crinkle fries
Friday: Picnic Movie Night!!
- We throw blankets down in the living room and settle in for an easy meal that can be eaten with our hands. Usually pizza... hey, we did pretty good this week. This mama deserves a break!
Like it, love it, hate it? We want to hear from YOU! Let us know if you want more meal planning recipes and ideas in the comments!