Therecipecritic iconTherecipecriticSep 18, 2026 ~4 min source read

Weekly Meal Plan #105 — Five easy dinners with a printable shopping list

A ready-to-use Monday–Friday plan with simple recipes: chicken piccata, taco spaghetti, chili crisp beef ramen, copycat broccoli cheddar soup, and a caramelized chuck roast. Feeds 4–6 and includes a shopping list and leftover tips.

Weekly Meal Plan #105

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Five dinners that balance bright, cheesy, spicy, creamy, and slow-roasted flavors for weekday variety.

Feeds 4–6 people and comes with a printable, organized shopping list to streamline grocery trips.

Simple leftover advice: store in airtight containers and reuse across the week to reduce prep time.

What this meal plan contains

This plan lays out five weeknight dinners meant to be easy, varied, and crowd-pleasing. The recipes are grouped Monday through Friday and feed roughly 4–6 people. A printable shopping list is provided with the original plan so you can do one organized grocery run.

The week at a glance

  • Monday: Classic Chicken Piccata — breaded chicken in a lemon-caper, buttery sauce.
  • Tuesday: 30-Minute Taco Spaghetti — a cheesy, one-pot mashup of taco flavors and pasta.
  • Wednesday: Chili Crisp Beef Ramen — ground beef, ramen noodles, and a spicy-savoury chili crisp sauce.
  • Thursday: Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup — ultra-creamy, cheesy soup that mimics the restaurant favorite.
  • Friday: Caramelized Chuck Roast — slow-cooked, fall-apart beef finished under the broiler for caramelized edges.

Who this plan is for

It's aimed at families, households with picky eaters or hungry teens, and anyone who wants dinner planned without fuss. Recipes are straightforward and designed to minimize weekday decision fatigue.

Practical serving and side suggestions

Each dinner stands on its own, but simple sides can round out the meal if you want more volume or veggies. Concrete options used by the author:

  • Serve chicken piccata or the chuck roast with roasted vegetables.
  • Pair the soup or taco spaghetti with garlic bread.
  • Keep a salad on hand for extra greens any night.

Time and prep notes

Shopping and leftovers

The plan includes a printable, measured, and organized grocery list intended to make one trip efficient. Leftovers are part of the strategy: store extra portions in airtight containers and pull them out on busy nights to avoid re-cooking.

Why the author recommends meal planning

The author frames weekly planning as a practical tool: it reduces last-minute takeout, cuts grocery waste, and removes daily meal decision-making. The site provides the shopping list ready-to-print so you can implement the plan with minimal extra work.

Author and resources

The plan is by Alyssa Rivers, who is identified as a recipe developer, food photographer, and the author of The Tried and True Cookbook. The original post links each dinner to a full recipe page and the printable shopping list.

Quick action steps

  1. Print the provided shopping list. 2. Buy ingredients in one trip. 3. Prep any make-ahead items (chop veggies, pre-measure spices). 4. Use leftovers to shorten later dinners or cover a weekend meal.

More context around this story.

Meal Plan Week 126
Amindfullmom iconAmindfullmomSep 18, 2026

Meal Plan Week 126

This family-friendly weekly meal plan includes 7 easy dinners, smart leftovers, money-saving ingredient overlap, and simple prep tips. The post Meal Plan Week 126 appeared first on A Mind "Full" Mom .

Amindfullmom iconAmindfullmomSep 25, 2026

Meal Plan 127

Plan an easy week of fall dinners with slow cooker pork loin, sheet pan meals, meatless favorites, and practical money-saving tips. The post Meal Plan 127 appeared first on A Mind "Full" Mom .

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