The end of the school year always feels like a lot. Between activities, field trips, concerts, sports, school events, and trying to keep up with regular life, dinner can feel like one more thing on the list.
This week’s meal plan is full of easy, budget-friendly dinners that are perfect for busy nights. These recipes use simple ingredients, family-friendly flavors, and a few shortcuts to help get dinner on the table without spending forever in the kitchen.
This Week’s Dinners
- Taco Ranch Rice Skillet
- BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizzas
- Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- Garlic Butter Chicken & Rice Bake
- Cheeseburger Crescent Bake
- Chicken Alfredo Tortellini Bake
- Crispy Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Why You’ll Love This Meal Plan
These dinners are quick, filling, and made with ingredients that are easy to find. A lot of the recipes use overlapping staples like chicken, rice, cheese, pasta, and simple sauces, which helps keep the grocery list more budget-friendly.
They’re also realistic for busy families. Some nights are one-pan meals, some are quick assembly dinners, and some use shortcuts like flatbreads, tortellini, or crispy chicken to make dinner easier.
Meal Plan Tips
Use rotisserie chicken to save time in the chicken recipes. You can also cook and shred chicken at the beginning of the week to make the pasta, flatbreads, and tortellini bake come together faster.
Frozen broccoli works great for the teriyaki bowls and can also be added to the chicken and rice bake or tortellini bake.
For an extra budget-friendly week, use ground turkey instead of ground beef, store-brand sauces, and shred your own cheese when possible.
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Grocery List
Meat:
- 2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey
- 3½–4 lbs chicken breasts/thighs OR rotisserie chicken
- 1 bag frozen popcorn chicken or crispy chicken bites
- 6 slices bacon
Produce:
- 2 small onions
- 1 red onion
- 1 head broccoli or 1 bag broccoli florets
- Fresh cilantro (optional)
Dairy:
- 4½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1¼ cups grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 6 tablespoons butter
Pantry
- 20 cheese tortellini
- 2 cans crescent rolls
- 4 flatbreads or naan
- 2 cups uncooked white rice
- 12 oz pasta
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 2 packets ranch seasoning OR ranch dressing
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 4 cups chicken broth (or beef broth for skillet)
- 1 can black beans
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 jar Alfredo sauce
- 1 cup teriyaki sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper
