Meal Plan Mondays #6 : Easy Recipes for Weeknight Meals

Welcome to Meal Plan Monday #6! This week I'm getting ready for St. Patrick's Day and I can't wait to share the recipes with you.

Before I give you a preview of the recipes in this weeks menu plan, I want to talk to you about having a stocked pantry. It's important to have staples in the house so that you can always make something on the fly in case you don't feel like making a big dinner or your protein didn't defrost.

While I think you should always have a combination of dry goods, canned goods, produce, condiments, and spices, I'm not going to get into everything you should have in your pantry. If you want to read more about a well stocked pantry check out my article HERE.

I will give you a few basics in every category that I feel are super important. There are just things that you should always have on hand in case you end up needing them.

Canned Goods:

Diced Tomatoes (great for soups and pastas)
Tomato or marinara sauce
Tomato Paste
Canned beans (black beans and cannellini beans are my favorite)
Salsa (for tacos or salads)
Canned tuna

Dry Goods:

Pasta (2 different types; I like a long thin noodle and some type that will hold sauce like penne or elbows)
Rice
Couscous
Potatoes (either mashed or scalloped in a box)
Oats (for breakfast or crumble topping)
Breadcrumbs
Crackers (for snacking or coating protein)

Condiments and sauces

Olive Oil
Vegetable Oil
Vinegar (I usually have red wine and balsamic)
Beef broth and chicken broth
Soy Sauce
Honey
Garlic
Salt and Pepper

If you keep all of these staples on hand chances are you'll be able to make a meal or find a substitution when you need it. It's important to keep easy side dishes on hand as well as ingredients like beans that can be used for soups or enchiladas or as a side dish.

Now for a preview of this weeks recipes! For entrees I have an amazing pizza recipe, a tasty Instant Pot chicken recipe, and a super easy pasta dish. The side dishes this week are the traditional Irish Colcannon and the best cheesy potatoes perfect for the holiday.

Our desserts this week are one Easter cookie and two delicious St. Patrick's Day desserts. The bonus recipes include a breakfast pizza, an insanely awesome Irish Nachos recipe, and a fun Easter bread.

So what are you waiting for? Check out this weeks menu plan!