In this third installment of Meal Planning With A Southern Soul, a series to help you be successful and save money at meal time. If you’ve been following along, we’ve been working building our weekly meal plan, attacking our grocery list along with shopping and meal prep. Now it’s time to start cooking but maybe you need a little inspiration.
Have you ever found yourself stuck when it comes to dinner ideas? You want to try something new, but you just have no idea what to make? Finding new dinner ideas that are both easy and exciting can be a challenge! One of the most common meal planning ruts people fall into is getting sick and tired of the same old meals. While sticking to meals you know and love is a great strategy, you should add at least one new meal to your meal plan every week. This will help spice things up without throwing your meal plan off track completely. Today, we are going to share with you some easy dinner ideas to spice up your meal plan, without wasting your time!
Sheet Pan Dinners
Sheet Pan DinnersSheet pan dinners are perfect for those busy nights! They are not only quick and easy to make, but they are also delicious. The best part of sheet pan dinners is that cleanup is a breeze! Here are a few easy and straightforward sheet pan dinners to make for busy nights.
Hamburger Steak with Mushrooms and Onions | Brats and Potatoes | English Muffins Pizzas | Orange Garlic Chicken Legs
Crock Pot Dinners
Crock Pot DinnersOne of my favorite parts of crock pot dinners is how versatile and easy they are! While some may take all day to cook, they make your prep time short! All you have to do is set them up and forget it!
Lemon Chicken | Corned Beef Reuben Sliders | Pork Roast with Fresh Pineapple | Taco Soup | Pulled Pork | Roast Beef and Carrots | Busy Day Pot Roast | Cider Braise Chicken Leg Quarters | Balsamic Brown Sugar Pork Roast
In case you have a favorite recipe that you’d like to turn into a crockpot meal, here’s an awesome downloadable/printable conversation chart to help you select the right cooking times! I keep this list along with some of my favorite recipes taped to the inside of the cabinet where my slow cooker lives. 
One Pot Meals
One pot recipes are perfect for those looking for less cleanup and limited time. They’re so easy to make, and one pot meals mean just one pot to clean! Here are a few fantastic one-pot meals.
Broccoli and Penne | Skillet Beef Stew | Amazing Roasted Cabbage Soup | Chicken & Cheese Tortellini Tuscan Soul | Roasted Chicken With Clementines & Garlic | Pot Roast with Peppadew Peppers | Easy Chili Mac and Cheese
All of these recipes are so easy to make, so delicious, and the best part is that they’re easy to clean up! Life gets busy, but that doesn’t mean dinner has to suffer! Before you throw in the towel and just order a pizza, give any of these meals a try. You may even find they are just as easy as ordering pizza.
Sallie
Can’t wait to try some of your yummy recipes!
Catherine @ Whine and dancing
Meal planning has been an adjustment for us, but has definitely helped us save a lot of money. Plus, I know my kids are eating something more nutritious where I controlled the ingredients. Thanks for the inspiration while I do my own meal plan!
I agree wholeheartedly, Catherine! Meal planning can be a little overwhelming but one you get in the groove, it’s totally worth it. Hope you like and can use the printables.
XO,
~Donya