Not a meal planner? Here’s a list of our favorites for next week.

I am not creative in the kitchen. In fact, I love to tell people that Pinterest has saved our marriage on more than one occasion. Gabe has said that’s a bit extreme, but when you grew up on rice and beans, the easier you can whip out a meal, the better for everyone.

And now as we look to foster, I’m starting to really hone in on the meals that have made our life easy and that I can continue to slip into our weekly routine once kids are a part of our daily rhythm.

We’re mega planners, so we typically take a couple of minutes on Sunday to plan out our meals for the rest of the week. Instead of making your own list, why not steal from ours next week?

Before you even say it, you’re welcome. Here to serve! I gotchu, friend!

Monday

To kick off the day right after the weekend, let’s start with an easy meal. This Instant Pot Spaghetti Recipe from The Kitchn is a godsend. All you need is an instant pot and the following nine ingredients (most of which you probably already have in your pantry and spice drawer):

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups water, divided
• 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara or tomato-based pasta sauce
• 8 ounces dry spaghetti
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

When I tell you this meal takes mere *minutes* to prep, I’m not joking. Kick off your week with this meal and a side of garlic bread or Caesar salad.

Tuesday

I’m a big hamburger girl, so for your Tuesday meal I’d like to present to you these Spinach Avocado Chicken Burgers from Unbound Wellness. Well, let me rephrase. Let me present the Willison take on this meal which is simply a chicken Burger with avocado mayo. I’m not creative in the kitchen, but I do know a thing or two about simplifying recipes to make them work for my home. In this case, I make the avocado mayo and skip about half of the ingredients for the chicken burgers, using the spinach as a topping and a hamburger bun rather than butter leaves. Pair these bad boys with some sweet potato fries and you’re in for a *solid* and easy meal.

For the avocado mayo you’ll need:

• 2 medium avocados
• 4 tbsp avocado oil
• Juice of one lime
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper

For our simplified chicken burgers you’ll need:

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 tbsp avocado oil plus more if you’re frying or grilling
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ cup spinach finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• Juice of one lime
• 1 small avocado or half a large avocado, diced into chunks

Wednesday

Let’s pretend that the weather on this particular Wednesday is cloudy with a 100% chance of rain, the perfect day for chili! We have two chili recipes that we pull from regularly and a corn-free paleo cornbread that has changed our lives with my corn allergy.

This turkey chili from House of Yumm can be made either in the crockpot or stovetop. We typically make it on the stovetop because it’s not time consuming at all, but you can do whatever is best. It’s quick (our favorite kind of cooking) and hearty, which is perfect for a chili!

Prefer a white chicken chili? This one from Downshiftology is a constant repeater. Hot tip from our home: if you live by a Costco (or are going to one soon), purchase their Rotisserie Chicken Breast Meat, 46 oz and use it in this recipe! It’s a game changer for the thickness and flavor. I typically skip the jalapeno pepper because I’m not a huge fan of spicy, but that’s a personal preference!

And now, for the corn-free paleo cornbread we can’t live without, thanks to Gluten-Free Palate. We love her, she’s perfect, and I wouldn’t change a single thing about her. Add this one to your chili routine!

Thursday

Have some chicken at home that you’re not sure what to do with? Think less and make this Baked Bone In Chicken Breast (or Boneless) from Platings + Pairings. We tend to purchase and freeze boneless chicken from Costco and have this on heavy rotaion. We typically pair it with this Seeds of Change Organic Quinoa and Brown Rice from Costco and with either some air fried root veggies or a salad. Easy, quick, and best of all, a great juicy chicken breast for a Thursday night.

Friday

If you think I’m providing a meal option for Friday night, think again. In this household, we eat out on Fridays, and if you’ve had a week, then I encourage you to do the same!

But in case you’d like some additional options, here are some others on our heavy rotation list:

• Five Ingredient Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
• Honey Mustard BLT Chicken Sliders
• Baked Chicken Wings
• Mexican Ground Beef and Rice

Save these recipes and send your personal favorites my way. I’d love to add them to my Pinterest meal board! The more, the merrier.

Until next week, friends!