This Week's Meal Plan: Easy Family Favorites

This week’s meal plan focuses on family favorites with a batch of chocolate cupcakes thrown in for good measure. Enjoy Slow Cooker Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Fettuccine Alfredo and some sole to round out the week.

My youngest is turning 10 years old this week and it’s amazing to think back and remember what life was like with a newborn.

The birthday boy adores Slow Cooker Meatballs in Tomato Sauce and has specifically requested it for his birthday dinner so of course, I had to add them to the meal plan. It makes a big batch which is nice because I know I can quickly reheat it for weekday lunches now that everyone is working and schooling at home. I'm also making these chocolate cupcakes, you can't have a birthday without chocolate.

This week’s recipes focus on my favorite types of homemade meals: stir fry (especially with chicken thighs!), pasta with simple scratch sauce, oven-baked dishes, meaty family favorites, and a quick-cooking stovetop fish. I hope you find this week’s meals enjoyable to make again and again.

Each recipe lends itself to simple swaps. If you don't have one fish, try another. If you don't have turkey sausage for the meatballs use all hamburger. No chicken thighs, use chicken breast. Use what you have on hand and do the best you can.

  • Sweet and Sour Chicken

    Sweet Sour Chicken
    Jaden Hair

    Sweet and Sour Chicken has a special place in my heart from childhood dinners at the local Chinese restaurant. Now, I lean on stir-frying weekly to get quick family favorites on the table. I love this recipe since it doesn’t require deep fat frying. Serve with rice.

  • Fettuccine Alfredo

    Fettuccine Alfredo
    Elise Bauer

    Alfredo sauce is easy to make from scratch with just four ingredients and oh-so-incredible. Your pasta night will never be the same again. Serve with Steamed Broccoli.

  • Sausage, Pepper, and Potato Bake

    Marta Rivera

    If the name isn’t enough to tempt you to make this for dinner, how about I tell you that all that yumminess is drizzled with a rosemary balsamic vinaigrette? Too good to be true, right? Freezer-friendly and easy on the budget as well.

  • Slow Cooker Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

    Meatballs in a slow cooker filled with tomato sauce with a spoon lifting a meatball out of the sauce.
    Alison Bickel

    This slow cooker meatball recipe makes a huge batch, which means easy reheated lunchtime leftovers or meatball sub sandwiches for dinner the following night. Eat them by themselves or over pasta. Brown the meatballs in a skillet before transferring to the slow cooker for a golden-brown crust.

    Continue to 5 of 5 below.
  • Sole Piccata

    Sole Piccata
    Elise Bauer

    Thin fish fillets coated with flour hit a hot skillet to make this rendition of the Italian classic. Sadly, Sole is hard to come by these days, but you can sub in any white fish. It won't be the same as sole, but it will still taste great. Serve with pasta.