LSL Weekly Meal Plan #1

Happy Monday, friends!! I know these weeks have felt weird and disorienting – but I am excited for Mondays again thanks to a new idea for a series that I got from a few of you when I asked for content suggestions: WEEKLY MEAL PLANS!

I have been wanting to put together an ebook of recipes for 2 people that reduce food waste for so long, so when this idea popped up, I realized I should stop overthinking it and simply share the way I’ve been planning our week of meals. This first post has 4 recipes, 2 nights of leftovers, and 1 free night – either to use up what you have on hand or support a local restaurant by ordering in. After that, you’ll find a few simple breakfast and lunch ideas, followed by a grocery list to make shopping as easy as possible.

This is not meant to encourage you to make more grocery runs – PLEASE use up what you have in your home first! That being said, it’s been really helpful for Adam and I to sit down and plot our recipes for the week (or two!) so that we are really only buying food items that we will actually eat, or that we can freeze and use at a later time.

So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy my FIRST quarantine meal plan! Please tag me and/or #LSLmealplan if you make anything so I can see – and let me know if you have any requests for next week!

*This plan is meant for 2 people, but you can easily adjust it to accommodate more or less people!

LSL Weekly Meal Plan #1

Night 1 – Honey Mustard Walnut Crusted Salmon and Broccoli

This is one of my all time favorite salmon recipes, if I do say so myself! And the best part is that you probably have most of these ingredients on hand! We started keeping salmon in the freezer this past year so we always have it, and it’s been such a game changer for weeknight meals. If you’re the same, the only thing you might not have at home is fresh parsley – but you could leave that out or add dried parsley. That won’t change the dish too much! Also, this recipe calls for 4 filets, but if you’re cooking for 2, just cut the recipe in half. 

Serve this with your favorite veggie! We’ve been on a broccoli kick (cook it with garlic and a little lemon!), but you could use any vegetable you like best or a salad.

Night 2 – Pasta Fagioli

We have been on a major chili kick recently (I’m sure you’ll see that in next week’s meal plan ?), so we thought we’d switch it up this week with Pasta Fagioli! This soup is my personal favorite – so cozy and comforting. You can make this vegetarian or add sausage to it to bulk it up. If you do that, use the 2 leftover sausage links in whatever you make on night 7, or pop them in the freezer for next week!

Night 3 – Chicken Pot Pie

We’ve never tried this recipe, but I love everything Monique from Ambitious Kitchen makes – and Adam has been asking me to make him chicken pot pie since all of this started. I love that it uses the carrots and celery you already bought for the pasta fagioli – and I’m buying a pre-made crust instead of making one to make this easier! (I also noticed that she uses almond milk, but I bet you could use dairy milk if that’s what you guys buy normally. I’ll try that and report back this week, too!)

*If this feels like too much work for you this week, this recipe won’t use up the celery you bought, but it will use up carrots and onions! 

Night 4 – Veggie quinoa bowls with peanut sauce

This is a super old recipe, but I love that I originally came up with it based on pantry staples and what was in my fridge! Super relevant again! Plus, instead of buying shredded carrots, you can chop up any carrots you didn’t use in the soup or pot pie. And you’re buying broccoli to go with your salmon anyway!

Night 5 – Pasta Fagioli Leftovers

We like to heat these leftovers up in a pot on the stove, but a microwave works too.

Night 6 – Chicken Pot Pie leftovers

I think we’ll probably heat these leftovers up in the stove, just so the crust on top won’t be soggy!

Night 7 – Order in or utilize your pantry!

Obviously local restaurants could use our support right now, so ordering in one night is a great option! If you don’t feel comfortable ordering in, or you’re trying to save money, look at what you have on hand. Breakfast for dinner is always fun, or boil some pasta and top it with a simple tomato sauce! 

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Breakfast Ideas

As I mentioned over the weekend, I’ve been really loving chia pudding recently. If you don’t like that idea, a simple breakfast of cereal and milk does the trick!

Lunch Ideas

If you are just cooking for two, you might have some extra soup or pot pie for lunches – depending on how much you and your significant other/roommate eats for dinner.  In addition to that, if you aren’t too sick of cooking, roasting a bunch of vegetables and serving it over arugula or Right Rice or quinoa is a great lunch idea. And lastly, smoothies aren’t just for breakfast! I think I am going to get a box of Daily Harvest smoothies to keep in my freezer during this time. If you want to do the same, you can use the code LAKESHORELADY for a discount!

Grocery List

Here is everything you need for these recipes! I did not include extra groceries or breakfasts or lunch though, so be sure to add those ingredients into the “other” section. 

Don’t forget to tag me or #LSLmealplan if you make anything this week – I’d love to see!

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PS. You might also like 10 Ways To Stay Healthy and Cope During Coronavirus.