Meal Plans

Weekly Meal Plan #2: Easy Summer Dinners

ByStacie Vaughan Updated
0 Comments

Hey everyone! Welcome back to our weekly meal planning series. This is Week #2! Make sure to check out the Week #1 meal plan if you missed it.

When the summer sun is shining and the days are beautifully long, the last thing you want to do is spend hours overheating over a heavy, complicated kitchen menu.

Meal plan graphic showing a collage of pasta salad, a bacon burger, glazed chicken with rice and grilled pineapple, and a buffalo chicken sandwich. The center text reads "Simply Stacie Meal Plan plus Printable Grocery Shopping List Week #2".


We are leaning completely into a wonderful mix of crisp textures, grilled favorites, tropical summer glazes, and hands-off slow cooker meals that keep your kitchen beautifully comfortable. This week features a perfect pasta salad, along with a variety of effortless dishes designed to beat the heat. By focusing on smart, bulk-friendly protein cuts like ground beef and chicken breast, you will also score maximum savings at checkout!

Five panel meal plan collage labeled "MON" "TUES" "WED" "THURS" and "FRI". The weekday meals shown are pasta salad on Monday and a bacon burger on Tuesday and glazed chicken with rice and grilled pineapple on Wednesday and a buffalo chicken sandwich on Thursday and saucy chicken wings topped with green onions on Friday.

The Daily Dinner Line-Up

1
Monday: Taco Pasta Salad
This delicious summertime salad is loaded with seasoned meat, taco toppings and cheese. Serve this easy side dish with your favorite BBQ recipes.
GET THE RECIPE
2
Tuesday: Stuffed Burgers
The easiest stuffed burgers you'll ever make! Tender, juicy and flavorful beef patties are stuffed with cheddar cheese, mushrooms and onions.
GET THE RECIPE
3
Wednesday: Hawaiian Chicken
This sweet and savory chicken recipe is an easy family dinner. Top these boneless chicken breasts with ketchup, brown sugar, and, of course, pineapple for a delicious family meal.
GET THE RECIPE
4
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Thursday: Buffalo Chicken Sliders
The perfect game day appetizer. Tender, slow cooked chicken is enveloped in wing sauce and Ranch dressing and served on a soft slider bun. They are always a hit at parties!
GET THE RECIPE
5
The recipe in a pan.
Friday: Oven Baked Chicken Wings
These Oven Baked Chicken Wings are crispy, juicy, and coated in a sticky honey garlic sauce. Easy to make and perfect for game day or family dinners!
GET THE RECIPE
6
Orange Creamsicle Salad - The fluffiest dessert! You'll dream about your childhood ice cream cravings with this creamy fruit salad with cottage cheese, Jello, and mandarin oranges.
Side Dish or Dessert: Orange Creamsicle Salad
The fluffiest dessert! You'll dream about your childhood ice cream cravings with this creamy fruit salad with cottage cheese, Jello, and mandarin oranges.
GET THE RECIPE
7
Lemon cheesecake mousse in a parfait dish.
Dessert: Lemon Cheesecake Mousse
The perfect fluffy lemon dessert! This mousse is lighter than cheesecake, but still tastes like a fresh slice from your favorite NYC eatery.
GET THE RECIPE
8
A stack of two strawberry coconut tarts.
Sweet Treat: Strawberry Coconut Tarts
Tiny tarts perfect for parties! Strawberry jam is surrounded by a coconut pie.
GET THE RECIPE

Meal Prep & Money-Saving Tips

  • Summer ground beef bundle: This week features ground beef on Monday and Tuesday. Buy a family-sized value pack at the store to lower your cost per pound. You can pre-portion your cheese-stuffed burger patties for Tuesday and brown the remaining ground beef for Monday’s pasta salad ahead of time, making dinner assembly a five-minute task.
  • Chicken breast crossover: Wednesday and Thursday both have chicken breasts. Pick up a bulk package at the meat counter.
  • Double-check your pantry: Check it before heading out to buy individual ingredients. You might already have what you need.
  • The green onion refresh: This week calls for green onions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Instead of letting the remaining stalks wilt in the crisper drawer, slice up the entire bunch on Sunday night. Store them in a paper towel-lined container to absorb moisture; they will stay completely crisp and ready for a quick garnish all week long.

The Week 2 Swap-Out Guide

  • Make your own fresh salsa: If you want an incredible, vibrant upgrade to Monday’s dinner, skip the store-bought jar entirely! You can easily dress up or serve your pasta salad with a big batch of my homemade Garden Salsa. It uses fresh summer tomatoes, crisp peppers, and onions, adding an unbelievable brightness to taco night.
  • Gluten-free modifications: This week adapts beautifully to a gluten-free lifestyle. Swap out the pasta in Monday’s salad for your favorite gluten-free brown rice or chickpea pasta option. Ensure you use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce for the Hawaiian chicken glaze, and serve your burgers and sliders on gluten-free bakery buns or tucked inside fresh lettuce wraps.
  • Picky eater adjustments: If your kids find buffalo sauce a bit too spicy on Thursday, you can easily substitute the hot sauce in the slow cooker with your favorite mild barbecue sauce to make sweet-and-tangy pulled barbecue chicken sliders instead.
  • Mushroom alternatives for the stuffed burgers: Tuesday’s stuffed burgers call for a package of white button mushrooms. If you have picky eaters who can’t stand the texture of mushrooms, you can omit the mushroom topping entirely and stick to a cheese-and-onion filling.
  • Cilantro swaps: Monday’s salad features a bunch of fresh cilantro, which can taste soapy to certain people. Swap it out for fresh flat-leaf parsley to keep that bright green color, or use chopped green onions instead for a mild flavor boost.

Master Grocery List: Week 2 Dinners

Note: This shopping list covers all 5 main dinners. If you plan on making our weekly dessert bonuses, be sure to check those recipe links and add those baking staples to your list!

Master Grocery List

Meat & Seafood

  • 3 lbs lean ground beef (1 lb for Monday’s pasta salad and 2 lbs for Tuesday’s stuffed burgers)
  • 1 package of bacon (for Tuesday)
  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 for Wednesday and 2 for Thursday)
  • 3 lbs chicken wings (for Friday)

Produce

  • 1 bunch green onions (for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes (for Monday)
  • 1 red pepper (for Monday)
  • 1 bunch cilantro (for Monday)
  • 1 medium yellow onion (for Tuesday)
  • 1 package white button mushrooms (for Tuesday)
  • 1 head iceberg lettuce (for Tuesday)
  • 1 to 2 tomatoes (for Tuesday)
  • 1 head fresh garlic (or jarred minced garlic) (for Friday)

Dairy & Refrigerated

  • 1 brick cheddar cheese (to shred for Monday and Tuesday)
  • 1 bottle ranch dressing (for Thursday)

Pantry

  • 1 package rotini pasta (for Monday)
  • 1 jar salsa (for Monday)
  • 1 bottle of extra virgin olive oil (for Monday, Tuesday)
  • 1 bottle ketchup (for Tuesday and Wednesday)
  • 1 bottle mustard (for Tuesday)
  • 1 jar relish (for Tuesday)
  • 1 can (14oz) crushed pineapple (for Wednesday)
  • 1 bottle soy sauce (for Wednesday and Friday)
  • 1 bottle buffalo wing sauce (for Thursday)
  • 1 bottle vegetable oil (for Friday)
  • 1 bottle barbecue sauce (for Friday)
  • 1 bottle honey (for Friday)
  • White rice (to serve alongside Wednesday’s Hawaiian chicken)

Bakery

  • 1 package hamburger buns (for Tuesday)
  • 1 package slider buns (for Thursday)

Spices & Baking (Double-check your pantry!)

  • Cornstarch
  • Brown sugar
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Cumin
  • Chili powder
  • Oregano
  • BBQ seasoning

Grab Your Free Printable Shopping List & Meal Plan

Get our FREE
e-cookbook

    We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at anytime.

    To make your week even easier, I’ve put together a printable PDF pack of this exact meal plan and the complete master grocery list.

    Let’s Chat! I want to know which of these recipes you’re most excited to try this week? Drop a comment down below and let me know how your meal prep goes! Happy cooking!



    The Best of Simply Stacie ebook cover.

    free ebook!

    The Best of Simply Stacie

    When you subscribe to the newsletter for the latest updates!

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Similar Posts