Weekly Meal Plan #21: Easy Dinners for the Second Week of November

This week’s plan is full of dinners that don’t ask much of you. Most of them cook in one skillet, one pot or one baking dish.

Monday starts with a big pot of taco chili. Tuesday is a one-pot pasta that tastes like a Philly cheesesteak, and Friday is pizza night with a tater tot crust.

Meal Plan Week #21 graphic with taco chili, pizza tater tot casserole, impossible chicken pie and Philly cheesesteak pasta and a printable grocery shopping list.

Wednesday’s sweet and tangy chicken only takes 5 minutes of prep. Thursday’s pie makes its own crust right in the oven.

You’ll find three bonus recipes at the end: homemade rolls, a sweet potato side and a layered bar cookie. The printable grocery list covers the five dinners.

Weekly meal plan graphic showing five dinners labeled Monday through Friday: Taco Chili, One-Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta, Russian Chicken, Impossible Chicken Pie and Pizza Tater Tot Casserole.

The Daily Dinner Line-Up

Taco chili in a white bowl with toppings.

Monday: Taco Chili

Ground beef and sweet onion cook in a large pot. Then in go diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, taco sauce, green chilies, taco seasoning and chili powder. It simmers uncovered for 30 minutes after 20 minutes of prep. Top it with shredded cheese, green onions, sour cream and corn chips. Makes 8 servings.

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Tuesday: One-Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta

Ground beef, sweet onion, green pepper and garlic cook in a deep skillet. Then beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and uncooked pasta shells go in. It simmers covered for 18 to 20 minutes, and chopped provolone melts in at the end. Prep is 10 minutes and cooking is 20. Makes 4 servings.

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Wednesday: Russian Chicken

Cubed chicken breasts get tossed with paprika, salt and pepper. Then they bake in a sauce of Russian dressing, apricot jam and onion soup mix. It’s 5 minutes of prep and about an hour in a 350°F oven, and it’s good over rice. Makes 6 servings.

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A slice of impossible chicken pie on a serving spatula.

Thursday: Impossible Chicken Pie

Baked, chopped chicken, mushrooms, green onions, green pepper and cheddar go in a pie plate. Then you pour a mix of milk, Bisquick and eggs over the top. It makes its own crust while it bakes for 45 minutes at 400°F. Prep is 10 minutes, plus 10 minutes to cool before slicing. Makes 6 servings.

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Pizza Tater Tot Casserole - This one is a surefire hit with kids and kids at heart. With a tater tot base, topped with all of your family's favourite pizza flavours, this is a great alternative for pizza night!

Friday: Pizza Tater Tot Casserole

Ground beef, Italian sausage and bacon cook with mushrooms, onion, garlic and green pepper. Pizza sauce goes in, and everything gets spread in a 9×13 dish and covered with frozen tater tots. It bakes for 40 minutes at 400°F, then mozzarella and pepperoni go on for the last 5. Prep is 15 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

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Bonus Recipe: Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls

Soft, slightly sweet rolls with cinnamon honey butter. Makes 12, and most of the time is rising time.

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Bonus Recipe: Sweet Potato Home Fries

Sweet potatoes, bacon and green onions, cooked in one skillet in the bacon drippings.

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Bonus Recipe: Magic Cookie Bars

Butterscotch, chocolate, toffee, coconut and nuts layered over a graham cracker crust. Ready in 30 minutes.

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Meal Prep & Money-Saving Tips

Brown ahead: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday all start with ground beef. Cooking it earlier in the week can save time on a busy night.
Cook extra chicken: Thursday’s pie needs 2 ½ cups of baked, chopped chicken. Baking a few extra chicken breasts earlier in the week covers it.
Check your pantry: Taco seasoning, onion soup mix, Bisquick, and pizza sauce are all on the list this week, so you may already have some.

Easy Swap Ideas

Chili toppings: Shredded cheese, green onions, sour cream, and corn chips all work on Monday’s chili.
Pasta shapes: Penne, rotini, or elbow macaroni can replace the shells. Mozzarella or Monterey Jack can replace the provolone.
Dressing swap: If you can’t find Russian dressing, Catalina or Thousand Island dressing works. Peach jam or orange marmalade can replace the apricot jam.
Canned chicken: Readers have used canned chicken in the pie. Drain and rinse it first.
Pizza toppings: Switch the toppings to your family’s favorites, or try BBQ sauce and chicken, or ranch instead of pizza sauce.

Master Grocery List: Week 21 Dinners

This grocery list covers only the five Monday-to-Friday dinners. Add the bonus recipe ingredients separately if you plan to make them.

Meat

3 lbs packages of lean ground beef (for Monday, Tuesday, and Friday)
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (for Wednesday)
2 ½ cups of baked, chopped chicken (for Thursday)
1 package of bacon(for Friday)
2 mild Italian sausages (for Friday)
1 small package of pepperoni (for Friday)

Produce

3 sweet onions (for Monday, Tuesday and Friday)
3 green peppers (for Tuesday, Thursday and Friday)
1 head of garlic (for Tuesday and Friday)
1 package of white button mushrooms (for Thursday and Friday)
1 bunch of green onions (for Monday and Thursday)
1 small bunch of parsley, optional (for Tuesday)

Dairy and Refrigerated

1 block of cheddar cheese (for Monday and Thursday)
1 package of sliced provolone (for Tuesday)
1 block of mozzarella (for Friday)
1 carton of milk (for Thursday)
1 dozen eggs (for Thursday)
1 tub of sour cream, optional (for Monday)

Frozen

1 bag of frozen tater tots, 2 lb (for Friday)

Pantry

2 cans of diced tomatoes, 28 oz each (for Monday)
1 can of black beans, 15 oz can (for Monday)
1 can of corn, 8.75 oz can (for Monday)
1 bottle of taco sauce, 8 oz (for Monday)
1 can of green chilies, 4 oz can (for Monday)
1 packet of taco seasoning (for Monday)
1 bag of corn chips, optional (for Monday)
1 carton of beef broth (for Tuesday)
1 box of pasta shells (for Tuesday)
1 bottle of Worcestershire sauce (for Tuesday)
1 bottle of Russian salad dressing (for Wednesday)
1 jar of apricot jam (for Wednesday)
1 packet of onion soup mix (for Wednesday)
1 bag of rice, optional (for Wednesday)
1 box of Bisquick (for Thursday)
2 cans of pizza sauce, 8 oz each (for Friday)

Spices and Seasonings

Chili powder (for Monday)
Paprika (for Wednesday)
Salt and pepper (for Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)
Italian seasoning (for Friday)

Your Printable Meal Plan

I put the five dinners and the full grocery list on a printable so you can stick it on the fridge or take it to the store. Print it, or save it to your phone, and cross things off as you go.