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Weekly Meal Plan #7: Easy Summer Meals for Busy Nights

ByStacie Vaughan Updated
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This week’s meal plan keeps dinner simple with a mix of fresh salad, grilled chicken, foil-packet shrimp, slow-cooker fajitas, and a fun Friday night dinner.

It is a good summer week for meals that are easy to adjust depending on the weather and your schedule. You can use the grill, let the slow cooker help out, and keep one night extra simple with a family-friendly dinner that requires little effort.

Meal Plan Week #7 graphic with steak fajitas, grilled herb chicken, Greek chicken salad, shrimp and veggie foil packets, and a printable grocery shopping list.


As always, move the meals around to fit your week. If one night is too hot to cook much, make the salad. If you know one day will be busy, save the slow cooker dinner for then. If the weather is perfect, fire up the grill.

Don’t forget to check out my Week #6 meal plan if you missed it.

Weekly meal plan graphic showing five dinners labeled Monday through Friday: Greek chicken salad, grilled herb chicken, shrimp and veggie foil packets, steak fajitas, and pizza hot dogs.

The Daily Dinner Line-Up

1
The salad in a wooden bowl on a white counter.
Monday: Greek Chicken Salad
This delicious salad is a meal on its own! It’s loaded with chicken, fresh veggies, black olives, feta cheese and a Greek vinaigrette.
GET THE RECIPE
2
Grilled herb chicken on a plate.
Tuesday: Grilled Herb Chicken
Change up your barbecue chicken game this season! This homemade marinade combines balsamic vinegar, garlic, green onions, tomatoes, thyme, tarragon, basil, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
GET THE RECIPE
3
Grilled Sesame Shrimp & Veggies
Wednesday: Grilled Sesame Shrimp & Veggies
This summer grilling recipe is a triple whammy – it’s easy to prep, simple to cook and fast to clean up afterwards. Your family will love these individual foil packets filled with veggies, shrimp and a mouthwatering sesame sauce.
GET THE RECIPE
4
Slow cooker steak fajitas on a plate.
Thursday: Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas
Bring restaurant-quality steak fajitas to your kitchen with this easy slow cooker recipe, perfect for busy weeknights. Juicy flank steak, bell peppers, and onions mingle with fajita seasoning to create tender, delicious fajitas that are sure to be a hit.
GET THE RECIPE
5
Pizza hotdogs on a baking sheet.
Friday: Pizza Hot Dogs
American classics combine! Swap the traditional toppings for marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni.
GET THE RECIPE
6
A white bowl of the recipe.
Bonus Recipe: Greek Potato Salad
This Greek Potato Salad is a fresh, mayo-free twist on the classic—packed with tender potatoes, feta, olives, and a zesty lemon dressing. Perfect for summer!
GET THE RECIPE
7
The recipe in a bowl.
Bonus Recipe: Bean Salad
This easy bean salad recipe is made with canned beans, crisp veggies, and a tangy homemade dressing. Perfect for potlucks, picnics, or make-ahead meals!
GET THE RECIPE
8
Bonus Recipe: Lemon Blueberry Fluff
Experience a burst of fresh flavors with this creamy and light Lemon Blueberry Fluff—a fun and delightful dessert salad that is perfect for potlucks and gatherings. Made with the perfect combination of zesty lemon and juicy blueberries, this no-bake and easy dessert is sure to be a delicious hit that will leave everyone wanting more.
GET THE RECIPE

Meal Prep & Money-Saving Tips

  • Chicken crossover: Monday’s salad and Tuesday’s grilled chicken both use chicken. Buy a larger pack of chicken breasts if it is cheaper, or use a rotisserie chicken for Monday to save time and keep Tuesday’s chicken ready for the grill.
  • Pepper plan: This week uses peppers in Monday’s salad, Wednesday’s shrimp packets, and Thursday’s fajitas. Buy a value pack of bell peppers if it is cheaper, then slice and chop what you need ahead of time.
  • Shrimp stretch: If you are serving the shrimp packets as a full dinner, add extra shrimp or serve them over rice. It makes the meal more filling without adding much extra work.
  • Fajita leftovers: Save any leftover steak fajita mixture for lunch the next day. It is great in quesadillas, rice bowls, salads, or tucked into another tortilla.
  • Pizza sauce save: Friday’s pizza hot dogs only need some pizza sauce, so check your fridge before buying another jar. Leftover sauce can be used for pizza buns, English muffin pizzas, or dipping garlic bread.
  • Fresh herb refresh: Tuesday’s chicken uses fresh herbs. If you have extras, add them to salads, marinades, sandwiches, or a quick dressing with olive oil and vinegar.
  • Pantry check: Before shopping, check for olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, fajita seasoning, beef broth, pizza sauce, and basic seasonings. You may already have several of these on hand.
  • Hot dog night savings: Use whatever hot dogs your family likes best. Regular, turkey, chicken, or even sausages will all work with the pizza toppings.

Easy Swap Ideas

  • Lettuce swap: Use iceberg lettuce, leaf lettuce, or a spring mix instead of romaine if that is what you have for the Greek Chicken Salad.
  • Dressing shortcut: Use bottled Greek dressing for the salad if you do not want to make the dressing from scratch.
  • Chicken cut swap: Use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts for the Grilled Herb Chicken, but adjust the cooking time as needed.
  • No grill chicken: Cook the Grilled Herb Chicken on an indoor grill pan, in a skillet, or in the air fryer if you do not want to barbecue.
  • Herb swap: Use dried herbs if you do not have fresh thyme, tarragon, or basil. Use less since dried herbs are stronger than fresh.
  • Shrimp swap: Use chicken, sausage, or tofu instead of shrimp in the foil packets.
  • Veggie swap: Use zucchini, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, or any sturdy vegetables you have for the shrimp packets.
  • No grill packets: Bake the shrimp and veggie packets in the oven if you do not want to grill.
  • Steak swap: Use skirt steak, sirloin steak, or chicken strips instead of flank steak for the fajitas.
  • Tortilla options: Serve the fajita mixture in flour tortillas, corn tortillas, lettuce wraps, or over rice.
  • Pizza topping swap: Add mushrooms, peppers, onions, olives, or cooked bacon to the pizza hot dogs if you want more toppings.
  • Cheese swap: Use mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, or an Italian cheese blend for the pizza hot dogs.

Master Grocery List: Week 7 Dinners

Note: This shopping list covers all 5 main dinners. If you plan on making the weekly bonus recipes, be sure to check those recipe links and add those ingredients to your list.

Meat and Seafood

  • 2 cups of cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken for salad (for Monday)
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (for Tuesday)
  • 1 package of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (for Wednesday)
  • 2 lb flank steak (for Thursday)
  • 1 package of hot dogs (for Friday)

Produce

  • 1 head of Romaine lettuce (for Monday)
  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (for Monday)
  • 1 English cucumber (for Monday)
  • 1 red onion (for Monday)
  • 3 green peppers (1 for Monday and 2 for Wednesday)
  • 2 red peppers (for Wednesday)
  • 1 package of mixed bell peppers (for Thursday)
  • 1 bunch of green onions (for Tuesday)
  • 1 head of garlic (for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday)
  • 1 tomato (for Tuesday)
  • 1 package of fresh thyme (for Tuesday)
  • 1 package of fresh tarragon (for Tuesday)
  • 1 package of fresh basil (for Tuesday)
  • 1 bag of sugar snap peas (for Wednesday)
  • 2 yellow onions (1 for Wednesday and 1 for Thursday)
  • 1 package of white button mushrooms (for Wednesday)
  • 1 to 2 avocados, optional for serving fajitas (for Thursday)

Dairy and Refrigerated

  • 1 container of feta cheese (for Monday)
  • 1 block of cheddar cheese (for Thursday)
  • 1 container of sour cream (for Thursday)
  • 1 block of mozzarella cheese (for Friday)
  • 1 package of garlic butter (for Friday)

Bakery

  • 1 package of soft tortilla shells (for Thursday)
  • 1 package of hot dog buns (for Friday)

Pantry

  • 1 can of black olives (for Monday)
  • 1 bottle of extra virgin olive oil (for Monday and Tuesday)
  • 1 bottle of lemon juice (for Monday)
  • 1 bottle of red wine vinegar (for Monday)
  • 1 bottle of balsamic vinegar (for Tuesday)
  • 1 bottle of sesame oil (for Wednesday)
  • 1 bottle of rice vinegar (for Wednesday)
  • 1 package of sesame seeds (for Wednesday)
  • 1 can of Rotel (for Thursday)
  • 1 can of beef broth (for Thursday)
  • 1 package of fajita seasoning (for Thursday)
  • 1 can of pizza sauce (for Friday)
  • 1 package of mini pepperoni (for Friday)
  • 1 package of sugar (for Tuesday)
  • Rice, optional for serving shrimp packets (for Wednesday)

Spices and Seasonings

  • Dried oregano (for Monday)
  • Cayenne pepper (for Tuesday)
  • Salt and pepper

Grab Your Free Printable Shopping List & Meal Plan

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

A little planning at the start of the week makes dinner feel so much easier when everyone is hungry and you need something simple.



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