What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Meal Plan (Week #3)

Week three of our meal planning series is here, and I’m so excited to share another batch of family-approved dinners! The response to our first two weeks has been incredible—it’s amazing how many of us are in the same boat, trying to figure out what to feed our families night after night.

If you’re new here, welcome! You can catch up on our previous meal plans here and here. The whole idea is simple: plan out the week’s dinners in advance, prep what you can, and save yourself from that daily “what’s for dinner?” panic.

This week’s lineup includes kid-friendly Burger Sliders, a set-it-and-forget-it Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole, High Protein Ravioli Casserole for those busier nights, a fresh Pasta Caesar Salad, and Smashed Potato Nacho Bowls. As always, each meal comes with a complete shopping list and straightforward instructions that won’t overwhelm your already busy schedule.

Ready to make this week’s dinners a breeze? Let’s get started!

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Our Meal Plan this Week:

High Protein Ravioli Casserole

Original Recipe By: Wholesomely Morgan

Ingredients

• 22 oz frozen ravioli meat or cheese
• 31 oz marinara sauce
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 lb ground meat seasoned with cumin, chili powder and paprika
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/3 cup Parmesan grated

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 375F and spray your baking pan with oil and cook your ravioli according to the instructions on the package
2. In a large sauce pan, cook your meat until fully browned and then pour your marinara sauce over the cooked meat
3. In a bowl, combine your cottage cheese and ricotta cheese until fully mixed together
4. In a 9×13 baking pan, pour 1 cup meat mixture then half the cooked ravioli, 1 cup cottage cheese/ricotta mixture and top with 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella then layer again and top with Parmesan cheese
5. Cover with the lid or aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly
6. Allow to cook and serve with favorite sides

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Crockpot Enchilada Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2-3 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 large can enchilada sauce
• 10 tortillas, cut into strips
• 4 cups cheese of choice
• Sour cream
• Chopped green onions
• Fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Add chopped onion, minced garlic, chicken breasts, taco seasoning, and enchilada sauce to your crockpot. Stir to combine.
2. Cook on LOW for 4 hours (if chicken is thawed) or 6 hours (if chicken is frozen)
3. Shred the cooked chicken directly in the crockpot using two forks.
4. Stir in cut-up corn tortillas and top with cheese.
5. Cook for an additional 20 minutes until cheese is melted and tortillas are tender.
6. Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, green onions, cilantro, and any other desired toppings. Enjoy!

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One Pan Burger Sliders

Original Recipe by Cassandra (Cassolive)

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1 package slider buns (Hawaiian rolls work great!)
• Sliced cheese (American or cheddar)
• Pickles Chopped
• Chopped Lettuce
• Burger sauce (mayo, ketchup, mustard, worcestershire, relish to make a burger sauce)
• Your favorite burger seasoning (I used Montreal Steak Seasoning)
• Optional: bacon

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to broil.
2. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Season with your favorite burger seasoning. Cook until fully browned and cooked through.
3. While the beef is cooking, prep your toppings: chop the pickles and lettuce, and set out your sauces.
4. Cut the slider buns in half horizontally, but keep each row of buns connected to each other (don’t separate into individual buns yet).
5. Place the bottom half of the buns in a baking dish or sheet pan. Layer the cooked ground beef evenly over the buns, then top with sliced cheese. This helps everything stick together.
6. Place in the oven under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese and lightly toast the buns.
7. Remove from oven and add your toppings—half with mac sauce and pickles for the adults, half with just ketchup for the kids (or whatever your family prefers!).
8. Place the top half of the buns on top and cut into individual sliders.

Tips:

For picky eaters, keep some sliders plain with just beef, cheese, and ketchup. Don’t forget the bacon if you want to add it—cook it ahead of time and crumble on top!

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Fresh Pasta Caesar Salad

Ingredients

• 1-2 cups uncooked bowtie pasta (but cook it first!)
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast
• 3 cups chopped lettuce of choice
• ½ cup chopped cucumber
• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
• ¼ cup shredded parmesan

DRESSING

• ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp light mayo
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Salt, pepper + EBTB seasoning to taste

Directions

1. Cook the bowtie pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool completely.
2. While pasta is cooking, make the dressing by whisking together Greek yogurt, mayo, Dijon mustard, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and EBTB seasoning to taste.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cooked chicken breast, chopped lettuce, cucumber, and red onion.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together until well coated.
5. Top with shredded parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Tips: This salad is perfect for meal prep! You can make it ahead of time, but add the lettuce and dressing right before serving to keep everything fresh and crisp.

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Smashed Potatoes Nacho Bowl

Ingredients

• 1 small bag baby potatoes
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 C shredded cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 C beef stock
• Toppings (optional): chopped tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, red onion

Directions

1. Boil baby potatoes in salted water for 20 min until tender. Drain and cool slightly.
2. Line baking tray with parchment. Place potatoes on tray and smash flat with a glass or cup.
3. Brush the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning. Roast at 425°F for 35-40 min until crispy.
4. While potatoes cook, brown beef with remaining taco seasoning for 3-4 min.
5. Add garlic, cook 1 min. Stir in beef stock. Simmer 5 min until thick.
6. Top beef mixture with mozzarella and cheddar. Cover and let cheese melt.
7. Spoon cheesy beef over crispy potatoes. Top with guacamole, diced red onion, tomatoes, and fresh cilantro.

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That’s a Wrap on Week 3!

Another week of stress-free dinners in the books! I hope these recipes help take some of the guesswork out of your weeknights. From quick sliders to hearty casseroles, having a plan really does make all the difference.

How has meal planning been working for your family? I’d love to know which recipes you’ve tried from our series so far—and if you have any foolproof family favorites I should add to our lineup, drop them in the comments! There’s nothing better than a tried-and-true recipe recommendation from a fellow busy parent.

See you back here next week for another round of easy, family-tested meals. We’re building quite the collection of weeknight winners together!