It's getting dark so early now—how'd that happen? Shorter days call for a shorter grocery list: this simple weekly meal plan calls for easy dinners with ingredients that repeat throughout the week, so you can spend less time in the supermarket.
Monday: Thai-Style Noodles and Meatballs for Every Palate
This turkey meatball dinner has a Thai-inspired twist and offers three options for plating, so you can cater to all the palates—from plain noodle–loving to spice-craving—in your household with just one simple recipe. If only pleasing everyone was always this easy. Be sure to buy extra turkey and extra bell peppers to use for dinners later in the week.
Tuesday: Fancy Italian Pork Chops
A fig and grapeagrodolce,the buttery Italian sweet-and-sour sauce, fancies up pan-seared pork chops inthis simple seasonal dinner. While the sauce of balsamic vinegar and honey is cooking, nestle sliced figs and grapes into it to simmer and soften, then spoon the whole delicious mess over pork chops. (Cooking for sauce-averse kids? Just serve their pork chops plain.) A pleasantly bitter radicchio and parsley salad on the side balances out that sweetness in just the right way.
Wednesday: Sausage and Pepper Pasta
Tonight we're turning the rest of your haul of bell peppers into an easy pasta dinner with Italian sausage and peppers. Make a big arugula salad to go with it, but save just enough arugula to use in the sandwiches on Friday.
Thursday: No-Recipe Chili and Your New Favorite Cornbread
Remember that ground turkey you still have in the fridge? Tonight we're making chili with it! But you don't need a recipe to make an amazing turkey chili. It's a surprisingly easy (and relatively quick) one-pot meal that you can throw together with that ground meat and whatever else you happen to have on hand:here's how.If you have time, make some cornbread to go with it—thiscast-iron skillet versionwill become your new favorite as soon as you try it. If you do turn on the oven to bake cornbread, roast the squash for tomorrow's sandwiches while you're at it.
Friday: Super Seasonal Sandwiches
Remember that arugula you saved earlier this week? Finish it off now! Even if you didn't have time to roast the squash for these sandwiches earlier in the week, this will still feel like a dinner that's easy enough to handle on a Friday night. And it goes great with a nice cold hard cider and a movie on the sofa.
