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Meal Planning 101: 54 Days of Themed Dinner Ideas
- Jess
- Feb 17
- 14 min read
Updated: Mar 6
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I get a commission at no extra cost to you should you choose to make a purchase through one of my links.
So you've read Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 of my meal planning series and you're ready to get started! If you're struggling to come up with ideas for your master list, I've compiled 54 recipes (most of which I regularly serve my own family!) to get you started. That's nearly two months worth of a variety of themed dinner ideas! I've organized the recipes by themes, so pick and choose the ones you know you like or find some new family favorites. I tried to keep them all relatively quick as far as hands-on time goes and [almost] everything in this list is something that my family has tried and approved of!
And don't forget to grab your free Meal Rotation Template so you can add the recipes you love!
Meatless Mondays
Pesto Stuffed Shells
From: Budget Bytes
Around 20 mins hands-on time, makes a great freezer meal.
If you're a pesto fan, you'll want to try these deliciously cheesy Stuffed Shells! Loaded with ricotta cheese, pesto, and spinach, my children devour these instantly.
Black Bean Burgers
From: Delicious Little Bites
Ready in: 20 Minutes
I've personally never been a big fan of red meat, so I mostly avoided burgers completely until I discovered Black Bean burgers. Now burger night is in the regular rotation at our house and black bean patties are one of the things I like to keep stocked in my freezer!
Bean & Rice Burritos
From: Megan vs Kitchen
Ready in: 30 Minutes, makes a great freezer meal
Ahhh, the copycat version of my guilty pleasure Taco Bell order. I'm still salty they won't sell bottles of their Creamy Jalapeno sauce. (Do people still say salty? Probably not. 😬) But this version makes the spice level easily adjustable for your kiddos, and they're perfect for freezing and grabbing later for a quick and easy lunch.
Vegetarian Pad Thai
From: Pinch of Yum
Ready In: 20 Minutes
I'm in LOVE with this Pad Thai recipe. I used to be wary of fish sauce as a recovering picky eater, but this sold me. Sometimes I leave it vegetarian, sometimes I'll add in diced chicken. I wouldn't say this recipe is spicy, but it does have a little bit of heat - so if that is something your kids don't eat then you may want to experiment with the amount of chili paste you add!
Broccoli Cheese Soup
From: I Heart Naptime
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Broccoli Cheese Soup is the first soup my 4-year-old requests when the weather gets cold. It's a kid-friendly, comforting, cheesy classic.
Spiced Chickpea Bowls
From: Pinch of Yum
While I admittedly have not tried this recipe myself yet, it's on my 'to try' list. Pinch Of Yum is one of my go-to websites for healthy meals packed with flavor, and with 99 positive reviews, I can't image I'll be disappointed. Will report back!
Taco Tuesdays
Taco Night
From: Midwest Foodie
Ready in 20 minutes for beef tacos or hands on time 5 mins or less for crockpot chicken tacos!
Quick and easy, whether you choose to make chicken in the crockpot or brown some beef on the stove for your tacos. Taco night is always a hit at our house!
Sour Cream Enchiladas
From: Magnolia
Hands on Time: 15 minutes
My kids could eat sour cream by the spoonful, so these enchiladas are always a big hit with them! I modify slightly, using red enchilada sauce and leaving out the green chiles, because that's how my kids like it best. This one does take a little longer than other meals on this list, but it's so good that it's worth it every once in awhile.
Burrito Bowls
From: Easy Chicken Recipes
Ready In: 30 Minutes, Makes great freezer meal
I've found that anything I can set up buffet style and let the kids choose their own toppings is always a hit. Burrito bowls are one of our very favorites. Switch up the toppings/sauces and they never get boring!
Quesadillas
From: Easy Family Recipes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
You can't go wrong with this kid favorite! As a bonus, it's easy enough that the kids can help make their own quesadillas, which is a great way to entice a picky eater to try something new.
Taco Salad
From: Salt & Lavender
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Tired of regular tacos? Eat a deconstructed version and call it a salad! It's a fun twist on a dinnertime staple and if the kids don't eat salad you can still wrap the fillings in a tortilla and call it good.
Nachos
From: Eat at Home
Ready in: 15 Minutes
These BBQ chicken nachos are super simple and delicious. Also great for any leftover pulled pork or brisket you've got stocked in your freezer. Or make some fajita veggies and queso to re-create the nachos from your favorite Mexican restaurant. The possibilities are endless! Although, my husband and I are in a years long debate on whether nachos are an actual meal or just a snack. Feel free to leave your input in the comments!
Pasta Wednesdays
Spaghetti
From: The Cozy Cook
Ready in 20 Minutes if you make the sauce ahead of time!
(Or cheat like me and use a jar :P) Regular spaghetti and meat sauce is my 4-year-olds number one dinner request. We could eat it multiple times a week and she'd be happy.
American Goulash
From: Katy Recipes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
This is another big hit and frequently requested with both my kids. I make a very similar recipe to this one out of the Skinnytaste: One and Done cookbook. It can be made in one pan, which saves time on dishes!
From: Budget Bytes
Ready In: 20 Minutes
This creamy and filling pasta dish is perfect for when you need to get dinner on the table fast! And it only requires a few ingredients that we typically always have on hand. I do add just a splash of heavy cream to the sauce, otherwise I find it thickens up faster than I can get my kid's plates made.
From: Valentina's Corner
Hands on Time: 5-10 minutes
After learning how easy it is to make a delicious homemade alfredo sauce, I'll never go back to the jar version! This recipe is creamy, garlicky, and oh so easy. I like to throw in some steamed broccoli just before serving.
Balsamic Chicken Tortellini Casserole
From: Yellow Bliss Road
Ready In: 30 minutes
Time Saving Tip: Use pre-cooked frozen chicken and cut your cooking time in half.
This one is a bit more of a pasta salad and one of my favorite warm weather dishes. I crave it as soon as the weather starts warming up. I love balsamic though, so my kids are very used to eating it! It can be eaten warm or cold and even my asparagus hating husband enjoyed it.
From: I Heart Naptime
Hands On Time: 15-20 minutes, makes a great freezer meal.
This one takes a bit longer, but you can never go wrong with a good baked ziti. Pair it with some crusty bread and a side salad for a delicious and filling family dinner.
Asian-Inspired
From: Crunchy Creamy Sweet
Ready In: 20 Minutes
Skip the take-out and try these instead! These flavorful chicken bowls are one of our family's favorite dinners. For a special treat, I grab a box of cream cheese wontons from the freezer aisle along with some sweet and sour sauce, which just makes this not take-out dinner feel complete.
From: Krystel's Cooking
Ready In: 30 Minutes
If you prefer beef over chicken, here's another delicious take-out copycat to try. I prefer the Teriyaki Chicken, while my 4-year-old and husband will typically choose Beef and Broccoli. Keeping both in the rotation makes us all happy!
From: Creme De La Crumb
Ready In: 25 Minutes
Easy AND cheap! I love one-pan meals, and this one is bursting with flavor. I usually grab a bag of stir-fry veggies from the freezer meal, but you could really use whatever you have on hand.
From: 40 aprons
Ready In: 20 Minutes
I kept seeing this all over meal plans on Instagram, and it sure did not disappoint! It's full of flavor and a variety of textures. The chili sauce in this recipe has some bite, so I top the kids' portions with YumYum sauce instead.
From: The Frugal Girls
Hands on Time: 10 Minutes
When you want Asian-inspired flavors in a crock-pot meal, try this Sweet & Sour Chicken recipe. Kid-friendly and just a few simple ingredients make this a perfect week-night dinner. Serve with rice.
From: Healthy Fitness Meals
Ready In: 30 Minutes
My family absolutely DEVOURS chicken tikka masala. It's such a warm and cozy dish, I love it so much. The recipe I use is actually from Seriously Good Freezer Meals; this one from Healthy Fitness Meals was the closest I could find. One of the differences is that, rather than pan cooking the chicken, in the Seriously Good Freezer Meal recipe, she recommends broiling your chicken pieces rather than cooking them in the pan. (About 9 mins per side, keeping a close eye so the marinade doesn't burn.) If you do this while making your sauce, it saves you a little bit of cooking time! Just make sure your chicken pieces are cut small enough that they'll get cooked completely through, or finish them off by cooking them in the sauce. I buy those big containers of Naan Dippers from Sam's Club to dip in all that deliciousness.
Homestyle Meals
From: A Taste of Madness
Hands On Time: 20 Minutes
My go-to meatloaf recipe is another husband favorite that I got from the Seriously Good Freezer Meals cookbook. The recipe from A Taste of Madness is pretty similar. I'm not kidding when I say he only started requesting meatloaf after I made it this way - the sauce is lick your plate good.
From: Montana Happy
Ready In: 25 Minutes
I grew up eating ham steak that was cooked in a simmering pot of BBQ sauce. While I still enjoy that version, this recipe is for sure my favorite way to prepare it. I use boneless ham steaks and cook it until it's darkened a bit on both sides - you just need to keep a close eye because it can go from perfect to burnt pretty quickly. And beware of hot splatter! I always use a splatter screen when making this.
From: Happy Money Saver
Hands On Time: 10 Minutes, Good freezer meal
Is there anything more comforting on a dark winter night than a good chicken pot pie? This recipe uses store bought crusts and rotisserie chicken to make prep work super quick!
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
From: Kitchen Scroll
Hands On Time: 20 Minutes, Good Freezer meal
A cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is always a hit with my kids! This one takes a little longer to make, but with only 20 minutes of hands on time, it's easy to prep in advance and pop in the oven 30 minutes before dinner.
From: Cooking In The Midwest
Ready In: 25 Minutes
This was one of those rare Facebook videos my husband sent me that looked simple enough for me to actually attempt. And it ended up a keeper! I use boneless chops - you may have figured out by now that I am not personally a fan of bones in anything! - and it still tastes great!
From: Beyer Beware
Hands on Time: 5 minutes
Okay maybe I was wrong before when I said that Chicken Pot Pie was the ultimate comfort meal. For me, chicken and noodles brings back memories of the dining room table covered in flour and homemade noodles as Grandma and Mom prepped for Thanksgiving dinner for 50+ people. (My mom was one of 11 kids). But this is the busy mom version, so we'll use a bag of Reames. Sorry Grandma!
Wraps + Sandwiches
From: Taste of Home
Ready In: 20 minutes
These classic chicken wraps are easy and delicious. Make some chicken in advance and you've got a SUPER simple weekday meal. My husband doesn't love the croutons in it - but that's my favorite part! It's easily customizable to personal preferences.
From: Home Cooking Memories
Ready In: 25 minutes
My 4-year-old devours these easy meatball sandwiches, and it's something fun and simple that she can help me prepare. I cut the subs in half and its the perfect size for the kids.
From: Crock Pots & Flip Flops
Hands On Time: 15 minutes
My husband has recently taken up an interest in smoking meat, and nothing screams summer to me like a pulled pork sandwich + a fresh slice of watermelon. If you don't have a smoker, here's a great crockpot recipe!
From: Lil Luna
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Another kid + husband favorite! These are so easy to make and incredibly delicious! I've also had success freezing them prior to baking. Just wait to add the glaze until after thawing. Don't expect leftovers with these!
From: The Cozy Cook
Ready In: 15-20 minutes
Tuna melts are one of my husband's childhood comfort meals, and now it's a favorite of our children. We make ours on hamburger buns with chopped up boiled eggs, just like his mom always did.
From: I Heart Naptime
Ready In: 10 Minutes
Another quick and easy classic! My kids love anything that involves dip - even when it's a sandwich! I've used cheddar cheese in the past since I'm more likely to have it on hand, and toasted the buns with some garlic butter. So good!
Soup Sundays
From: Happy Money Saver
Hands On Time: 15 Minutes
Are you even from the Midwest if you don't have a go-to chili recipe? This one makes a TON of chili, perfect for stocking your freezer in the winter months. If you're not a fan of spice (or serving small children who are not a fan of spice) I'd recommend taking it easy on the cayenne. Start with just a small amount and taste before adding more!
From: The Busy Homemaker
Ready in: 30 Minutes
My favorite version of Chicken Tortillas Soup came from a combination of different recipes. The Pinterest version I used to make wasn't hearty enough for my husband, so when I found one that added rice, we tried it! I like spicy, so I added in the jalapenos. This is the only way I make it now, and the whole family loves it!
From: I Heart Naptime
Ready In: 30-40 Minutes
Another favorite recipe from I Heart Naptime. This was one of the first soups I learned to make. I love potatoes in all forms, and bacon makes everything better, so while it can take a bit longer than other soups to prepare, it will always be a winner in my book.
From: I Heart Naptime
Ready In: 30 Minutes
I'm sure it's fairly obvious by now that I have my favorite food bloggers. It's easy to keep going back to their recipes when my kids absolutely devour multiple helpings! Taco Soup is my 2 year old's favorite, and he will eat three bowls of it (topped with a generous helping of sour cream, of course).
From: Magnolia
Ready In: 30 Minutes
A childhood classic! I've tried several versions of tomato soup, and this is the one we always come back to. Pair it with some grilled cheese for dipping and you're sure to have some happy kids at your table.
From: Tastes of Lizzy T
Ready In: 30 Minutes
I use the Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe from the first Magnolia Table cookbook, which I couldn't find online like a lot of her other recipes, but this one from Tastes of Lizzy T is pretty similar! It's my husband's very favorite soup, although be warned - each time we have it we always have to go over 'Mom what are these black things???'. Rice. It's still rice.
From: Not Getting Off This Train
Hands On Time: 10 minutes
For quickness and convenience, I love that this recipe uses canned beans and diced ham. I've made it on the stove top in no time at all, served with some warm cornbread. I've also followed the recipe and made it in the crockpot. When using the diced ham, I'd recommend throwing in some Better than Bouillon Ham flavoring or some extra seasoning.
Grilling
From: Little Broken
Ready In: 35 minutes
My husband tasked me with finding more things for him to make for us on the grill. I'm not a huge red meat eater, so I found some pork and chicken recipes to try and this was one of my favorites. These are SO flavorful and delicious. It's the perfect fall grilling recipe! I did leave out the red pepper flakes so that it wasn't too spicy for the kids.
Ready In: 5-15 minutes
A classic and super easy dinner, perfect for busy summer nights. Since you don't really need a recipe to cook hot dogs, I linked an article about 6 different cooking methods. Let me know how you prefer yours!
From: The Wooden Skillet
Ready In: 15-20 minutes
My husband's favorite thing to cook on the grill is - of course - steak. Obviously there are many different cuts of steak and methods for preparing them, but here's a super easy version for the grill that'll have a delicious dinner on the table in under 20 minutes!
From: I Heart Naptime
Ready In: 20 minutes
Another classic that you just can't go wrong with. My whole family loves burger night! I like doubling the recipe and making extra patties to throw in the freezer. This makes the next burger night an even quicker meal (as long as I remembered to thaw the patties beforehand!).
Honey Balsamic Grilled Chicken
From: SkinnyTaste
Ready In: 25 minutes (not counting marinade time)
We LOVE this grilled chicken recipe. It's so flavorful and great for something different. It's delicious as is, but you really can sub in a variety of your favorite veggies. We often make it with green beans and carrots since those are veggies the kids consistently eat. (Asparagus is hit or miss and hubby is not a fan of it).
From: BellyFull
Ready In: 45 minutes
So this one takes a little bit more prep time, but you make up for it in the lack of dishes afterwards! It's a fun change of pace and great for a nice weekend outdoor dinner!
Family Favorites
From: I Heart Naptime
Hands On Time: 20 Minutes
There are SO many ways you can switch it up for a pizza night - whether you're making pizzas from scratch, having frozen pizza, making some different flatbreads, letting your kids get wild with toppings...pizza night is always a fun favorite at our house!
Time: Varies
Without a doubt, this is THE MOST requested dinner from our kids. Our go-to is pancakes, hashbrowns, and bacon but just like with Pizza Night, the possibilities are truly endless. You could really have Breakfast for Dinner be it's own theme category.
From: I Wash You Dry
Hands On Time: 5 minutes
While I haven't tried this version specifically, Hawaiian Haystacks are one of my family's favorites. My kids love anything that they get to add their own customized toppings! We make ours with pork, using the recipe from the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. I couldn't find a similar recipe, because most are made with chicken but this one is highly rated! Every I Heart Naptime recipe I've mentioned on here (which is a lot) is from her cookbook, so it's definitely money well spent in my opinion.
From: The Slow Roasted Italian
Ready In: 30 minutes
These are perfect if you recently made a big batch of that chili I mentioned earlier and are getting bored of eating it! The recipe says to bake for 30-35 minutes, but it doesn't usually take mine that long to be cooked through and the cheese melty, so just keep an eye on it. For an extra speedy dinner, you could boil the hot dogs, top with leftover chili, then just broil your chili dogs to melt the cheese. Just be careful not to burn your buns with this method!
From: Molly's Home Guide
Ready In: 20 Minutes
I love a good grilled cheese sandwich. Here's another kid favorite that you can easily switch up. I love to throw a few slices of bacon on mine. We've also tried Pizza Grilled Cheese (huge hit) and Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese. Another winner was Pimiento Grilled Cheese - which I just spread a thin layer of pimiento cheese and some bacon on texas toast - be warned, this one was delicious but very messy!
From: The Magical Slow Cooker
Hands On Time: 5 Minutes
These classic crockpot meatballs are another kid favorite! I add a bit of onion powder, garlic powder, and a couple teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce to mine. I usually serve them with mashed potatoes and green beans. All three are easy to make in bulk and re-heat super well, which makes a great leftover lunch the next day!
And there you have it! 54 delicious and simple themed dinner ideas to get your meal plan started. Let me know your favorites in the comments! Happy meal planning!
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