Published: Last Updated: by Marye 782 words. | About 4 minutes to read this article.
The days are getting longer and nicer. No one wants to be stuck in the kitchen cooking!
This week's meal plan is full of quick and easy warm weather favorites that make the most of the fresh flavors of summer.
📅 Food Holidays
- April 24 is National Pigs in a Blanket Day... while I don't have that recipe I do have this sausage kolache (which is really a klobasnek).
- April 25 is National Zucchini Bread Day which seems weird to me. Don't you think it should be in July? Anyway - here's my recipe for zucchini bread.
💭 Tips for success
- Make the gelato on the weekend. Homemade ice cream is better if it has time to "ripen" in the freezer. It will be perfect the day you're ready to serve it.
- I don't know about you but I could eat my weight in brownies. I like to let them cool then freeze half for another time.
- If you have leftover salsa chicken and pasta con broccoli, dice the chicken and stir it into the pasta dish. It makes a great, light lunch.
- Leftover cowboy caviar is a delicious snack served with tortilla chips. Use it like a salsa!
- Change the banana pudding up by layering with crumbled Oreos it in pretty glasses.
🍹This week's co*cktail
Grapefruit Hibiscus Tequila Sour
Ok - I bet you can tell I'm ready for those lazy, summer days, right? This tequila sour is definitely delicious!
April 23
Blackened Chicken
I am obsessed with this copycat Popeye's Blackened Chicken recipe!
Mom's Potato Salad
Creamy, old fashioned potato salad just like mom's! It's best if you make it a day ahead of serving.
Chewy Brownies
Rich, chocolate brownies are made with dark cocoa for extra fudgy good flavor.
April 24
Lipton Onion Soup Burgers
Lipton onion soup burgers are juicy and full of flavor whether you make them on the grill or on the stove.
Cowboy Caviar
Cowboy caviar, or black eyed pea salad, is one of my favorite sides. You can use it as a salsa type dip for tortilla chips, too.
Chocolate Sheet Cake
Classic chocolate sheet cake (not to be confused with Texas sheet cake) is moist and tender with a light as air whipped chocolate frosting.
April 25
Salsa Chicken
We always called this salsa chicken Texas 2-step chicken because it's SO easy to toss together!
Pasta con Broccoli
Creamy, gooey, cheesy pasta con broccoli is a deliciously unique combination of Alfredo and mac& cheese!
Key Lime Chile Gelato
Everyone who sees this is hesitant but I promise if you ever try it once you'll be a believer! Key lime chile gelato is sweet, tangy, spicy, and SO perfectly rich and creamy.
April 26
Beef Taco Skillet
Beef taco skillet is a super easy skillet dinner. I like to serve it with a bowl of warm tortilla chips and salsa.
Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
These oven roasted sweet potatoes have a crispy crust and tender inside. They're tossed in a sweet & spicy chipotle mixture that really brings out the flavor.
Margarita Pound Cake
Moist, dense, and tender! This tangy margarita pound cake has a salty pretzel crust that gives it authentic margarita flavor!
April 27
King Ranch Casserole
King ranch casserole can be assembled ahead of time. It's almost like a creamy chicken enchilada but SO much easier!
Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad
Easy broccoli and cauliflower salad is sweet and tangy, creamy and crunchy!
White Texas Sheet Cake
A coconut flavored cake covered with an icing that is reminiscent of vanilla fudge is hard to turn down! This white Texas sheet cake is absolutely delicious!
April 28
Grilled Shrimp Creole
This grilled shrimp creole with roasted tomatoes is so quick and easy. It's the perfect way to get in the mood for summer!
Grilled Pear Salad
Pear salad is an iconic southern dish but I've changed it up by grilling the pears, adding bleu cheese and candied pecans, and drizzling with jalapeno honey. You can use regular honey if you wish.
Lemon Icebox Pie
There isn't a dessert that has sparked more happy memories than this easy lemon ice box pie! Rich, creamy, and no baking needed!
April 29
Perfect Pot Roast
Tender beef, carrots, and potatoes slow cooked until the smell makes you want to chew on the walls. This pot roast always comes out perfectly.
Broccoli Casserole
Broccoli casserole is creamy and cheesy with a buttery Ritz cracker topping. Even dyed in the wool broccoli haters love this dish.
Nutter Butter Banana Pudding
Homemade, southern banana pudding from scratch is made even more delicious with Nutter Butters!! No instant pudding here. No fake flavors.
- Real Life Meal Planning
- Meal Plan 53
- Meal Plan 52: December 17 - 23
- Meal Plan 51: December 10 - 16
Enjoy 30 quick weeknight dinner recipes!
More Meal Plans: What to Cook This Week
- Meal Plan 50: December 3-9
- Meal Plan 49: November 26 - December 2
- Meal Plan 48: November 19- 25
- Meal Plan 47: November 12 - 18
About Marye
Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them. She's been around the culinary block more than once, turning simple ingredients into mouthwatering masterpieces. With a sprinkle of humor and a dash of wit, she makes cooking feel like a piece of cake (which she can also teach you to bake perfectly). When she's not conjuring up delicious dishes, you might find her sharing laughs with her family, reading by the fire, or scribbling down her next big recipe idea. Marye believes that a good meal and a hearty laugh are the best parts of life. Marye's a NY Times Bestselling author with 10 cookbooks under her belt and her recipes have been featured in Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Today, House Beautiful, Texas Living, Food & Wine, and many more.
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