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Here is the deal. Every Friday morning I hand you five easy dinners for the week ahead, one treat for the weekend, and a one page shopping list you can print and carry into the store. This is week five, and it is Halloween week, so the dinners are cozy and the treat is a graveyard in a cup. Five different proteins, one slow cooker night, one air fryer night, and a few pantry items that pull double duty. Print the list, shop over the weekend, and dinner is handled Monday through Friday.
Why This Week Works
- Comfort food for a cold week. Chicken and dumplings Monday, Frito pie Tuesday, and ribs that cook all day while you are at work.
- Five different proteins. Chicken Monday, beef Tuesday, catfish Wednesday, pork ribs Thursday, sea bass Friday. Nobody is staring at the same plate twice.
- The pantry overlaps on purpose. One quart of buttermilk covers Monday’s dumplings and Wednesday’s catfish breading. The chipotle powder seasons Tuesday’s chili and Thursday’s ribs, and the honey goes into the ribs and Friday’s sea bass glaze.
- Thursday cooks itself. The ribs go in the slow cooker in the morning and come out fall apart tender ten hours later. Five minutes under the broiler and they are sticky.
- Friday feels fancy. The sea bass broils in under 15 minutes and looks like you ordered it.
- The treat is for Halloween. No bake graveyard dirt cups the kids can decorate themselves, right in time for the 31st.
Monday: Chicken and Dumplings
Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings made in one pot with tender flat dumplings in a thick, creamy broth. Easy comfort food the whole family loves! Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings
Serving note: Ladle it into big bowls with a side of steamed carrots or green beans. It makes six servings, so somebody gets dumplings for lunch Tuesday.
Tuesday: Frito Pie Casserole
Frito pie casserole layers crunchy Fritos, homemade beef chili, and melty cheddar into one easy baked comfort dinner the whole family will devour. Easy Frito Pie Casserole Recipe
Serving note: Put out the sour cream and scallions and let everybody top their own. A bagged salad on the side and you are done.
Wednesday: Catfish Nuggets
These Air Fryer Catfish Nuggets are crispy, cornmeal crusted, and cajun spiced with deep fried crunch and barely any oil. Ready in just 15 minutes! Air Fryer Crispy Catfish Nuggets Recipe
Serving note: Fifteen minutes in the air fryer. Serve with coleslaw and a squeeze of lemon, and use the rest of Monday’s buttermilk for the breading.
Thursday: Honey Chipotle Ribs
Slow cooker St. Louis ribs glazed with honey chipotle BBQ sauce, fall apart tender in 10 hours, broiled for a sticky finish that tastes like real BBQ. St. Louis Ribs in Slow Cooker Recipe (Honey Chipotle)
Serving note: Start these before you leave for the day. Ten hours later you broil them for five minutes and dinner tastes like a barbecue joint.
Friday: Asian Glazed Sea Bass
This Asian Glazed Chilean Sea Bass Recipe is buttery, restaurant worthy fish with a sweet, savory glaze that broils in under 15 minutes. Easy and so impressive! Asian Glazed Chilean Sea Bass Recipe
Serving note: Serve the sea bass over white rice with steamed broccoli. It looks like a restaurant plate and it is under 15 minutes start to finish.
The Treat: Halloween Dirt Cups
These no bake Halloween dirt cups layer chocolate pudding and crushed Oreo dirt in clear cups, topped with RIP cookie tombstones, ghost Peeps, and candy pumpkins. Halloween Dirt Cups (Graveyard Pudding Cups)
Serving note: Make these Saturday for the Halloween party, or let the kids build their own graveyard. No baking, and they disappear fast.
The Shopping List
One page, grouped the way the store is laid out, with a box next to every line so you can check things off as they land in the cart. Print it Saturday morning and go.
Get These Plans in Your Inbox
A new plan goes up here every Friday morning. If you would rather have it land in your inbox than remember to come looking for it, grab one of the free recipe packs and you are on the list.
