This April Meal Plan includes easy dinners, sides, and desserts to help you save time and plan ahead.
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Happy April! Is 2019 going by ridiculously fast for you, too? Or is it just me? March was jam packed for us and April weekends are already fully scheduled too.
We celebrated Julia’s 5th birthday by spending the day at SEA LIFE and LEGOLAND, which was so fun! If you’re in Metro Detroit and haven’t been yet, you should really check them out. We had been to SEA LIFE several times but it was our first time at LEGOLAND and we were all impressed.
We are also working on a kitchen renovation (I’ve been sharing pics on Instagram, if you follow along over there) and lost a week when the countertops were getting replaced. Next week the painting starts so we’ll be out of commission again.
For those reasons, we’ve fallen a little behind on meal planning and prepping and I miss it so much! I’m looking forward to things settling down and getting back on track. In the meantime, hopefully these ideas help you!
HOW DO YOU START MEAL PLANNING
It took me too long to get organized and start meal planning so here are some tips if you’re just getting started & overwhelmed.
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- Figure out if you need to accommodate any special diets for the month. For instance, my husband is currently doing keto but me and the girls aren’t. So, I try to pick low carb options for him and things my suddenly extremely picky 4 year old will eat. Luckily me and the baby are fairly easy to please.
- Pick out the recipes you want to make (that’s the whole point of me gathering these here for you!) – see below for ideas!
- Create somewhere easy to save the recipes – a special board on Pinterest or an app like Google Keep are my favorites. Or a journal might work best for you.
- Make a calendar to plan out which day is going to be which meal. Maybe a dry erase board or chalkboard.
- Try out some theme nights – Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, etc.
- Make a shopping list and pick a shopping day. I use Shipt because it makes my life easier. If you’re not familiar, Shipt partners with your local grocery store, you shop via the app, and someone brings your groceries to your door. It’s such a lifesaver! My aunt gifted me a membership last year after I had surgery but I think I’ll keep it forever. If you sign up with my link, you’ll get $50 off the annual membership, making it $49 and totally worth it.
Ok, let’s get to the ideas for this month.
WEEK 1
Main Dishes
- Rueben in a bowl
- Tuna, Olive and Caper Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs
- Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops & Potatoes
- 3 Cheese Beef Pasta Bake
- Goulash
Side Dishes
Desserts
WEEK 2
Main Dishes
- Easy Mozzarella chicken
- Instant Pot Lamb Roast
- Home-style Meatloaf Stuffed Poblanos
- Hard Rock Cafe Twisted Macaroni & Cheese
- Caribbean Jamaican Jerk Fish Tacos
- Pizza Ortolana
Side Dishes
Dessert
WEEK 3
Main Dishes
- Sausage with Peppers and Onions
- Cheesy Chicken Tostadas
- Classic Meatloaf with Brown Gravy
- Portuguese Style Chicken Skewers
- Crock Pot Honey Bourbon Chicken
Side Dishes
Dessert
WEEK 4
Main Dishes
- Sloppy Joes
- Slow Cooker Italian Roast Beef with Potatoes & Carrots
- Tonkatsu
- Baked Red & White Mostaccioli
- Slow Cooker Cheese Stuffed Turkey Meatballs
Side Dishes
Dessert
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Every dish looks super delicious.