Meal Plan 28: July 2 - 8 - Restless Chipotle

Happy 4th of July! This week's meal plan includes lots of grilled meals like my favorite creole shrimp as well as some easy, old fashioned summer favorites like the classic tomato sandwich!

As always there are sides and desserts and plenty of time saving (and money saving) tips.

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📅 Food Holidays
💭 Tips for success
🍹This week's cocktail
July 2
July 3
July 4
July 5
July 6
July 7
July 8
📚 Related recipes

📅 Food Holidays

We celebrate a couple of fun food holidays this week. They're silly little holidays but it gives us an opportunity to make some memories and have some fun!

4th of July of course! You'll find tons of recipe in the 4th of July category.
July 5 National Apple Turnover Day. It's a good time to try these easy apple fried pies!
July 7 National Macaroni Day. Celebrate with pasta!

💭 Tips for success

If you've got leftover gumbo it freezes well for 3 or 4 months.
Any leftover chicken this week? Add it to the southwestern pasta salad for a light lunch or dinner!
Those pickled onions will stay good for a week at least and they're a delicious replacement for regular onions in your salads.
Make a big batch of homemade ice cream to use in various desserts this week.
Save some of the cookies to make ice cream sandwiches with.
Repurpose the grilled pineapple as a topping for waffles or pancakes.

🍹This week's cocktail

Closeup of a glass of gin and tonic with a cherry in it.

Gin & Tonic

This blue gin and tonic cocktail is perfect for summer! The refreshing color and light flavor just invite you to relax on the porch!

July 2

Chicken and sausage on a serving spoon from a crock pot filled with gumbo.

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Chicken and sausage gumbo is packed with authentic Louisiana flavor but SO easy in a slow cooker!

Overhead view of cornbread with a serving removed.

Creamed Corn Cornbread

This easy creamed corn cornbread is always moist and delicious!

Closeup of a slice of pie for feature image.

Candy Apple Pie

One of our favorite twists on "all American apple pie" is this candy apple pie. Big cinnamon flavor!

July 3

Cheesy Ham & Noodle Casserole

Comfort food, anyone? Cheesy ham and noodle casserole is an old fashioned recipe that you can assemble ahead of time.

Close up overhead view of a bowl of gree

Southern Green Beans

Sweet and tangy, smoky and delicious! Southern green beans are quick and easy with my method.

Butterscotch Cookies

Chewy and crispy butterscotch buckaroon cookies are a favorite of kids of all ages. Save some for ice cream sandwiches later in the week.

July 4

Close up of chicken breast that's been grilled.

Grilled Chicken

When you wrap chicken breast in bacon before grilling you end up with the most delicious, juiciest grilled chicken ever.

Potato Salad

My mom's potato salad is a classic! It's creamy with tender chunks of potato, crispy celery, and delicious dressing in each bite.

Grilled Pineapple

This can be a side dish or a dessert! Grilled pineapple has a buttery bourbon glaze grilled right on. It's like the dish you get at the Brazilian steakhouses.

Ice Cream Bowls

These edible white chocolate ice cream bowls are fun to make! Fill with homemade ice cream covered in red velvet hot fudge sauce!

July 5

Tomato Sandwiches

I love tomato sandwiches in the summer! I know you probably don't need a recipe but I figured you might need a reminder!

Macaroni salad made with Texas shaped pasta on a red plate.

Texas Macaroni Salad

This Tex-Mex pasta salad is made with Texas shaped macaroni, a creamy southwestern dressing and plenty of roasted corn.

Homemade french vanilla ice cream in a glass. ice cream

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

Use the leftover butterscotch cookies and homemade vanilla ice cream (or your favorite) to make ice cream sandwiches

July 6

Grilled Shrimp

This is my update on the classic shrimp creole. Seasoned grilled shrimp & roasted tomatoes make for a very summery meal!

Closeup overhead view of this recipe showing the different components in detail.

Fruit Salad

I can't get enough of this light easy summer fruit salad with lime dressing in the summer! If you use honeydew in it save some of the honeydew for later in the week.

Close up of nachos with chocolate, caramel, and white chocolate.

Grilled Dessert Nachos

Salty, sweet, gooey perfection! Grilled dessert nachos are easy to make and everyone loves them!

July 7

A hamburger on a bun topped with macaroni and cheese.

Macaroni & Cheeseburgers

Use leftover mac& cheese to make these glorious macaroni & cheeseburgers. Crowd friendly and family pleasing!

Overhead view of a bowl of green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, and red onions created for the feature image of this post.

Green Bean Salad

Fresh summer produce gives this easy, marinated green bean salad plenty of flavor.

Pickled Onions

Easy pickled onions go together fast and they are delicious on sandwiches, burgers, and in salads!

Nutter Butter Banana Pudding

Classic banana pudding gets an update with peanut butter cookies in this Nutter Butter Banana Pudding. It's a family favorite!

July 8

Overhead view of a plate with chicken spooned over rice.

Russian Chicken

Russian chicken is made with tender chicken breast in a sweet and tangy sauce. It's super easy to make with pantry staples. Serve over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes.