This week's meal plan is focused on quick and easy because who wants to spend time in the kitchen when it's there's so much to do outside?
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📅 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!
- July 16 National Ice Cream Day and I have plenty of great ice cream recipes!
- July 19 National Daiquiri Day is the perfect excuse to sip this smooth, silky, and sweet banana daiquiri.
- July 21 National Junk Food Day gives us permission to eat all our favorite snacks. My favorite? Little Debbie Zebra Cakes!
🫑 What's in Season?
A better question might be, "what isn't in season?"
Everything is ripening and coming into the Farmers' Markets now. It's fresh, in season, and at it's best. Make the most of these fresh flavors.
- Apricots
- Beets
- Bell pepper
- Berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries)
- Chiles
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Figs
- Green beans & Wax beans
- Mangoes
- Melon
- Nectarines
- Okra
- Peaches
- Pineapples
- Plums
- Radishes
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini and yellow squash
🍹This week's cocktail
Pineapple Sangria
Tropical pineapple sangria is fruity and sparkly, light and refreshing with a touch of coconut and ginger.
💭 Tips for success
This week's recipes are so easy that there aren't many things you can do to save more time. Here are my thoughts -
- If you've got leftover chicken tenders you can crisp them up in the oven and use them for your spicy chicken biscuits.
- Make extra cole slaw and use it to top bbq sandiwiches made with the beef barbacoa and some bbq sauce.
- Leftover zucchini bread? Make French toast with it! Don't soak it too long or it will fall apart - just a quick dip.
- Y'all already know how I feel about meatloaf sandwiches it's worth making extra to have leftovers for sandwichs as far as I'm concerned.
- If you have leftover cabbage you can make a quick meal by warming it up with sliced smoked sausage.
- Black eyed pea salad can also be used as a salsa with chips.
July 16
Popeye's Chicken Tenders
These chicken tenders are better than the ones at Popeyes! So crispy on the outside and tender on the inside!
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Sweet and spicy roast sweet potatoes are the perfect side dish for this meal!
Circus Animal Cookies Ice Cream
I loved the frosted circus animals as a kid so I made an circus animal ice cream out of them! You'll love it!
July 17
Meatloaf
Old fashioned meatloaf is tender and juicy with a sweet and tangy glaze. If you have time some cornbread goes great with this dinner! Leftovers? Meatloaf sandwiches!
Fried Cabbage
I could eat fried cabbage all day every day. Tender cabbage and onion are cooked down with bacon grease. SO good.
Pineapple Zucchini Bread
This isn't really a dessert but I love this pineapple zucchini bread served warm as a side dish with some cinnamon butter.
July 18
Honey Garlic Meatballs
These honey garlic meatballs are so good that it's hard to believe they take just 30 minutes!
Yellow Squash Casserole
This southern side dish is a summer classic! Yellow squash casserole is creamy and gooey comfort food.
Strawberry Angel Food Cake
Dessert doesn't get easier! This strawberry angel food cake starts with a cake from the store!
July 19
Smothered Chicken
Believe it or not smothered chicken is a quick and easy meal!
Fried Potatoes
Old fashioned fried potatoes are so good with this chicken dinner because they soak up all the extra gravy.
Earl Grey Thumbprints
These thumbprint cookies are crumbly and buttery with a middle that has a delicate chocolate and earl grey flavor.
July 20
Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits
I usually make these spicy honey butter chicken biscuits for brunch or a snack but why not have them for a fun (and easy!) dinner!
Cole Slaw
Creamy and tangy cole slaw is addictive as far as I'm concerned.
Chocolate Pudding
Once you taste homemade chocolate pudding you'll never -ever go back to the instant pudding!
July 21
Beef Barbacoa
This beef barbacoa cooks low and slow in the crockpot and you can use it for anything from tacos and burritos to bbq sandwiches. It makes a lot and freezes well.
Black Eyed Pea Salad
Black eyed pea salad is sometimes called cowboy caviar. The earthy flavor of the black eyed peas blends beautifully with cilantro and spicy jalapeno.
Irish Apple Cake
I usually think of this apple cake for St. Patrick's Day but it's so good all year. Not too sweet with a delicious whiskey brown butter sauce.
July 22
Taco Spaghetti
SO easy! One pot taco spaghetti has become the most popular recipe on the blog since I shared it with y'all a couple of months ago. It's cheesy, gooey comfort food.
Marinated Green Bean Salad
This easy green bean salad is best if it's made a day ahead of time.
Millionaire Pie
Millionaire pie is a vintage recipe that I grew up with and ordered it at Furr's cafeteria every chance I got! Tropical and creamy - you're going to love this easy, no bake dessert.
📚 Related recipes
Enjoy 30 quick weeknight dinner recipes!
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