If "What are we having for dinner?" is a question that fills you with dread every single night, maybe it's time to stop asking it.
Our brilliant solution: meal templates. Simply assign a different theme (say, "pizza" or "casserole") to each night of the month and then cook something that falls into that category. No guesswork. Plenty of creativity.
Here, 30 templates (and even more recipe ideas) to get you started.
DAY 1: PIZZA NIGHT
15 minutes: Pita Pizza
30 minutes: Egg Florentine Pizza
60 minutes: Sweet Potato and Rosemary Pizza
DAY 2: CHICKEN NIGHT
15 minutes: Greek Chicken Cutlets
30 minutes: Buttermilk Fried Chicken
60 minutes: Lemon and Herb Roast Chicken
Related: Skinny Chicken Dinner Recipes
DAY 3: SALAD NIGHT
15 minutes: Warm Beef and Veggie Amaranth Salad
60 minutes: Falafel Salad with Spicy Yogurt Sauce
DAY 4: PASTA NIGHT
15 minutes: Cacio e Pepe
30 minutes: Orecchiette with Sausage and Kale
DAY 5: BREAKFAST FOR DINNER NIGHT
15 minutes: Amaranth Pancakes
30 minutes: Breakfast Burrito
60 minutes: Italian Sausage and Ricotta Frittata
DAY 6: VEGETARIAN NIGHT
15 minutes: Brussels Sprout and Tempeh Stir-Fry
30 minutes: Couscous and Feta Stuffed Peppers
60 minutes: Eggplant Meatballs with Za'atar and Kale Pesto
DAY 7: RICE NIGHT
15 minutes: Green Bean Avocado Fried Rice
30 minutes: Wild Mushroom Risotto
DAY 8: STIR-FRY NIGHT
15 minutes: Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry with Peanuts
30 minutes: Steak Stir-Fry
60 minutes: Black Pepper Stir-Fried Noodles
DAY 9: SANDWICH NIGHT
15 minutes: Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Avocado
60 minutes: Chicken Parmesan Panini
DAY 10: SLOW COOKER NIGHT
15 minutes prep: Brown Sugar Pulled Chicken with Bacon and Brussels Sprouts
30 minutes prep: Slow-Cooker Chipotle Beef Tacos with Cabbage and Radish Slaw
60 minutes prep: Lemongrass Baby Back Ribs
DAY 11: GAME FOOD NIGHT
15 minutes: Perfect Microwave Nachos
30 minutes: Devilish Chili-Cheese Dogs
60 minutes: Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups
Related: 32 Winning Game Day Recipes
DAY 12: SOUP NIGHT
15 minutes: Classic Black Bean Soup
30 minutes: Ginger Carrot Bisque
60 minutes: Potato Leek Soup
DAY 13: STEAK NIGHT
15 minutes: Broiled Flank Steak with Warm Tomato Topping
30 minutes: Steak Tacos Al Carbon
60 minutes: Oven Sirloin Steak Stew
DAY 14: SEAFOOD NIGHT
15 minutes: Grilled Salmon with Heirloom Tomatoes
30 minutes: Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Seared Scallops
60 minutes: Seared Halibut with Citrus Beurre Blanc
DAY 15: CASSEROLE NIGHT
15 minutes: Skillet Chicken and Dressing Casserole
30 minutes: Sweet Chili Ranch Chicken Casserole
60 minutes: Enchilada Casserole
Related: 8 Cauliflower Casserole Recipes
DAY 16: BURGER NIGHT
15 minutes: Mustard-Glazed Mushroom Burger
30 minutes: Andouille Slider Burgers with Caramelized Onions
60 minutes: Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger
DAY 17: CHEESE NIGHT
15 minutes: Make Your Own Cheese Plate
30 minutes: Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake
60 minutes: Truffled Mac & Cheese
DAY 18: FRENCH NIGHT
15 minutes: Easy Cheese Fondue
30 minutes: French-Style Chicken with Peas and Bacon
60 minutes: Ratatouille
DAY 19: CHILI NIGHT
15 minutes: 5-Ingredient Chili
30 minutes: Spicy Ancho Turkey Chili
60 minutes: Seafood Chili
DAY 20: TAPAS NIGHT
15 minutes: Tortilla Espanola
30 minutes: Tapas Feast
60 minutes: Chilled Mussels with Saffron Mayonnaise
DAY 21: ITALIAN NIGHT
15 minutes: Tuna Bucatini
60 minutes: Spaghetti and Meatballs
DAY 22: BBQ NIGHT
15 minutes: BBQ Beef Sandwiches
30 minutes: Shrimp Skewers
60 minutes: Brown-Sugar Barbecue Chicken Drumettes
DAY 23: POTATO NIGHT
15 minutes: Easy Potato Gnocchi
30 minutes: Baked Eggs and Potatoes
60 minutes: Baked Potato Soup
DAY 24: COMFORT FOOD NIGHT
15 minutes: Microwave Mac and Cheese
30 minutes: Fried Chicken
60 minutes: Cheesy Meatloaf Minis
DAY 25: FLATBREAD NIGHT
15 minutes: Japanese Mushroom Flatbread
30 minutes: Grilled Spelt Flatbread with Tapenade and Tomato
60 minutes: Fig and Blue Cheese Flatbread
DAY 26: WAFFLE NIGHT
15 minutes: Cheddar Waffle BLT
30 minutes: Biscuit and Egg Waffles
60 minutes: Chicken and Waffles
DAY 27: CURRY NIGHT
15 minutes: Curried Quinoa Salad with Cucumber-Mint Raita
30 minutes: Squash Coconut Curry
60 minutes: Thai-Style Beef and Broccoli Curry
DAY 28: GLUTEN-FREE NIGHT
15 minutes: Pan-Roasted Grouper with Provencal Vegetables
30 minutes: Honey-Mustard Teriyaki Chicken and Peach Kabobs
60 minutes: Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto
DAY 29: Taco Night
15 minutes: 15-Minute Stir-Fried Steak Tacos
30 minutes: Caribbean Chicken Tacos
60 minutes: Build-Your-Own Tacos
30: LEFTOVERS NIGHT
Your fridge is stocked after 29 days. Mangia!
Related:
The 15 Best Snacks Under 15 Calories
9 Thanksgiving Recipes You Can Make Ahead and Stash in Your Freezer
Fall-Food Bucket List: 10 Recipes You Must Try This Season
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