Week 5 Meal Plan – Group 1

Master Your Week: Delicious & Easy 5-Day Meal Plan Featuring Family Favorites and Smart Leftover Hacks

Meal Plan for Week 5 (Group 1): Italian Flank Steak, Swedish Meatballs, Beef with Broccoli, Chicken Corn Chowder, Zucchini Lasagna.

Welcome to Week 5 of our curated meal plans designed to bring ease and deliciousness to your kitchen! This week, we’re focusing on a fantastic balance of flavors, quick prep times, and clever strategies to maximize your ingredients and minimize food waste. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or just starting your cooking journey, this plan is crafted to make your weeknights stress-free and your meals satisfying. Get ready to enjoy a diverse menu that includes hearty beef dishes, comforting meatballs, and a freezer-friendly lasagna that will thank your future self!

Week 5 Meal Plan Overview & Smart Prep Tips

This week’s meal plan is all about efficiency and flavor. We’ve structured it so that you can cook smarter, not harder, by utilizing planned leftovers and incorporating dishes that can be prepared in advance. Below is a quick summary of what’s on the menu and some important notes to help you get started.

Week 5 Summary

Notes for this week
  • Save leftovers from Day 1’s Italian Flank Steak to use in Beef with Broccoli later this week. To ensure you have enough, you may want to purchase a larger steak than 2 lbs, or simply adjust the serving sizes for Day 1 accordingly.
  • Zucchini Lasagna is an excellent freezer meal! Consider doubling the recipe and freezing one pan for a quick and easy dinner on a future busy night. This is a fantastic way to utilize fresh zucchini and streamline your meal prep.

Day 1
Italian Flank Steak (save leftovers) Roasted Potatoes Brussels Sprouts

Day 2
Swedish Meatballs Egg Noodles Green Beans

Day 3
Beef with Broccoli (planned leftovers) Rice

Day 4
Tex-Mex Chicken Corn Chowder Baguette Slices

Day 5
Zucchini Lasagna Italian Bread Salad

Day 1: Flavorful Italian Flank Steak with Roasted Sides

Kick off your week with a robust and incredibly flavorful Italian Flank Steak. This dish is not only delicious but also serves as a brilliant foundation for a future meal, thanks to our smart leftover strategy. Paired with perfectly roasted potatoes and crisp Brussels sprouts, this meal offers a complete and satisfying experience.

Italian Flank Steak is marinated to perfection, ensuring every bite is tender and bursting with savory Italian herbs and spices. It’s a fantastic cut of meat for grilling or pan-searing, yielding a delightful crust while remaining juicy on the inside. Don’t forget to set aside a portion of the cooked steak for Day 3’s Beef with Broccoli – this simple trick saves you time and effort later in the week!


Italian Flank Steak

Not only is prep quick and easy for this marinated roast, but it is a good way to plan leftovers and use the remaining meat in a dish like Beef with Broccoli.

Complementing the rich steak are Roasted Red Potatoes, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, providing a delightful texture and earthy flavor. And to add a touch of green goodness, we’ve included roasted Brussels sprouts, which caramelize beautifully when roasted, bringing out their natural sweetness. This trio creates a harmonious and satisfying meal that will leave everyone at the table content.


Roasted Red Potatoes

These roasted red potatoes are always a hit and they make amazing potato salad. Tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside, they are perfect with any kind of grilled or roasted meat.

Day 2: Cozy Swedish Meatballs with Egg Noodles

Day 2 brings a classic comfort food to your table: Swedish Meatballs. This dish is renowned for its rich, creamy sauce and tender meatballs, creating a hearty and inviting meal that’s perfect for a weeknight. It’s an ideal choice for families, offering familiar flavors that everyone loves.

Our Swedish Meatballs recipe is designed for ease and speed. You can opt for store-bought frozen meatballs for a super-quick meal, or if you prefer a homemade touch, our bulk meatball recipe allows you to prep ahead and freeze your own. Served over soft, buttery egg noodles, which perfectly soak up the delicious cream sauce, and accompanied by fresh, vibrant green beans, this meal is both satisfying and balanced. It’s a quick prep-to-table solution that doesn’t compromise on flavor or warmth.


Swedish Meatballs

This quick and easy stovetop meal uses few ingredients and goes from prep to table in 20 minutes. You can buy frozen meatballs from the grocery store, or if you prefer to make your own, we have a bulk meatball recipe that is perfect for cooking ahead.

Day 3: Easy Beef with Broccoli (Thanks to Leftovers!)

Mid-week calls for something quick, flavorful, and incredibly smart – and our Easy Beef with Broccoli delivers on all fronts! This meal is a prime example of efficient meal planning, utilizing the leftover Italian Flank Steak from Day 1. This not only saves you cooking time but also ensures that no delicious meat goes to waste.

Transforming your leftover flank steak into a vibrant Beef with Broccoli stir-fry is surprisingly simple. The steak gets a new life, tossed with crisp broccoli florets in a savory homemade ginger-soy sauce that rivals your favorite takeout. Serving it over a bed of fluffy white rice makes it a complete, balanced, and utterly satisfying meal. It’s a testament to how a little planning can lead to amazing, diverse dinners throughout the week.


Easy Beef with Broccoli using Leftover Steak

Easy Beef with Broccoli stir fry with homemade ginger-soy sauce is a perfect meal to make with leftover steak or London Broil.

Day 4: Warming Tex-Mex Chicken Corn Chowder

As the week progresses, we invite you to warm up with a bowl of our delightful Tex-Mex Chicken Corn Chowder. This soup is a burst of comforting flavors, combining tender chicken, sweet corn, and a creamy, lightly spiced broth with a Tex-Mex twist. It’s the perfect antidote to a chilly evening or a busy day, offering both warmth and satisfying nutrition.

The beauty of this chicken chowder lies in its simplicity and speed. If you have leftover cooked chicken on hand (perhaps from another meal or pre-cooked for meal prep), you can have this hearty soup ready in under 30 minutes! It’s a fantastic solution for a speedy weeknight dinner that doesn’t compromise on taste. Serve it alongside crusty baguette slices, perfect for dipping into the rich, cheesy broth, and enjoy a truly comforting culinary experience.


Southwest Chicken Corn Chowder

This cheesy chicken corn chowder is an easy weeknight meal. If you have leftover chicken, you can have this soup ready in under 30 minutes.

Day 5: Freezer-Friendly Zucchini Lasagna with Italian Bread & Salad

Conclude your culinary week with a hearty and incredibly versatile Freezer-Friendly Zucchini Lasagna. This dish is a true crowd-pleaser and an ultimate meal prep hero. Bursting with nutrient-rich vegetables, savory sauces, and layers of creamy cheese, it’s a comforting Italian classic with a healthy twist.

Our Zucchini Lasagna features tender zucchini slices replacing traditional pasta, making it a lighter yet equally satisfying option. Layers of rich ricotta cheese, a robust vegetable and meat sauce (you can easily make it vegetarian too!), and perfectly melted mozzarella come together in a symphony of flavors and textures. The best part? It freezes beautifully! We highly recommend doubling the recipe and freezing one pan. This simple step provides a delicious, ready-to-bake meal for a future busy day, saving you valuable time and effort. Serve it with warm, crusty Italian bread to soak up all the delicious sauce and a fresh green salad to complete this wonderful meal.


Freezer Zucchini Lasagna

This delicious freezer zucchini lasagna is full of nutrient-rich vegetables. With layers of creamy ricotta, rich and hearty vegetable and meat sauce, tasty zucchini slices, and perfectly melted cheese, Freezer Zucchini Lasagna is a crowd-pleaser. It’s a great way to preserve a bountiful zucchini harvest!

Streamline Your Cooking: Create a Shopping List

Ready to bring this delicious Week 5 meal plan to life? To make your grocery shopping and meal preparation as smooth as possible, we’ve included a convenient shopping list feature. Simply click the “Shopping List” button below, and then select “Print Collection” to get a comprehensive list of all the ingredients you’ll need for each day’s notes and recipes. This tool is designed to save you time at the grocery store and ensure you have everything on hand for a successful week of cooking!

We hope this Week 5 meal plan inspires you to create delicious, wholesome, and stress-free meals for your family. By embracing smart meal planning strategies, utilizing leftovers, and incorporating freezer-friendly options, you can enjoy more time around the dinner table and less time worrying about what’s for dinner. Happy cooking, and stay tuned for more exciting meal plans!