Kitchens In-Law

Fall Meal Plan #9

Taylor Borden — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 14:02:35 GMT

It’s finally feeling like soup season, and we’re here for it. This week’s plan has five recipes we’ve made and loved: butternut squash soup, a lighter lasagna that feeds a crowd, Korean beef tacos with a slow cooker option, steak sandwiches with an aioli worth the extra step, and make-ahead apple muffins.

Here’s how we’d order the week: soup first (it’s below!) since it’s easy and reheats well. Put the tacos on your busiest day so the slow cooker does the work, save the lasagna for a night you want leftovers, and the steak sandwiches for when you have 25 minutes and no patience. Bake the muffins on the weekend to make your mornings easier. One tip: make (or buy!) a single jar of pickled onions, because they show up as toppings on the soup, tacos, and sandwiches.

DINNER #1: Butternut Squash Soup | Total time: 50 minutes | Serves 6-8 | chop, simmer, blend

The Gimme Some Oven Butternut Squash Soup is in heavy rotation for our crew in the fall and winter. You chop a bunch of produce, then just simmer it in broth. You can use bone broth for more protein if you want. And it calls for ½ cup of coconut milk, but we often dump the whole can in so that we don’t have to find something else to do with a partial can of coconut milk. The toppings are what make this soup nearly perfect. Taylor’s favorites are pickled onions, roasted pepitas, and ground sausage, but you can do any variety you want! Serve with a bagged kale salad for a good soup and salad vibe.

Notes: There are a bunch of variations listed in the recipe that are a fun spin if you are looking for something a little different. We love the Thai version!
Work ahead: Pickled onions would be great in this soup, but also in two other meals this week. Might be worth making a jar of these and having them on hand! You could also double the sausage and use it in the lasagna if you like!

Fall Meal Plan #8

Taylor Borden — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 11:31:46 GMT

Halloween week is not the week to be ambitious. Between costumes, school parties, trick-or-treat logistics, and a bowl of candy that’s already half gone before the 31st, the last thing anyone needs is a complicated dinner plan. So the name of the game this week is simplicity.

One pork roast that becomes two dinners (loaded baked potatoes early in the week, quesadillas later), a 20-minute meatball dinner for the night you’re running behind, and a big pot of chili with cornbread you can make ahead, so it’s ready to go before the doorbell starts ringing. Seriously, we make it the day before Halloween basically every year and it has never let us down. Dan dan noodles are there for the cool evening when you want something cozy, and there’s a candy cookie bar recipe to put all that leftover Halloween candy to work.

Most of these meals share ingredients, so the grocery list stays short, and nothing here requires you to be a hero. Use what you have, skip what you don’t, and keep your energy for the costume competitions and last minute festivities.

DINNER #1: Crockpot Pulled Pork Potatoes | Total time: 8 hours | Serves 8-12 (see notes) | Mostly hands off
We think pulled pork is one of the easiest and best ways to do meat in a crock pot. You may have a pulled pork recipe that you prefer. Feel free to use that, but this one works like a charm if you don’t have a recipe you typically follow. You are making enough pulled pork for another meal later in the week. It will seem like a lot of food, but remember that we are using it again! This week we are recommending that you take just the pulled pork recipe from here and serve it over baked potatoes instead of in bowl form, but do whatever you like! We love The Pioneer Woman’s oven method, but we’ve also been known to microwave a potato in a pinch and it works just as well on a busy night.

Notes:
Taste it: The pork needs a little extra salt for our preference so once you mix the juice in, taste it. If it’s a little bland to you add salt.
Work Ahead: You will have a ton of leftovers from the pork. Just throw it in a container in the fridge and we will use it again later.
Quantities: This recipe makes enough for 8-12, it should work perfectly if you are making both recipes for 4-5 people; however, if you are cooking for 2 you will have leftovers. The pork freezes beautifully for another day (or find a friend and drop off dinner!).
If you can’t find a boneless pork butt: Bone in works just fine for the same recipe. It will just weigh a little more!

Fall Meal Plan #7

Taylor Borden — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:43:35 GMT

This week’s plan is all about cozy fall comfort without the all-day effort. We’re starting with a slow cooker French dip that does its thing while you go about your day, then finishing it with garlic aioli and cheesy bread that turn it into a sandwich the whole table will fight over, then moving on to Change Your Life Chicken, which we’re doubling so a second dinner is already halfway done. Shrimp tacos hit the table in about 30 minutes, and we’re closing out the week with our first soup of the season: a Thai peanut chicken ramen that uses that leftover chicken. The wins this week: the chicken cooks once and feeds you twice, two dinners are mostly hands off, and a maple pecan baked oatmeal covers your breakfasts. Shortcuts are built in too, like coleslaw mix and packaged taco seasoning for the tacos and bottled crema if you’d rather skip the sauce. Grab your cart, pick the nights that fit your week, and let’s make dinner a little easier.

DINNER #1: French Dip | Total time: 8 hours and 15 minutes (slow cooker) | Serves 6ish | Mostly Hands Off
We made this slow cooker french dip sandwich a few weeks ago and everyone at the table was obsessed with it—honestly, typing these notes has us totally wanting to make it again. Chase said it’s the best slow cooker meal he’s had in ages (and he’s picky!). There are a few homemade components like the garlic aioli and the cheesy bread that really send it over the top and take this from “basic shredded beef” to “cozy yummy sandwich”. The recipe is for an instant pot, but we actually did it in a slow cooker and just started it in the morning and it was fantastic (tips and notes below!)

Notes:
If you don’t use an instant pot: You can totally use a slow cooker like we did! Here’s how we did it: Sear all the sides of the whole roast, put the meat in the slow cooker and add the onion, garlic, and other seasoning then cover with the beef broth and wine. Cook on low for 8ish hours.
If you don’t want to open a bottle of wine: You can absolutely sub extra broth for wine. But our pro tip is to buy inexpensive mini bottles of wine just for cooking so you don’t have to open a whole bottle!

Fall Meal Plan #6

Taylor Borden — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:38:03 GMT

This week’s plan is all about fall flavors without all the effort. We’re starting with a shrimp and veggie lo mein that tastes like your favorite takeout but comes together faster than delivery (and you control the veggies). Midweek, a harvest grain bowl brings in roasted butternut squash, crisp apples, and goat cheese, with a rotisserie chicken doing the heavy lifting. Then we’re bringing back our favorite crispy gochujang chicken, plus apple muffins for a breakfast-for-dinner night that kids and adults both love. The wins this week: the ingredients overlap, so the apples, kale, and chicken show up more than once plus recommendations of what to freeze and nothing languishes in your fridge. Shortcuts are built in (pre-chopped squash, ready-to-heat rice, bagged salad, store-bought dressing if you’d rather), and there’s a banana bread you can make ahead and freeze. Grab your cart, pick the nights that fit your week, and let’s make dinner a little easier.

DINNER #1: Shrimp and Veggie Lo Mein | Total time: 30 minutes | Serves 4 | Take Out Vibes
We really love a take out meal, I mean REALLY love them. But sometimes our neighborhood takeout place is closed (why does it always have to be on a sunday?) or you just feel like you need a little more nutrition. Enter, this shrimp and veggie lo mein. It gives all the flavors of a great take out noodle dish, but it comes together quickly and you control the protein and veggies. Win for everyone!

Notes:
Use what you like: You can sub spinach for bok choy, you can add shredded carrots, or even leave out the mushrooms. Use what you’ll eat!
If you don’t have oyster sauce: you can totally leave it out and the noodles will still be tasty.
Adjust the spice: you can control the spice in this dish with the chili flakes. We keep it mild for the full batch and everyone just adds more as needed.

Fall Meal Plan #5

Taylor Borden — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 11:24:46 GMT

It's October, which means the cozy fall cooking season is officially here. This week's plan is a mix of old favorites and a new one-pan dinner, and it's built to keep your week easy. We start with a sausage and rice skillet that's one pan and about 40 minutes. Then we’re bringing back some of our most-made recipes: the air fryer pork tenderloin and the harvest flatbread with pumpkin, sausage, and sage. The pork does double duty. Cook it once, and later in the week it becomes bahn mi sliders in 20 minutes with almost no work. Everything on the list uses ingredients you'll overlap across meals, so you're not buying a pile of one-off groceries. If you have 15 minutes on Sunday, make the pickled red onions and the bahn mi sauce. It makes Thursday feel effortless. As always, swap what you need to, and use what you have. We've also included a crockpot apple butter as a weekend bonus, because nothing says October like your house smelling like apples and cinnamon all day. The full grocery list and Walmart cart are at the bottom, so you can order everything in about five minutes.

DINNER #1: Sausage and Rice Skillet | Total time: 40 minutes | Serves 6 | One Pan Wonder
We honestly love this sausage and rice skillet for a simple Monday night dinner. It’s reminiscent of jambalaya, but with more Italian leaning flavors. You’ll love this one pan meal that makes clean up a breeze, but the added pesto (and basil if you have it) keep it bright and fresh.

Notes:
Swap: Use any other kind of cooked sausage if you don’t like Italian sausage.
Lean into the sauce: We always add more pesto at the end—its the make it ingredient in this dish!
Add more veggies: This calls for peppers and onions, but you could toss something like mushrooms or broccolini in halfway through cooking the rice to add more veggies!

Fall Meal Plan #4

Taylor Borden — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:31:59 GMT

There are some weeks where you want dinner to feel a little bit special without asking anything extra of you, and that's exactly the vibe we’re going for here. This lineup leans into the cozy, warming fall energy — creamy curries, sheet pan dinners, saucy noodles — but every single one of them comes together in 30 minutes or less (except one sheet pan situation that's mostly hands-off anyway). It’s not fussy. Nothing requires a special trip to a specialty grocery store, just good food that happens to be easy on a weeknight. And don't skip the pumpkin cold foam at the end, it's the kind of tiny, extra touch that makes the whole week feel a little more fun.

DINNER #1: Butter Chicken Meatballs | Total time: 30 minutes | Serves: 6
We’ve been making these butter chicken meatballs from Half Baked Harvest for years now and it continues to be one of our favorite spins on a classic butter chicken. It’s warming, creamy, and full of spices. If you don’t already keep them on hand (garam masala might be a little out there for some of us) buy these spices once and you can use them all fall and winter. We usually double the recipe and freeze half because it reheats like a dream!

Notes:
Shortcut: The meatballs are fun, but if you need to make this extra simple you can use cubed chicken thighs instead of making the meatballs. Just cut chicken thighs in 1 inch cubes and toss them in the sauce to cook for 10-12 minutes. Feel free to use quick rice and store-bought naan to make it faster as well!

Fall Meal Plan #3

Taylor Borden — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:40:03 GMT

This week is all about that in-between fall feeling — some days still warm enough for tacos on the patio, some days practically begging for something cozy and pumpkin-y. We've got a little bit of both. The butternut squash carbonara is the kind of "fancy made easy" meal that makes a Tuesday feel special (frozen squash and garlic powder totally encouraged). The steak tacos are one of our most-made recipes for a reason, and we're telling you to double the batch on purpose — Thursday's sheet pan nachos are basically a victory lap for your leftovers. And because breakfast-for-dinner is a sacred tradition in this family, pumpkin pancakes make an appearance too. We even snuck in a prep-ahead snack so you've got something to grab besides the pantry chips by Wednesday afternoon. As always: use what you've got, sub what you need to, and don't stress about the parts that don't matter.

DINNER #1: Butternut Squash Carbonara | Total time: 30 minutes | Serves: 6
Carbonara is one of our favorite ways to mix up dinner seasonally, and still keep a familiar base. This butternut squash carbonara is a treat of a fall variety and everyone we recommend it to tells us that it feels like a fancy meal that you can still make on a weeknight! The recipe can look a bit involved, so make sure you check the notes for ways to make it easier!

Notes:
Make it easier: Buy frozen butternut squash, so that you don’t have to peel and chop. You can totally use garlic powder instead of chopping garlic and dried thyme (or leave it out), just lay the bacon over the veggies and drizzle the bacon with hot honey (add rosemary if you want), Once the bacon is cooked and the squash is soft, you can set the bacon aside. Toss the squash in a bowl and use an immersion blender to puree it, if you have one.

Fall Meal Plan #2

Taylor Borden — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:04:53 GMT

We test a lot of sheet pan meals that just don't make the cut, but this week's curry meatballs absolutely do, and we've been talking about them since the first time we made them. It's the perfect little nudge into fall: rich, a little spicy, still got some crunch in the peppers. From there we're leaning on one of the easiest chicken recipes we've ever made (seriously, don't let the spice list intimidate you) and turning the leftovers into a five-minute flatbread later in the week. Make a big batch of rice at the start — you'll use it twice — and you're basically coasting through the week.

DINNER #1: Sheet Pan Curry Meatballs | Total time: 1 hour | Serves 4
Trust me, this curry meatball recipe is a sheet pan meal that you actually want to try. We test a lot of sheet pan meals that just don’t make the cut, but this one absolutely does. Rich flavors, a little bit of heat, and peppers that still have a bit of crunch make this the perfect transition to fall meals!

Notes:
Spice Level: this does have a little bit of heat to it, so cut or leave out the cayenne if you need to.
Seasoning Turkey: If you like lots of flavor, I always recommend increasing your seasonings a bit when working with ground turkey. This works really well as is, but if you want a little extra oomph, it doesn’t hurt to put a few extra dashes of your seasoning.
Skip the Parchment: It’s a little more cleanup, but we find that parchment keeps the meatballs from browning. We prefer to cook directly on a sheet pan for a little more color on the meatballs.
Shortcut: As always, use minute, frozen, or microwave rice here if you need to!
Prep ahead: If you do make rice on the stove, feel free to make enough for this meal and the stir fry!

Fall Meal Plan #1

Taylor Borden — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:44:57 GMT

September is upon us and all things pumpkin and apple have taken over. We are thrilled for a fun change of season, but we also aren’t totally ready for soup season yet (it’s still 90 degrees in Colorado). So we are dipping our toes into the fall waters, so to speak—using up some pantry staples and enjoying the last of the summer tomatoes. We've got a pumpkin twist on a classic marinara, a bright dumpling salad that's basically summer's last hurrah, a one-pan enchilada skillet for the nights you don't want to do dishes, and burgers that somehow work their way into our rotation more than any burger should. Plus a prep-ahead muffin situation with a cream cheese center that is so worth the mess. As always, use what you have, swap what you don't like, and don't stress about getting it perfect — that's never been the point here.

DINNER #1: Pumpkin Marinara | Total time: 25 minutes | Makes: 4 Cups
This pumpkin marinara is one of the most surprising things we made last fall and we are thrilled for it to make its way back into the rotation this year! This is a fall twist on a classic marinara, that is made with ingredients we typically have in our pantries or needing to get used in the fridge. You can make it simple and serve it with pasta and premade meatballs (our typical weeknight version) or we’ve made it fancy and served it over cheese manicotti for a dinner party. The sauce is yours to do as you please!

Notes:
Serve with: Just throw it on some protein pasta and call it done. Serve it with regular pasta and premade meatballs if you prefer that. Add a salad on the side if you like (we love apples, nuts, and vinaigrette with this)
Swap: Any bell pepper except green works here.
Use what you have: We don’t usually keep tarragon, so we leave it out, but it’s great if you have it!

Summer Meal Plan #11

Taylor Borden — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:01:34 GMT

We're calling this one our "still summer but barely hanging on" lineup. Between the lingering hot days and the beginnings of getting back into a routine, we wanted meals that feel a little lighter without skimping on flavor — think crunchy, fresh, and fast over anything heavy and hands-on. This week we've got a steak salad that’s healthy but doesn’t feel like bird food, a build-your-own sushi (ish) bowl situation that's become a weeknight staple in both our houses, a takeout-style beef dish that's worth the slightly-too-long ingredient list, and a one-pan tortellini that get devoured without complaint by kids and adults alike. Plus a make-ahead snack bar for anyone who needs something to grab on the way out the door. Let's get into it!

DINNER #1: Steak and Chickpea Salad | Total time: 30ish minutes | Serves: 4
If you are looking for a salad that does feel like salad to get you through these late summer dinners. This is IT. This steak and chick pea salad is nutritious and hearty, but still bright enough that you want seconds even when it’s 100 degrees outside. This recipe is certainly one where you can make it what you want, but the flavors are fantastic!

Notes:
Crispy Chickpeas: We often use an air fryer or toaster oven to get the chickpeas extra crispy. If you have one it’s a great swap so that you don’t even have to turn on the oven. Every air fryer is different, but 375 for 10-15 minutes tends to work for us.
Cooking the Steak: We love that he gives instructions for cooking the steak on the stove to make it really simple, but we’ve grilled the steak with the same seasoning and just cubed it after too! Any cut of steak works great here, use what you prefer, but we used flank steak for quick cooking.
Dressing: This is a pretty simple vinaigrette. The sumac does add a punch if you have it, but if you don’t add anything with some flavor that sounds good. You could also certainly swap this for any kind of herby vinaigrette if you like.

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Summer Meal Plan #10

Taylor Borden — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:21:26 GMT

If your family is anywhere near the back-to-school transition, you know the vibe: everyone’s schedule flips upside down and suddenly “what’s for dinner” feels like the hardest question of the day. This week is built for the chaos. We’ve got a marinade you’ll want to make on repeat, a five-ingredient fish taco that tastes way fancier than the effort it takes, a no-recipe flatbread night that uses up leftovers, and a full breakfast-for-dinner spread because sometimes pancakes are the answer. Plus a make-ahead lunch so you’re not scrambling at noon either. Low time commitment, high payoff.

DINNER #1: Coconut Grilled Chicken Thighs | Prep time: 20 minutes - overnight | Cook time: 10 minutes | Serves: 4
We’ve become completely obsessed with the flavor that this marinade packs. We’ve recommended it before with skirt steak, which we do often, but the original recipe is for chicken thighs and you’re going to love it! We like to serve it with rice or rice noodles and an easy veggie like roasted broccoli or a cucumber salad.

Notes:
Make extra: the recipe calls for 2 lbs of chicken for 4 servings. Depending on how much your family eats, you may need to add an extra 1/2 -1 pound of chicken to have enough leftover for Dinner #3. There is plenty of marinade, so no need to scale if you add a little extra chicken!
Marinate it early: We like to throw this together the night before or the morning that we are going to have it. It gives the meat tons of flavor and makes dinner time super easy.
Spice Level: This recipe has a tiny bit of heat, but not a lot. For most people this should be fine, but if you are sensitive to spice, you may want to cut back on the chili paste!
Only baste if you want: The recipe calls for pouring the excess marinade into a pot and brushing it on when the chicken is cooked. While that is delicious, we often skip this step to avoid the extra dish.

Summer Meal Plan #9

Taylor Borden — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:33:30 GMT

Is anyone else having feels about summer coming to a close? We’re squeezing in all of the summer fun which means some weeks the last thing we want to do is stand over a stove for an hour. This week is all about meals that flex with you — a no-cook night you can build together as a family, a bright and speedy shrimp dinner, meatballs you can prep ahead and forget about, and a sandwich that travels as well as it eats at home. Nothing here is fussy, and most of it doesn't require a recipe so much as a vibe — use what you have, swap what you don't, and don't stress about getting it exactly "right."

DINNER #1: Thai Summer Rolls | Total time: 20 minutes | Serves: 8 rolls
These summer rolls are a great way to pack in a variety of veggies, use up scraps of produce in your fridge, and really adjust them to your preference. This can even be a fun meal to get the whole house involved and make their own version of them if that works for your crew. This is a big win for a no cook night and feels a bit unusual in our houses!

Notes:
Don’t stress: Nothing in this recipe requires precise measurement. Even the peanut sauce. Feel free to eyeball it, use what you have or what you like. This calls for leafy greens, we would just use the same one you use on the focaccia sandwiches!
Swap the sauce: You can use store bought peanut sauce, thai chili sauce, sriracha mayo, or any other sauce you like!
On rice paper: working with rice paper can be a little tricky if you haven’t used it before. When you soak it for 30 seconds or so, it should go from brittle to soft and flexible (like pasta) and will be a bit stretchy when you wrap the rolls. If you don’t want to roll them you could absolutely serve this over rice noodles.
Add protein: We like to add sauteed shrimp or leftover grilled chicken to these if we are looking for a little more protein! If you are a tofu eater you could also play with adding sliced tofu here!
If you have leftovers: the best way to store these is wrapped in a wet paper towel in a tupperware.

Summer Meal Plan #8

Taylor Borden — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 11:31:06 GMT

This week is giving peak summer: think juicy peaches, BLT season in full swing, and a smoothie that's sneaky good for you. We've got a marinade with a fun curry twist, a pasta that somehow feels light even in the heat, and a burger bowl that means zero patty-forming and happy campers all around. Grab your grocery list (Walmart cart included!) and let's soak up summer.

DINNER #1: Honey Mustard Chicken with Peach Salad | Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Serves: 6
Have you noticed that we are loving peach season lately? It’s truly one of the best times of the year to us and there are so many recipes lately that make peaches the star of the show! This is no exception plus it’s from Modern Proper, so you know it’s full of interesting flavor. The honey mustard marinade is sweet and tangy, but has a bit of a twist with curry powder added to it. This was a huge win in our house and has already been requested for a second round!

Notes:
Use what you have: we tried this with dijon mustard and it worked great! It’s a little less “punchy”, but still yum. You could sub the herbs if you need to, basil would work well in the salad!
Prep ahead: You can marinate this earlier in the day so that all you have to do is grill the chicken and pull the salad together
If you don’t grill: You could definitely use the air fryer for this chicken if you don’t want to grill!

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Summer Meal Plan #7

Taylor Borden — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:30:41 GMT

This week is all about stretching a protein into nearly a whole week of dinners that don't taste like leftovers. We're kicking things off with Korean chicken wraps that had our whole crew going back for seconds — and yes, we're making extra chicken on purpose, because by Thursday it's showing up again in a fried rice that might just beat your favorite takeout order. In between, we've got a no-oven steak salad that's perfect for a hot night on the patio, and a Peruvian chicken and rice dinner that's earned a permanent spot in our rotation. We’ve also got a freezer-friendly breakfast sandwich so your mornings are covered too. Grab your grocery list and let's get cooking.

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DINNER #1: Korean Chicken Wraps | Total time: 40 minutes | Serves: 10 | Protein Prep
We tried these last week and everyone in our crew raved about them! They are high protein, so flavorful, and come together quickly…so a win in our book! It makes 10 servings, so we are prompting you to use the rest of the chicken in our favorite fried rice later this week. We recommend halving the sauce and veggies even if you are making the fried rice. If you’re not doing that just halve the recipe including the chicken and it easily fed a family of 5 with serving for lunch leftover.

Notes:
Quantities: See above. It makes 10 servings, so we recommend cutting the sauce and the veggies in half but doing the full chicken amount and using it later in the week.
Spice level: The veggies are very spicy. We recommend that you cut the sriracha in the slaw by at least half unless you just love heat. We also drained the remaining liquid once we mixed the slaw because it was still a little spicy. The sweet of the sauce helps cut the heat of the veggies some though when you put it all together!

Summer Meal Plan # 6

Taylor Borden — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:03:18 GMT

Hi friends! This week's lineup is giving big "get outside and let dinner take care of itself" energy — we've got a lightened-up pork tenderloin with a peach salsa that tastes like summer in a bowl, a coconut shrimp situation we've been making for years and still can't get over, chicken tacos that are somehow both totally easy and genuinely craveable, and a pasta salad with an ingredient combo that's going to sound wrong until you try it (trust us on the blueberries). Plus a prep-ahead snack for when the afternoon slump hits and dinner's still a few hours out. Nothing on this list is fussy, a couple of these lean into "cook once, eat twice," and all of it is stuff we actually put in front of our own families on a weeknight. Let's get into it!

DINNER #1: Pork Tenderloin with Peach Salsa | Total Time: 35 minutes | Serves: 4 | Easy to Scale
We love this simple recipe for cooking Pork Tenderloin in the air fryer, but we’re adding a peach salsa to lighten the flavors up and make dinner feel nice and summery! You’ll have dinner done in no time and it’s fantastic served with your choice of side (we usually opt for rice or salad here!)

Notes:
Short cut: The spice rub included here is good, but if you are short on time or patience the air fryer method would still work well with a pre marinated pork tenderloin from the grocery store.
Timing: Chop all of your ingredients for your salsa while the pork is cooking for the most efficient way to get this dinner on the table!
Oven: If you don’t have an air fryer, you can roast your pork tenderloin in the oven.
Serve with: This is a moment for your favorite sides, we love an easy rice here, a salad of your choice, or your favorite veggie.

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Summer Meal Plan #5

Taylor Borden — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 11:34:26 GMT

This week's lineup includes a burger that might permanently change your burger expectations, and a sandwich that's going to ruin all other sandwiches for you — no pressure. We're squeezing every drop out of the mid summer glory and grilling or making quick cooks so that you barely even turn your oven on. As always, everything here has been made, tested, and re-tested in our own kitchen so that we can make sure it actually works on a real weeknight — swaps, shortcuts, and all the notes included.

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DINNER #1: Bahn Mi Burgers | Total Time: 35 minutes | Serves: 4 | Freezer Friendly
This bahn mi burger is perfectly described. It is like a bahn mi sandwich in burger form and it’s such a fun twist. If your burger rotation is feeling tired, this is the shake-up you didn’t know you needed.

Notes:
Swap: We’ve made this with ground turkey and it’s not quite as rich, but still really good, especially if you like something a little lighter than pork!
Toppings: We love sriracha mayo on this and then any toppings you might like on a bahn mi. Pickled onions or veggies, cucumber, spring mix, jalapeno, cilantro, you name it!

Summer Meal Plan #4

Taylor Borden — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:20:07 GMT

This week is all about working smarter, not harder. We're starting with a crock pot carnitas on a busy weeknight, and then letting those leftovers do the heavy lifting later in the week when we turn them into a BBQ flatbread that comes together in ten minutes flat. In between, we're throwing in a salmon with a peach slaw that feels genuinely special for a Tuesday night, and some firecracker meatballs that are going to make you want to add them to permanent rotation. We rounded the week out with a Thai chicken salad that's been in our regular lineup for years for good reason — the peanut dressing alone is worth making it. Five meals, one sneaky shortcut, and nothing that's going to have you standing over the stove for an hour on a week night. Happy Cooking!

DINNER #1: Crock Pot Carnitas | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 5 hours |Serves: 4-6
This crock pot carnitas comes together during the day while you’re not thinking about it. The best description I have for this is to tell you that Tara pulled it off for dinner in enough time to get her kids to 6:00 track practice and everyone asked for more! You’ll use the leftovers for a flatbread later in the week, so you’re getting double duty out of this meal.

Notes:
Quantities: The recipe calls for 2 pounds of pork, it says it feeds six, but we found that it stretched farther than that. We’re prompting you to use the leftovers later this week, but if you have really hungry people use a bigger pork butt.
Boneless vs Bone-in: If you can’t find a boneless pork butt, we’ve had friends use a bone-in! It will weigh more (like probably 7-8 lbs) so you can double the seasoning if you want to make sure it still has tons of flavor.
Simplify: You could definitely serve with avocado and store bought salsa if you need to simplify but the avocado salsa is a great addition

Summer Meal Plan #3

Taylor Borden — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 11:37:54 GMT

This week we are leaning into big flavor without a lot of fuss. We've got a marinade that we are genuinely obsessed with, a burger that will make you rethink ground turkey forever, and a noodle salad thats good even cold and out of the fridge. We also snuck in a Thai takeout night that you can make faster than delivery actually arrives. If you are new here, welcome — this is what we do every week: find recipes worth your time and tell you exactly how to make them work on a real weeknight. Grab the first recipe free below, and if you want the rest of the week, we'd love to have you.

DINNER #1: Coconut Grilled Skirt Steak | Total time: 40 minutes | Serves: 4 | Can marinate early in the day
We stumbled on this marinade and both became obsessed with the amount of flavor it brings to anything you put on it. At some point we started using it for steak even more than we do for chicken, so we are planning for you to do the same!

It will make a delicious simple dinner with sides like broccoli and rice or beans for early in the week, but we’re also cooking a little extra to make a funky steak and noodle salad later! The steak and noodle salad only calls for ½ lb of skirt steak. We like a little extra, but you can adjust for however much meat you like!

Use the marinade linked here, instead of chicken you’ll cook about 2.5 to 3 lbs of skirt steak to have leftovers for the noodle salad. No need to double the marinade, you will have plenty! Grill on medium high for 3-4 minutes per side or until the steak reaches an internal temp of 130°F

Notes: Only baste the marinade while you are cooking if you are in to that. If you don’t want to babysit it, don’t worry about it!

Summer Meal Plan #2

Taylor Borden — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:33:35 GMT

This week we’ve got some easy wins and some punchy flavors. Our week is full of flavors that somehow always end up in the regular rotation no matter how many new recipes we try. We've got a burger that started as a "use it up" experiment and became a household favorite, a noodle dish with a little kick but crowd pleasing enough to win over the toughest critics (5-year-olds included), and a taco night that feels like summer even on a busy weeknight. Round it out with wraps that make plain chicken exciting and a baked oatmeal bright enough to make it not feel boring, and you've got a week that's as low-effort as it is high-reward. Let's make dinner!

DINNER #1: Chicken Teriyaki Burgers | Total time: 25 minutes | Serves: 4
If you’ve been around here for long, you know we love a reinvented burger and we are always recommending this to friends and family! What started as “what do we do with this turkey we didn’t use?” has become one of our most recommended meals! They are rich in flavor and unusual and flexible and you cook them inside–a win on all fronts! We’ll use half the cabbage (slaw mix or a whole head) here and half for the shrimp tacos later in the week!

Notes:
Swap: Both turkey and chicken work well in this, just use whichever you can find! We’ve made it with true teriyaki sauce, but we also have made it with Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce and they are both delicious!
Add: Sometimes we add an egg to the burger mix, especially if using really lean chicken, but it works great without. If you like stronger flavors, add 1 tsp of sriracha and ½ tsp of ground ginger to the burger mix. You can also add cilantro to the slaw if you have it. Just gives it a little extra punch of flavor.
Short Cut: Coleslaw mix works great if you don’t want to shred cabbage!
Prep Ahead: If you prep these ahead you can store them raw in the fridge for a few days or the freezer for longer and they cook perfectly. If you are cooking from frozen you may want to add a lid to your skillet while you cook them to help them thaw.

Summer Meal Plan #1

Taylor Borden — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:33:58 GMT

Summer cooking should feel easy and a little exciting, not like a chore. This week we're doing both. A summery carbonara that proves pasta isn't just a cold weather comfort, a shrimp cobb salad that has shown up at many a backyard dinner, and a pork tenderloin that does double duty as two completely different meals. We're rounding it out with a miso chicken meal prep that is genuinely unlike anything else in your lunch rotation. It's a good week.

DINNER #1: Shrimp Cobb Salad | Total time: 25 minutes | Serves: 4
If you’re someone who thinks a salad isn’t a complete meal, this one will make you think again! Full of hearty toppings that don’t leave you hungry and tossed in a zippy, but slightly sweet dressing, this salad screams summer. We’ve made it and taken it to the lake or to a friends house for dinner in the backyard and it’s a hit every time.

Notes:
Simplify: There are a ton of ingredients on this salad, but the shrimp and the dressing are what really set the tone. We’ve used store bought bacon bits, left bits and pieces out, and it’s still fantastic
Swap: frozen or canned corn works perfectly fine in the dressing. If you don’t have chipotle powder, chili powder works just fine. If it’s not quite peach season where you live we’ve swapped in other fruit like pineapple or strawberries and they were great!
Hands off: we cooked the shrimp in the air fryer while we made the dressing to keep it a little more hands off!