Next Week’s Meal Plan: 5 Low-Effort Recipes for When I Don’t Really Want to Cook

I’m currently going through one those phases where I do not feel like cooking dinner one bit. I am very interested in eating a great meal, just not so much the cooking part. Yes, even food editors who love cooking feel this way from time to time. It’ll pass soon enough, but until then I’m filling my meal plan with my favorite super-satisfying, low-effort dinners.

Planning my weekly meals is a habit I enjoy. Since I’m frequently asked by friends and family what I’m cooking for dinner each week, I thought it’d be useful to share my weekly meal plan here. Whether you’re just learning to meal plan and looking for a real-life example of how this works or you’re an old pro on the hunt for inspiration, here’s a peek at how I’m feeding my family this week.

• The Beginner’s Guide to Meal Planning: What to Know, How to Succeed, and What to Skip
• The Best Way to Use a Weekend for Meal Planning Success
• Ask Yourself These 5 Questions Before You Start Meal Planning
• 5 Strategies for Picking Recipes for a Week of Meal Planning

Every time I make this recipe it feels almost too good to be true. It’s basically simple buttered noodles kicked up with miso paste for a super-savory twist, along with mushrooms and herbs. I also plan to toss in a big handful of spinach to get some extra veggies on the plate.

This is a staple when I want something hearty and wholesome, but have minimal energy. I’ll top off our plates with a couple lacy-edged fried eggs.

It’s nights like these I’m thankful I keep a stash of turkey meatballs in the freezer. To keep it simple I’m starting with store-bought zucchini noodles and mixing in a jar of marinara sauce.

My husband reminded me about this weeknight favorite, and I’m always happy to slot it in our meal plan. It is so surprisingly simple, and since everything cooks on a single sheet pan under the broiler, dinner is ready in less than 10 minutes.

The most effort this recipe requires is shredding the chicken. When it comes time to eat we’ll build our own tacos and top them with tangy slaw, guac, and cilantro.