Delicious Enough Meal Plan 01

here's how it works

1. Pick your dinners. The plan is easiest to follow if you make every meal, but it works if you pick and choose too. Each recipe has its own color, and that color carries through the grocery list and prep plan.
2. Shop. The grocery list is sorted by aisle and color-coded by recipe, so it’s easy to skip the ingredients for any dinners you aren’t making
3. Prep. The prep plan gives you a checklist of everything you can do ahead to make dinner faster through the week. Do all of it, some of it, or none of it, depending on how much time you have.
4. Cook. When it’s time for dinner, follow the step-by-step recipe. If you did the prep, you’ll get to skip a few steps. If you didn’t, no problem. The recipes are pretty quick either way.

the recipes

To get an individual recipe with all the notes and substitutions, click the link below each recipe image. At the bottom, you can download the complete PDF with all four recipes, a color-coded grocery list, and the prep plan in one spot.

dinner 1: sheet pan gnocchi with sausage and corn

Gnocchi, sausage, corn and tomatoes all roast on one sheet pan. Cream, Parmesan and the burst tomatoes make the sauce at the end.

• The gnocchi goes straight from the package to the sheet pan. No boiling first.
• Use an unlined sheet pan. You want the gnocchi and sausage to brown and all those bits on the pan eventually become part of the sauce.
• The tomatoes are ready when they collapse easily under the back of a spoon. If they spray when you press them, give them a few more minutes.
• Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to four days. I would not freeze this one. The gnocchi loses texture and the cream sauce can separate.

dinner 2: one-pan dumpling bake

Frozen wontons bake with chicken and bok choy in a coconut curry sauce, with chili crisp and lime at the end.

• Keep the wontons frozen. Do not thaw them first or they can start to fall apart while baking.
• Cover the pan tightly for the first bake. The trapped steam is what cooks the dumplings evenly.
• After you uncover and stir, add a splash of chicken broth if the sauce looks too thick or dry before it goes back into the oven.
• Leftovers keep for up to three days. I would not freeze this one because the dumplings and bok choy can turn mushy and the coconut sauce may separate.

dinner 3: turkey bacon pesto focaccia sandwich

Turkey, crisp bacon, provolone and arugula get layered onto focaccia with pesto mayo, then the whole thing gets pressed and chilled before slicing.

• Fold the turkey slices instead of laying them flat.. It gives the sandwich a little more height without making it bulky.
• Press it for at least 30 minutes before slicing. An hour or two makes it even neater if you are packing it to go.
• No food processor? Stir ⅓ cup jarred pesto into ½ cup mayonnaise instead.
• If you are making it ahead, wait to add the arugula until closer to serving for the best texture. The finished sandwich keeps refrigerated for up to one day.

dinner 4: better burger bowls with special sauce

Seasoned ground beef and crispy roasted sweet potatoes get piled into bowls with whatever burger toppings you like, then finished with a pickle-y special sauce.

• Give the sweet potatoes some room on the pan. If they are crowded, they steam instead of getting those browned edges.
• Let the beef sit untouched for 2 to 3 minutes before breaking it up so it can brown.
• Stir in the Worcestershire and mustard after the beef is cooked. It keeps the burger flavor much more noticeable.
• For meal prep, store the beef, sweet potatoes and sauce separately for up to three days, then add the cold toppings when you assemble.

the grocery list

Everything you need for this week’s dinners.

produce
2 large sweet potatoes
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes
1½ cups kernels, about 3 ears fresh corn
6 cloves, about 1 head garlic
2 cups, one 5-ounce container baby spinach
1½ cups, about 2 ounces fresh basil
1 to 2 heads baby bok choy
1 teaspoon grated, 1 small piece fresh ginger
1½ cups, one 5-ounce container arugula
2 tablespoons juice, about 2 lemons
2 limes, for finishing

meat
1 pound raw Italian sausage links
1½ cups shredded, 1 small rotisserie chicken
8 slices bacon
8 ounces sliced deli turkey
1 pound ground beef

dairy & eggs
¼ cup, 1 small carton heavy cream
¾ cup, one 8-ounce container grated parmesan
4 slices provolone

bakery
1 loaf sun-dried tomato focaccia

frozen
1½ pounds fully cooked mini wontons, KEEP FROZEN

pantry & dry goods
1 (16-ounce) package shelf-stable gnocchi
1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
½ cup, 1 small carton chicken broth
1 tablespoon, 1 small jar red curry paste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon, 1 small bottle fish sauce
about 2 tablespoons chili crisp
2 tablespoons walnuts
1¼ cups mayonnaise
6 tablespoons chopped, plus 2 teaspoons juice dill pickles
3 tablespoons ketchup
1½ tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
about ½ cup olive oil

spices
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
3¼ teaspoons garlic powder
2¾ teaspoons salt
about 1½ teaspoons black pepper

optional extras (skip whatever you won't use)

shredded lettuce
tomatoes
red onion
avocado
rice, to serve it over (wonton bake)