If figuring out what to cook every evening feels like one more decision you do not want to make, here is our weekly family dinner plan for a little inspiration.
I like deciding our dinners before I order groceries because it gives the week some structure. I know what ingredients we need, I can look for ways to use what is already in the house, and I do not have to start from zero every evening.
This week’s plan includes a Monday meal made by my husband, a pasta swap to use something that has been sitting in the pantry, one of our newer family favorites, and a Sunday dinner that depends entirely on whether I make it to the African market.
In other words, it is a real meal plan—not a rigid one.
Here is what our family of five is planning to eat this week.
Monday: Steak
My husband cooks on Mondays, and this week he is making steak. I do not know what he plans to serve with it yet. It may be fries, it may be noodles, or he may decide on something completely different.
And honestly, that is fine with me because I am not the one cooking!
Having one night when someone else takes responsibility for dinner is one of the small systems that makes our week feel more manageable. I do not need every detail in advance. I just need to know that Monday’s dinner is handled.
If you want a little help with the steak itself, this video on five ways to cook steak from Gordon Ramsay is a helpful place to start.
Tuesday: Baked Ziti—With Bowtie Pasta
On Tuesday, I am making baked ziti, except I will not actually be using ziti.
I am using the little bowtie-shaped pasta, also called farfalle, because it always comes in the boxes of pasta we buy and I rarely reach for it. At this point, we have collected quite a bit of it, and I need to start using what is already in the pantry.
So technically, this may not qualify as baked ziti but it will still be pasta, sauce, meat, and plenty of cheese baked together until everything is warm and bubbly.
This is also a good reminder that a recipe does not always have to be followed perfectly. Sometimes using the ingredient you already paid for is more practical than buying another pasta shape just because the name of the dish says “ziti.”
Here is a baked ziti recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen that you may like.
Wednesday: Efo Riro
Wednesday’s dinner is efo riro, a rich Nigerian vegetable soup made with leafy greens, peppers, and assorted proteins.
I like having at least one Nigerian soup or stew on our weekly dinner plan because it gives us a familiar meal that can be served in different ways.
If you would like to make it too, watch Sisi Jemimah’s efo riro recipe.
Thursday: Leftovers
You already know that Thursday is leftovers night in our house.
We look through the refrigerator, pull out whatever needs to be eaten, and everyone may end up with a slightly different plate. The goal is not to create another coordinated dinner. The goal is to use the food we already cooked before making more.
Keeping leftovers night on the schedule helps us reduce food waste, save money, and gives me one evening when I do not have to cook a completely new meal.
No recipe is needed for Thursday. We are simply eating what is already there.
Friday: Chipotle Chicken Tacos
On Friday, I am making chipotle chicken tacos. This is a newer addition to our dinner rotation, but it has been showing up pretty frequently lately.
I originally saw the idea on TikTok and decided to try it with my family. Everyone loved it, so it quickly moved from “random recipe I saw online” to a meal I know I can put on the plan again.
That is how I like to build our dinner rotation. I try something new, see how the family responds, and if it works, I keep it. Over time, that gives me more reliable meals to choose from without having to search for brand-new dinner ideas every week.
This crispy chipotle chicken taco recipe is a good starting point if you want to try something similar.
Saturday: Nigerian Jollof Rice
Saturday’s dinner is Nigerian jollof rice. It is a familiar family favorite, and it gives us something flavorful and filling for the weekend.
I love meals like jollof rice because the main dish is already decided, but the rest can stay flexible. We can serve it with whatever protein or sides make sense based on what is available at home.
For a step-by-step guide, watch Sisi Jemimah’s smoky Nigerian party jollof rice recipe.
Sunday: Asaro, If I Make It to the African Market
On Sunday, I plan to make asaro, also known as Nigerian yam porridge—but this meal comes with a condition: I have to make it to the African market first.
Asaro depends on getting the right yam, and that is not something I can always pick up during our regular grocery run. So this dinner is staying on the plan, but I am giving myself room to adjust if the African-market trip does not happen.
That flexibility is important to me. A meal plan is supposed to help me make decisions, not make me feel like I failed because one ingredient was not available or one errand did not fit into the week.
You can try this recipe if you’re interested in making it too.
Our Full Dinner Plan at a Glance
- Monday: Steak with fries, noodles, or whatever Hubby decides
- Tuesday: Baked pasta made with farfalle
- Wednesday: Efo riro
- Thursday: Leftovers
- Friday: Chipotle chicken tacos
- Saturday: Nigerian jollof rice
- Sunday: Asaro, depending on the African-market trip
This week’s family dinner plan is a mix of familiar favorites, a newer meal that earned a place in our rotation, and small decisions that help us use what we already have.
That is what realistic meal planning looks like for me. I am not trying to create seven perfect dinners. I am trying to reduce the daily mental load, spend our grocery money intentionally, and make feeding my family feel a little more manageable.
I will let you know what Hubby serves with the steak, whether all that bowtie pasta finally starts disappearing, and if the Sunday asaro actually makes it to the table.
Come back next week for another realistic family dinner plan—and to see what we planned versus what we actually ate.
What is one dinner you are planning for your family this week?
