One of the most enticing parts of a training plan is the certainty over what needs to be done each day. There’s a start date, an end date, and all the days in between have specific instructions so you never waste an ounce of mental energy thinking about what to do.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way for dinnertime.
Turns out the other people in your home really like to eat (shocker!!) and feeding them is non-negotiable. Even if you split cooking duties with someone else, conjuring up another meal idea at 5 pm can fray those last remaning threads of sanity.
The team at AMR had a quick huddle, and we put together a few of our favorite go-to recipes to give you an assist. These are tried and true–meaning we’ve actually made these recipes and fed them to our families. With seven main dishes and two sides, that’s a week’s worth of meals, which is the equivalent of eleventy billion brain cells not having to make the agonizing decision about what’s for dinner.
Grab the PDF here!
Vegetarian Florentine Burgers
Don’t let meat-free scare you off. These made-from-scratch burgers are filled with tasty, wholesome ingredients and will have your whole crew excited for meatless Monday.
“My mom has been a vegetarian for decades, and I pooh-poohed the Florentines for many years. But I’ve come around. These days, we grill them and I doctor them up with Dijon and pickles: my two fave burger toppings. Plus, the recipe doubles and freezes well; for me, the less time in the kitchen, the better!” Dimity McDowell
Green Curry Glazed Tofu
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect recipe to finally try tofu, look no further. Just a few ingredients but bursting with flavor, you will love the way this dish comes together for a quick and hearty meal.
“I love how flexible it is in regards to what veggies you can use—great way to clean out the fridge crisper drawer.” Sarah Bowen Shea
Lettuce Wraps
No need to open your Uber Eats app when you can whip up a batch of these lettuce wraps. Bonus tip: Make the filling ahead of time and store in the fridge for busy weeknights.
“My kids gobble these up and they are so easy to make!” Katie Sznewajs
Slow-Cooker Turkey Meatballs
Always a crowd-pleaser, a batch of meatballs has endless options. If you’re lucky, you might have some leftovers for lunch the next day.
“These are so easy to throw on in the early afternoon if you work from home, or make a big batch on the weekend. We eat them on pasta, zoodles, and make meatball subs.” Mandy Cherry
Summer Pasta with Peas and Ricotta
Serving pasta one night a week is a great way to save money on the grocery budget. Even better, you can cook it all in one pot. This creamy pasta is a healthier alternative to alfredo sauce and is as satisfying as it is easy.
“This one pot dish, created by my sister, is easy to throw together for a stand-alone meal.” Sarah Wassner Flynn
Maple-Mustard Chicken Legs with Potatoes and Carrots
This chicken and potatoes recipe packs a flavorful punch with very few ingredients. Assemble everything on a sheet pan and let the oven do the rest.
“The maple mustard chicken is such a treat, because it’s such a huge reward for so little work. The fact that it is literally just maple syrup and mustard – two things that most people have readily available – is brilliant. A great go-to when you don’t have a lot of time but want something that tastes gourmet.” Michelle San Antonio
Watermelon Salad
Take advantage of the produce that is in season right now. This fruit salad is a mix of sweet and savory and might just surprise you.
“This is my favorite summer salad. All of the fruit takes care of sugar cravings, plus it’s just so darn ripe in the summer!” Jen Steele
Crispy Rice and Egg Bowl with Ginger-Scallion Vinaigrette
If you haven’t discovered bowls for dinner, let us be the first to tell you they’re amazing. You’ll love the flavor, and making eggs for dinner has never been better.
“I love this because it’s so easy. Any veggies will do if carrots and cukes aren’t in your fridge.” Melissa Theberge
Jicama Slaw
One of Ellie’s many nutrient-packed recipes, this slaw is a great alternative to another salad of lettuce and tomatoes. Crisp and crunchy, it’s a fun way to throw some veggies together for big results.
“Serve this with BBQ chicken wraps for a fun weeknight dinner.” Ellie Kempton
THANK YOU! This is just the information I needed. More like this please! :)
Well, this is fun! Such a great idea! +1 on recipes making a regular appearance here.
Thanks for the great recipes! If anyone has more vegan recipes or resources, that would be helpful.
I really like the No Meat Athlete Cookbook, and also Korean Vegan, the author was on a an AMR podcast.
Thanks for the variety! I’m looking for a few more recipes that are higher in grams of Protein like 30grams and lower in Carbs? **Trying to modify due to Post Menopause, yay!
One of my go-tos…I put 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker along with a can of crushed or diced tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of Penzey’s fajita seasoning (you can use a mix of cumin, oregano, garlic salt or garlic powder and chili powder as well or a packet of taco seasoning). I let it cook – depending on when I start it will determine if I use high or low temp – but then after several hours of cooking the chicken will just basically shread itself. I usually let it cook a bit more after that and sometimes will finish it on the stove if there is too much liquid. This is a super forgiving “recipe” and it makes very tender chicken that can be used in tacos, wraps or on top of a rice bowl. I usually make a big enough batch that it lasts for a few days and it is great for a group make your own taco night type of dinner.
Thanks Sheri for sharing! I’ll give it a try. :)
Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you! Love these. Exactly what I am always on the look-out for!
These are fantastic! We all need a fresh infusion of ideas and these are just enough different from what I have been serving lately. Thank you for taking the time to compile them into a PDF, which is remarkably handy to use.
My easiest recipe ever. One rectangular glass or metal baking dish. However many chicken breasts you need to feed your family. One or two jars of salsa (enough to cover said chicken breasts) and shredded cheese. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking dish with chicken, dump salsa on top, sprinkle with cheese and shove in oven. Bake for at least 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked. I like to serve this with ranch or black beans.
Thank you for the recipes! One of my super easy, healthy & cheap favorites, Popeye Pasta:
Prepare a pound of pasta, while cooking, sauté garlic in some olive oil. Add a large bunch of spinach and/or kale, one can of rinsed white beans. Sometimes I add veggie broth, sometimes a can of diced tomatoes with juice. Season to taste with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes. Reduce a little, serve over pasta with parmesan cheese.
Very intrigued about SBS’s method for cooking the tofu in the curry–as a vegetarian, I’m not stranger to tofu, but I haven’t cooked it exactly that way before. I’m going to have to try it. My go to meal (especially when each kid has a sporting event, both have homework, and we’re just walking in the door at 7:30 (or later)…) is what my kids now call “Mommy style pasta.” It typically comes together in the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta.
This serves 3-4 people, depending on how hungry everyone is–leftovers are good for lunch, but add about a tablespoon of water before heating up in a microwave. Cook however much short pasta your family would eat (I usually do about 1/2 -3/4 box of rotini or penne and I usually use the Barilla Protein+ for the added protein). While waiting for the water to boil / pasta to cook: mince / crush a couple cloves of garlic (more if you like garlic a lot, less if you don’t) and coarsely chop about a 1/3-1/2 a jar of oil packed sun-dried tomatoes (I drain them but don’t fuss too much about it)–the sundried tomatoes add critical umami to this dish. Toast walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, or almonds (I use my toaster oven so it’s relatively hands off and can be done while I do the other stuff). Heat olive oil in a saute pan (enough to fully coat the bottom of the pan) until it’s shimmering. Put some chili flakes in the oil (to taste). Add the garlic along with salt and black pepper (to taste–but you may need to add more later if the pan looks too dry or you can use the oil the tomatoes were packed in). Once the garlic is almost starting to brown, add 2 cans of drained and rinsed cannellini beans and the sun dried tomatoes. Saute, stirring occasionally until the beans are taking on the color of the sundried tomatoes and the skins are getting a little dry and crispy. Add the toasted nuts (if walnuts or pecans, I recommend chopping them to smaller pieces). I use about a handful or two–they add nice texture.
If you have it, fresh basil is excellent after everything has been taken off the heat. Dried herbs such as oregano, basil, marjoram, added with the garlic (so they help to season the oil) are also nice. I’ve also added baby spinach at the end (letting the heat of the beans wilt it), less delicate greens (such as kale), I’ve sliced into ribbons and added when I add the beans it softens, Kosher salt and black pepper to taste added throughout the cooking process as needed.
Depending on how long it takes for your stove to boil water, the beans should be just about done around the time the pasta is finishing. Add a splash of the pasta cooking water if the bean mixture looks too dry. You could also drizzle more olive oil for a finishing touch. For my kids, we keep the pasta and beans in separate dishes so they can choose their proportions (and extra toasted nuts for sprinkling or eating plain). When I made it before kids, I mixed everything together in the pan with the beans–which made it easier to gauge how much pasta water to add. Serve with fresh grated parmesan if you want–I love parm, but this dish doesn’t really need it so sometimes I use it, sometimes I don’t.
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