My free meal plans help you save time, cut food costs, and enjoy wholesome, delicious meals. This week’s lineup includes a cozy chicken chili, a light and bright chicken orzo soup, and an easy marinated balsamic pork tenderloin.
Week 42 Meal Plan
This meal plan includes seven satisfying dinners, plus ideas for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. It also offers meal-prep tips and a shopping list to make home-cooked meals easier. If this week’s plan doesn’t fit your needs, browse the full collection of meal plans to find one that does.
Download the printable meal plan with tips and a shopping list here, or use the ideas below for inspiration.
Dinner Recipes
- Sunday: Crockpot Chicken Chili or Instant Pot Chicken Chili with Homemade Cornbread
- Monday: Chicken Orzo Soup or Instant Pot Chicken Orzo Soup with Greek Salad
- Tuesday: Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Rice
- Wednesday: Balsamic Pork Tenderloin with Rice Pilaf or Instant Pot Rice Pilaf
- Thursday: Pork Skillet Dinner
- Friday: Baked Rotini with Greek Salad
- Saturday: Instant Pot Sausage and Potatoes (see recipe notes for slow cooker instructions)
Breakfast Ideas
- Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Instant Pot Frittata
- Homemade Granola
Lunch Ideas
- Homemade Ramen
- Veggie Wraps
- Chickpea Sandwiches
Snack/Dessert Ideas
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- PB Oat Bars
- PB Cups
Meal Plan Tips
These tips help reduce prep time and food waste by using leftovers smartly.
- Make a large Greek salad on Monday and store the dressing separately. Serve the salad with dinners throughout the week.
- Use shredded cabbage in both the fish tacos and the pork skillet to cut prep time.
- Pork tenderloin often comes in packs of two—use one for the balsamic pork and the other for the skillet dinner.
- If you don’t have an Instant Pot, follow slow-cooker directions: for the smoked sausage and potatoes, layer ingredients in a large slow cooker and cook on high for 2–3 hours or on low for 4–6 hours.
∗ How to Use Meal Plans ∗
Each plan comes with a printable guide that includes a shopping list and practical tips to save time and reduce waste. Plans are based on seasonal produce where possible.
Quick tips for using these meal plans:
- Print the meal plan to hang on your fridge and print recipes as needed while building your grocery list.
- Open recipe links in new tabs so you can quickly jump to each recipe and print sections you need. Many recipes include checkboxes to mark ingredients you already have.
- Review each plan for time-saving tips and the grocery list. Grocery lists focus on dinners and assume common pantry spices are on hand.
Printable Meal Plan
Download the meal plan with shopping list here or click the photo below. For an ADA-accessible version without photos, click the alternate PDF link.
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