Welcome to the first Sunday of the month, which means this week's full dinner plan is free for ALL subscribers, paid and free alike. If you've been on the fence about what a paid subscription looks like, this is exactly it. The only thing missing is the grocery list, which lives behind the paywall at the bottom and is for paid subscribers only.
Next week’s plan goes to paid subscribers only, join them by ugrading your plan.
This week I did not plan to go nostalgic but here we are! Big Mac bowls, crispy chicken sandwich bowls, BLT pasta salad, prosciutto wrapped chicken and lasagna all in one week. These are literally some of my all time favorite childhood flavors and apparently deep down I was craving every single one of them. We will put that on a shelf for another day! This week is SO fun, SO easy and every single dinner is fully gluten free. I cannot wait for you to dig in.
The Busy Mom Strategy
The thread this week is chicken and pasta and both show up in multiple dinners so here is how to shop and cook smarter. Buy your chicken breasts in bulk because they are used in two recipes this week. Buy your cherry tomatoes in bulk too because they show up in three recipes. And grab a big bag of shredded iceberg lettuce because that also gets used in three dinners. One big shop, no running back to the store mid week.
For pasta, two recipes this week use it and a third could too if you want to simplify. Make double the pasta the first night a pasta recipe comes up and store it with a drizzle of olive oil after rinsing so it does not stick. That pasta is ready and waiting for the next pasta dinner with zero extra effort. And here is a bonus tip for the sheet pan lasagna: if you already have gluten free penne in the house and do not want to buy lasagna noodles separately, just use what you have. Same steps, same flavors, it just becomes a sheet pan baked ziti. Just as good and one fewer item on the grocery list.
For chicken, skip the expensive bag of gluten free chicken tenders if you want to save money this week. Instead make double the breaded chicken cutlet the first night a chicken recipe comes up. Use the leftovers the next time chicken is on the menu and you have saved yourself time AND the premium gluten free price markup. The only two certified gluten free items you are buying this week are the gluten free pasta and the gluten free chicken tenders if you go that route. Everything else on the grocery list is naturally gluten free which means a much lighter bill at checkout!
Make Extra, Thank Yourself Later
The prosciutto wrapped bruschetta chicken and the sheet pan lasagna are your best leftover dinners this week. Both reheat beautifully and honestly taste even better the next day once everything has had time to sit together. Make a double batch of either one and you have a lazy second dinner ready to go later in the week with zero cooking required. For the lasagna reheat it in the oven low and slow so the edges stay crispy. For the chicken reheat it in a skillet on the stovetop low and slow to keep it juicy. The BLT pasta salad is also a triple batch situation if you want easy lunches all week. Throw some shredded chicken into a few portions to make them feel a little different each day!
The Dinners
NIGHT 1: Gluten Free Crispy Chicken Sandwich Bowls
This one is SO fun and a great way to kick off the week with energy. If you are making the breaded chicken cutlet version this week instead of buying gluten free chicken tenders, make a double batch tonight. Use the leftover chicken later in the week for the smashed big mac tacos or the BLT pasta salad topping. Check that your frozen fries have a certified gluten free label before you toss them in the air fryer. The sauce is just mayo and ketchup so no label stress there!
NIGHT 2: Smashed Gluten Free Big Mac Tacos
If you made extra chicken on Night 1 this dinner just got even easier. Grab your Mission soft yellow corn tortillas and make sure they are labeled gluten free since corn tortillas can be processed in shared wheat facilities. Your cherry tomatoes are already in the fridge from the big batch you bought this week. Iceberg lettuce too. This dinner comes together SO fast and is such a fun taco night energy mid week!
NIGHT 3: Gluten Free BLT Pasta Salad
Make a big batch tonight. Triple it if you want easy lunches ready for the rest of the week. This is the first pasta dinner of the week so cook double the Rummo gluten free penne tonight and store the extra with a drizzle of olive oil so it does not stick. That pasta is sitting in the fridge ready to go for Night 5. Check that your Newman’s Own ranch is labeled gluten free before you make the dressing. Your cherry tomatoes and iceberg lettuce are already bought and waiting. This one is SO easy and the leftovers are genuinely incredible!
NIGHT 4: One Pan Gluten Free Prosciutto Wrapped Bruschetta Chicken
Make a double batch tonight! This is one of the two best leftover dinners of the week. It reheats beautifully in a skillet low and slow and makes the most incredible lazy second dinner later in the week. Check your balsamic glaze label for a gluten free certification before you start. Your chicken breasts are already in the fridge from the bulk buy earlier in the week. One pan, one cleanup, one of the most impressive dinners you will make all week!
NIGHT 5: Easy Gluten Free Sheet Pan Lasagna
The extra pasta you cooked on Night 3 is sitting in the fridge right now. If you made gluten free penne instead of lasagna noodles this week, just use it here and follow all the same steps. It becomes a sheet pan baked ziti and it is SO good. Same flavors, same vibe, way less grocery shopping. If you did buy lasagna noodles, remember to boil them 2 to 3 minutes less than the package says so they stay al dente in the oven. Make a double batch tonight and you have a lazy second dinner ready to go with zero effort. Check your vodka sauce and pesto labels for gluten free certification before you start. This one is SO worth the wait!
The New Podcast Episode:
PDF Download
Want to save this week’s plan and take the grocery list to the store with you? Download the full PDF below. It has the complete grocery list and all five recipe links in one place so you are ready to shop and cook without thinking twice. Paid subscribers get a brand new PDF every single Sunday!
This Week’s Complete Grocery List:
You’ve got your 5 GF dinners for the week, now the only thing standing between you and a stress-free grocery run is the list below. Every ingredient, organized and ready to go. This is what paid subscribers get every single Sunday.
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🥬 Produce
1 large head iceberg lettuce (about 4–5 cups shredded)
