If you are someone who finds themselves making the same dinners over and over again then these 20 Easy Theme Night Dinner Ideas may just be what you are looking for to change up your weekly meal plan.
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Meal planning can be challenging. When I first started monthly meal planning, I struggled to come up with so many meal ideas at one time.
It wasn’t until I came up with some strategies to help me be more successful that I began to really enjoy meal planning.
Besides, keeping pantry staples on hand and making freezer meals when I need dinner in a hurry, using theme night dinners has been the ultimate time-saver when planning our meals.
What are theme night dinners?
Theme night dinners are when you pick a theme for your meals every night. So, on Monday you choose a theme (in our home it’s Italian night) and you can either try a new recipe or make a family favorite using that theme. Then, you simply do this for every day of the week.
Why should people use theme night dinners?
- A theme night meal plan eliminates a lot of the stress that comes with trying to come up with so many different dinner ideas.
- It inspires you to try out a few new recipes. I know it has encouraged me to dust off some of my old cookbooks.
- It prevents you from making the same meals night after night.
- Helps you save money on groceries because you are only buying what you need to plan your meals.
- You don’t eat out as frequently because you know what you are having for dinner every night.
This guide will give you an idea of how I plan our theme meals for the week but you can change things around so it works for you. I’ve included some alternate ideas just for that reason.
Looking for easy and inexpensive meal ideas?
- 85 Easy Budget-Friendly Meal Ideas
- 27 Frugal Meal Ideas When Money is Tight
- 28 Family-Friendly Dinner Ideas That Are $5 or Less
Theme Night Dinners
Monday- Italian Night
My boys love pasta recipes so we decided to make Monday’s Italian Night. Here are a few of the Italian meals that we enjoy in our home:
- spaghetti and meatballs
- lasagna
- baked ziti
- chicken parmesan
- chicken alfredo
Some other suggestions are Meatless Monday or Mexican Monday.
Tuesday- Taco Tuesday
Tacos are a huge favorite in our home so that is what we choose to eat on Tuesdays. Here are a few other options that we like making on Tuesdays:
- enchiladas
- nachos
- fajitas
- taco salad
- quesadillas
Some other suggestions for Tuesdays could be Try-it Tuesday or Take-out Tuesday.
You may like:
- 35 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Ideas
- Best 20-Minute Meals for Busy Weeknights
- 19 Quick and Easy 10 Minute Meals
Wednesday- Breakfast Night
As much as I wish I could prepare a nice big breakfast every weekend for the family, it rarely happens with our busy schedule.
However, since breakfast is a family favorite we decided to include it in our theme nights.
Some of our go-to breakfast ideas for dinner include:
- egg casseroles
- french toast casserole
- pancakes
- omelets
- breakfast burritos
Here are a few more easy breakfast ideas:
- 40 Quick 5-Minute Breakfast Ideas
- Easy Frugal Egg, Ham and Cheese Crunchwrap
- 70 Easy Back-to-School Breakfast Ideas for Kids
- 45 Grab and Go Breakfast Ideas for Teens
Some other suggestions are Chicken Dinner Wednesday or Kid’s Choice Wednesday.
You May like:28 Easy Shortcut Rotisserie Chicken Dinner Ideas
Thursday- Try Something New Thursday
Thursday is the day that I will check Pinterest or go through some of my cookbooks to find a new recipe that I would like to try.
Recommended:
- 26 Quick and Easy Pork Recipes
- 16 Easy and Delicious Foil Pack Dinners
- 29 Easy One-Pot Dinner Recipes
- 23 Simple Sheet Pan Dinners for Busy Nights
Some other suggestions are for an Asian Food Night or Kids Cook Night
Friday- Pizza Night
Pizza is one of my favorite meals so any excuse to include it in one of our theme nights, I couldn’t pass up.
As much as we love traditional pizza, we also like to try out different types of pizza such as:
- barbecue chicken pizza
- buffalo chicken pizza
- breakfast pizza
Here are 34 Delicious Homemade Pizza Recipes you can add to your meal plan that are perfect for busy nights.
On Fridays, we also enjoy calzones or strombolis. Some other suggestions for Friday night are Family Favorites or Seafood Night
Saturday- Souper Saturday
During the summer months, this is actually Grilling Saturday but once fall arrives we change it to Souper Saturday.
Some of our favorite soups/stews are:
- broccoli cheddar
- tomato macaroni
- vegetable soup
- chicken noodle
- chili
- beef stew
Related:
If soup isn’t for you, then you could also have a Leftover night or a Salad night.
Sunday- Slow Cook Sundays
On Sundays, I try to prepare something in the slow cooker. Sundays are all about family for us, so not having to think about spending the day preparing dinner is a bonus.
You could also try Casserole Sunday (Here are some of our favorite chicken casserole recipes and ground beef casseroles.
Don’t forget about dessert:
- Easy and Frugal Fall Desserts
- Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
- Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Meal planning can be such a great way to save money and get the family involved in the planning process.
Are you looking for ways to save on your groceries?
- 30 Easy Ways to Save Money on Groceries
- 6 Easy Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
- 4 Best Grocery Shopping Apps to Save Money
- 15 Supermarket Spending Traps to Avoid
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