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Group One’s Week Seven Menu

Effortless Week 7 Meal Plan: Delicious & Family-Friendly Slow Cooker Recipes for Busy Weeknights

Meal Plan for Week 7 (Group 1): Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken, Savory Swiss Steak, Cheddary Spirals & Broccoli, Lemon Pepper Tilapia, Lentil Soup with Kielbasa

Welcome to your comprehensive meal plan for Week 7, Group 1! This carefully curated menu is designed to take the stress out of weeknight cooking, offering a delightful blend of comforting classics and fresh, flavorful dishes. We understand that life gets busy, which is why we’ve prioritized easy-to-follow recipes, many utilizing the magic of your slow cooker or Instant Pot, to deliver delicious, home-cooked meals with minimal effort. Get ready to enjoy a week filled with savory aromas and satisfied appetites, all while saving time and reducing food waste. From tender chicken to hearty soups and cheesy pasta, this plan ensures variety and deliciousness every day.

Meal planning is a powerful tool for maintaining a healthy diet, managing your budget, and reclaiming precious time. By outlining your meals in advance, you can streamline your grocery shopping, avoid last-minute dinner dilemmas, and reduce the temptation of unhealthy takeout. This Week 7 plan is a testament to how simple and enjoyable home cooking can be, providing you with everything you need to create wholesome and satisfying family dinners. Let’s dive into a week of culinary success!

Week 7 Meal Plan Summary

Important Notes for This Week’s Meal Prep
  • Maximize efficiency and minimize waste! Remember to use the leftover cooked chicken from Day 1’s irresistible Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken recipe for Day 5’s comforting Lentil Soup with Kielbasa. This clever meal prep hack not only saves you cooking time but also adds an extra layer of flavor to your soup.
  • Consider prepping vegetables like chopping onions, carrots, and celery for the Lentil Soup on Day 1 or 2 to make Day 5 even quicker.
  • Take advantage of your slow cooker for multiple meals this week to free up your evenings.

Day 1: Sweet & Savory Slow Cooker Delight
Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Baked French Onion Rice Steamed Asparagus

Day 2: Hearty & Flavorful Steak Dinner
Savory Swiss Steak Sautéed Greens Buttery Egg Noodles

Day 3: Cheesy & Veggie-Packed Pasta
Cheddary Spirals with Broccoli Seasoned Green Beans

Day 4: Light & Zesty Seafood Night
Lemon Pepper Tilapia Fluffy Wild Rice Sweet Green Peas

Day 5: Comforting & Hearty Soup
Lentil Soup with Kielbasa Warm Dinner Rolls Fresh Garden Salad

Day 1: Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken with French Onion Rice & Asparagus

Kick off your week with a crowd-pleasing, fuss-free meal that practically cooks itself! Our Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken offers unbelievably tender chicken pieces coated in a deliciously sweet and savory glaze. This recipe is a true set-it-and-forget-it wonder, allowing you to come home to a ready-made dinner that’s bursting with flavor. The “sticky” glaze creates a delightful texture that kids and adults alike will adore, making it a perfect family meal.

Paired with this incredible chicken is the rich and aromatic Baked French Onion Rice. Infused with the deep, savory notes of French onion soup and beef consommé, this rice isn’t just a side dish—it’s a flavor experience. It complements the chicken beautifully, soaking up all the delicious juices. Completing this balanced meal are fresh, crisp Asparagus spears, lightly steamed or roasted to perfection, adding a touch of green and essential nutrients to your plate. Remember the note about saving some of this amazing chicken for Day 5!


Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken

Discover the joy of minimal effort with maximum flavor! This Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken recipe yields incredibly tender and delicious chicken, making it an ideal choice for a busy weeknight dinner. Its simple preparation allows you to create a satisfying meal with ease, while also providing convenient leftovers. These leftovers are perfect for transforming into another meal later in the week, specifically for Day 5’s hearty lentil soup, ensuring nothing goes to waste and you save even more time!

French Onion Rice

Elevate your ordinary rice to an extraordinary side dish with this French Onion Rice. Richly flavored with the deep, aromatic notes of French onion soup and hearty beef consommé, this delicious rice bake is a consistent family favorite. It serves as an incredibly easy yet elegant side dish, perfectly complementing a variety of main courses such as succulent roasts, savory steaks, and juicy burgers. Its comforting taste and effortless preparation make it a staple for any meal.

Day 2: Savory Swiss Steak with Sautéed Greens & Egg Noodles

Day 2 brings you a classic comfort food that’s both hearty and incredibly satisfying: Savory Swiss Steak. This dish features tender cuts of beef simmered in a rich, savory gravy, making it perfect for a cozy evening. Whether you choose the slow cooker method for a set-it-and-forget-it approach or the Instant Pot for a quicker dinner, this recipe delivers succulent steak that practically melts in your mouth. The robust flavors of the gravy are truly irresistible, making it a standout meal.

To balance the richness of the steak, we’re serving it with vibrant Sautéed Greens. Spinach, kale, or collard greens, quickly cooked with garlic and a touch of olive oil, provide a healthy and flavorful counterpoint. The meal is completed with soft, buttery Egg Noodles, which are ideal for soaking up every last drop of that amazing gravy. This combination creates a well-rounded and deeply comforting dinner that will leave everyone feeling satisfied and nourished.


Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Swiss Steak

Indulge in the robust flavors of this rich and incredibly delicious Swiss Steak, offering the ultimate in convenience and flexibility. You can choose to prep it in the morning and let your slow cooker do all the work, resulting in a tender, fall-apart meal ready by dinnertime. Alternatively, for those busier days, use your Instant Pot to have this savory dish on the table in a fraction of the time. Either way, this recipe promises a hearty and satisfying dinner that’s perfect for any night of the week, with deep, savory notes that are sure to please.

Day 3: Cheddary Spirals with Broccoli & Seasoned Green Beans

Midweek calls for a quick, comforting, and customizable meal! Day 3 features Cheddary Spirals with Broccoli, a delightful stovetop dish that’s incredibly versatile and kid-friendly. This cheesy pasta dish combines tender spiral pasta (fusilli or rotini work great) with crisp, vibrant broccoli florets, all coated in a rich, creamy cheddar sauce. It’s a wonderful way to incorporate vegetables into a meal that everyone will love, and its simplicity makes it a winner for busy evenings.

What makes this dish truly special is its adaptability. Feel free to experiment with different types of pasta, substitute other vegetables like peas, carrots, or bell peppers, or even add cooked chicken for extra protein. A squeeze of lemon juice brightens the flavors, but you can omit it if it doesn’t suit your chosen combination. Alongside this cheesy goodness, we’re serving Seasoned Green Beans, steamed or lightly sautéed with a hint of garlic and herbs, adding another healthy and flavorful component to your plate. This meal is all about deliciousness and flexibility!


Cheddary Spirals with Broccoli

This incredibly versatile stovetop dish, Cheddary Spirals with Broccoli, is designed for ease and adaptability, allowing you to effortlessly use ingredients you already have on hand. The basic recipe provides a fantastic foundation that can be transformed into countless unique combinations. Feel free to substitute any preferred pasta for fusilli, swap broccoli for any other vegetable or a convenient vegetable mix, or even add cooked chicken for a protein boost. Don’t shy away from experimenting with various cheeses to find your perfect flavor profile. If your chosen combination of vegetables and cheese doesn’t mesh well with a citrus hint, simply omit the lemon juice. Remember to adjust the cooking time for both the pasta and vegetables as needed to achieve ideal tenderness. This flexible recipe makes weeknight cooking both creative and convenient!

Day 4: Lemon Pepper Tilapia with Wild Rice & Peas

For a lighter yet incredibly flavorful dinner, Day 4 presents Lemon Pepper Tilapia. This quick-cooking fish is seasoned with a vibrant lemon pepper blend, then baked or pan-seared to flaky perfection. Tilapia is a fantastic source of lean protein and cooks in minutes, making it an excellent choice for a fast and healthy weeknight meal. The bright citrus notes of the lemon pepper cut through the mildness of the fish, creating a refreshing and palate-pleasing experience.

Accompanying the tilapia is fluffy Wild Rice, which offers a delightful nutty flavor and chewy texture that contrasts beautifully with the fish. Wild rice is not only delicious but also packed with fiber and nutrients, adding depth and substance to your meal. A side of sweet Green Peas, lightly steamed, provides a pop of color and natural sweetness, rounding out this balanced and nutritious dinner. This meal proves that healthy eating can be both easy and incredibly delicious!

Day 5: Hearty Lentil Soup with Kielbasa, Dinner Rolls & Salad

Wrap up your cooking week with a warm and comforting bowl of Lentil Soup with Kielbasa! This recipe is a fantastic way to utilize the leftover Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken from Day 1, transforming it into a brand new, equally delicious meal. The lentils create a hearty and nutritious base, while the savory kielbasa sausage adds a wonderful depth of flavor and satisfying texture. Combined with tender chicken, aromatic vegetables, and a rich broth, this soup is the epitome of comfort food.

The beauty of this Crockpot Lentil Soup lies in its minimal hands-on time – just fifteen minutes of prep, and your slow cooker does the rest! It’s packed with savory onions, peppers, and garlic, making it incredibly flavorful and aromatic. Serving it with warm, crusty Dinner Rolls is essential for soaking up every last drop of the delicious broth. A crisp, fresh Garden Salad on the side adds a refreshing contrast and ensures you get your greens. This meal is perfect for a cozy Friday night, offering a wholesome and deeply satisfying end to your culinary week.


Crockpot Lentil Soup with Kielbasa

Embrace warmth and flavor with our Crockpot Lentil Soup—the ideal meal for cozy evenings! This hearty and flavorful slow cooker meal requires just fifteen minutes of active prep time, allowing you to set it and forget it until dinner. This delicious slow cooker lentil soup is an effortless meal, brimming with savory onions, vibrant peppers, and fragrant garlic, all combining to create a truly comforting and satisfying dish. Don’t forget, this is the perfect opportunity to incorporate any leftover cooked chicken from Day 1, adding even more depth and nutrition to this already fantastic soup!

Effortlessly Create Your Shopping List for Week 7

Preparing these delicious meals is made even simpler with our integrated shopping list feature. To ensure you have all the necessary ingredients on hand, simply click the “Shopping List” button below. From there, you can easily review all the items required for each day’s recipes. To conveniently print out the detailed notes for each day’s meal, along with your complete ingredient list, remember to click “Print Collection” after generating your shopping list. This feature is designed to streamline your grocery trips, save you time, and help you stay organized throughout your cooking week!

We hope this Week 7 Meal Plan brings ease and enjoyment to your kitchen. By following this plan, you’re not just cooking meals; you’re creating moments of shared joy, saving valuable time, and making smart choices for your health and budget. Happy cooking!