Meal Plan 125
Sep 11, 2026
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This week's meal plan leans into cozy early-fall dinners while still keeping busy weeknights manageable. A little intentional planning means several ingredients and leftovers get used more than once, saving both time and money.
Meal Plan 125
Just like all my weekly meal plans, this week's meal plan includes 7 delicious dinners, ideas for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, meal-prep ideas, and a shopping list. I truly want to help you make home-cooked meals easier!
Download the meal plan, complete with tips and a shopping list, here. Or simply find inspiration below.
Dinner Recipes
- Sunday: Instant Pot Chili or Crockpot Chili with Cornbread
- Monday: Baked Italian Sausage with Roasted Red Potatoes
- Tuesday: Vegetarian Fajitas with Instant Pot Spanish Rice
- Wednesday: Tamale Pie with Fruit
- Thursday: Pizza Pasta with Olive Garden Salad and Homemade Garlic Toast
- Friday: Easy Bean Burritos using leftover Spanish Rice with chips and salsa
- Saturday: Leftover Pizza Pasta and Salad
Breakfast Ideas
Lunch Ideas
- Leftovers
- Bean Burritos
- Turkey Apple Sandwich
Tips for this Week's Meal Plan
- On Sunday: Make a full batch of chili, then set aside 3 to 4 cups for Wednesday's Tamale Pie. That turns Wednesday into an assembly-and-bake kind of night rather than another dinner you have to start from scratch.
- On Monday: Peppers and onions also carry over nicely into Tuesday's fajitas.
- On Tuesday: Prepare extra Spanish Rice tonight so you have enough for Friday's Bean Burritos.
- On Wednesday: Use the chili you reserved on Sunday as the base for Tamale Pie.
- On Thursday: Remove the casings from the Italian sausage you reserved on Monday and brown the meat for the Pizza Pasta. Use any remaining peppers or onions as pizza toppings if your family enjoys them.
- On Friday: Use the remaining Spanish Rice to make Easy Bean Burritos. If you're using seasoned Spanish Rice, skip the salsa inside the burritos and serve salsa on the side instead. If you have leftover avocado, cilantro, cheese, or salsa from fajita night, they all work well here too.
- On Saturday: Leftovers! The pizza pasta often stretches to make 2 dinners, especially when paired with salad. But adding garlic toast helps even more!
- Easy Swaps + $ Saving Tips:
- Purchase a larger package of Italian sausage. Bake 4 to 6 links for Monday's dinner and save another 2 to 3 links for Thursday's Pizza Pasta. Use pork, turkey, chicken, or beef Italian sausage based on preference or sales.
- Ground beef, turkey, chicken, or bison can all be used in the chili, so choose whichever is the best price.
- Buy bell peppers in a multi-pack if that is cheaper. You will easily use them across several meals this week.
- Friday's burritos are deliberately flexible. Skip the rice if you run out, or add leftover fajita vegetables if you have them.
Printable Meal Plan
Click HERE to print the meal plan, complete with a shopping list and helpful time- and money-saving tips.
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