Simplify Your Weeknights With Themed Dinners

I have previously talked about my love of themed dinners. It all started when a friend shared this Kitchn article on Facebook. It talks about the beauty and simplicity of themed dinners.

Before reading this article, I spent most Sundays avoiding the arduous task of meal planning. For someone that loves food as much as I do, you’d think it wouldn’t be difficult, but I struggled every week. I’d typically think of a dish or two then decide to “wing it” the rest of the week.

Not surprisingly, I’d continue to draw a blank while browsing through the grocery store with my toddler and baby in tow. As a mom of two, I’d like my weeknight dinners to be healthy, easy to put together, and delicious. Moms have enough on their minds to have to be stressing over what to whip up for dinner on a Tuesday.

Although I love to cook and love to eat even more, making dinner was turning into such a chore. I ended up buying the same meal over and over again. And, as much as I love salmon, rice and a veggie, by the fourteenth Wednesday in a row of eating, I was ready for a change.

Simplify Your Weeknights With Themed Dinners

After reading the Kitchn article about Themed Dinners, I was intrigued and ready to give anything a try to spice up our boring salmon-filled weeknights.

Why Themed Dinners? 

1. It’s easier. Themed dinners have made things 100% easier for me. Now, all that extra time spent agonizing over what to make that week is gone. Instead, I know exactly what my options are for each night and can quickly choose what to make.
2. It helps you avoid quick, not-so-nutritious alternatives. When you struggle to come up with what to make for dinner, you are often tempted into quick-fixes. Ugh, I just don’t even know what to make! Why don’t we just order a pizza? 
3. It helps you become more creative I was slightly worried that themed dinners would have the potential to get monotonous. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the opposite to be true. I’ve found myself really thinking outside of the box on each themed day. Just type in “meatless monday” on pinterest and you’ll see all the many options. Plus, once you get bored of your themed dinners, you can easily switch them up and do new ones.

Themed Dinner Ideas 

Here are the themed dinner ideas we’ve been doing for the past few weeks. Taco Tuesdays are always a bit hit in our house and I’ve been really into coming up with dishes for Meatless Mondays.

• Meatless Mondays
  • Ideas: Black bean burgers, Grilled cheese and tomato soup, Breakfast for dinner, Pasta, Pad tai
  • Try this recipe! Barefoot Contessa’s Easy Tomato Soup is my go-to.
• Taco Tuesdays
  • Beef/chicken/shrimp tacos, Sweet potato tacos, quesadillas, empanadas, taquitos, burritos
  • Try this recipe! These chicken and spinach flautas are a big hit.
• Wok Wednesdays
  • Any type of stir fry, fried rice, any Asian-Inspired dish
  • Try this recipe! Better than Takeout Chicken Fried Rice from The Recipe Critic
• Pasta Thursdays
  • Any and all pasta dishes! Spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, garlic white wine sauce dishes
  • Try this recipe! Black Pepper Pasta with Rainbow Chard and White Beans
• Fish Fridays
  • Pan-fried fish, baked fish, grilled shrimp
  • Try this recipe! My husband made this Cioppino Seafood Stew from Epicurious and it was so amazingly good.

Other Ideas 

• Salad Day (e.g. Crab & Grapefruit Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing)
• Soup Day (e.g. Dairy-Free Creamy Carrot Soup)
• Sandwich Day (e.g. Apple, Bacon & Gruyere Panini Recipe)
• Around the World Day- Try a new cuisine from a different part of the world!
• Slow Cooker Day- This is a perfect one for late in the week when it’s tough to find the energy to cook.
• Pizza Day
• Kids Choice Day

What themed dinner night would you try? Leave me a comment below!