Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

Good morning, and happy Sunday! From rainy days to easy fall comfort food, I’m back with a full roundup of Our Week in Meals!

For those of you who are new to the blog, Our Week in Meals is where I share a little bit about what we’ve been up to over the past week — as it relates to our dinners each night. This series gives you a glimpse “behind the scenes” at some highlights from our life, shows you how I balance a busy schedule with feeding my family, and offers a few new ideas for your own weekly meal plan. Now let’s back up to last weekend…

We had a lot of rain early in the week (thanks to Hurricane Florence moving slowly inland), so Sunday was almost a complete washout. I did manage to squeeze in an early morning walk in the mist with my friend Mollie before I headed to the grocery store, though!

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the kitchen while the boys watched football. I prepped some Cranberry Baked Oatmeal to reheat for breakfast during the week,

and I also made this Gingerbread Pumpkin Smoothie to share with you soon (I had leftover canned pumpkin in the fridge that needed to be used!).

I made my Instant Pot (or Slow Cooker) Chicken with Peppers for dinner, which I served alongside spaghetti. Always a kid (and husband) favorite!

Monday was an unexpected day off for the boys. School was cancelled in Madison because of flash flood warnings (thanks to the hurricane), so we had a pretty quiet rainy day at home.

I needed to make a quick run to Yoder’s Country Market after lunch to pick up some lunchmeat, so the kids were happy to tag along. It was like a competition to see who could throw more junk in the cart. You’re looking at Cheez Balls, gummy frogs, coconut, and chocolate chips!????

Getting stuck indoors has its benefits, and I was able to sit on the couch and finally read through a new cookbook that the publisher recently sent me. This is Ann Mah’s newest, Instantly French!, which is an entire book full of classic French recipes that you can prepare in your Instant Pot (or other electric pressure cooker).

The timing was great, because when I received this book I had just finished Ann’s previous bestseller, Mastering the Art of French Eating, which I had randomly picked up on my own. I was excited to get my hands on her latest, and the pages are already dog-eared with recipes that I can’t wait to try.

French Onion Soup in the Instant Pot?!!! YES.

Soccer practices were obviously cancelled that evening, so we had a delicious Mexican feast at home (and we didn’t have to rush out the door afterwards). This is the kid-friendly enchilada recipe that I have been making for years: Easy Beef Enchiladas. I served the enchiladas with corn, chips, salsa, and guacamole.

Tuesday morning wasn’t too exciting — I went to my dentist appointment while all of the kids were back in school.

We had two different 5:30 p.m. soccer practices that night (one that I was coaching), so I turned to one of Keith’s favorite options that we haven’t had in ages: Chicken Sandwiches! I just baked the chicken patties as instructed and served them on sandwich buns with chips, veggies, and hummus. Minimal effort…and the boys LOVED this meal (of course)!

Wednesday morning was a fun change from the regular routine. I went into Charlottesville to meet my friend Kristin for a coffee date! We had such a good time catching up, and before I knew it I had to rush home to get Spence off the school bus at lunchtime.

Iced Pumpkin Spice Coffee

When I was making a meal plan before grocery shopping last weekend, I checked with the boys to see if they had any dinner requests for the coming days. Gibbs asked for his favorite meal, which we haven’t had in ages (because it just doesn’t seem as appealing when the weather is hot). This Healthy Mini Meatloaf was on the menu!

I served the meatloaf with Tater Tots and steamed broccoli. Delicious (and easy) 30-minute meal!

Thursday morning was cool, crisp and beautiful, so I made a quick stop at the grocery store and then headed to the woods for a hike with my friend.

I made a batch of apple butter in the Crock Pot (which made my house smell amazing all day long), and prepped a delicious supper in my other slow cooker to enjoy later that evening.

We had Healthy Slow Cooker Gumbo with rice, which was a good option for a night when we were out on the soccer fields again. The boys and I ate early (around 4:30 p.m.!), and I just reheated the soup for Keith to enjoy around 7:30 when everyone was done with practices.

My mother-in-law came for a visit on Friday as she was passing through town,

and we had a fall feast for dinner! I made my Turkey Pot Pie Pockets (which I think was the very first recipe that I ever shared on this blog…and the photos have since been updated), but I used some leftover chicken from my refrigerator in lieu of the turkey.

On the side we had 3-Ingredient Cranberry Orange Sauce,

a green salad, and Roasted Acorn Squash.

Getting 3 boys fed, dressed, and out the door for soccer games by 8:00 a.m. was no easy task, but we did it!

We spent our Saturday on the fields, which is the normal routine at this time of year. Fortunately, it wasn’t raining this week!

Keith took Gibbs and Spencer to a car show that afternoon, while I stayed home with Casey to take care of other items on my to-do list — including many loads of laundry/bed sheets; baking these cookies (at Spencer’s request);

and cleaning out my pantry. I had so much stuff in the cabinets that the cans were falling down on me whenever I opened it. Yikes!

Dinner that night was my easy Sheet Pan Sausage with Green Beans and Crispy Potatoes. Simple, tasty, and minimal dishes required!

And there you have it…another week of easy meals DONE! I hope that you found a few new ideas to try this week, too! Thanks so much for stopping by! ????

Need some help planning your family’s meals? When you join Simply Mailed, I will send you 3 quick-prep dinner recipes and a grocery shopping list each week (for about $1 per week!!!). This super-affordable service takes the stress out of dinner, saves you time and money, and brings your family together at the end of the day. There are even options for smaller households of just 1 or 2!

Simply Mailed

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

blair

Hey, I’m Blair!

Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you’ll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It’s down-home, country-style cooking!

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Square overhead shot of hands serving a chicken pot pie recipe with biscuits
Overhead image of a bowl of chili mac on a dinner table with cornbread
Hands serving a platter of sheet pan sausage and potatoes

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