MONDAY

Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup

“Sipping once, sipping twice, sipping chicken soup with rice.” We think Maurice Sendak was onto something when he wrote about the joys of chicken soup with rice. Our version is thick and creamy, and can be made on stovetop, in the Instant Pot, or in a slow cooker. Carrots and bell peppers give the soup body and color, and thyme gives it a subtle but deliciously savory flavor. Enjoy this warming soup with a spinach salad with fresh pear and sunflower seeds in an apple cider vinaigrette. 

Meal Planning Smarts:

• Thursday’s buffalo chicken recipe also uses celery and carrots, so if you’re making both, prep them together to save time.
• This soup can be made ahead and simply reheated to serve, or make more and freeze extras for future simple dinners.

Diet Variation:

• Gluten-free: Use gluten-free flour for the roux and this soup will contain no gluten.
• Paleo: Use mushrooms, leave out the rice, and skip the honey in the vinaigrette.
• Vegetarian: This soup contains no meat, so no changes are needed for a vegetarian diet!

TUESDAY

Mussels and Chorizo with Baguette

This dinner of mussels and spicy chorizo in a rich white wine and tomato sauce allows you to escape to Spain without the plane trip! If you’ve never cooked mussels before, you may be surprised at just how easy it is. And of course, we’ll teach you how to cook mussels as part of our meal plan service. Zucchini and mushrooms round out the meal, which tastes much more decadent than you’d expect from the relatively short ingredient list. Serve this meal with a crusty toasted baguette to help soak up all the delicious flavors.

Meal Planning Smarts:

• If you can’t find mussels, you can use shrimp instead and follow the same instructions. For more substitution ideas, check out our Cooking Substitutions Infographic.
• Turn leftover broth into pasta sauce! For a thicker sauce, simply mix with some tomato paste.

Diet Variation:

• Gluten-free: Look for a gluten-free baguette.
• Paleo: Skip the mushrooms and white wine and serve this meal with a green salad with avocado instead of the baguette.
• Vegetarian: Enjoy a delicious Soyrizo, Farro, and Zucchini Stew with otherwise similar flavors.

“Confession: I just got my daughter a [meal kit] box. … She loves it. I think we both wish it was Cook Smarts–level food, though. I mean, it’s fine. We’ve just grown accustomed to amazing.”

– Tara P. (Member since March 2016)

Get This Week’s Meal Plan Menu

WEDNESDAY

Balsamic Onion Grilled Cheese with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Balsamic-splashed caramelized onions balance out the richness of fontina cheese and the sweetness of jam in this decidedly grown-up grilled cheese sandwich. This meal is served with crispy Brussels sprouts tossed in balsamic vinaigrette to bring out their sweet and savory flavors as well. In our meal plan recipe, we’ll share with you our favorite tip for cooking Brussels sprouts so they’re soft in the middle and crisp on the outside, without a lot of hassle. This meal comes together in 45 minutes — much less if you caramelize the onions in advance!

Meal Planning Smarts:

• Chop leftover Brussels sprouts and toss in a frittata or scrambled eggs.

Diet Variation:

• Gluten-free: Use gluten-free bread for a fully gluten-free meal.
• Paleo: Cook up a Hanger Steak with Balsamic Red Onions and enjoy with a side of coconut roasted Brussels sprouts.
• Vegetarian: No changes are needed, as this meal is already meatlessl.

THURSDAY

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

A sports bar classic gets a healthy upgrade while retaining all the best parts. The chicken bites stay crisp on the outside without requiring a deep-fry thanks to tossing them in cornstarch before cooking. You’ll mix in homemade spicy buffalo sauce while they cook, customizing the heat level to your preference. After assembling the salad with cucumber, carrots, celery, and blue cheese, you’ll top it all with made-from-scratch blue cheese dressing for a surprisingly light dinner with big flavor — perfect for the “big game” coming up this weekend, or anytime you want to indulge without all the grease.

Meal Planning Smarts:

• Make the salad dressing and the buffalo sauce and slice the veggie sticks up to 5 days ahead of time, so this end-of-the-week meal comes together extra fast.

Diet Variation:

• Gluten-free: This buffalo chicken recipe is already gluten-free.
• Paleo: Go paleo with a few swaps, including a tangy vinaigrette for the dressing, a modified buffalo sauce, and pepitas instead of crumbled blue cheese on the salad.
• Vegetarian: Swap tempeh for the chicken for a meatless dinner.

All meals come with gluten-free, paleo, and vegetarian options, as well as a grocery list and optional weekend prep steps. Join our weekly meal plan service to get the grocery list, dinner steps, and more cooking tips for these 4 simple dinners.

Sign up for a free trial