On The Menu for the 3rd Week Of January
Plan cozy winter dinners with this easy menu plan for the third week of January, featuring 7 comforting meals and delicious recipes for busy days.
I have really been in the mood to cook lately. I have always loved being in the kitchen, but right now I feel especially drawn to my favorite room at Tanglewood House. Winter cooking is all about easy, cozy meals that warm us from the inside out and make the whole house smell wonderful. I have a great menu planned for you this week. Let’s cook.
Do you menu plan, cobble dinner together each night, or fall back on takeout? I am a big believer in creating healthy, delicious meals and inviting family and friends to gather around the table for good food and heart-filling fellowship.
The menus I share each week are what we eat. We may not make every single dish, but I usually know what we are having for dinner most nights. A menu plan is just that, a plan. It is a flexible framework, not something written in stone.
There are nights I do not feel like cooking or simply do not have the time, and that is perfectly fine. There are also nights when I crave something different than what is on the menu, and that is fine too. I am not a slave to my weekly menus. They work for me, and I hope they help you as well.
Here are 41 delicious mix-and-match recipes on the menu this week…
One-pan meals are always a win on a winter Monday, and this pasta is no exception. Everything cooks together in one pan, which means big flavor and very little cleanup. Adding grilled Italian sausage makes it extra hearty and satisfying. This is the kind of dinner that feels comforting without any fuss.
One Pan Pasta
Sweet Italian Sausage
Greek Salad
Soup nights are the best kind of winter nights, and this creamy mushroom soup is a favorite in our house. It is rich, cozy, and full of deep mushroom flavor, the kind of soup that makes the whole kitchen smell wonderful. Paired with cheesy garlic biscuits, it feels like a simple but special dinner you will want to linger over.
Cream Of Mushroom Soup
Cheesy Garlic Biscuits
Crab cakes always feel like a treat, even in the middle of the week. These are full of sweet lump crab with very little filler, just the way they should be. Served with crispy potatoes and roasted green beans, this dinner feels restaurant-worthy but is easy enough to make at home.
Maryland Crabcakes
Roasted Herb, Garlic, and Parmesan Potatoes
Oven Roasted Green Beans
Skirt steak cooks quickly and has such great flavor, making it perfect for a busy weeknight. The beef satay with peanut sauce feels a little different and fun, especially paired with Nani’s sautéed rice and a fresh salad. This is one of those meals that looks impressive but comes together faster than you’d expect.
Beef Satay With Peanut Dipping Sauce
Nani’s Sauteed Rice
Asian Ramen Noodle Salad
Chicken piccata is always a good idea. It is bright, lemony, and full of flavor, yet simple enough for the end of the week when energy is low. Serving it with leftover sautéed rice makes dinner even easier, and the crispy roasted broccoli rounds everything out perfectly.
Chicken Piccata
Leftover Nani’s Sauteed Rice
Crispy Roasted Broccoli With Parmesan Cheese
Saturday nights are made for sharing a meal with someone you love, and this balsamic-glazed salmon is perfect for company. It is elegant but easy, with wonderful flavor from the balsamic vinegar. Paired with a fresh arugula salad, this dinner feels special without keeping you tied to the kitchen.
Balsamic Glazed Salmon
Potato Au Gratin
Arugula Salad With Parmesan, Pine Nuts In A Lemon Vinaigrette
Streusel-Topped Banana Nut Bread With
Crème Anglaise
Sunday dinner is all about comfort and tradition. A cozy roast with make-ahead mashed potatoes (using a tub of cream cheese and chives) is perfect after a day spent at church or with family. I have frozen cookie dough in the freezer that I’ll bake and serve the delicious cookies warm and gooey.
This is the kind of meal that invites everyone to slow down, sit together, and enjoy being at the table.
Church Roast
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Maple Glazed Roasted Carrots
Barely Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies
Treat Of The Week
These sour cream scones are such a cozy winter treat. They are tender, not overly sweet, and perfect with butter, jam, or a simple glaze. Enjoy them for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon coffee break. They are old-fashioned in the very best way.
Sour Cream Scones
More Recipes You Might Like To Try
Sausage, White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup With Puff Pastry Lids is the newest recipe on the blog.
This Parmesan Pasta Soup is Bobby’s dream soup. If you are a pasta lover, you will love this soup.
Another easy, company-worthy recipe- Chicken Wellington.
We make this scrumptious Beef Pot Roast year-round, but it is especially good when the weather is cold.
Coq au Vin with Brown Butter Sage Mashed Potatoes sounds so rustically French! I really need to give this recipe a try!
Monterey Spaghetti is creamy with chicken, spinach, and crispy fried onions.
I’m a big Chili fan. Here’s my traditional Chili, and here’s a White Chicken Chili too!
French Baked Cauliflower Au Gratin is a healthier twist on the original.
While citrus is so plentiful, why not make a beautiful and Simple Citrus Salad?
Loaded Baked Potato Casserole is a great side dish.
I’ve been having healthy-ish muffins and a piece of fruit for breakfast recently. These Orange Oatmeal Muffins sound wonderful.
Have you ever made your own Cheese Crackers? There are never any left to eat later.
Swedish Meatballs are one of my favorite dishes.
Creamy French Chicken Casserole is a beautiful dish.
Cookie bars are my favorite to make. These 7 Layer Bars are so easy to make.
Company-worthy Hash Brown Crust Bacon Cheddar Quiche comes together fast.
Cold days are perfect for Nani’s Pork and Cabbage soup. This is just so so good!
I can’t wait to try Gingerbread Ice Cream.
Have a scrumptious week, friends!
Your recipes always look inviting, comforting, and enjoyable for families. Those of us who cook for only ourselves still crave that comfort factor, yet are challenged by waiting til we are hungry to begin to cook, then going blank midway.
When I got married I literally did not know how to cook a hotdog! I decided early on that my mission was to create wonderful healthy family meals. I plan my meals at least 2 weeks at a time. That way I can insure all items get used up by working out all the details. I start in the fall with a homemade soup every week and freeze a couple meals – I build my soup inventory. I keep a notebook that lists my grocery list on one page, and on the back of that page I list my meals. It’s not cast in stone, but it’s a guide. I do major shopping 2 times a month – and fill in fresh ingredients along the way. I shop between 3 different stores – each store has it’s specialty – one has fantastic locally raised beef and pork, another has organic chicken, and another, Trader Joe’s, is fun. I think by planning all these meals it has kept us healthier, maintain a stable weight, and saves money at the same time. I hope my meal plan may inspire people.
I hope so too Lyn! And I hope Trader Joe’s come to Lancaster County. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR TRADER JOE’S?????
Agree….let’s get a Trader Joe’s in Lancaster area soon! I see all these posts with “what I got at TJ’s” and would love to not have to drive so far to shop!!!
I KNOW!
I fixed the Burrito Bowl last night– FABULOUS! Just read Lyns Post on the value of menu planning. She has a great routine for this…wish I was as consistent!
Can’t wait to start ….going to make all. Thanks
Yvonne,
I couldn’t be more pleased that you are bringing back the menus! I have been going back to the archives constantly to find inspiration for our meals. I became gluten-sensitive after the COVID-19 vaccines and need to adjust many of the recipes, but at least I have a delicious framework to start with for my week.
Thanks again for the effort it takes you to create these,
Doroth
I’m so glad you! I’m not sure if I will do them every week. It just depends on how busy I am.
Yvonne, when you had stopped doing On the Menu last year, I was heartbroken. I love your posts and look forward to them each week. So, I was thrilled when I saw that you were bringing On the Menu back!! It honestly brought so much joy to me to see this. I am a lifelong native of Lancaster County who moved away last year after I married my husband who is in the Army. It is so comforting to read your weekly menu and feel a little bit of home all the way out here in Colorado. Thank you for bringing back this little bit of joy into my life <3
You are so welcome. They may not be every week, as my schedule is so busy. But I’ll do what I can. So happy to send a bit of beautiful bucolic Lancaster Co your way!