Get organized with our weekly dinner meal plan featuring 5 easy, healthy, and tasty recipes for the family. Start your week right with homemade wholesome meals.
- THIS WEEK’S Dinner MEAL PLAN #04
- GRAB THE GROCERY LIST
- Tips For Meal Planning
A weekly dinner meal plan has several benefits, including making life easier, healthier, and often more affordable.
Here are some key reasons why you might want to consider planning meals each week:
- Saves Time : Meal planning helps you avoid the daily “What should I make Tonight?” dilemma.
- Reduces Food Waste : When you plan, you can buy just what you need for each meal. This prevents extra food from going bad in the fridge.
- Save Money : Having a list of dinner recipes and a grocery allows you to be more mindful at the grocery store and avoid impulsive buying.
- Keeps You Healthy : Eating home-cooked, wholesome meals helps you control calorie intake, portion sizes, and avoid pre-packaged or frozen food.
THIS WEEK’S Dinner MEAL PLAN #04
Here’s a week-long dinner meal plan that includes nutritious, tasty, and balanced meals, with an emphasis on healthy recipes :
- Monday: Ragi Dosa/Idli + Vegetable Sambar
- Tuesday: Mexican Quinoa Bowl + Grilled Chicken/Paneer
- Wednesday: Paneer Kali Mirch + Phulka or Wheat Naan
- Thursday: Mixed Sprouts Pulao + Roasted Tomato Chutney
- Friday: Creamy Mushrooms + Herb Rice
- Bonus Salad Recipe : Herbed Potato Salad
Helpful Meal Prep:
- Make a batch of sprouts at home.
- Make ragi batter for idli and dosa.
- Marinate paneer and keep it in the fridge.
- Cook red kidney beans (rajma) and store them in the fridge.
GRAB THE GROCERY LIST
Tips For Meal Planning
- Taking printouts of dinner menu and grocery lists always helps. Or update a reusable meal planner manually.
- Stick the meal plan on the most visible corner of the kitchen like the refrigerator or cabinet door.
- Sort the dinner recipes first and then jump-start on the grocery list.
- Substitute protein like paneer/tofu/chicken as per personal preference.
- If you are planning to include more side dishes, don’t forget to make them part of the grocery list.
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
This one-pot chicken stew recipe is perfect for cosy dinners, easy meal prep, or a wholesome family meal.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Stew
- My Tried and True Tips
- Easy Chicken Stew Recipe
Chicken stew is a classic dish that embodies comfort, warmth, and nourishment. It is not just comforting—it’s also packed with nutrients. Chicken provides lean protein, while the medley of vegetables contributes vitamins, minerals, and fibre.
With minimal effort and maximum flavour, this stew will become a staple in your kitchen.
Why You’ll Love This Stew
- comforting and nourishing
- easy to customize and cook
- perfect for the family meals
- does not contain nuts or dairy
- one-pot meals are a dream for busy cooks
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken Thighs or bone-in pieces like drumsticks with good fat/juices are ideal. You can make it with boneless chicken breast also.
- Aromatics: Celery, Garlic, Cinnamon, Thyme, Oregano
- Vegetables : Onion, Carrot, Zucchini, Potato, Green Peas, Green Beans
- Flour to coat the chicken and thicken the stew. It gives a luscious consistency to the stew.
- Chicken Stock or bouillon powder to cook the stew
- Seasoning of salt, pepper, and paprika
- Fresh Herbs like parsley, cilantro or Italian basil.
- Olive Oil or Butter to cook the stew
How To Make Stew
1. Sear the Chicken
- Clean the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
- Coat them with flour. Gently tap the chicken on the kitchen counter
- Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Sear chicken until golden brown on both sides (about 4–5 minutes per side).
- Remove the chicken and set aside on a platter.
2. Sauté the Aromatics
- In the same pot, add the minced garlic, celery, cinnamon, thyme, and onion.
- Sauté until translucent, about 2–3 minutes or until fragrant.
3. Add Vegetables
- Add the carrot, beans, and zucchini, and saute for a minute.
- Do not add potatoes and green peas at this stage.
4. Deglaze the Pot
- Deglaze the pot with a splash of chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom (these add rich flavour!).
- Return the chicken to the pot. Add the cubed potatoes, green peas, salt, pepper, remaining chicken broth, and oregano. Bring the stew to a gentle boil.
5. Simmer to Perfection
- Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 – 20 minutes.
- The stew is ready when the chicken is tender and the potatoes are cooked.
- Taste the stew and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.
Ladle the stew into bowls, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and enjoy with crusty bread, over rice or with mashed cauliflower or potatoes.
My Tried and True Tips
- Choose the right pot: A Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot retains heat well and ensures even cooking.
- Customize your veggies: Feel free to swap in your favourite vegetables or use what you have on hand—parsnips, turnips, or even squash work well.
- Try Vegan Stew with brown lentil and vegetables . It’s very delicious.
- Make it creamy: For a creamier stew, stir in a splash of heavy cream or a dollop of sour cream at the end.
- Use leftovers wisely: This stew tastes even better the next day! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for longer storage.
- If using frozen green peas , add them in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
More Chicken Dinner Recipes
- Thai Red Chicken Curry
- Asian Chicken Meatballs
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta
- Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- ▢ 400 gram chicken thighs or breast
- ▢ 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ▢ 2 tablespoon celery stalk, finely chopped
- ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ▢ 1 sprig thyme
- ▢ 1 inch cinnamon stick
- ▢ 1 bay leaf
- ▢ 1 small size onion, finely chopped
- ▢ 1 medium size carrot, finely chopped
- ▢ 1 small size zucchini, finely chopped
- ▢ ¼ Cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
- ▢ 1 large size potato, diced
- ▢ 2 Cup chicken stock or bouillion powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ▢ ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ▢ black pepper to taste
- ▢ Handful of parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Clean the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Coat them with flour. Gently tap the chicken on kitchen counter
- Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Sear chicken until golden brown on both sides (about 4–5 minutes per side). Remove the chicken and set aside on a platter.
- In the same pot, add the minced garlic, celery, cinnamon, thyme, and onion. Sauté until translucent, about 2–3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the carrot, beans, zucchini, and saute for a minute. Do not add potato and green peas at this stage.
- Deglaze the pot with a splash of chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom (these add rich flavour!).
- Return the chicken to the pot. Add the cubed potatoes, green peas, salt, pepper, remaining chicken broth, and oregano. Bring the stew to a gentle boil.
- Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 – 20 minutes. The stew is ready when the chicken is tender and the potatoes are cooked through. Taste the stew and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.
- Ladle the warm stew into bowls, sprinkle fresh parsley, and enjoy with crusty bread
Recipe Notes:
- Chicken Thighs or bone-in pieces like drumsticks with good fat/juices are ideal. You can make it with boneless chicken breast also though thighs stay juicy and tender, even with a long cooking time.
- All the brown bits stuck to the casserole after searing chicken add a lot of flavour to the stew. Make sure to deglaze the pot nicely.
- You can add baby potatoes also instead of diced potato.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
