I have kind of a template that I try to follow for my weekly menu planning. My in-laws come over for dinner on Sundays, so that’s designated “big meal” day — even though I rarely actually make a big, boisterous meal like the Sunday dinners the people in the movies have. The plan also includes meat on Mondays, kids’ choice on Tuesdays (the kids take turn picking), sandwiches on Wednesday, vegetarian on Thursday, pizza on Friday and a new recipe on Saturday. The categories are rather open-ended, so you’d think it would be easy to keep to it. Even so, I have a hard time with it. This, in fact, is the first week that I’ve managed to do it in a long time!

Saturday: Banh mi burgers

I made these banh mi sandwiches awhile back. The flavor was great, and I thought they might translate well to burger format. I used half ground pork and half ground beef, but otherwise I stuck pretty close to the Bon Appetit recipe.

Sunday: Mu shu tacos

Good Housekeeping calls this a “quick mu shu pork,” which I guess technically it is. But I don’t generally associate mu shu with ground meat, so I’m calling it a taco. Whatever you’d like to call it, though, it was tasty.

Monday: Roasted chicken & veggies.

I might start roasting my own chickens once fall comes around, but for now I’ll rely on the grocery store’s rotisserie.

Tuesday: Grilled cheese & black bean soup.

Poppy picked grilled cheese sandwiches for her kids’ choice week. The kids will be having standard-issue cheese, but I’m going to make use something like a pepper jack to go with the black bean soup for the grownups.

Wednesday: Grilled pork sliders.

I picked this recipe up from Relish, a meal-planning website to which I’d like to subscribe.

Thursday: Grilled tuna.

I grilled fish for the first time last month, and it was delicious. I didn’t intend for it to be a once-a-month meal. Maybe I’ll get to it again before another month goes by!

Friday: Pizza.

Again, I might start making my own pizzas once it gets cooler out. For this week, though, it’ll be Papa John’s.