Peanut Butter Fingers

Living a Life Fueled by Healthy Food and Fitness

Navigation
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Who’s Who
    • All About NASM
    • Disclaimer
    • Wedding
  • Recipe Index
  • Workouts
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy + Baby #2
    • Pregnancy + Baby #3
    • Miscarriages
  • Baby
  • Shop + Favs
    • My Amazon Shop
    • Codes + Discounts
    • Books
    • Blogging
  • Travel
    • Orlando & Florida
    • Blog Travel

Week of Weeknight Meals: October 2023

October 30, 2023 by Julie 3 Comments

Only two days remain in October so I’m clearly squeaking in today’s Week of Weeknight Meals blog post in at the last second. I didn’t want to miss recapping what one week of weeknight meals looked like in our house this month and I picked a good one to recap because we had some really delicious eats on the menu last week.

As always, pictures in this post are snapped in real-time and no fancy food photos are allowed. Last week’s meals included leftovers, freezer food shortcuts, a new-to-us simple baked chicken dish and a long-time favorite chimichurri recipe. I hope something below pops out at you the next time you’re on the lookout for dinner inspiration!

Week of Weeknight Meals: October 2023

  • Monday: Leftover Instant Pot Butternut Squash Beef Stew

On Sunday, I made a big batch of Instant Pot Butternut Squash Beef Stew and the leftovers made the perfect reheat-and-eat dinner on Monday night. I love the way soups, stews and chilis often taste even better as leftovers! This stew recipe is our family’s favorite because it’s packed with vegetables and gets its velvety broth from butternut squash — but you’d never know it! We topped our stew with fresh parsley and served it with a side of toasted sourdough bread. My sister left a loaf of her homemade sourdough behind in our freezer and it’s been such a treat to take out a few slices to toast when we’re in the mood for sourdough.

FYI for anyone who might be more visual, I recently made a Reel featuring this recipe on Instagram if you’d like to check it out!

  • Tuesday: 30 Minute Baked Chicken Thighs (via Family Style Food) with Arugula and Baked Sweet Potatoes

This recipe was sent my way by one of you when I said I was in the mood to try a new recipe last week. It immediately caught my eye when I realized we already had almost all of the ingredients on hand in our fridge and pantry. (The only change I made to the recipe was swapping out shallots in favor of a large sweet onion.) To be honest, when I tried the marinade before pouring it over the chicken and onions I wasn’t sure it was going to be that good but after the flavors combined in the oven, it was such a wonderful meal! We loved it and will absolutely make it again. I’m all about easy weeknight meals and this one certainly fits the bill! We ate the chicken on top of a bed of arugula for some greens and served it with a side of baked sweet potatoes.

  • Wednesday: Thai-Style Coconut Chicken with Curried Brown Rice

Wednesday’s meal was a combination of pre-made items from our fridge and freezer. I combined a package of Kevin’s Thai-Style Coconut Chicken (I order it through Thrive Market) with Daily Harvest Curried Brown Rice and Green Chickpeas. I added a bunch of frozen edamame to the skillet after combining everything for additional texture and flavor and we loved this easy meal.

  • Thursday: Chickpea Pasta with Easy Marinara Meat Sauce

Thursday’s meal is one I always have in the back of my mind as a quick dinner option for busy weeknights because it comes together in a flash. I try to keep ground beef or turkey on hand in the freezer so I can thaw it out and then combine it with jarred marinara sauce to serve over pasta of some sort. On Thursday this looked like chickpea pasta and organic marinara (both from Thrive Market), topped with fresh parsley.

  • Sunday: Chimichurri Chicken with Baked Sweet Potatoes and Arugula Salad

Confession: I forgot to snap a picture of Friday night’s dinner. My parents were in town (they stopped by en route to a couples’ vacation in the mountains) and I got distracted at dinnertime. I forgot to take a picture of the chimichurri skirt steak, rosemary potatoes, asparagus and fresh bread we ate together but remembered to document our dinner on Sunday night so let’s chat about that one instead!

On Sunday evening, we had rotisserie chicken topped with the leftover homemade chimichurri I made for Friday night’s dinner and paired with baked sweet potatoes topped with butter. We had a simple arugula salad on the side to round out our meal.

Question of the Day

Any delicious dinner recipes to share? I’d love to try a new soup, stew or chili recipe if you have one you’d recommend! 

Be sure to follow PBFingers on Instagram and Facebook!

I'd love to connect with you! I am always so grateful when you let me know you tried one of my recipes or workouts and tag me in your photos or updates. Thank you so much!!!

Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: dinner, dinner ideas, week of weeknight dinners, week of weeknight meals, weeknight meals

About Julie

My name is Julie and I am a full-time blogger, new mama, fitness enthusiast (certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor) and food fanatic (mostly healthy... but also not-so-healthy) living in North Carolina with my husband, dog and baby boy. Thank you for visiting Peanut Butter Fingers! I hope you enjoy little glimpses into my life and have fun trying the sweaty workouts I frequently share and making some of my favorite recipes along the way!

« A Wednesday Afternoon Check-In
Halloween 2023 »

Comments

  1. Elizabeth says

    October 30, 2023 at 11:32 am

    Can the butternut squash stew be made without an Insta pot? Opinion on how to modify? Sounds good!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 30, 2023 at 12:18 pm

      Yes, absolutely!! You’ll just want to do steps 1, 2 and 3 in the recipe in a large pot or skillet on the stovetop and then transfer it to a slow cooker. Cook on high for 3.5-4 hours or low for 7.5-8 hours and once it’s done, use a spoon to mash up any remaining chunks of butternut squash so it almost dissolves into the broth. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Traci says

    October 30, 2023 at 5:53 pm

    I highly recommend this soup recipe from Half Baked Harvest! https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/salsa-verde-chicken-rice-tortilla-soup/

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hi! I’m Julie and I am a mom to three energetic boys and a personal trainer and blogger living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Welcome to my blog! Peanut Butter Fingers follows my life and my interests in food, fitness, family, travel and (mostly) healthy living.
NEVER MISS A POST!
FacebookTwitterInstagramPinterestBloglovin
Follow

Search

Fashion Favorites

Beauty Favorites

Items I Swear By

Kid Favorites

Shop My Baby Essentials

Quick Links

  • Favorite Posts
  • Recipe Index
  • Workouts
  • Fashion
  • Pregnancy/Baby
  • Family

Recent Posts

  • Ryder is SEVEN!
  • Summer So Far + Orlando Girls’ Trip
  • 10+ First Chapter Books
  • Things I’m Loving Friday #556 + PBFingers ShopMy Page!
  • Kickoff to Summer Weekend

Categories

Archives

Disclaimer

I am not a registered dietitian. My blog is simply a documentation of my life. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice. I DO NOT post everything I eat. Though I am a certified personal trainer, the workouts I post may not be right for you. Please speak with a medical professional before making any changes to your current routine.

Affiliates

Please note that affiliate links may pop up on PBF from time to time. I greatly appreciate your support!
Privacy Policy

Copyright � 2013 Peanut Butter Fingers / Julie Fagan. All Rights Reserved.
Blog Designed by SWOON CREATIVE