Meal Plan: Luck of the Irish

Struggling to plan meals that are quick, high-protein, and vegetarian? These weekly meal plans are designed to save the day (and your dinner table). Each week includes four dinners and one breakfast idea, plus a grocery list you can take to the store with you.

🍽️ On The Menu This Week

This week’s recipes bring a little Irish magic to your table! (The unstuffed cabbage may be Hungarian-inspired, but its cabbage and cozy spices make it totally fitting for St. Patty’s Day-fitting – it’s one of my personal faves!)

• Dinner 1: Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie pair it with a crisp green salad
• Dinner 2: Vegan Beef Stew pair it with garlic mashed potatoes or Irish soda bread
• Dinner 3: Unstuffed Cabbage pair it with steamed green beans or a cucumber salad
• Dinner 4: Caramelized Onion And Brussels Sprouts Pizza pair it with a Caprese salad or fresh arugula salad
• Breakfast: Stovetop Breakfast Potatoes pair them with a side of eggs

👉 How To Use This Meal Plan

I’ve included four vegetarian dinners in this meal plan to leave some days for leftovers or eating out. I’ve also included a breakfast idea, which can be enjoyed on any day!

1. Print or save the Meal Plan and Grocery List below.
2. Head to the recipes (the QR codes will take you to them). You can click “jump to recipe” at the top of each post, or read the post to learn about substitutions and variations. You can print these recipes or save them on your phone.
3. Check the grocery list, crossing off any ingredients you already have, or that are for recipes you don’t want to make.
4. Grocery shop. I’ve sorted the list by section in the grocery store to make it quick! I personally prefer scheduling a pickup or delivery for Sunday morning so I can prep my meals for the week on Sunday evening.
5. Cook and eat! Feel free to drop any questions about recipes in the comments section below each recipe (or just to leave a review on how it went – this helps our community tremendously!).

🗓️ Grab The Meal Plan

📝 Grab The Grocery List

💪 Meal Prep Tips

You can prep these things in advance to make cooking throughout the week even easier:

• Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie: Make the mashed potatoes on your meal prep day and pre-chop the veggies. Store them in separate containers in the fridge. Then, just assemble and bake for a quick yet hearty dinner!
• Vegan Beef Stew: Cube the potatoes, dice up all the veggies, and store them in containers. You can even brown the beefless tips in advance to save more time on the day of cooking.
• Hungarian Unstuffed Cabbage: Pre-cook the rice and chop the onion, apple, and bell pepper. When ready, simply cook the plant-based beef and veggies, then season and serve over rice!
• Caramelized Onion and Brussels Sprout Pizza: You can caramelize the onions in advance and pluck the Brussels sprouts leaves. Pre-shred the cheeses and make the pizza dough if you’re going the homemade route.
• Stovetop Breakfast Potatoes: Cube the potatoes and microwave them ahead of time. Pre-mix the spices for a quick and easy breakfast in the morning!

🌱 Why Meal Plan?

Meal planning isn’t just about organization…it’s about freeing up your mental space and making cooking more fun! A few reasons we swear by meal planning:

1. Save That Cash
With a plan in place, you’ll skip the temptation of random aisle wandering and stick to a purposeful list.

2. Win Back Your Evenings
Gone are the “What’s for dinner?” debates! Meal planning means less time stressing and more time enjoying. (Bonus points if you prep ingredients ahead!)

3. Get Healthier (Without The Effort)
Not only does meal planning help you avoid the temptation of takeout, but you can sneak in extra veggies and control portion sizes more effortlessly when you have a plan in place.

4. Goodbye Food Waste
You know those sad veggies wilting in the fridge? With meal planning, you’ll actually use everything you buy!