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Skinnytaste Week 12 Dinner Plan and Recipes

Skinnytaste Dinner Plan (Week 12)

Skinnytaste Dinner Plan — Week 12

Happy Sunday! Welcome to week 12 of my weekly dinner plans. Each week I share a simple, family-friendly menu to inspire your dinners and make grocery shopping and meal prep easier. Meal planning saves time, reduces stress at dinnertime, and helps you stay organized before heading to the supermarket.

If you’re new here, I include a sample week from The Skinnytaste Meal Planner — a 52-week planner that combines meal planning, food tracking, and exercise tracking in one place. I also note the SmartPoints for recipes because I’m currently following WW and find the points useful for planning.

Skinnytaste Dinner Plan (Week 12)

Our household is a family of four. For recipes that serve more than four, we either pack leftovers for lunches or enjoy them the next day. My breakfasts are usually quick and simple: eggs with fruit, a smoothie, or avocado toast—something that keeps mornings easy while still feeling satisfying.

Weekly Dinner Menu

Monday: Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili

Taco Tuesday: Instant Pot Pork Carnitas with warm tortillas and Haas avocado (8 SP total)

Wednesday: Cheeseburger Casserole (5 SP)

Thursday: Leftovers — an easy night to clear the fridge and reduce food waste.

Friday: Asian Glazed Drumsticks (7 SP) served with Cauliflower Fried Rice (2 SP)

Saturday: Night out — a break from cooking and a chance to enjoy a meal out.

Sunday: Garlic Lover’s Roast Beef (2 SP) with baked potatoes (5 SP) and Easy Broccolini (1 SP)

Weekly Notes and Tips

When planning, I like to balance a few larger recipes that yield leftovers with lighter or faster meals. This menu mixes vegetarian, pork, and beef options and includes two nights with components you can prepare in advance—like roasted vegetables or cooked rice—to streamline dinner on busy evenings.

Leftover night is one of the best tools for saving time and money. Turn extra chili into a topping for baked potatoes or reheat carnitas for tacos with fresh toppings. If you follow WW, the SmartPoints listed next to each recipe help keep the week on track.

Previous Dinner Plans

If you’d like to browse earlier menus, here are previous weekly plans:

  • Dinner Plan Week 1
  • Dinner Plan Week 2
  • Dinner Plan Week 3
  • Dinner Plan Week 4
  • Dinner Plan Week 5
  • Dinner Plan Week 6
  • Dinner Plan Week 7
  • Dinner Plan Week 8
  • Dinner Plan Week 9
  • Dinner Plan Week 10
  • Dinner Plan Week 11

Special Collaboration

One more thing: I’m teaming up with Andie Mitchell, author of the memoir It Was Me All Along and creator of AndieMitchell.com, to help you reach your health and weight-loss goals this year. From now through February 15th, if you buy both Andie’s paperback memoir and The Skinnytaste Meal Planner and share a photo of the two books on social media tagging Gina (@skinnytaste) and Andie (@andiemitchell) with the hashtag #AndieGina2016, you’ll be added to a private Facebook group led by the two of us for support and daily interaction. You’ll also be entered to win one of two Skype dates with us.

Shopping List

Below is a consolidated shopping list for the week. Adjust quantities to suit your household size and pantry staples you already have on hand.

PRODUCE:

  • 4 medium onions
  • 2–3 heads garlic
  • Fresh ginger
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 4 large Portobello mushrooms
  • Hass avocados
  • 5 green onions
  • Fresh cilantro
  • 1 medium head cauliflower
  • Scallions
  • 2 bunches broccolini
  • 4 small russet potatoes

HERBS & SPICES:

  • Chili powder
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Kosher salt
  • Ground cloves
  • Ground nutmeg
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Black pepper
  • Dried rosemary
  • Red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Cumin
  • Sazon
  • Dried oregano
  • Bay leaves

DAIRY & EGGS:

  • Reduced-fat shredded cheddar (about 2 cups total)
  • Light sour cream (about 5 tablespoons)
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 large egg

MEAT & POULTRY:

  • 1 lb lean ground beef (95% lean)
  • 8 medium chicken drumsticks
  • 2–3 lb roast or eye round
  • 2½ lb boneless trimmed pork shoulder (blade roast)

GROCERY:

  • Olive oil
  • 1 (28 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin purée
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans
  • About 2 cups unsalted vegetable or chicken stock
  • Baked tortilla chips
  • Rotini pasta
  • Tomato paste (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
  • Olive oil spray
  • Sriracha hot sauce
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • Honey (1 tablespoon)
  • Sesame seeds (1 teaspoon)
  • Sesame oil (1 tablespoon)
  • Cooking spray
  • Small can chipotle pepper in adobo
  • Reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • Tortillas

FROZEN:

  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots

Use this list as a starting point—feel free to swap ingredients based on what’s in season, on sale, or already in your pantry. Enjoy the week of meals, and happy cooking!