Meals With Monet: Weekly Meal Plan #4

Okay, we’ll admit it — we are ready for fall! I know it’s still summer technically, but the pumpkins have hit the shelves and the mugs are out and it’s just fall time, y’all! Here is an amazing fall-inspired weekly meal plan to make this week.

Grocery List

Monday: Butternut Squash Pasta with Chili Oil, Feta, and Mint

Thanks to Love & Lemons for this recipe!

Ingredients

• 3 cups of cubed butternut squash

• 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

• 12 ounces of orecchiette pasta

• 2 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)

• 2 small red Thai chili peppers

• Pinches of red pepper flakes

• ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice

• ½ cup of crumbled feta cheese

• ⅓ cup of chopped hazelnuts (toasted)

• ⅓ cup of fresh mint leaves

• ½ teaspoon of sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the squash on the sheet and drizzle it with olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper. Roast for 22-25 minutes, or until the squash is tender and golden brown. 

2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the water and transfer the pasta into a larger bowl. 

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add the garlic, chili peppers, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic is cooked, but not burned. 

4. Remove the mixture from the heat and drizzle the chili oil over the cooked pasta. 

5. Add the lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of salt, and pepper, then toss. 

6. Add the butternut squash, feta, hazelnuts, mint, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss again. Season to taste and serve.

Tuesday: Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce

Thanks to Pinch of Yum for this recipe!

Ingredients

Pumpkin Gnocchi:

• 1 medium-large russet baking potato

• 1 cup of pumpkin puree

• 1 egg

• 1 + ¾ cups of all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp of salt

• 2 Tbsp of salted butter

Sage Butter Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp of salted butter

• A few sage leaves

• 1 clove of garlic (smashed)

• 1 Tbsp of flour

• 1 Tbsp of heavy whipping cream 

• ½ cup of starchy water (leftover from boiling the gnocchi)

Directions

1. Bake the potato and peel the skin off. Let the potato cool and then grate it until you have about 1 + ½ cups of fine potato shreds. Mix the potato shreds with the pumpkin puree.

2. Measure the flour onto a clean surface and put the mixture in the center. Make a well and crack the egg into it. Sprinkle the salt on top, grab a fork, and whisk the egg. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients into a dough. Be careful not to over-mix. Once it starts to come together, form the dough into a mostly smooth, rounded little loaf.

3. Cut off slices of the mound and roll each one into a long rope. Cut the rope into bite-sized pieces. Place the gnocchi pieces on a plate. 

4. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the gnocchi one at a time to the water. Once the gnocchi rise to the top of the boiling water, immediately remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside. Melt your butter in a large nonstick skillet. Pan-fry the gnocchi to make one side crispy and the other side soft. Remove them from the pan and set them aside. 

5. In the same pan, add butter, sage leaves, and the garlic clove. Let the garlic and sage cook for a few minutes over low heat. When the sage leaves start to get crispy, remove from heat. Remove the garlic as well.

6. Add the flour, heavy cream, and leftover water from the gnocchi and whisk after every addition. Toss the gnocchi in the sauce and top with sage leaves and parmesan.

Wednesday: Fall Panzanella Salad

Thanks to Two Peas & Their Pod for this recipe!

Ingredients

For the Salad:

• 1 loaf of Rosemary Olive Oil bread (cut into 1-inch cubes)

• 1 small butternut squash (peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes)

• ¾ lb. of brussels sprouts (cut in half with the ends trimmed)

• ⅓ of a red onion (sliced)

• 1 Tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 3 cups of chopped kale

• 1 large Honeycrisp apple (cored and chopped)

• ½ cup of dried cranberries

• ½ cup of pepitas

• 4 oz of goat cheese

For the Dressing:

• ⅓ cup of olive oil

• 1 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice

• 2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar

• 1 Tbsp of pure maple syrup

• 2 tsp of Dijon mustard

• 1 clove of garlic (minced)

• Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the cubed bread on a large baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. 

2. Turn the oven up to 400°F. Place the butternut squash, brussels sprouts, and red onion on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until the vegetables are well coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes. Remove it from the oven and cool. 

3. While the vegetables are cooling, make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

4. In a large bowl, combine the toasted bread crumbs, roasted vegetables, kale, apple, dried cranberries, pepitas, and goat cheese. Drizzle with dressing and toss well.

Thursday: Vegan Lentil Baked Ziti

Thanks to Short Girl Tall Order for this recipe!

Ingredients

Pasta: 

• 16 oz of ziti pasta (rigatoni or penne)

• 1 cup of red lentils

• 3 cups of water

• Salt to taste

• 24 oz of tomato sauce

Tofu Ricotta:

• 16 oz of firm tofu

• 1 cup of spinach

• ¼ cup of nutritional yeast

• ¼ cup of parsley (packed)

• 2 Tbsp of lemon juice 

• 1 tsp of salt

• 1 tsp of garlic powder

• 1 tsp of Italian seasoning

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

2. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, cook the lentils as well. Rinse them and add them to a pot with 2 cups of water and salt. Bring it to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are softened, about 15-20 minutes. 

3. While the pasta and lentils are cooking, make tofu ricotta. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until thick and smooth. 

4. Add the pasta, lentils, and tomato sauce to a large 9×13 inch baking pan. Stir together until everything is well mixed and the noodles are coated with sauce. 

5. Add in the tofu ricotta in large chunks and gently mix so the ricotta is mostly on top. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, then broil for 3-5 minutes to crisp up the top layer.

6. Remove the ziti from the oven and top with vegan parmesan or fresh parsley.

Friday: Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

Thanks to The Modern Proper for this recipe!

Ingredients

• ½ cup of butter (1 stick)

• 2 cups of carrots (¼ inch sliced)

• 1 cup of celery (¼ inch sliced)

• 1 cup of onion (chopped)

• ½ cup of flour

• 1 tsp of salt

• ½ tsp of black pepper

• ½ tsp of celery seed

• 1 tsp of garlic powder

•  Tsp of fresh thyme (minced)

• 1 cup of whole milk

• 2 cups of chicken stock

• 2 cups of frozen peas

• 3 chicken breasts (precooked or rotisserie)

• 1 package of frozen puff pastry (slightly thawed)

• 1 egg (for pastry wash)

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. 

2. Melt the butter in a 12 inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the butter and sauté for 5 minutes, until the onions are tender and translucent. 

3. Add the flour, salt, pepper, celery seed, garlic powder, and thyme to the butter and vegetables to create a thick paste. Sauté for 2 minutes. 

4. Slowly add the milk. Once the milk has been fully incorporated, slowly add the chicken stock. Simmer and whisk occasionally until the mixture has slightly thickened. 

5. Add the peas and chicken to the sauce. 

6. Roll out one pastry sheet into a 16-inch square on a lightly floured surface. Cut it into 26 3-inch squares. Place the squares slightly overlapping on top of the chicken mixture. 

7. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the egg wash over the puff pastry. Place the pie in the oven for 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

What recipes are you trying this week? Do you like this week’s meal plan? Tell us in the comments!

For More Weekly Meals With Monet, Read These:

Meals With Monet: Weekly Meal Plan #3

Meals With Monet: Weekly Meal Plan #2