Night One: This night I used the instant pot to make one of my favorites: porcupine meatballs! They’re not actually made from porcupine, of course, but the kids love to act shocked at the name every time we have them. I paired them with mashed potatoes and corn. This was a total comfort meal as I was feeling a little under the weather.

Night Two: I did a take on hot pockets for dinner this night, with a homemade pizza dough filled with marinara, mozzarella cheese, and mini pepperonis. I add fresh plums and yellow squash sautéed in butter and sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Night Three: A summer favorite: Shrimp! Matthew cooked them in butter, garlic, and smoked paprika. I made my famous rice pilaf and added on a baguette from Trader Joe’s and a leftover salad from a chicken salad restaurant. It was a lovely dinner.

Night Four: I recently made pickles with my mom and had a surplus of fresh dill left over. Because of this, I decided to make fresh ranch dressing: SO GOOD. I had greens with the ranch and a family fave: beef stroganoff. I also doubled this recipe to send for Matthew’s lunches during his work week. Beef stroganoff heats up really well and he loves it, so it was a no-brainer for this past week.

Night Five: Another classic summer dinner around here. Cheeseburgers, cottage fries, and watermelon. We are nearing the end of watermelon season, and I’m trying to get in as many as I can!

Night Six: This was a night when I needed dinner quickly, so I whipped up a go-to: pasta. This is essentially spaghetti, but a little jazzier. I used frozen cheese tortellini instead of spaghetti noodles and sweet Italian sausage instead of ground beef. I also added a full cup of cottage cheese into the sauce to bump up the protein. I served this in bowls and we were good to go.

Night Seven: Chicken and sour cream enchiladas, Mexican rice, and beans. This is such a comfort meal for us, and the enchiladas make the best leftovers. I make my beans in the instant pot, so it’s basically hands-off and perfectly cooked every time.