Lea recipes

Weekly dinner planning made easy, with real home cooking from Lea Recipes — simple ingredients, amazing flavors, and step-by-step recipes for every night of the week. Pick a plan below, shop once, and enjoy a home-cooked dinner every day.

How it works

Plan A: Easy Weeknight Dinners

Why this plan helps: Busy weeknights, solved — seven dinners already planned, one shopping trip, and no 5 p.m. panic about what is for dinner.

A ready-made 7-day dinner plan, one dinner recipe for every night of the week.

• Monday: Cheesy Garlic Chicken & Mushroom Bake — Total time: 50 minutes
• Tuesday: Garlic Parmesan Chicken Rigatoni with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Spinach — Total time: 45 minutes
• Wednesday: Sticky Honey Garlic Butter Salmon with Caramelized Lemon Glaze
• Thursday: Chili Lime Steak Tacos with Smoky Roasted Salsa
• Friday: BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• Saturday: Sticky Mango Peach Jalapeño Chicken Skillet
• Sunday: Chinese Pepper Steak with Savory Garlic Ginger Sauce

Shopping list for Plan A

A helpful summary for the week — duplicates merged, quantities are on each recipe card.

Produce

• Mushrooms
• Garlic
• Fresh parsley
• Baby spinach
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Lemons
• Limes
• Mango
• Peaches
• Jalapeño
• Bell peppers
• Tomatoes, for salsa

Meat & Protein

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Chicken thighs
• Salmon fillets
• Steak, for tacos and pepper steak

Dairy

• Heavy cream
• Mozzarella
• Freshly grated Parmesan
• Unsalted butter
• Sliced cheese, for grilled cheese sandwiches

Pantry

• Olive oil
• Rigatoni
• Chicken broth
• All-purpose flour
• Italian seasoning
• Smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper
• Red pepper flakes
• Honey
• BBQ sauce
• Bread, for sandwiches
• Tortillas, for tacos
• Soy sauce
• Fresh ginger

Make it easy

• Prep ahead: make the taco salsa up to 2 days ahead, the salmon sauce up to 2 days ahead, and the rigatoni chicken up to a day ahead.
• Cook once, eat twice: leftovers from the chicken bake, rigatoni, salmon and tacos keep up to 3 days in the fridge — reheat gently with a splash of cream, milk or water.
• One shopping trip: buy all the chicken, steak and salmon together, plus the shared pantry staples (olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, honey, soy sauce) — the list above is already merged.

Plan B: Cozy Family Favorites

Why this plan helps: Cozy family comfort without weeknight stress — slow, hearty dishes that are easy to make ahead and reheat.

Five comforting dinners, from creamy stews and bakes to a slow, rich bourguignon and a silky pumpkin soup.

• Day 1: Creamy Sausage and Potato Stew
• Day 2: Creamy French Onion Chicken & Rice Bake
• Day 3: One-Pot Beef Bourguignon with Tender Beef, Mushrooms and Rich Red Wine Sauce
• Day 4: Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Soup
• Day 5: Ultimate Cheesy Baked Penne Pasta

Shopping list for Plan B

A helpful summary for the plan — duplicates merged, quantities are on each recipe card.

Produce

• Yukon Gold potatoes, 1 1/2 lb
• Carrots (2 for the stew, 3 for the bourguignon)
• Celery stalks, 2
• Red bell pepper, 1 small
• Yellow onions (1 medium for the stew, 3 large for the French onion bake, 1 large for the soup)
• Garlic, across the recipes — see the recipe cards
• Baby spinach, 2 cups
• Fresh parsley, fresh thyme, bay leaves
• Mushrooms, 1 lb
• Pearl onions, 12 oz
• Pumpkin purée, 1 can (29 oz) — not pie filling

Meat & Protein

• Smoked sausage or kielbasa, 14 oz
• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 4 (about 6 oz each)
• Beef chuck, 2 1/2 lb, cut into cubes
• Bacon, 6 slices
• Lean ground beef, 1 lb

Dairy

• Heavy cream (1 cup for the stew, 1/2 cup for the French onion bake, 1 cup for the soup)
• Freshly grated Parmesan (1/3 cup for the stew, 1/2 cup for the penne)
• Gruyère or Swiss cheese, shredded, 1 cup
• Shredded mozzarella, 2 cups
• Unsalted butter — see the recipe cards

Pantry

• Olive oil
• Chicken broth (4 cups for the stew, 1 cup for the French onion bake)
• Beef broth (2 cups for the French onion bake, 2 cups for the bourguignon)
• Vegetable or chicken broth, 3 cups, for the soup
• Long-grain white rice, uncooked, 1 1/2 cups
• Penne pasta, 1 lb
• Marinara sauce, 1 jar (24 oz)
• Tomato paste
• Dry red wine, 2 cups
• Worcestershire sauce
• Dijon mustard
• Smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, dried thyme, red pepper flakes
• All-purpose flour
• Brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
• Crispy fried onions, 1/2 cup
• Roasted pumpkin seeds, optional, for garnish
• Salt and black pepper

Plan C: Sweet Endings

Why this plan helps: A week of desserts, already planned — something sweet ready for guests, after-school treats and lunchboxes, without a daily decision.

Five desserts across the week, to finish each dinner on a sweet note.

• Monday: Fudgy Chocolate Brownies with a Crackly Top and Gooey Center
• Tuesday: Bakery-Style Swirled Blueberry Cream Cheese Danish — Flaky, Buttery Pastries with Sweet Blueberry Filling
• Wednesday: Easy Caramel Apple Slices
• Thursday: Peach Cobbler Cheesecake Bars Delight
• Friday: German Berry Käsekuchen (German Cheesecake with Red Berries)

Shopping list for Plan C

A helpful summary for the plan — duplicates merged, quantities are on each recipe card.

Produce

• Fresh blueberries, 1/3 cup
• Crisp apples, 3 large (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith or Fuji)
• Lemons — juice for the peaches and apples, zest for the Käsekuchen
• Fresh peaches, peeled and diced, 3 cups
• Red berries: raspberries 3/4 cup, blackberries 1/2 cup, red currants 1/2 cup

Meat & Protein

• Large eggs, 13 in total — brownies 4, danish 1 yolk plus 1 egg for the wash, peach bars 3, Käsekuchen 1 for the crust plus 3 for the filling
• Chopped walnuts or pecans, 1/2 cup, optional, for the brownies

Dairy

• Unsalted butter — brownies 1 cup, peach bars 12 tbsp in total, Käsekuchen 1/2 cup cold
• Cream cheese — danish 4 oz, peach bars 24 oz
• Sour cream, 1/2 cup, for the peach bars
• Heavy cream — caramel apples 2 tbsp, Käsekuchen 1/2 cup
• Milk — danish wash and glaze, Käsekuchen 1/4 cup
• Quark, 750 g — or well-drained full-fat Greek yogurt or farmer’s cheese

Pantry

• Granulated sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 cup, plus dark chocolate chips, 1 cup
• Vanilla extract
• Puff pastry, 1 sheet, thawed but still cold
• Blueberry preserves or thick compote, 1/3 cup
• Graham cracker crumbs, 2 cups
• Caramel bits, 1 bag (11 oz), or 25 wrapped caramels
• Toppings for the apple slices: crushed Oreo cookies, chopped peanuts, mini chocolate chips, sprinkles
• Cornstarch, baking powder, salt
• Ground cinnamon, nutmeg
• Espresso powder and flaky sea salt, optional, for the brownies

Halloween Menu Plan

Why this plan helps: The whole Halloween party menu, solved in one page — starters, a main, a drink and desserts, with one grouped shopping list.

A spooky, crowd-friendly party menu: warm starters, a slow-cooker main, a bubbling punch and two desserts the kids can decorate and devour.

Make it easy

• Starters: Spider Web Pizza Dip + Witch Finger Breadsticks
• Warm starter: Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Soup
• Main: Halloween Slow Cooker Chili (or Monster Sliders for the kids)
• Drink: Witches Brew Halloween Punch
• Dessert: Ghost Meringue Cookies + Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Shopping list for the Halloween Menu Plan

A helpful summary for the party — duplicates merged, quantities are on each recipe card.

Produce

• Large onions, 2 (chili, soup)
• Garlic — chili 4 cloves, soup 3 cloves, witch fingers 2 cloves
• Pumpkin purée — 1 can (29 oz) for the soup, plus 1 cup, blotted, for the cookies (not pie filling)
• Lettuce leaves, optional, for the monster sliders
• Fresh cilantro, jalapeños and tortilla chips, for chili toppings
• Frozen grapes, optional, for the punch

Meat & Protein

• Ground beef, 80/20 — chili 2 lb, sliders 1 1/2 lb
• Mini pepperoni slices, 1/2 cup
• Large egg whites, 4, for the ghost meringues
• Large egg, 1, for the pumpkin cookies
• Whole almonds, 16, for the witch fingers

Dairy

• Cream cheese — dip 8 oz, pumpkin cookie frosting 4 oz
• Sour cream — dip 3/4 cup in total, plus chili topping
• Shredded mozzarella, 2 cups, for the dip
• Sliced cheddar, 6 slices, for the sliders, plus shredded cheddar for chili topping
• Unsalted butter — witch fingers 4 tbsp, soup 2 tbsp, pumpkin cookies 1/2 cup, frosting 4 tbsp
• Lime sherbet, 1 pint, for the punch

Pantry

• Marinara sauce — dip 1 1/2 cups, plus warm marinara for dipping the witch fingers
• Pizza dough, 1 lb
• Slider buns, 12
• Tortilla chips, breadsticks or toasted baguette, for serving the dip
• Kidney beans, 2 cans (15 oz each), black beans, 1 can (15 oz)
• Crushed tomatoes, 28 oz, diced tomatoes with green chiles, 14 oz
• Beef broth, 1 cup, vegetable or chicken broth, 3 cups
• Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cocoa powder, brown sugar
• Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper
• Lemon-lime soda, 1 liter, chilled, pineapple juice, 4 cups, chilled, green food coloring, ice
• Gummy worms or gummy eyeballs, optional, for the punch
• All-purpose flour, 2 1/2 cups, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar
• Pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, baking powder
• Vanilla extract, cream of tartar, mini and regular chocolate chips
• Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise
• Green olives stuffed with pimentos, for the monster eyes, plus toothpicks or pretzel sticks

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Make it easy

• Start first, day before: cook the chili a day ahead (it tastes better the next day), bake the ghost meringues (keep airtight up to 2 weeks) and the pumpkin cookies (bake unfrosted, frost on party day), and mix the punch juice with green food coloring up to 2 days ahead.
• Party-day order: keep the chili warm in the slow cooker, shape the witch fingers up to a day ahead and bake them fresh, cook the slider patties last (shape them up to 24 hours ahead), and draw the spider web on the dip just before serving.
• Last 10 minutes: add the soda and sherbet to the punch, decorate the sliders with olive eyes (warn guests about toothpicks, or use pretzel sticks), and set out chips, baguette and warm marinara for dipping.

• Bake ahead: brownies keep 4 days at room temperature and 3 months in the freezer; the Käsekuchen and peach bars are better the next day — chill the peach bars at least 4 hours and the Käsekuchen at least 4 hours.
• For guests and lunchboxes: bake the brownies and danishes first (the danish filling can be made a day ahead), slice the bars cold for clean cuts, and pack danishes and brownies in single layers with parchment between layers.
• Same-day only: make the caramel apple slices the day they are served, pat the apples really dry before dipping so the caramel sticks, and set the toppings in bowls so guests can decorate their own.

Make it easy

• Prep ahead: caramelize the French onion onions up to 2 days ahead, and assemble the penne up to 24 hours ahead.
• Cook once, eat twice: the bourguignon tastes even better the next day and freezes up to 3 months; the stew, soup and penne all reheat well for lunch the next day.
• Weekend-first plan: start with the slow bourguignon on the weekend, then use the quicker stew, bake and soup on busy nights.