One-Skillet Mediterranean Diet Dinners (& Shopping List)

When I was a kid, my family celebrated New Year’s Eve by going to Blockbuster and renting a stack of movies. We’d gather in the living room with snacks, blankets and pillows and watch as many movies as we could back-to-back. My siblings and I would try to stay awake all night. These days I still like to celebrate with movies and snacks, but I’m usually in bed well before midnight. I’m more concerned about feeling well-rested heading into the new year. And I often refresh my meal planning at the start of a new year, too. That leads me to this week’s recipes, which are all simple one-pan Mediterranean diet dinners. The Mediterranean diet is an eating pattern that focuses on whole grains and legumes, fruits and vegetables, and fish and lean meats. And it’s associated with all sorts of health benefits, from lowering cholesterol to potentially reducing the risk of certain kinds of cancer. So this week’s plan is a great way to kick off the new year and realign your health goals—while enjoying delicious meals.

Your Weekly Plan

Sunday: Chicken Enchilada Skillet Casserole
Monday: Baked Frittata with Butternut Squash, Kale & Sage
Tuesday: One-Skillet Chicken Paprikash with Mushrooms & Onions
Wednesday: One-Skillet Salmon with Fennel & Sun-Dried Tomato Couscous
Thursday: Southern Beefy Skillet
Friday: Italian-Style Turkey & Penne Skillet

Our column, ThePrep, has everything you’ll need to make dinner planning and grocery shopping as easy as can be. Nutritional needs differ from one individual to another, and we invite you to use these dinner plans as inspiration and adjust them as you see fit. Sign up to get a dinner plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday!

Sunday: Chicken Enchilada Skillet Casserole

Jacob Fox

This streamlined take on enchiladas features corn tortillas, chicken, cheese and lots of vegetables all layered in a skillet and baked together until hot and bubbly. Corn tortillas are a whole-grain food packed with fiber, plus all those veggies—corn, tomatoes, spinach, bell peppers and onion—offer tons of vitamins and nutrients, too.

Monday: Baked Frittata with Butternut Squash, Kale & Sage

This hearty frittata is loaded with butternut squash, which has nutrients that help support your heart health, and kale, which contains compounds that can help reduce cancer risk. Not to mention the eggs, which have health benefits ranging from supporting your memory to improving your vision. Plus, there’s earthy sage and tangy goat cheese. So this frittata isn’t just good for you, but it tastes great, too!

Tuesday: One-Skillet Chicken Paprikash with Mushrooms & Onions

If you’re looking for a cozy New Year’s Eve dinner, look no further than this comforting dish of chicken and mushrooms infused with paprika. It’s incredibly warming and satisfying, and you’ll reap the health benefits of the mushrooms, which are packed with antioxidants, potassium and other nutrients. Serve it over spinach to add a serving of vegetables and add some whole-wheat sourdough bread to round out the meal.

Wednesday: One-Skillet Salmon with Fennel & Sun-Dried Tomato Couscous

This salmon dish is another cozy, comforting meal. It’s also an excellent meal to kick off the new year in a healthy way, as the salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which can help support heart health and reduce inflammation. Also, fennel is an underrated vegetable that adds a light anise flavor here, and it’s a good source of vitamin C

Thursday: Southern Beefy Skillet

For most people, the holidays are over and it’s time to get back to work and back into a routine, so this 30-minute skillet dinner packed with lean ground beef, beans and vegetables is just the thing to help ease you back in. There’s a little chopping involved, but otherwise, you’re just browning the meat and dumping everything into the skillet to simmer into a stewy dish that’s delicious served over quinoa.

Friday: Italian-Style Turkey & Penne Skillet

For this dish, you’ll season and brown turkey in a skillet and then set it aside so you can cook the pasta in the same pan. When the pasta is done, you just stir in the turkey, spinach and tomato sauce. Spinach has numerous health benefits, from strengthening your bones to improving your skin health. Serve some steamed broccoli on the side.

I wish you all a great week, and I hope you enjoy this dinner plan. If you try a recipe, remember to add a review.

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