Weekly Meal Plan: Oct 25, 2025 — Simple Dinners & Prep Guide

Fall flavors are here—think cozy soups, comforting pastas, and easy sheet‑pan dinners that fill your home with irresistible aromas. This week’s lineup focuses on simple prep, big flavor, and leftovers that reheat beautifully.

Weekly meal plan collage for the week featuring Cranberry Orange Chicken Thighs, Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup, Italian Sausage and Vegetable Sheet Pan Dinner, Pasta al Forno, and Thai Basil Beef with the Real Food with Sarah logo.

🛒 Quick Links

📥 Download Printable Grocery List
🍎 Order Groceries via Instacart
🍎 Order Groceries via Amazon Fresh/Whole Foods

This Week’s Meal Plan

📍 Click each recipe for full instructions.

🍽 Monday: Cranberry Orange Chicken Thighs

Juicy, caramelized chicken thighs roasted in a tangy‑sweet cranberry orange glaze. Festive and full of flavor—serve with roasted potatoes, rice, or a simple green salad.
🔗 Get the Recipe

🍽 Tuesday: Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup

A cozy, hands‑off classic. Tender beef, nutty barley, and vegetables simmer all day in a rich, comforting broth—perfect for cool evenings and excellent for leftovers.
🔗 Get the Recipe

🍽 Wednesday: Italian Sausage and Vegetable Sheet Pan Dinner

One pan and about 30 minutes to dinner. Juicy sausage, crisp‑tender vegetables, and Italian herbs make this a simple weeknight favorite. Toss extra veggies on the tray to prep lunches for the week.
🔗 Get the Recipe

🍽 Thursday: Pasta al Forno

Comforting baked pasta layered with tomato sauce, gooey mozzarella, and Parmesan. This family‑friendly dish feels like a warm hug and makes great leftovers or freezer meals.
🔗 Get the Recipe

🍽 Friday: Thai Basil Beef

A takeout‑style stir‑fry ready in under 25 minutes. Bright basil and savory sauce make it ideal over jasmine rice; garnish with extra basil or chilies to taste.
🔗 Get the Recipe

Grocery List

Weekly grocery list for the 10-25-25 meal plan, categorized by produce, meat and protein, pantry, bread and starch, and dairy and eggs.

Print Your Grocery List(PDF)

Sarah’s Top Tips for the Week

  • Plan ahead. Make the cranberry sauce early and refrigerate—it also makes a great sauce for pork or turkey.
  • Double up. Beef Barley Soup and Pasta al Forno freeze well, so cook once and enjoy later.
  • One‑pan wins. The sheet pan dinner is ideal for batch‑cooking; roast extra vegetables for easy lunches.

🔔 Get Next Week’s Plan!

💌 Subscribe to get weekly meal plans delivered to your inbox.