The Dinner Plan: Simple Weeknight Recipes and Strategies for Every Schedule

by Kathy Brennan, Caroline Campion

From the authors of the IACP award-winning cookbook KEEPERS, an entirely new and personalized approach to tackling the dinner Between juggling work, family activities, mismatched schedules, and often bare refrigerators, there are all sorts of situations that make weeknight cooking a universally challenging--and frustrating--experience. The Dinner Plan offers five meal strategies--Make-Ahead, Staggered, One-Dish, Extra-Fast, and Pantry--that will help get dinner on the table no matter what the workweek throws at you. The 135 recipes--from main dishes to sides to salads and "lifesaver" condiments--provide lots of practical options whether time is super-tight, you haven't had a chance to run to the store, or everyone is coming home at a different time. And most importantly, all of the recipes are "keepers"--brag-worthy, reliable, crowd-pleasing preparations that you'll confidently turn to again and again. Shrimp Scampi, Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas, Foolproof Carbonara, and Mexican Skillet Lasagna are just a few examples of doable recipes that will earn their place in any busy cook's repertoire. Rounded out with plenty of tips and a bonus section on healthful snacks called The Forgotten Meal, The Dinner Plan is every home cook's indis-pensable weeknight dinner guide.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction, Cooking, Foodie

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 19, 2017

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great cookbook - loved the pictures, the way it is organized, and the tips. Nice index too. The pictures are vivid and beautiful and definitely make you salivate. The only thing I didn't like was on some of the pictures the food glazing the dirty vessels that looked like they would require some major cleanup. The recipes use mostly common, easy to find ingredients and seem fairly simple to make - even for a novice. I didn't find anything in the book that would require a major amount of kitchen skills. I did notice a substantial amount of Asian influence on the recipes. Many of the recipes sound delicious and there are a couple I can hardly wait to try!

I really like the way the recipes are organized/categorized as Make Ahead, Staggered, One-Dish, Pantry, or Extra Fast. Some recipes fell into more than one category. I can see this would help you decide what recipe to cook on a particular day depending on your family's schedules. The tips given were really useful too - I actually went out and purchased a couple of the recommended items from one of the tips.

Thanks to the authors and ABRAMS through Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[The Candid Cover (Olivia & Lori) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review on The Candid Cover

If there is one thing that I am always on the hunt for, it is a recipe that is quick, delicious, and simple to make. The Dinner Plan is a well-organized, eye-catching book that has some fantastic suggestions to get a healthy dinner ready no matter what your day has in store. The ideas take into account all sorts of different lifestyles, but they are most definitely geared towards family meals.

What sets The Dinner Plan apart from other time-saving cookbooks isn’t really the actual recipes. In fact, it is in the way the recipes are categorized as to whether it is a make-ahead, staggered, one-dish, pantry, or extra-fast. Knowing what type of ingredients are needed and the time commitment needed to prepare certain dishes takes the guess-work out of where to start. There are also tips included in the book that include what sorts of ingredients and equipment to buy.

If you have a family that eats at different points of the evening, you will most likely find a dish that will satisfy the needs of your family. Making a meal that can be served at any point of the day, or easily reheated makes some of these recipes really unique. For instance, the Kitchen Sink Burritos that I prepared can be made fairly quickly and then the fixings can be set out for anyone to put together at their own leisure. This recipe is also a much lighter and cheaper version than the ones you can purchase at a local burrito bar, as there are no added preservatives.

The Dinner Plan is an interesting take on how to serve dinner to your family when life just seems to get in the way. If you are on the hunt for suggestions on how to eat healthy meals for a busy lifestyle, this may be the book for you. It will give you a new perspective on how to make meals without the stress over the time commitment involved.

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE DINNER PLAN is a prime example of what an informative, helpful cookbook should be. Authors Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion have really gone above and beyond to create a resource cookbook to help everyone prepare dinner no matter their schedule.

The introduction starts off with a great guide for 5 Weeknight Meal Strategies. Each recipe in the book is tagged with one or more of these strategies to help you know the perfect meal for just the right circumstances be it make ahead or fast preparation meals.

After a brief “About Us” page, the authors provide a list of 10 Gadgets for Greater Kitchen Efficiency. While I have a few of the mentioned items, I don’t have the ones they recommend, and I doubt most readers will either, but I have no doubt we can all make out with what we have.

Next, the recipes. Some very simple, while others may take a bit more work. Beautiful full page color photos show finished dishes that will make readers’ stomachs growl. There are standard sections of recipes that include offerings such as . . . Buffalo Shrimp Tacos, One-Pan Chicken with Lemon and Potatoes, Skillet Chicken Parm, Turkey Sloppy Joes, Salisbury Steak, Mexican Skillet Lasagna, Bacon and Egg Fried Rice, Eggplant and Tomato Pasta, Corn and Potato Chowdar, Veggie Italian Hereos, Braised Green Beans and Tomatoes, Dark Chocolate-Banana Bread (Note: There are only about four dessert recipes), and so much more!

Scattered among the recipes are full page tips for things like The New Dinner Party, and Home Alone. All leading to the end of the book with Recipes by Category (with the meal strategies codes), and a list of staple pantry ingredients.

THE DINNER PLAN is a fantastic recipe book that will make a wonderful addition to any kitchen.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read through this cover to cover in one sitting. I picked it up because I found their layout super easy and exceptionally useful. The recipes are surprisingly simple, though not lacking in flavour from what I can imagine, and offer quite a few new options for "traditional" foods. I think it's an excellent book to have on hand. It's not easy to offer something new enough to be different these days, especially in the recipe books I've been coming across, but this one does and with simple ingredients to boot. I am looking forward to trying out some of the recipes!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're anything like me and my boyfriend, then about half of your conversations revolve around one topic: what to have for dinner. Well, cookbook authors Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion have a plan for us. It's The Dinner Plan, and it's their newest cookbook. Their original, Keepers, is filled with recipes that are literally "keepers," the ones you keep and use over and over. And this new cookbook is filled with more of the same. 

Because The Dinner Plan is specifically written to help plan good dinners, and to help us make good dinners on those nights when we have no plan, it focuses on 5 categories of meals: Make Ahead, Staggered (for those nights family members need to eat at different times), One Dish, Pantry, and Extra Fast. Each of these categories has a colored tab, so you can look at the pages and flip through until your find one that fits what you need. Or you can hit the back of the book, where the recipes are organized by category as well as by name of recipe and by ingredients in a typical index.

Many recipes are in more than one category, so when you need something Staggered that you can grab from your Pantry, they've got you covered. And there are even some recipes that hit all the categories, like the Tex-Mex Salmon-in-Foil, Skillet Chicken Parm, Bacon and Egg Fried Rice, and Spicy or Not Black Bean Soup. 

And these two former editors from Saveur Magazine (so you know they've got the chops) know what's important for a family. They not only load you up with delicious recipes for mains and sides, they include "The Forgotten Meal," the snacks. With ideas like Dark Chocolate-Banana Bread, Baked Layered Nachos, Stromboli, and (making my mouth water!) Melted Mozzarella Squares as well as healthier options like Overnight Yoghurt-Chia Jars and Date-Banana Smoothie, snacks are now part of the plan. 

And of course, Brennan and Campion give you all the information you need to not only make all these dishes but also to create some amazing meals of your own. With articles throughout the book to help you up your dinner game, these women make sure you know what to stock in your pantry, how to make all the sauces you need to impress your family and friends, how to spatchcock a chicken, how to make dinner parties easier, and so much more. This book is stacked with ideas, information, and recipes that will help with real-life dinners on real-life weeknights. 

I am a cookbook junkie, but I'm getting a lot pickier about which books I try to cram onto my overfilled shelves. But once I finished looking over the electronic galleys of The Dinner Plan, I knew I had to go out and buy a hard copy of this one. I will use it often. And I'm going to have to get my own copy of Keepers too. After seeing what these two women have to offer, I'm all in. I'll find the shelf space somewhere. 



Galleys for The Dinner Plan were provided by Abrams through NetGalley.com, with many thanks. 

[Penmouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked The Dinner Plan: The Keepers Guide to Mastering Weeknight Meals and More by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion so much I have pre-ordered the cookbook at Amazon. I loved how the authors have created recipes that could be prepared for weeknight cooking. I also loved how the recipes are tagged with Make Ahead, Staggered, One-Dish, Pantry, Extra Fast. You will also find a section called "Recipes by Category" that lists the recipes by food type i.e. Shellfish, Beef, Pasta, Vegetables hot, The Forgotten Meal. Again the recipes are tagged with Make Ahead, Staggered, One-Dish, Extra Fast making it easy to select what you want to prepare for a meal.

Sprinkled throughout the recipes are cooking tips to help make meal prep easier while the color photos help too.

Another cook's helper is a "Pantry Ingredients" list included in the cookbook. The "Pantry Ingredients" list can be used to prepare any of the "Pantry" recipes found in The Dinner Plan Cookbook.

Some of the recipes you'll find include:

Tex-Mex Salmon in Foil
Tarragon Chicken
Turkey Sloppy Joes
Beef Stew in a Hurry
Bacon and Egg Fried Rice
Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil
Spicy or Not Black Bean Soup
Faux Cubanos
Chinese Chicken Salad
Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce
Raw Broccoli Salad
Go-To Scalloped Potatoes
Dark Chocolate-Banana Bread

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.

[Lili · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a digital advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

According to the Introduction, the authors planned for this cookbook to be “a new and different cookbook devoted to navigating the various situations that the typical workweek throws at people.” At the end of the Introduction, the authors discuss ten name brand gadgets for greater kitchen efficiency, ranging from the obscure like silicone lids to the common like the Y-peeler.

After about a dozen pages of introductory material, there are over 200 pages with approximately 135 recipes for main dishes and side dishes. The main dishes are divided into six chapters: fish and shellfish; chicken and turkey; beef and pork; eggs, rice and meatless; pasta; and soups, sandwiches, and dinner salads. The side dishes are divided into two chapters: vegetables, and starches and grains. There is also a chapter about the Forgotten Meal, which the authors define as “the food kids hoover between school and dinner.” At the top of each recipe is a clear title and yield. There is a brief headnote that discusses the finer points of preparation and serving the dish, with occasional comments about Caroline and Kathy or their families. Ingredients are listed along the left side, with measurements in both American and metric units. In general, the ingredients are pantry ingredients or other readily available ingredients. Recipe steps are written in short sentences in paragraph form, and are relatively easy to follow. All the recipes are coded along the outer edge as to whether they are Make-Ahead, Staggered, One-Dish, Pantry, and/or Extra-Fast dishes. The vast majority of the recipes are both Make-Ahead and Staggered. Recipe tips in light blue call out boxes are sprinkled throughout the recipe pages. About halfway through the fish and shellfish section is a two-page spread with Next Step Asian Ingredients, which describes seven Asian ingredients that are versatile enough to include in an every day pantry. About halfway through the soups, sandwiches, and dinner salads section is a blue page about Think Outside the Plate, which gives some “refreshing alternatives” to having dinner at a properly set table. I don’t agree with some of their suggestions, like “Right from the pan” or “Over the sink,” because I think that if someone puts forth the effort to make a home cooked meal, those consuming it should put forth some effort to enjoy it rather than have it “gobbled up” over a sink. Of the additional informational pages, the one I really appreciated was the one about how to spatchcock a chicken. The eight top tips for pulling off a great dinner party were fairly self-evident if you’ve thrown enough “adult” dinner parties, but would definitely be appreciated by anyone who was a newcomer to the dinner party scene.

The recipe selection was fairly diverse. There were some from the Chinese tradition, the Thai tradition, and the French tradition. Not to mention Cajun dirty rice, a Viet Namese style Bahn Mi sandwich and a Cuban style sandwich as well. It felt like there were a good number of recipes that used turkey sausage and ground turkey as substitutes for pork and beef, which was refreshing to see. I appreciated that, in the pasta section, the same exact instructions for cooking pasta were repeated in each recipe so that each recipe could stand alone. I thought that was a much better approach that opening the section with a blue page of “Preparing the Perfect Pasta” and then having each pasta recipe refer back to that page. The starches and grains section ranged from the expected potatoes and quinoa to the unexpected wheat berries and Israeli couscous.

The photography in this book is lovely. Almost every recipe is accompanied by a moderately styled photograph of the completed dish, which gives a good idea of what the finished recipe should look like. However, the recipe steps are so clear that there usually isn’t any doubt about what to do.

The one critique I do have of this book is that it is clearly oriented toward parents with school age children. Yet, in their introduction, the authors pitched the book as if it was geared toward everyone, “whether you’re feeding just yourself, a roommate, a spouse/partner, or an entire family.” For example, although there was a half-hearted attempt to include the “singleton” in the “Home Alone” blue page, that page was primarily targeted toward the frazzled parent who scarcely gets a moment alone. In fact, the term “singleton” only appears twice in the book: once on that blue page, and once in the description of the “Staggered” category. Despite the authors’ promise that the headnotes would be “without personal anecdotes or other fluff,” there were frequent references to whose children approved of which recipes, to which recipes were good for long, very early drives to ice hockey games, and other similar comments that would appeal to parents of school age children. In fact, the inclusion of a whole chapter about “the food kids hoover between school and dinner” is a testament to the focus on that audience. Likewise, the corresponding blue pages about “Not-to-Be-Forgotten Meals” that debate whether it is hypocritical to talk about giving your kids wholesome and nutritious food when their parents ate unhealthy foods after school and that catalog the original favorite after school childhood concoctions could only appeal to parents of school age children. I don’t mind that the book had a specific target audience; what I do mind is that the authors were not open and honest about it.

Overall, I may recommend this book for friends who are parents of school age children and could use some help in the meal planning department. I would not recommend this as a housewarming gift for a single friend just starting out or a couple beginning a life together. Although the recipes are basic enough and well written enough to serve those purposes, the overall tone and ancillary content make the book unsuitable for those purposes.

Despite the fact that I have marked about a dozen recipes to try, I have yet to prepare any of the recipes from this book; however, I will update this review when I do.

[Dee Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dinner plan is a bright, inviting, common sense cookbook which provides some fantastic tips and recipes for organised week night meals. The book screams that it has been arranged and authored by popular culture editors with its bright patterns and colours, and large graphic layouts and photographs. This lends it a lovely contemporary edge that would give any worktop a great splash of colour. It also makes the recipes that little bit more inviting. Each recipe provides an indication of how far in advance it can be made and stored. It also gives the conventional ingredient list, background outline, servings yield, and instructions. These are laid out in a magazine-like format which makes them clean, well spaced and as such easy to read and follow.

Dotted throughout the book are handy opinion inserts which discuss such things as which meals work well if you are going to be eating alone, the rights and wrongs of comfort foods for kids, and the versatility of certain ingredients.

At the end of the book is a very handy quick glance chart which indexes each recipe and provides a preparation indicator which outlines whether meals are 'Make ahead', 'staggered', 'one dish', 'pantry' or 'extra fast'. Some have "Life saver" sauce labels with them.

This book is aimed at adult households as many of the recipes aren't the sort of thing that children would be as keen on in my experience. They're also not necessarily for those looking to cook on a tight budget. This was patently obvious from the outset, starting with a list of top gadgets and accessories which also have top flight price tags. However, the gadgets and the meals look so exciting that my budget conscious side is going to abandon me to try a few (I hope to return with an update to this review to let you know whether they're as simple to make and as good to eat as they all sound).

This is the sort of book that I would buy as a gift for one of our child free friends or relatives, feeling confident that it would be very well received. It's also the sort of book that I would use to plan a meal if we were entertaining friends in confidence that I would be able to prepare it ahead of time and come across as a bit of a domestic goddess.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this book as a digital advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved The Keepers cookbook, and The Dinner Plan is equally deserving of praise. It includes recipes that are easy to follow and contain ingredients that can be found in any grocery store (no need for a trip to a specialty store) but that will also push you out of your comfort zone. The Dinner Plan is unlike other cookbooks in that the authors include a small story about the food at the beginning of each recipe, as well several pages that are devoted to a particular cooking topic (lifesaver dressings, quick-cooking tools), so that the book is more than just one recipe after another. I also appreciated the "tips" that could be applied to any cooking endeavor, not just the particular recipe, and the ideas about how to prepare the recipes ahead of time or on a staggered schedule. Anyone who enjoyed The Keepers shouldn't hesitate to add The Dinner Plan to their bookshelf.

[Jifu · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Note - I received an advanced electronic copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)

Brennan and Campion deliver exactly as their newest book promises, and very spectacularly so. "The Dinner Plan" is heavily loaded from cover to cover with nearly organized recipes that not only can fit nearly anyone's work schedule, but also can satiate nearly any tastes and preferences thanks to the rich variety of the different meals presented. I personally loved the look of so many of the recipes that it wasn't look before I found myself writing up a small "to-cook" itinerary of my own as I read through (first up on the list - white beans and pesto over toasty bread!).

This a perfect book for anyone who wants to deliver delicious, schedule and budget-friendly home-cooked meals from Monday to Friday that will be sure to satisfy every single time!

[Carly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is a fine cookbook for people who have animal protein as the centerpiece of almost every meal. It didn’t have much new to offer for the vegetarian. I think it would be a good book for people somewhat new to cooking and meal planning who are not vegetarian.

[Ilse O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one to highly recommend. The Japanese pizza, turkey larb, zucchini ceasar salad and several others have been huge hits and will be go-to regulars for us.

[Lauren Tomlinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good layout focused on meal type (make ahead, quick etc) but personally I didn't find many recipes i thought we would like. But good healthy options here.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Despite the generic sounding title, The Dinner Plan nicely ticks the boxes of what I hope/expect from a cookbook: beautifully presented, smartly designed/executed/indexed/referenced, interesting recipes that are easy to make and don't require an expensive list of one-time-use ingredients, and a family friendly bias. I had no issues with any of the recipes and especially appreciated specific brand-name recommendations for useful products that make the cooking/storing job easier.

Right from the beginning, it is obvious that the book is intelligently cross referenced. The recipes are broken down by main ingredient (Fish and Shellfish, Chicken and Turkey, Beef and Pork, Eggs, Rice and Meatless, Pasts, Soups, Sandwiches, Dinner Salads, Vegetables, Starches and Grains, and the Forgotten Meal). But they are also categorized by preparation requirements: Make Ahead, Staggered, One-Dish, Pantry Friendly, and Extra-Fast. The latter categories are color coded on each recipe page as well as indexed in the back of the book.

Most, but not all, recipes have photographs, many are full page and all are professionally presented. Each recipe has a serving amount, introduction/description, bold face ingredients list, paragraph (not numbered) instructions, and a large section for tips/more info/variations. At the side of the page are the color coded cross reference categories (e.g., Shrimp Scamp is cross referenced as Pantry friendly and Extra-Fast).

Because one of the authors comes from a Japanese background, there are some great Asian-inspired recipes like Okonomiyaki and Peanut Sauce that are kid friendly. But the classic North American dishes/European dishes are well represented as well. From Beef Stew in a hurry to Bolognese Sauce.

The tips are great - whether a full page stand out on Asian ingredients/recipes or the 5 recipes from the book that you can always have ready with minimum time. Even the recipes have separate and very detailed tips on various options, things like rice cookers, making your own cutlets, easy dinner parties, etc. etc.

The back of the book has a beautiful 'recipes by category' index in six colors - and then a full page pantry ingredients checklist of items that have long shelf times and mean you don't have to do special shopping every other day for the recipes.

In all, I was very impressed with this book and have enjoyed the recipes. Nothing too exotic, with easy to find ingredients, friendly and easy-to-follow recipes and very smart choices about how to present the information. This is a book written for the reader and not one that the author writes only from his/her experience without regard to how the reader will actually use the book. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Bookgasms Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this book came along at a perfect time in my life. My organization and meal planning stage. I decided to go through the recipes and come up with a month's worth of meal plans. This was actually a lot of fun to do, because this cookbook is so comprehensive. It gives advice on which sides go with which main dishes, it includes a variety of recipes to accommodate different schedules and time allotments, and it was overall just fun! With great illustrations, short but interesting tips and facts, and an easy to navigate organization system of its own.

One of our favorites was the corn and potato chowder, which of course, I adapted ever so slightly. I made mine in the crock pot, never turning on the stove. I placed the broth ingredients (minus the creme and cornstarch) into my crock pot. I added fresh carrots to mine, and a much larger portion of ham, because we're meat eaters around here. After letting it simmer most of the day while I was at work, I came home and whisked a bit of the cornstarch into the cream, topped it off, and let it simmer just long enough to thicken. Made an amazing chowder, even my kids loved it, and since I used a handy dandy crock pot bag, there wasn't even any clean up!

Also, the steak sandwiches made for an amazing treat. I took it a step further and used the leftover meat to add to the asparagus farfalle and turned it into a complete meal. So many little adjustments, yet so easy to make this into a more comprehensive book. I made the cod in foil, but laid it on top of the green bean salad in the foil packets, and baked it all together. My family loved it! I have a few more recipes laid out for this month, and I can already guarantee they're going to be family favorites!

I would absolutely recommend this book to the unorganized like me. If you are a seasoned cook, or a creative one, there are so many easy ways to take these to another level. If you're not, then these are great just the way they are and keep it simple enough even my husband could prepare them! (No offense intended to those men who actually do cook!)
~ George, 5 Stars

[Laura Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent cookbook for those who do not have time to make an elaborate meal but still want to provide their family with delicious food! Uniquely, they organize the book by your family related timing needs - extra fast, make ahead, staggered schedules, and items in your pantry. Last night I put together the Mexican Lasagna and it was delicious; we all agreed it was a keeper! I am excited to try the other recipes also! They also have many helpful tips and suggestions to help make cooking and dinner time easier! I was blessed to be able to receive this book through a goodreads giveaway! Love the layout of this one and I would love to get my hands on a copy of their first cookbook Keepers!

[Donna Bulseco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a big fan of this dynamic duo’s first cookbook and was excited to see what they were up to in this one. Like “Keepers,” there are easy work night recipes that help you put a new slant on chicken, pasta and veggies at the end of an exhausting day. So far I’ve tabbed the Detox Salad, Skillet Chicken Parm and Buttered Peas with Lettuce, a classic French dish I’d never heard of, as high on my list to try.

Full disclosure: I know one of the lovely authors Caroline Campion, who worked with the books editor at Good Housekeeping when I was there a long time ago — so as you might guess, she has high standards not only for delicious food but also engaging prose. My two favorite qualities in a cookbook!

[Elizabeth Grieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely and beautifully illustrated cookbook for those who like to be (mostly) organised. The recipes fall into different categories such as 'make ahead', 'pantry', 'staggered'(for when various family members eat at different times), 'one dish' and 'extra fast'. Thus you can choose which type of preparation works best for your household and lifestyle. It's very well designed, with lots of tips and notes. I've tried only a few of the recipes so far, but have bookmarked quite a few to work my way through. Only a couple of (small) negatives, the first being that there are very few dessert recipes, and the second that the brand-name recommendations only work for the authors' native US market, being meaningless to those of us in other countries.

Review of an advance copy from the publisher.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent cookbook. It can really power you through the week; the recipes are creative enough that you won't get bored but simple enough that pickier eaters will still find something. The only quibble I have is that there could have been some slow cooker recipes. But really, everything else was great - the photos, the organization, most recipes were one page, the ingredients pretty easy to get or things you might have on hand. If you've got to feed a small group night after night, this is an excellent resource.

I would have given it 5 starts but there's no nutritional information.

[Sammm · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 for 4.25. If this book reaches 1k ratings and still maintains the average above 4, I'd lower mine to a 4. It wasn't bad, and it's definitely well designed, but it's just not too memorable.

P.S.: From the blurb, I didn't expect this book to contain recipes but just about planning (time management for preparing, serving food); I've quickly flipped through, but this really is more of a cookbook than it led on to be.

A digitized ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure what the definition is of "reading" a cookbook, but I read this one pretty thoroughly and cooked out of it almost exclusively for the better part of a month to widespread family appreciation... bought my own copy, which might be the highest praise from this library-loving cheapskate. Recipes we've liked so far: roast cod with olives, potatoes, and tomatoes; scalloped potatoes; turkey larb; turkey sloppy joes; steak sandwiches; shrimp scampi; and chicken fajitas (a REALLY big hit).

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cookbook that belongs in everyone's kitchen one you will use over&over again Full of delicious recipes perfect recipies for our busy lives .Well organized tod in a lovely friend in the kitchen style,I fell asleep thinking about these recipes .Thanks to Abrams s books&Net Galley for an advance copy for honest review,

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love the idea of meal planning, and this book is a nice slow start in the preparation without going full-on freezer meals straight away.
I did not get a chance to make any of these recipes, but they all used common ingredients and the instructions seemed easy enough to follow. The pictures were bright and very appetizing. Will have to check this book out once it's published!

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a vibrant cookbook, full of all kinds of dishes that I 1) can actually make on a normal weeknight and 2) would really enjoy eating. I don't think there's a thing in here that I wouldn't want to make for myself. I'm looking forward to digging in!

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. It is a nice hardcover cookbook with excellent photos filling many of the pages. It has lots of tips and recipes for cooking with a busy schedule. I can’t wait to use it some more.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept for meal planning - but did not find the meals that compelling.

[Gina Zappa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um...the Spicy Cucumber Sticks need to get in my belly...like now-ish.

[Alexandra Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not much of a cookbook person - I typically search for recipes here and there online - but The Dinner Plan has a ton of great recipes that got rave reviews from everyone I've fed.

[Ariste Egan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent flavorful recipes that anyone can make.

[Teresa Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of recipes I want to try!