My Favorite Healthy 20-Minute Dinners of 2023 (Weekly Plan & Shopping List!)

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With all of the focus on the Christmas feast, I tend to forget to plan dinners for the rest of the week. And even though I’m visiting my parents for the holidays, my mom put me in charge of meal planning while I’m home. This week, I decided to look back at all the delicious new recipes we published in 2023. And from a flavorful enchilada skillet to a cozy bowl of lemony chicken soup, this week's menu features some of my most-loved recipes from the past year, made in just 20 minutes or less.

Your Meal Plan

Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday! I’m excited to be in my hometown, spending quality time with my family and friends. My sister and I have been helping my mom with getting ready for the Christmas Eve dinner my parents are hosting. We always make roasted turkey, buttery green beans with sliced almonds and wild rice. After dinner, my mom sets a dessert table with all the sweet treats her friends have given her in the days leading up to Christmas. (In Mexico, it’s common for friends to give each other small Christmas presents like cookies, pies, brownies or rompope, an eggnog-like drink made with almonds, milk, egg yolks, sugar, rum and cinnamon.) Since many people may have their holiday menus planned, I’ve included some recipe collections to use as inspiration for last-minute planning instead of a fixed menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

While I think all of these recipes are delicious, Friday’s Steak Enchilada Skillet has a special place in my heart. This recipe features ingredients I grew up eating in Mexico, like enchilada sauce, cilantro, corn and whole-wheat flour tortillas. Not only is this recipe on the table in just 15 minutes, but it uses a single skillet to keep things easy and clean up quickly. Added bonus: It’s a complete meal, so I don’t have to worry about sides. 

Christmas Eve + Christmas Day: Still looking for something to make? Scan these galleries for inspiration (ingredients not included in the shopping list):
Festive & Fun Last-Minute Appetizers
Perfect Side Dish Recipes
Easy Three-Step Christmas Cookies
Tuesday: Quick Lemony Chicken Soup
Wednesday: Pistachio-Crusted Halibut with Sautéed Broccolini and quinoa
Thursday: Lemony-Garlic Pan-Seared Salmon with mixed greens tossed with Creamy Cottage Cheese Dressing and microwave-baked potatoes
Friday: Steak Enchilada Skillet

Something to Sip On

Whenever I’m home in Chihuahua, Mexico, my schedule quickly gets packed with back-to-back social engagements, from visiting Grandma to lunch with friends. Between that and cold weather, I want to make sure my immune system is in the best shape possible. And what better way to do that than with a nutrient-packed smoothie? This Anti-Inflammatory Lemon-Blueberry Smoothie is one of my favorite ones published this year. Packed with ingredients rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients like blueberries, lemon juice, kale, hemp seeds and green tea, this delicious drink will also help keep your immune system going strong. 

Get the Recipe: Anti-Inflammatory Lemon-Blueberry Smoothie

What’s Inspiring Me This Week

My family’s Christmas meal usually starts off with a variety of cold cuts and cheeses, olives, toasted crostini, mixed salted nuts and veggies with a creamy dip (even though we're adults, my mom still looks for ways to get us to eat more veggies). But to be honest, most of us usually skip over the veggies. As they say, you eat with your eyes first, and most of the crudités platters look boring. So this year, instead of just placing them on a platter, I’m making this beautiful crudités Christmas tree. I hope it encourages everyone to eat their veggies—including me.  

Find Out More: This Crudités Christmas Tree Is the Most Festive Way to Eat Your Vegetables