I've been thinking a lot (pretty much exclusively) about what kinds of resources we can share here and on Heated that will help ease the burden that so many of us are currently facing. Of course, figuring out how best to feed ourselves and our loved ones is just one of the many challenges that have cropped up, and it's by no means the biggest. Still, it's the problem that my colleagues and I are best equipped to solve, so we feel lucky to be useful in any way that we can.

Late last year, I published the completely revised 20th anniversary edition of How to Cook Everything. As part of that, we also developed what we believe is a pragmatic, flexible meal plan that truly reflects the way that most of us cook (shop, make some dishes, figure out what to do with leftovers, scan the fridge, adjust, and cook some more). Sure, the shopping lists and strategies weren't designed with our current situation in mind, but I think it can still be a really helpful guide for meal planning when we're stuck at home all the time. It was never intended as something to give away to everyone for free, but now it's kind of a no-brainer. If you're interested, scroll down and click the image or the button below it to download the meal plan PDF for free.

Here's a little bit more about it. The meal plan is a 6-day plan, Sunday through Friday, that combines specific direction with options for customizing. All three meals are covered, including some sides and dessert with dinner; there are more than 20 recipes in all. The week kicks off with a shopping list to get you into Wednesday. Then, based on whatever “bonus” cooking you’ve done, your stash of leftovers, and your calendar, I’ll help you figure out how to wrap up the week. Most of the recipes will serve at least 4, so depending on the size of your household you may have more or fewer leftovers (or none at all); you can also scale up or down as needed—or skip a meal entirely if you’ve got other food plans.

You may want to make some adjustments to the plan based on everything that's going on (like shopping once, not twice), but for the most part, I think it remains a relevant and useful resource for this moment that we're in. See you Friday.

—Mark

FREE MEAL PLAN

Talk To Me, Goose!

Questions, comments, brilliant suggestions? Just want to share the recipe for your grandma's potato salad, or your mom's meatloaf, or your uncle Drew's three-day 100-percent rye loaf (yes, please)? Don't hesitate to reach out anytime.