Meatless Meal Ideas

I am admittedly not a meat-lover and throughout my life have gone through many spurts where I just prefer a more vegetarian-leaning diet. I married a Philly boy who loves a good cheese-steak, but he is a very good sport about embracing my meatless meals and we have several 'go-to' vegetarian dinner options that we rotate throughout the month. I thought I would share for anyone interested in limiting their meat intake for whatever reason.

Eggplant Rollatini or Eggplant "short stacks"
   We love eggplant in our house and it's so versatile and soo filling when you're super hangry. Eggplant rollatini is a little more involved but leftovers are fantastic so it's worth it IMO. Eggplant short stacks are quicker and a similar concept- breaded eggplant browned in EVOO, stacked with a couple tbsp of ricotta, topped with mozzarella and sauce and excellent served with a salad and some garlic bread. (Sidenote: I'm gonna need my environmentally-friendly pals to cover their ears for a sec. Sorry. These disposable foil pans are savin' my life. It's not a forever thing but it makes the evenings so much easier not to have pans to scrub. The fact that I can just toss the pan and have an extra ten minutes to play with my babies is everything right now.)

Eggplant Rollatini-in-process

Veggie Quesadillas with homemade guacamole
   This was dinner last night and just so so good and easy peasy. Saute as many veggies as you can get your hands on and throw them in a big ol' tortilla with some cheese (cheddar + colby jack, specifically) for a yummy veggie quesadilla. Homemade guac adds even more veggies (avocado, tomato, onion, with a squeeze of fresh lime juice) and totally hits the spot. Side of tortilla chips optional ;)

Eat the rainbow! Cooking some veggies to throw into a quesadilla

Sheetpan veggies served over cous cous
   Google "Sheetpan meals" and you'll see why I am so addicted to this concept. A couple times a month we throw a ton of veggies (the more colors, the better) on a baking sheet, cover with a light spray of EVOO and whatever seasoning we have and cook it in a super hot oven (450 degrees for about 30-40 mins and I even broil the last 2-3 mins because I like the edges burnt). Throw the veggies on top of a bowl of flavored cous cous and call it a day. Yum!


Grilled cheese and tomato or minestrone soup
   This is about as basic as it gets but on a busy weeknight this meal is a lifesaver. Treat yo-self to some decent cheese at the deli counter vs. some Kraft singles. My kids love soup so I know everyone will fill their bellies. Sometimes I'll just make a huge salad in lieu of soup for the grownups but it's kind of a "do what works" type of thing.


Pasta/veggie toss
   This is probably the easiest meal ever and basically the only thing I ever made for dinner while I was in college (I think my JMU besties are actually sick of this meal from just watching me make it every single night- haha). You just boil some water, throw in whole wheat pasta, then throw a ton of frozen or fresh veggies into the boiling pasta/water. Green beans and bell pepper are my go-to favorites but you can literally pull any veggies from your fridge or freezer. Once done, drain everything, throw it all back into the original pot, and toss with either tomato sauce or EVOO + some sea salt. Plate it, top it with way too much mozzarella, and you have a super delish and easy meal.


If you've made it this far, I will add the somewhat late disclaimer that cheese is my weakness and you probably have noticed that. I'm working on it but suffice it to say, cheese is my love language. I am working on finding more meatless meals that aren't covered in cheese so stay tuned ;)

Do you try to incorporate meatless meals into your weekly menu? I'd love to hear what meatless meals you guys are loving! ♥