Whenever we are having a cold spell, I make a comforting bowl of pasta to warm us from the inside out. Pasta dinners are the weeknight chef's best friend! I often look at the jars of tomato sauce next to boxes of assorted pasta in the back of our pantry adoringly, knowing they will be there for me when I need them most.

This week I'm stretching my boxes of noodles and jars of sauce across all five days with some of my favorite plant-based recipes.

Welcome to This Week's Vegetarian Meal Plan

Planning my weekly meals is a habit I enjoy. Since I'm frequently asked by friends and family what I'm cooking for dinner each week, I thought it'd be useful to share my weekly meal plan here. Whether you're just learning to meal plan and looking for a real-life example of how this works or you're an old pro on the hunt for inspiration, here's a peek at how I'm feeding my family this week.

Who doesn't love macaroni and cheese? And I swear this sauce will fool even the most diehard cheese-lover. I figured macaroni and cheese would be a good way to set the tone for the week.

Usually this recipe is served over mashed cauliflower, but I tend to pull out the spaghetti noodles more often than not. These are hands-down my favorite veggie-based meatballs to date, leaving plenty left over in our home to build lunches with during the week!

Rich in umami from the mushrooms and tamari, and creamy (thanks to cashews), this is comfort food in layered form. With this on the meal plan, it's a good night to invite friends over.

It's Thursday night and I've stuck to some simple staple recipes so far this week, so now it's time to pull out all the stops! This dish takes a little extra effort, but yields the most delicious reward. It also gives me a little extra oomph that I need to tackle Friday.

I snuck this rice risotto in here because, risotto. This one is made even better with a simple fuss-free method, and it's chock-full of all the fall flavors I'm craving this month. I like to make something a little fancier for the palate on a Friday, because cooking an entire week's worth of meals calls for celebration.