If you are like me, meal planning can be a dreadful task. Between work, family life, and the everchanging taste buds of the kids, coming up with fresh ideas for weeknight dinners feels like a never-ending loop. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy cooking and nailing a new recipe, but consistently coming up with five to six meals each week gets old.

It’s easy to fall into a rut where it’s either spaghetti, tacos, or something frozen from the back of the freezer. So to try and shake things up I turned to ChatGPT to see if it could help me with meal planning, I thought, Why not let AI take a shot at meals this week? Worst case, I would just go back to my usual process of cookbooks and scrolling through annoyingly long story-focused recipes on the Internet. Best case, it might actually make life easier.
A little backstory on our family dynamic. My wife and I alternate grocery weeks, which also means we alternate weeks of coming up with the dinners. It’s a tradition (?) that we started a long time ago and have never changed. I like that it gives us a “break” each week from the trip to the grocery store and the mental power to generate dinners. How does it work in your house?
Time for meal planning
Back to my experiment. I started by asking ChatGPT to create a week of dinners for my family. I wanted to keep it easy, so I gave it some basic guidelines:
- Family of four.
- It’s winter so, no grilling.
- A few meals should create leftovers.
- Nothing that would require specialty ingredients.
- I needed six different nights.
- Oh, and I said one of the meals needed to be “fancy dogs” which in our house means upscale hot dogs. It’s a meal I tend to do on my week of cooking.
The results? Honestly, it only took about a minute of back-and-forth chat to create a list I was happy with and thought was doable. For example, I asked for the recipes to not be bread-heavy. ChatGPT came back with a mix of meals that included:
Sunday: Taco Casserole Night

Monday: Meatball and Vegetable Soup

Tuesday: Oven-Roasted Herb Chicken with Vegetables

Wednesday: Creamy Pesto Penne with Chicken (Oven-Baked)

Thursday: Sheet Pan Sausage and Vegetables

Friday: Fancy Hot Dogs

Once I was happy with the dishes, I asked it to generate each meal including the recipe and instructions.
Then when I was happy with that, I asked it to generate a grocery list for the week, which was a nice touch—though I quickly learned it wasn’t perfect (more on that later).
Unlike my random grocery list of what pops into my mind, ChatGPT organized everything by section. Protein, produce, canned item, dairy, etc. It was a small thing but I didn’t mind.
So with the list complete, I then wrote it all down on a piece of paper. While this seems like an unnecessary step to some, I don’t like to look at my phone for list purposes when shopping. I go with a classic piece of paper. Honestly, it’s just easier to glance at. Also, I don’t become one of those people who get in the way cause they are busy scrolling on their phone.
Oh by the way for those wondering, I will list the full recipes at the end of this blog post.
With the list done, I compared time spent on meal planning. Normally the old-fashioned way takes 30 minutes total. But that doesn’t include the actual searching and thinking or possible recipes. Add that in and it can bump up to an hour.
Using ChatGPT, it took about 15 minutes total and that was only because it was the first try. Next time it will probably be half that.
AI tools like ChatGPT are changing the ways so many of us are doing daily tasks. I get it. But I have yet to really be blown away. I am however really impressed when I can use it to save large amounts of time.
What do I do with that time saved? Well, nothing substantial. But it’s still nice not to spend a lot of energy on something like meal planning and making a grocery list.

So how did the week go?
The kids were fascinated by the idea that AI had planned their dinners. They were especially into taco casserole and the roasted chicken and potatoes got a two thumbs up. Not every meal was a hit—there was the pesto dish that was a little too green for some people—but overall, everyone was pleased.
What do you have to watch out for when using AI to help you? Well, it’s still all about the finer details. If there is one piece of advice I can give about using AI, it would be to review everything. Don’t assume. Think of Michael Scott driving into the water because the GPS told him to turn right.
For example, there were moments when the grocery list didn’t quite match up with the recipes. One dish called for tortillas but wasn’t listed in the shopping list. Another recipe had the chicken and potatoes cooking at the same temperature for the same duration. If you do a lot of cooking you know the potatoes will take longer. Little things like that. Thankfully my overall skepticism of AI resulted in me going over everything ahead of time, so no emergency store trips were needed.
But honestly? The upsides outweighed the hiccups. Having someone (or something) else do the mental heavy lifting of deciding what to cook was a nice break. It saved me time and gave me ideas I wouldn’t have come up with on my own. Plus, it added some excitement to our usual dinner routine—my kids loved knowing that AI was behind their meals. I still don’t like being so reliant on tech and I definitely don’t like adding more screen time to my life, but I can appreciate the reasons why many people probably do this.
ChatCPT to the rescue?
Would I use ChatGPT for meal planning again? Definitely—but I’d go in knowing that it’s not perfect. It’s also handy that I can just pick up where I left off. ChatGPT will already know what it suggested already, what my family enjoys, and the more I prompt it with questions, the better it will get.
I have even seen some paid options where you can integrate ChatGPT right into whatever online grocery service you use. Basically it would generate your list right into the shopping app. Now that seems like magic.
AI is not going to make the task of grocery shopping disappear (yet). You still need to double-check recipes and tweak them to fit your family’s tastes and schedule. You still need to take into account your grocery shopping budget and what you already have in your pantry. It’s not seamless. But if you’re meal planning is stuck in a rut or just want to shake things up without spending hours scrolling through Pinterest or the stack of cookbooks in your house, it’s worth trying.
I give it a solid B+ for the experience. I may even have convinced my wife it’s time to get to know ChatGPT whether it’s for grocery shopping, helping take care of some work tasks, or using it for what I mostly use it for – a very souped-up version of a search engine.
If you’ve ever used AI for meal planning—or if you’re thinking about giving it a shot—I’d love to hear about your experience. Let me know in the comments how it worked out for you (and whether your kids were as excited as mine).
Or if you have never tried using ChatCPT, sign up, it’s free. It’s literally the same as using any IM/chat tool, except the other person is a robot and can answer a lot faster than your Mom.
ChatCPT meal planning recipes
Sunday: Taco Casserole Night
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
- 1 packet taco seasoning (or homemade seasoning)
- 1 cup salsa
- 6-8 small tortillas (corn or flour)
- 2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, or your favorite)
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn, drained
- Toppings: Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef or turkey over medium heat until browned, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Stir in taco seasoning, salsa, black beans, and corn. Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- In a baking dish, layer the tortillas (cut to fit if needed). Spread half of the meat mixture over the tortillas, then sprinkle with cheese. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, the remaining meat mixture, and cheese on top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Serve with your favorite toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and guacamole.
Monday: Meatball and Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey (for meatballs)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup small pasta (orzo, ditalini, or any small pasta)
- 2 cups fresh spinach (or any greens)
Instructions:
- In a bowl, mix ground beef or turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Form small meatballs (about 1-inch in diameter).
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, about 5-7 minutes per batch. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, add diced carrots and celery, cooking for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the diced tomatoes, broth, and meatballs back into the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes.
- Stir in the pasta and spinach, cooking for an additional 10 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve.
Tuesday: Oven-Roasted Herb Chicken with Vegetables
Ingredients:
- 4-6 bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 medium potatoes, cut into wedges
- 2 carrots, sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a small bowl, mix garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon slices, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Rub this mixture over the chicken pieces.
- On a baking sheet, toss the potato wedges with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken and carrots on the same sheet.
- Roast for 25 minutes, and flip the chicken, potatoes and carrots.
- Continue roasting for another 20-25 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the potatoes are tender.
- Serve the chicken with the roasted vegetables.
Wednesday: Creamy Pesto Penne with Chicken (Oven-Baked)
Ingredients:
- 12 oz penne pasta
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
- 1/2 cup pesto sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook the penne pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, pesto sauce, heavy cream, diced chicken, mozzarella, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish and top with extra mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly.
- Serve with a side Caesar salad or garlic bread.
Thursday: Sheet Pan Sausage and Vegetables
Ingredients:
- 4 smoked sausages or kielbasa, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 2 zucchini, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- On a large sheet pan, toss the sausage pieces, bell peppers, zucchini, and onion with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the sausage is browned and the vegetables are tender.
- Serve with a side of crusty bread for dipping, or a simple green salad.
Friday: Fancy Hot Dogs
Ingredients:
- 4-6 gourmet hot dogs (your choice of beef, turkey, or plant-based)
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp sauerkraut (optional)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Swiss, or your favorite)
- 2 tbsp mustard (or more to taste)
- 2 tbsp ketchup (optional)
- 1-2 rolls or buns (or skip the buns if preferred and serve in a bowl)
- Optional toppings: caramelized onions, pickles, chili, jalapeños
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and bell peppers, cooking for about 10 minutes until soft and caramelized.
- Meanwhile, grill or pan-fry the hot dogs according to your preference.
- If you’re using rolls, toast them lightly in the skillet or oven.
- Once the hot dogs are cooked, place them in the rolls (or serve without buns in a bowl). Top with caramelized onions, bell peppers, sauerkraut, and shredded cheese.
- Drizzle with mustard and ketchup (if using), and add any extra toppings like chili, pickles, or jalapeños.
- Serve with sides like oven-baked fries, a light potato salad, or a simple slaw.
Great experiment. I sympathize with you, I do the meal plan, meals, and groceries. It’s difficult to come up with a meal plan each week that’s tasty and not repetitive. On your recommendation I’ll give it a shot.
Hey Matt, it’s a bit cumbersome for sure, but in terms of breaking out of a rut, I think it’s a great process to try. Let me know how it goes.