Looking for recipes to make during March? Look no farther than this March Monthly Meal Plan, which features several recipes to enjoy throughout the month. Including things like comforting dinners, St. Patrick’s Day treats, colorful salads, Easter brunch and more, this monthly recipe list offers something for everyone!
2025 Update: This monthly meal plan was originally shared in March 2018. It has been updated to include more information, as well as a larger variety of recipes. I hope you love it and find it helpful!
Happy March!
Like previous months, I’m sharing some of my dishes and recipes to make in this month’s monthly meal plan of sorts.
Please note that I won’t break it down by the day and a specific meal every week, so if you’re looking for a menu planning resource that’s going to give you three complete meals for every day of the month, this isn’t for you.
The month of March is packed full of goodness. We celebrate our older daughter’s birthday this month. St. Patrick’s Day festivities happen, too. And since Easter is coming up, I’ve included some information about brunch.
What should I cook in the month of March?
Well, that depends on you and what you plan to do during this month. It also depends on where you live.
Since I live in the South, I still look for comfort, but I am also craving fresh fruits and vegetables, some of which I can find at the farmer’s market.
If I lived farther north, it might be a different situation since winter still has its grasp on a large portion of the country for March.
No matter what you’re looking for, we have all kinds of options for all kinds options for all kinds of tastebuds.
As always, we love seasonal produce, comfort food and easy meals, so we’re sharing a lot of those to serve as inspiration for you.
What is in season in the month of March?
There are so many delicious things that are in season during March, though many of these products are determined by where you live.
Like January and February, you can still find citrus, like oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, etc.
Pears and apples are also easily found and enjoyed this month. If you live near Florida, Florida strawberries are in season, too.
As far as vegetables, many cruciferous vegetables are in season, like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc.
Parsnips, turnips and sweet onions are also in season in March.
Like other wintery months, green should be available, too. This is widely variable and depends on where you live, but be on the lookout for collard greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach and more.
More monthly meal plans:
If you’re in the market for more seasonal menus and recipes, we’ve got them for you here…
What are YOU looking forward to this month? Do you have any celebrations planned on your end?
Scroll on down to learn what we’ll be cooking this month and what you should, too!
Weeknight Meals for March
1
Cottage Pie
Cottage Pie is a comforting, winter favorite entree. Ground beef is paired with veggies like onions, bell pepper, broccoli and more to cook together before the mixture is topped with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and cheese and baked to perfection. This is the ultimate wintertime comfort food.
Savory, smooth and flavorful, Sweet Potato Bisque is chock full of sweet potato goodness. Made with simple ingredients and warming spices, this vegetarian soup is bound to wow your guests, no matter if it's served as a weeknight dinner or a party entree. In addition, this recipe can be tweaked to feed someone on the Whole30 or a paleo eater! Sweet Potato Bisque is perfect comforting meal for a cold winter's evening.
Make Homemade Chicken Nuggets without frying anything! These baked chicken nuggets are crispy, flavorful and super dippable when paired with your favorite sauces. You can enjoy them on a salad, sandwich or wrap, too.
Enjoy flavorful Honey Sriracha Chicken Rice Bowls for dinner this week! Place the chicken, onion and red bell pepper in the slow cooker with honey, soy sauce and water. Cook for 4 hours. Steam brown rice and snow peas, then layer the rice, chicken and its sauce and snow peas in a bowl for serving. Slightly sweet with a zing of spice, Honey Sriracha Chicken Rice Bowls make a well-loved, simple and healthy weeknight meal for the whole family.
The ultimate comfort dish, Homemade Chicken Pot Pie makes for a delicious dinner. Filled with chicken and various vegetables, this chicken pot pie is a comforting, easy dinner. And the best part is the crust never gets soggy because the chicken pot pie is topped with individually baked pieces of Puff Pastry! This homemade Chicken Pot Pie makes a perfect meal for the whole family to enjoy during the chilly winter months.
Seared beef, potatoes and veggies come together in this Slow Cooker Beef Stew for the ultimate comforting dinner. Put it together in the morning hours and come home to the best meal!
A twist on the French classic, Salmon Niçoise Salad makes a perfect summertime dinner! Fresh sockeye salmon serves as the centerpiece of this entree salad in place of traditional tuna. Romaine lettuce, steamed green beans, baby potatoes and red onion are tossed together to create the rest of the salad, then topped with a tangy olive oil-Dijon vinaigrette. Flavorful for lunch or dinner, this Salmon Niçoise Salad sings of summertime flavors.
Looking for an entree or appetizer to wow the crowd this summer? Whole30 Steak Salad with Orange Vinaigrette is the way to go! This Whole30-compliant, Paleo, and Gluten Free recipe will impress guests and family alike. Perfectly cooked New York Strip Steak sits atop a bed of romaine lettuce, studded with navel oranges, English cucumbers and avocado. Finish with a drizzle of homemade Orange Vinaigrette, and this salad is the perfect summer meal!
Planning to picnic this spring and summer? Bring Strawberry Romaine Salad in a Jar along as a tasty, seasonal side dish. Romaine lettuce is layered into a mason jar, followed by fresh, sliced strawberries. The lettuce and fruit are topped with toasted pecans and feta cheese, then tossed in a homemade lemon vinaigrette to complete the dish. These salads in a jar travel well, store well, and are easy to enjoy at any warm-weather outdoor event you might be attending!
Enjoy the fruits of the season by making a Blueberry Salad with Feta, Chicken and Pecans. Tossed in a homemade blueberry vinaigrette, this spinach salad is a filling lunch, side dish or light dinner. All you need are a handful of ingredients and a bunch of fresh blueberries to make this fresh salad for any occasion.
Topped with lots of veggies, ultra-crispy chicken and a succulent honey mustard dressing, this Chicken Cobb Salad is going to transform mealtime. This recipe is great for a healthy lunch or dinner, or you can make all the parts in advance for easy meal prep.
Lunchtime shouldn't be a struggle, and this Cajun Cobb Salad makes a flavorful meal that will carry you through the afternoon! On a bed of shredded romaine, layer diced Jennie-O Hickory Smoked Cajun Style Turkey Breast, hardboiled eggs, bacon, avocado, cherry tomatoes and feta cheese. Drizzle with a creamy balsamic vinaigrette before tossing and enjoying. This Cajun Cobb Salad can be made ahead for a quick lunch, too!
Whether you're celebrating St. Patrick's Day, a birthday or any day, rich No Churn Guinness Brownie Ice Cream is sure to become a new favorite! Studded with homemade Guinness brownie chunks, this easy ice cream that doesn't require an ice cream maker is perfect for sharing.
Combine two springtime favorites: mint chocolate chip ice cream and Guinness Draught into decadent Mint Chip Guinness Floats! These adult ice cream floats are the perfect dessert beverages to sip while celebrating St. Patrick’s Day! Drizzle your favorite hot fudge sauce into the glasses, and then scoop in the ice cream. Pour in the Guinness, and finish with more hot fudge sauce and whipped cream. Enjoy these sweet, stout boozy floats immediately!
Dense and moist with a fluffy interior and a crunchy exterior, Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Cake is a decadent dessert! This chocolate chip loaf cake, made with a large pour of Irish Cream liqueur and finished with an Irish Cream Glaze, is the perfect sweet treat.
Move over, Guinness Float! There is a new Guinness dessert in town! Instead of using plain vanilla ice cream in your Guinness Float this St. Patrick’s Day, consider adding salted caramel ice cream instead for a sweet and salty twist. This Salted Caramel Guinness Float is guaranteed to be a favorite adult dessert!
Add some BOOZE to your baked goods by making Irish Cream Biscuits! These biscuits, which call for just a few simple ingredients, bake up quickly and easily before coating in a Boozy Chocolate Ganache. Fluffy on the inside with a little crunch on the outside, these biscuits are perfect for an at-home brunch, St. Patrick’s Day festivities or a decadent treat at the end of any meal. Irish Cream Biscuits with Boozy Chocolate Ganache are simply perfect!
Decadent Guinness Brownies are the perfect dessert for St. Patrick's Day or for any occasion where you need a chocolate dessert to share. These dark chocolate brownies are dense and have the most intense chocolate flavor since since they call for stout beer in the batter.
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with these decadently delicious Chocolate Guinness Milkshakes, topped with a homemade Jameson Cream! These boozy milkshakes are sure to wow at this year's festivities, and it makes a delicious dessert for a weeknight sweet, too!
Strawberry Champagne is a sweet, easy-to-make bubbly cocktail. It requires just four simple ingredients. Perfect for Easter brunch, Valentine's Day or any other time you want some bubbly.
Celebrate Easter by baking this sweet, decadent Fruit-Studded Holiday Bread. Studded with currants, raisins, apricots and cranberries, this bread is the perfect breakfast for Easter Sunday and a great way to spread love to family members, neighbors and friends during Holy Week.
Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders, also known as Ham Goo Sandwiches, make an out-of-this-world party appetizer, lunch or even dinner. These bite-sized sandwiches feature slices of ham, cheese and a decadent onion-poppyseed dressing. Make a batch for any occasion!
Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls are a homemade brunch treat. A dairy-free adaptation of a classic, these rolls are filled with fresh strawberries and topped with homemade strawberry glaze. Though this yeasted bread recipe takes a little time to rise, they're worth the wait and wonderful for sharing at an at-home brunch.
Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew is a simple, delicious coffee drink that can easily be made at home. Make the three elements of this recipe — cold brew coffee, homemade vanilla syrup and homemade vanilla sweet cream — in advance to have the best homemade coffee drink around.
Make any brunch a little fancier by serving decadent Sage Browned Butter Homemade Home Fries! This twist on classic home fries makes for the perfect side dish, can be made in advance and is super delicious for a crowd! Brown butter with fresh sage in a skillet. When the sage has crisped, break it apart, then add diced russet potatoes. Cook until fork tender and crisp on the outside. Serve warm as the perfect holiday (or anytime!) brunch side!
This overnight Egg Casserole with Green Chiles is an incredible twist on a classic. Calling for 7 ingredients, this breakfast bake could not be easier to make and share. Smoky green chile peppers add a little heat to this cheesy breakfast casserole.
Strawberry Scones burst with strawberry flavor, thanks to a secret strawberry ingredient! These scones, which are the perfect centerpiece to any homemade weekend brunch, will disappear in no time.
Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake makes a delicious breakfast in bed for that special person in your life! Elevate traditional coffee cake base with a ton of lemon zest. Then once the batter is poured into the pan, dollop Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry Preserves in for blueberry goodness. Sprinkle on the crumbly pecan streusel topping, then bake until golden brown. This simple coffee cake makes a delicious Mother’s Day breakfast or a brunch centerpiece.
Stay cool during the summer with refreshing Strawberry Tea! Singing of strawberries and summertime, this fruit tea is perfect to sip on a warm day. Learn how to make this sweet tea made with four simple ingredients.
Chocolate Raspberry Overnight French Toast Casserole
Chocolate Raspberry Overnight French Toast Casserole is the ULTIMATE make-ahead brunch recipe! You toss the ingredients together the night before and bake the morning of for a special breakfast treat. This French Toast casserole recipe is easy to put together and bursting with strawberry and chocolate flavors.
The Princess Violette Cocktail makes the PERFECT warm weather brunch drink with its bubbliness and lemon zing! The color of lavender, this combination of exotic creme de violette, champagne and lemon juice is invigorating and slightly sweet. Inspired by a libation at a Dallas brunch mainstay and born out of the love of champagne, this cocktail is sure to be well-loved during hot months when a bubbly drink is equally refreshing and delicious!
Fluffy, delicious Vanilla Bean Coffee Cake Muffins, filled and topped with a pecan streusel. These muffins are the perfect sweet addition to any weekend breakfast or brunch!
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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4 Comments
You make monthly meal planning a breeze for those who struggle! Thanks!
You make monthly meal planning a breeze for those who struggle! Thanks!
OH my gosh, so many amazing things to try! That fruit-studded bread looks divine!
Love all these options!! I love the Easter Strawberry Champagne and the Blackberry Mint Spritzer! I have a weakness for fruity drinks!
I can’t wait to add a couple of these wonderful recipes to my monthly meal plan!!!