diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ui/EmptyState.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ui/EmptyState.tsx
index 333f726..bd109c5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ui/EmptyState.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ui/EmptyState.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ interface EmptyStateProps {
     label: string;
     onClick?: () => void;
     to?: string;
+    disabled?: boolean;
   };
 }
 
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ export function EmptyState({ icon: Icon, title, description, action }: EmptyStat
             <Button>{action.label}</Button>
           </Link>
         ) : (
-          <Button onClick={action.onClick}>{action.label}</Button>
+          <Button onClick={action.onClick} disabled={action.disabled}>{action.label}</Button>
         )
       )}
     </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Dashboard.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/Dashboard.tsx
index cf32012..bf08320 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Dashboard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Dashboard.tsx
@@ -362,6 +362,7 @@ export default function Dashboard() {
   }
   const [planningWeek, setPlanningWeek] = useState(false)
   const [planMenuOpen, setPlanMenuOpen] = useState(false)
+  const [generatingFirstPlan, setGeneratingFirstPlan] = useState(false)
 
   async function handlePlanWeek(mealTypes: string[]) {
     if (!mealPlan || planningWeek) return
@@ -390,6 +391,62 @@ export default function Dashboard() {
       setPlanningWeek(false)
     }
   }
+
+  // Sprint 11: wire the dead "Generate Meal Plan" empty-state CTA.
+  // Creates a fresh meal plan for the current week, then fills its
+  // empty slots from the recipe library via the same endpoint the
+  // existing `Plan Week` menu uses (handlePlanWeek above). Two
+  // requests, but they reuse existing endpoints; no backend changes.
+  async function handleGenerateFirstPlan() {
+    if (generatingFirstPlan) return
+    setGeneratingFirstPlan(true)
+    try {
+      // 1) Create the empty plan. The backend returns 400 with detail
+      //    "Meal plan for this week already exists" if another tab
+      //    created one first — we fall through to fillEmptySlots in
+      //    that case.
+      let planId: string | undefined
+      try {
+        const res = await mealPlannerApi.meals.create({
+          week_start_date: weekStart,
+          status: 'draft',
+          items: [],
+        })
+        planId = (res.data as { id?: string } | undefined)?.id
+      } catch (createErr: unknown) {
+        // Race with another tab: re-fetch the plan to get its id.
+        const existing = await mealPlannerApi.meals.getPlanned(weekStart)
+        planId = (existing.data as { id?: string } | undefined)?.id
+        if (!planId) throw createErr
+      }
+      if (!planId) {
+        showToast.error('Failed to create meal plan')
+        return
+      }
+
+      // 2) Fill the empty slots from the library. Same partial-success
+      //    toast pattern as handlePlanWeek.
+      const fillRes = await mealPlannerApi.meals.fillEmptySlots(planId, ['breakfast', 'lunch', 'dinner'])
+      const data = fillRes.data as { filled: unknown[]; failed: { reason: string }[] }
+      const filledCount = data.filled.length
+      const failedCount = data.failed.length
+      if (filledCount === 0 && failedCount === 0) {
+        showToast.success('Plan created — no recipes to add yet')
+      } else if (failedCount === 0) {
+        showToast.success(`Planned ${filledCount} meals`)
+      } else {
+        const reason = data.failed[0]?.reason ?? 'Unknown'
+        showToast.error(
+          `Planned ${filledCount} of ${filledCount + failedCount} meals — ${failedCount} failed (e.g. ${reason})`,
+        )
+      }
+      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['mealPlan', weekStart] })
+    } catch (err) {
+      showApiError(err, 'Failed to generate meal plan')
+    } finally {
+      setGeneratingFirstPlan(false)
+    }
+  }
   const { data: mealPlan, isLoading } = useQuery<MealPlan | null>({
     queryKey: ['mealPlan', weekStart],
     queryFn: () => mealPlannerApi.meals.getPlanned(weekStart).then(r => r.data),
@@ -500,7 +557,11 @@ export default function Dashboard() {
           icon={Sparkles}
           title="No meal plan yet"
           description="Generate your first weekly meal plan to get started with smart shopping lists and vote emails."
-          action={{ label: 'Generate Meal Plan', onClick: () => {} }}
+          action={{
+            label: generatingFirstPlan ? 'Generating…' : 'Generate Meal Plan',
+            onClick: handleGenerateFirstPlan,
+            disabled: generatingFirstPlan,
+          }}
         />
       </div>
     )