Welcome to Week 2 of a budget eats meal plan! This week is full of simple, satisfying meals that preserve your funds in verify with out slicing corners on taste. We’re constructing on the pantry staples you’ve already stocked, so your grocery checklist focuses totally on recent and perishable substances.
This plan is supposed to work along with your actual life. You don’t need to comply with it in a strict order or make each single recipe. Wish to swap a meal out? Eat leftovers for an evening or two? Completely. Nothing breaks in the event you don’t stick with it completely. You possibly can combine and match as wanted.
We’ve additionally acquired a free customization instrument in beta. You possibly can regulate serving sizes, swap out recipes, and generate a brand new buying checklist based mostly in your adjustments. It’s nonetheless in testing, nevertheless it works.
And don’t neglect: each recipe has a video tutorial on our web site to stroll you thru every step. Whether or not you’re new to cooking or simply need to see what to anticipate, we’ve acquired you coated.
Remember to take a look at the total plan information, pantry staples, and menus for the opposite weeks. You possibly can at all times regulate the plan to suit your preferences and substitute your favourite recipes.
Fast Tip
Cabbage is considered one of our favourite budget-friendly buys. For us, the fee was $0.96 per pound. Past that, it’s extraordinarily versatile, taking over the flavour of whichever seasonings you select (for our recipe, bacon and brown sugar). It’s additionally tremendous filling and good for you, too!
Grocery Haul
This week’s haul leans closely into recent veggies, protein, and dairy. Since your pantry is already stocked, you gained’t be re-buying staples like spices, flour, or oil.
You’ll discover loads of methods to repurpose substances throughout meals—like shredded lettuce and cheese for a number of recipes—to cut back waste and preserve your grocery invoice low.
Obtain the Week 2 Purchasing Listing PDF for a straightforward, grab-and-go model of the checklist.
Receipt
Complete Spent: $130.25
Complete Servings: 44
Common Price Per Serving: $2.96
This week stays proper on the right track with reasonably priced, family-friendly dinners. As at all times, costs mirror a typical grocery retailer journey—no sale searching or bulk shopping for required. Your totals might fluctuate barely relying in your location, however this could preserve you shut.
Price range Saver
Shopping for in bulk isn’t required, however there are methods to stretch substances to maintain prices down:
If rotisserie chickens are nonetheless on sale, seize one and use the meat for the taco salad or pasta salad to avoid wasting money and time.
In case your retailer sells sausage hyperlinks in bigger packs, freeze the extras for later weeks.
Purchase a block of cheese and shred it your self—it’s usually cheaper and lasts longer.
The Recipes
Proper above, you’ll see a snapshot of all seven dinners with a visible information to serving sizes. We all know it helps to really see what a portion seems like, so we laid all of it out.
There’s additionally a fast video walkthrough that exhibits the completed meals and provides you a greater concept of what to anticipate all through the week.
Now let’s have a look at every dinner:
Monday
We love a one-pot meal! Overlook the jarred pasta sauce, and make this as a substitute. Our home made meat sauce combines easy pantry substances, and it’s one of many best dinners you may make. Serve with a facet of roasted broccoli to maintain issues easy.
One Pot Spaghetti
One-Pot Spaghetti that tastes prefer it simmered all day. Fast, scrumptious, and made with reasonably priced substances to maintain your funds in verify.
Tuesday
A taco salad that’s shiny and recent, and comes collectively in simply half-hour! That is a type of salads that’s simple to make forward, too. Simply prep the veggies and toss collectively, throw it within the fridge, and prepare dinner your hen earlier than serving.
Hen Taco Salad with Cilantro-Lime French dressing
We’ve taken a basic taco salad and made a lighter model with a fast and simple cilantro-lime French dressing.
Wednesday
This simple sheet pan meal is an reasonably priced and attractive solution to make a fast meal that isn’t the identical previous hen dinner. Plus, it’s loaded with scrumptious, roasted veggies. No must make any sides—it is a complete meal by itself.
Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
Our sheet pan sausage and veggie recipe has all of the smoky flavors with a easy seasoning combine and minimal prep for a straightforward one-pan meal.
Thursday
Cabbage is among the most reasonably priced greens you should buy. Should you don’t love cabbage, this recipe will make you a believer! Bacon and brown sugar add taste and caramelization, making it a dish even your children will love. To spherical out your meal, we prefer to serve it over mashed potatoes.
Simple Fried Cabbage
This caramelized fried cabbage is scrumptious and tremendous simple to make with a number of substances. It comes collectively in lower than half-hour!
Friday
These baked nuggets are a better-for-you possibility that gained’t break the financial institution. Made with actual, white hen breast meat, a flavorful spice mix, and our secret ingredient: parmesan cheese. We prefer to make it a meal with mac and cheese (under) and a facet of frozen veggies or peas.
The Greatest Baked Hen Nuggets
These nuggets are made with actual hen breast meat and baked, so that you don’t get all of that extra oil—they are surely the perfect ever!
It solely takes quarter-hour to make this deliciously creamy mac and cheese. This course of is so easy, you gained’t need to return to the boxed stuff.
Simple Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Skip the field and make the great things! This Mac and Cheese is simple to make on the stovetop and it’s prepared in simply quarter-hour.
Saturday
Pasta salads are simply too handy. Throw it collectively, throw it within the fridge, and you’ve got a meal prepared everytime you want it. Simply be sure to retailer your bacon individually so it doesn’t get soggy.
Cilantro Ranch Pasta Salad
This pasta salad is mild, flavorful, and completely scrumptious. It’s simple to make forward, and also you’ll need this cilantro ranch on every thing!
Sunday
Burn up that floor beef with this simple taco casserole! Floor beef is a good protein that you could gown up along with your favourite spices. We made our personal taco seasoning mix, which is each scrumptious and cost-effective.
Tasty Taco Casserole
Tasty Taco Casseroles take your entire favourite taco flavors and places them into a straightforward to make casserole!
Make It Work for You
Life occurs, and this plan makes room for it. You don’t must prepare dinner seven nights every week. Skip a recipe, stretch leftovers, or repeat a household favourite. It gained’t throw something off.
If you wish to tweak issues, our customization instrument in beta is right here to assist. It permits you to regulate servings, swap recipes, and get an up to date buying checklist in only a few clicks. Nonetheless in beta, however prepared to make use of.
Price range Ideas & Notes
Cabbage: One head of inexperienced cabbage goes a good distance. Use the leftovers in salads, stir fry, and even soups.
Rotisserie Hen: An ideal shortcut for the taco salad and pasta salad. Use leftovers throughout two meals.
Sausage: Purchase in bulk or from the meat counter to match the quantity you want. Freeze extras for later.
Cheese: Blocks are normally cheaper than pre-shredded, they usually soften higher too.
