Welcome to Week 1 of a budget eats meal plan! Should you’re simply getting began, you’re in for every week of flavorful, filling meals—all for underneath $3 per serving. We’ve stored issues easy, inexpensive, and family-friendly. These meals make use of the pantry staples you stocked up on this week, setting the tone for the remainder of the month.
This plan is supposed to be versatile. You don’t have to make each recipe within the precise order and even make all of them. Wish to swap one out? Skip an evening and eat leftovers? Go for it. You may combine and match with out messing something up. We’ve additionally received a free customization instrument in beta that’ll allow you to modify serving sizes, swap out recipes, and get a brand new buying listing constructed only for you. It’s not fancy, nevertheless it will get the job performed.
Want a bit assist in the kitchen? Each recipe on this week’s plan comes with a video tutorial proper on our website so you possibly can prepare dinner with confidence, even for those who’re new to it.
Make sure to try the whole information, an outline of the pantry staples, and the opposite week’s menus. You may at all times customise every week to fit your private style preferences and swap in your favorites.
Fast Tip
For the rooster salad sandwiches, you’ll purchase grapes however solely want a couple of for the precise recipe. Serve the remainder on the facet all through the week as a snack or a simple fruit possibility with one other meal.
Grocery Haul
The haul this week focuses totally on contemporary elements—proteins, produce, dairy, and bread objects. You’ll be constructing off the pantry staples you’ve already stocked, so that you’ll discover plenty of the core objects (like oil, flour, spices, and condiments) aren’t included on this listing.
Understand that some elements are used throughout a number of meals, so nothing goes to waste.
Don’t neglect to obtain the Week 1 Shopping List PDF to make your grocery run simpler.
Receipt
Complete Spent: $130.92
Complete Servings: 44
Common Price Per Serving: $2.97
This complete displays a full week’s value of dinners for a household, utilizing common grocery retailer costs with out coupons, bulk shopping for, or sale buying. It’s based mostly on shopping for precisely what you want for this week’s menu, utilizing pantry staples you’ve already stocked. As at all times, costs will differ from area to area and retailer to retailer, however this could get you fairly shut.
Price range Saver
Grocery shops typically promote rotisserie chickens as a “loss chief,” the place they actually promote it for lower than it prices them. Purchase a rotisserie rooster and shred your personal meat, and benefit from the financial savings. Use most of your shredded rooster within the rooster salad on Tuesday, and save the remainder for the cilantro-lime quesadillas on Friday.
The Recipes
Proper above, you’ll see all seven meals from this week laid out so you may get a visible sense of what a serving appears like for every recipe. We all know serving sizes might be subjective, so we needed to point out you precisely how a lot meals you’re getting with this plan.
There’s additionally a brief video that walks by every meal in additional element. You’ll see the ultimate dishes plated and portioned, so there’s no guessing—simply actual meals, clearly proven.
Now let’s break it down daily:
Monday
It is a meatless meal that’s gentle, but gained’t depart you hungry. It’s loaded with mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. Add a bit heavy cream and a few crimson pepper flakes, and you’ve got a restaurant-quality dish with out the restaurant costs.
Penne Rosa
A creamy tomato pasta with a spicy kick! This traditional Penne Rosa is packed filled with contemporary veggies and prepared in quarter-hour.
Tuesday
Make rooster salad sandwiches! Or serve them up your personal model by stuffing it into an avocado or tomato, or serving it up on a mattress of lettuce for an old-school rooster salad.
This recipe requires a small quantity of grapes. You may both depart them out or get pleasure from the remainder of the grapes as a facet dish. We factored in a purchase order of 1 pound of grapes both manner.
Traditional Chicken Salad
This traditional rooster salad is simple to make and attractive by itself, on lettuce, or served as a sandwich. You’re going to like this household favourite!
Wednesday
Stroganoff is a traditional consolation meals, and this recipe makes it even simpler. You may swap issues up and serve this over mashed potatoes, or go the normal route and serve with egg noodles.
Ground Beef Stroganoff and Rice
Do-it-yourself Floor Beef Stroganoff and Rice make a fast, 30-minute dinner that’s each healthful and family-approved.
Thursday
A simple pasta dish that tastes gourmand and takes lower than half-hour to make! This recipe makes use of easy pantry elements that you just (and your youngsters) know and love, and should have already got available.
American Carbonara
Carbonara with an American twist! We use bacon and the normal velvety cheese sauce. Then throw in peas for a pop of sweetness!
Friday
Your new favourite quesadilla recipe. Loading these quesadillas up with rooster makes them an entire meal. This recipe makes use of 1 boneless, skinless rooster breast, however you possibly can at all times use rotisserie rooster. It is a nice possibility that’s not solely handy but in addition wallet-friendly!
Cilantro-Lime Chicken Quesadillas
These rooster quesadillas are loaded with gooey cheese and all of the cilantro-lime taste we might pack in! Excellent for a fast lunch or dinner.
Saturday
Deplete that floor beef and make these cheesesteaks! This one is a good possibility once you’re craving these Philly cheesesteak flavors, however don’t wish to order takeout.
Ground Beef Cheesesteak
Floor beef cheesesteaks have all the long-lasting Philly flavors you’re keen on in a extra inexpensive format that also brings all the flavour.
Sunday
For Sunday, we’re providing you with an entire yard barbecue feast. All three recipes offer you an entire meal, and every serving remains to be underneath $3.
Make It Work for You
This plan is versatile. If seven dinners every week is an excessive amount of to your schedule, skip a pair and simply use leftovers or repeat your favorites. If one in all these recipes isn’t your factor, it’s completely superb to swap it out.
We’ve received a customization tool in beta that allows you to do precisely that—modify servings, swap meals, and generate a brand new buying listing based mostly in your modifications. It’s not fancy, nevertheless it will get the job performed.
Price range Ideas & Notes
Coleslaw Combine: Seize a bagged coleslaw combine to save lots of time and cut back waste, particularly for those who’re not planning to make slaw greater than as soon as.
Croissants: Be happy to swap for sandwich rolls or sliced bread to convey the associated fee down additional.
Cheese Technique: Shred your personal cheese as a substitute of shopping for pre-shredded—it’s typically cheaper and melts higher too.
Stretching Protein: For the quesadillas and cheesesteaks, you possibly can bulk issues up with further veggies if that you must stretch the meat a bit additional.
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