I picked up about $25 in groceries and made 5 family dinners for the week. These recipes are easy to make, packed with veggies, and taste delicious!
Groceries
I shopped at ALDI for these groceries but I recommend shopping at the least expensive store near you.
Recipes
For Step-by-step instructions for these recipes and additional tips, watch on YouTube:
I find that prepping some ingredients in advance is the best way to throw dinners together easily during the week. When I get home from the store, I like to immediately soak my beans so I can cook them the next day. Or if I need dinner that evening, I’ll go ahead and cook the beans in the pressure cooker without soaking first.
Easy Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb Dried Black Beans
- 4 cloves Garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- ¼ Red or Yellow Onion diced, optional
- Salt to taste
- 6-8 cups Water
Instructions
- In a large pot or bowl, add dry beans and cover with 6-8 cups of water. Allow to soak overnight or at least 6 hours. Strain.
- Add soaked and drained beans to a large pot and cover with 6-8 cups of water. Add garlic, red onions, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 60-90 minutes or until beans can easily be smashed with a fork.
- Once beans are cooked, smash garlic with a fork and stir. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or separate into 2 cup portions and freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Pressure Cooker Chicken
Next, I like to start on the chicken. The instant pot is a fast and easy way to cook a lot of chicken at once with little work. You can also bake it or pan fry it! Once it’s cooked, I like to portion it and store it in the refrigerator or freezer to have available throughout the week. Below is my favorite easy chicken recipe!
Instant Pot Chicken
Ingredients
- 3½ lbs Chicken Leg Quarters
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
- Place chicken in instant pot and season all over with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Add 1 cup of water. Close, seal, and pressure cook at normal pressure for 12 minutes.
- Allow to natural release for 10 minutes. Release the steam. Once the pin has dropped, open and remove the chicken. Shred the chicken and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Save the bones and skin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Once the chicken is cooked through, I’ll remove it and shred it. I always like to save the chicken broth too! For this set of recipes, I’ll be using the chicken broth to cook my rice. As soon as the chicken is done, I went ahead and poured my rinsed rice in a pot and covered it with the chicken broth to cook.
When the rice was done, I separated it into portions for dinners for the week. If I wasn’t going to use it within 2-3 days, I stored it in an airtight container in the freezer until I was ready to cook with it.
Southwestern Chicken and Rice Casserole (Freezer Friendly)
After I finished cooking the rice, beans, and chicken for the week, it was easy to throw together the Southwestern Chicken and Rice Casserole and place it in the freezer for an easy oven-ready meal this week.
Southwestern Chicken and Rice Casserole (Freezer Friendly)
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice any kind
- 15 oz can Black Beans or Chili Beans drained (or 2 cups Cooked Beans)
- 1 can Whole Kernel Corn drained
- 2 cups Cooked Chicken Shredded (or any cooked meat or meat substitute)
- 1 cup Salsa
- 1 tsp Cumin
- ½ cup Cheddar Cheese Shredded (or any cheese)
- Toppings: Avocado Sour Cream, Grape Tomatoes, Hot Sauce, Chips, etc.
Instructions
- In a 8×11 or 9×13 casserole dish combine cooked rice, beans, corn, salsa, and cumin. Stir until completely combined. Top with cheese.
- Bake at 350° until cooked through, about 25-30 minutes.
- Serve in a bowl and top with sour cream (or Greek yogurt), avocado, and hot sauce. Serve with chips or as is!
Notes
Chicken and Refried Black Bean Tostadas
Refried Black Beans
Ingredients
- 2-3 Tbsp Avocado Oil or any neutral oil
- 2 cups Black Beans drain and reserve liquid
- 1 tsp Cumin
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy pan over medium heat (cast iron would work well but any large pan will work). Once the oil is hot, add cumin, and stir. Then carefully ladle the beans into the skillet. Cook beans in the pan, while mashing with the spoon or a potato masher. Add more bean broth, as needed to reach desired consistency. Serve warm or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Chicken and Black Bean Tostada
Ingredients
- 4 Tostada Shells
- 2 cups Refried Beans
- ½ cup Cooked Chicken shredded
- ½ cup Salsa
- ¼ cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 3 cups Lettuce shredded
Instructions
- Warm refried beans in a sauce pot on the stove or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave until warmed through.
- Place tostada shell on a plate and top with beans, chicken, salsa, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and any additional toppings you like. Serve and enjoy!
Chicken with Rice and Beans
This is a basic way to use some of the ingredients that are already prepped for the week. It’s the perfect dinner to throw together when you’re short on time. Simply reheat the chicken, rice, and beans and serve with a side of shredded lettuce or other veggies.
Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
This is one of the most flavorful, satisfying dishes I’ve ever made! This could also be made into a freezer meal – simply follow to step 7 and freeze. Once ready to cook, simply place in the oven from frozen and increase the cooking time to about 60-90 minutes or until completely cooked through.
Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 2 large Zucchini or 3-4 small Zucchini
- ½ lb Ground Beef Ground Turkey, or crumbled Tofu
- ½ Onion diced
- 1 clove Garlic minced (or ½ tsp Garlic Powder)
- 2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning
- ½ cup Salsa
- 2 cups Cooked Rice
- Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 cup Cheese shredded (cheddar, pepperjack, Monterey Jack, etc)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- In a large pan, heat oil on medium heat and sauté onions until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add ground beef or turkey and sauté, breaking apart, until cooked through. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Drain off fat, if necessary. Add taco seasoning and stir until combined.
- Meanwhile, slice ends off of zucchini, slice in half, and slice in half again. Scoop the flesh and seeds out of the middle with a spoon to create a boat. Chop the flesh and seeds into small pieces.
- Add chopped zucchini to the ground meat mixture and sauté for 3 minutes or until heated through. Add salsa and rice and stir until combined.
- In a large casserole dish, spoon about 3 Tablespoons of salsa on the bottom and spread to cover the bottom of the dish. Place zucchini on top of the salsa with the cut side up. Drizzle zucchini lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the taco mixture over the zucchini. Top with shredded cheese and cover with foil.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until zucchini is cooked through and cheese is melty.
- Serve with chopped cilantro, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and more salsa. Enjoy!
Notes
If you’d like to make your own taco seasoning, here is the recipe that I use!
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 2 Tbsp Cumin
- 4 tsp Sea Salt Optional
- 4 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into an airtight container and stir or shake until combined. Store in a cool dry place.
Notes
Bell Pepper Nachos
Simply delicious and super flavorful! You might even say these are better than regular nachos.
Bell Pepper Nachos
Ingredients
- 3-4 Bell Peppers any color, cut into wedges
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Avocado Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 lb Ground Turkey Ground Beef, or Crumbled Tofu
- 2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning
- 3/4 cup Water
- 1 15 oz can Organic Black Beans drained (or 2 cups cooked Black Beans)
- 1 cup Shredded Cheese
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
- Salsa as a topping
- Any toppings you like – Green Onions Hot Sauce, Guacamole, etc
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°
- Place bell pepper wedges in a bowl and toss with olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. You may need to use your hands to evenly coat.
- Place the wedges on a baking sheet in one even layer and bake for 10 minutes. Then set aside.
- In a large pan, brown ground meat over medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain the fat if needed.
- Add black beans, stir, and cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened.
- Fill bell pepper wedges with the meat mixture and then top with cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.
- Top with desired toppings and enjoy!
I hope you enjoy the recipes and at least get a few ideas for meals to make in your home! Please let me know if you try anything and what you thought!
Happy Cooking!
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Excited to try these out!