I used about $35 in groceries to make several dinners and a few breakfasts to feed my family of four for a week. This budget friendly meal plan focuses on delicious, easy meals that satisfy even the pickiest eaters.
This meal plan is to provide inspiration and I encourage you to customize this to work for you!
Groceries
I picked up these ingredients from my local Costco and ALDI. I encourage you to find the least expensive grocery store near you to find the best deals.
- 1 lb Elbow Macaroni
- 10 Tortillas
- 1 Rotisserie Chicken
- 8 oz Fresh Spinach
- 2 Bags Frozen Broccoli
- 10 lbs Russet Potatoes
- 2 lbs Cheese
- 48 oz Greek Yogurt
- 1 Dozen Eggs
- 1 (10 oz) Mixed Veggies
- 2 Onions
- Bananas or other inexpensive fruit
- ½ Gallon Milk
If you don’t want to use chicken, you can use extra firm tofu or any white beans for these recipes! I also used some ingredients from my pantry including butter, oil, seasonings, flour, baking powder, and some condiments, but you can make substitutions as needed to make these recipes work with what you have on hand.
Recipes
For breakfasts this week, I made yogurt and fruit bowls and hard boiled eggs. Super simple and easy for grab and go!
I made seven different dinners and ended up with leftover potatoes at the end of the week. These recipes are super easy to modify and come together quick!
Ingredients
Method
- In a large stock pot, cook bacon over medium heat, if using. Once cooked, remove with slotted spoon or tongs and set aside, leaving bacon grease in the pot.
- Add butter and onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
- Add flour and stir. Add potatoes, chicken broth, milk, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to low. Using an immersion blender, blend half the soup. (You can also carefully place half the soup in a blender and blend or simply mash some of the potatoes). If you don’t have a blender, you can simply mash some of the potatoes with a potato masher and stir.
- Add Greek yogurt and cooked bacon. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve with cheese and any toppings you love!
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Clean and dry potatoes, then place on a baking sheet. Using a fork or knife, poke 5-6 holes in each potato to allow steam to be released. Coat with oil and season each potato with kosher salt.
- Bake at 425° F for 60-75 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a small pot, add chicken and BBQ sauce and cook, stirring frequently until cooked through.
- Slice potatoes, top with bbq chicken, cheese, and yogurt, if using. Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients
Method
- In a small mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and Italian seasoning until combined. Add milk and oil and stir until combined. The batter will be thick. Set aside.
- In a large pot, add onions, potatoes, mixed vegetables, and broth.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, then carefully drop the dumpling mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, into the soup. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 12-15 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through and potatoes are fork tender. Dumplings are cooked through when a toothpick comes out clean.
- Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients
Method
- Heat a large pan on medium heat and add oil. Add onions, broccoli, and cooked chicken and saute, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
- Add one tablespoon of oil to the pan and add tortilla. Add ¼ of the shredded cheese to half of the tortilla and top with ¼ of the chicken mixture. Fold the tortilla over the filling and allow to brown on one side. Once brown and crispy, flip, and brown on the other side. Cook the other 3 quesadillas the same way. Serve with optional toppings and enjoy!
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 425 F or preheat air fryer to 375 F.
- In a large bowl, toss potato strips with oil, salt, and pepper until coated. Place evenly on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until crispy, stirring every 15 minutes. Alternatively, air fry for 40 minutes or until crispy, stirring every 5-10 minutes.
- Once cooked, top with cheese and return to air fryer or oven and cook for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Evenly separate fries onto plates and top with cooked chicken or beans, Greek yogurt, etc.
Ingredients
Method
- Place tortillas on a plate and heat in the microwave for 15 seconds or until warm.
- Evenly add chicken, cheese, spinach, and any sauce of choice to each tortilla. Roll up and serve!
Ingredients
Method
- In a large pot of salted water, cook noodles as directed on the package. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water when noodles are almost cooked. Strain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large pan, add butter, milk, salt, pepper, and ground mustard and heat on low. Continue to cook until butter is melted. Turn off the heat.
- Add cooked noodles to the milk and butter mixture and stir. Add cheese on top of noodles but don’t stir. Let sit for 2-3 minutes and then stir until cheese is melted. If cheese is not melting well after 2 minutes, add a couple tablespoons of the pasta water and stir.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Note – cheese melts better if it is taken out of the refrigerator about 10 minutes before adding to the pan.
I hope y’all love the recipes!
Disclaimer: This post is the opinion of the author. Always speak to your doctor before beginning any exercise plan or changes to your lifestyle or diet. The information provided in this post is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to provide medical, legal, or other professional advice. Read and/or use any of the information from this post at your own risk. Some or all of the links displayed on this site may be affiliate links.
