This week, I’ve put together about 7 days of meals for myself using just $25 in groceries. These recipes are easy to modify and are full of flavor. They are also great for couples and families too! Even my pickiest eater enjoyed the majority of these recipes. I hope this meal plan gives you some inspiration!
For step-by-step instructions for these recipes, watch on my YouTube channel here:
Groceries
This week, I picked up a dozen eggs, a half gallon of milk, one pound of egg noodles, one box of butter crackers, one bag of frozen broccoli, two pounds of bananas, one bag of frozen vegetables, one can of chili beans, one pound of cheddar cheese, one block of extra firm tofu, one container of sour cream, one onion, ten pounds of potatoes, and three pounds of apples.
I also used a few items from my pantry including flour, butter, oil, seasonings, cornstarch, and brown sugar. These can be substituted with what you have on hand.
Recipes
I like to prep some of the ingredients for my meals right when I get home from the store. With this meal plan, I diced the onions, shredded the cheese, and hard boiled the eggs. I store those prepped items in airtight containers in the refrigerator until I was ready to use them. I also saved the onion scraps and potato peels to make a simple vegetable stock later in the week. I used this stock to make the loaded potato soup!
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, if desired for easy cleanup.
- Place potatoes on baking sheet, pierce each potato a few times with a fork, and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle each potato with kosher salt and bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat chili beans on medium heat until heated through. Add seasonings, if desired.
- Slice potatoes open and top beans, cheese and any other toppings you love. Serve and enjoy!
For this meal plan, I wanted to use mashed potatoes in some fun recipes. I used five pounds of potatoes to make a large batch. I stored the potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If I wasn’t able to use them within four days, I froze them in a bag for later.
Ingredients
Method
- Place potatoes in a large pot. Cover potatoes with cold water until potatoes are just covered. Season the water with salt.
- Bring the water to a boil and cook potatoes until easily pierced with a fork, about 12-15 minutes.
- Drain potatoes and return to the pot. Cook on high for about 60 seconds, shaking frequently to avoid scorching. Turn the heat off.
- Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork until smooth.
- Add butter and milk while mashing until the potatoes reach desired consistency. Serve and enjoy!
The first recipe I created with the mashed potatoes, is a fun cheddar and potato croquet. Each serving was about 4-5 croquet’s, which I paired with a banana or apple. Some mornings, I also paired this with a hard boiled egg, if I was still hungry.
Ingredients
Method
- In a medium bowl, mix together the mashed potatoes, shredded cheese, egg, sour cream, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Place crushed crackers in a bowl or shallow dish and mix in paprika. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture and form it into a ball. Carefully roll the ball in the crushed crackers until coated. Shake off excess crackers and place on a parchment lined baking sheet or plate. Continue with the remaining potato mixture.
- Bake in the oven at 375 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or air fry at 400 degrees F for 12-14 minutes, until internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
I tried making egg salad with sour cream instead of mayonnaise for this next recipe and it turned out delicious! You can prep the egg salad all at once or make it in batches to eat the same day. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Ingredients
Method
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined. Serve and enjoy!
Loaded Potato Soup is one of my favorite soup recipes! It uses few ingredients and comes out delicious every time! Sometimes I use bacon, but in this case, I’m just using what I have on hand.
Ingredients
Method
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add 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 sour cream and stir. Simmer for 5-10 minutes and serve with cheese and any toppings you love!
Notes
I tested out a potato gnocchi recipe with some of the mashed potatoes, and it was so delicious! I highly recommend giving it a try. I topped mine with brown butter sauce and made about 3 servings. Instead of cooking all of the gnocchi right away, freeze some portions to use later in soups. You could also serve it along with tomato sauce and mozzarella, if desired.
Here’s the recipe I used: https://www.lifeasastrawberry.com/leftover-mashed-potatoes-gnocchi/
Potato Pancakes is one of my go-to recipes when I have leftover mashed potatoes. It’s perfect for any meal, as it’s savory and delicious. I served 3-4 pancakes alongside an apple or banana.
Ingredients
Method
- In a bowl, mix together the mashed potatoes, flour, egg, salt, pepper, and any optional ingredients.
- In a large pan, heat oil or butter on medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated, scoop 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture into the pan. Press down slightly.
- Once browned, flip and brown on the other side. Remove to a plate and top with any toppings you like!
Tofu Noodle Casserole reminds me of a chicken noodle casserole I’ve made in the past and it’s easy to modify. If you’re not a fan of tofu, simply substitute a can of chicken, tuna, or any other protein you love. This dish makes about 6 servings, which is a lot for a single person in one week. If desired, only cook a half recipe and use the remaining ingredients to create a soup instead. This can help keep things more interesting throughout the week.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and set aside a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook egg noodles until slightly undercooked, strain, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in another large pot, melt butter over medium heat and add crumbled tofu. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tofu is slightly crispy, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 2-3 minutes more.
- Add flour, stir, and continue to cook until flour is golden in color, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly stir in broth and milk until combined and bring to a low simmer.
- Add frozen veggies, stir, and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked egg noodles and stir until combined.
- Pour mixture into 9×13 baking dish and top with crushed crackers. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until crackers are toasted and casserole is bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy!
After cooking all of my meals for the week, I was left with half a bag of egg noodles, half of the milk, some crackers, and two cups of mashed potatoes. I froze the mashed potatoes in an airtight container for a future meal and I plan to make soup with the egg noodles. If you have any suggestions for ways to use the ingredients, let me know down below in the comments!
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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