Welcome to Week 1 of a budget eats meal plan! In case you’re simply getting began, you’re in for per week of flavorful, filling meals—all for below $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 actual 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 obtained a free customization device in beta that’ll allow you to modify serving sizes, swap out recipes, and get a brand new purchasing checklist constructed only for you. It’s not fancy, nevertheless it will get the job executed.
Want a bit of assist in the kitchen? Each recipe on this week’s plan comes with a video tutorial proper on our web site so you’ll be able to prepare dinner with confidence, even if you happen to’re new to it.

Remember to try the whole information, an summary of the pantry staples, and the opposite week’s menus. You may all the time 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 straightforward fruit possibility with one other meal.
Grocery Haul
The haul this week focuses totally on recent substances—proteins, produce, dairy, and bread objects. You’ll be constructing off the pantry staples you’ve already stocked, so that you’ll discover numerous the core objects (like oil, flour, spices, and condiments) aren’t included on this checklist.
Needless to say some substances 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


Whole Spent: $130.92
Whole 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 purchasing. It’s primarily based on shopping for precisely what you want for this week’s menu, utilizing pantry staples you’ve already stocked. As all the time, costs will differ from area to area and retailer to retailer, however this could get you fairly shut.


Funds Saver
Grocery shops usually 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 individual 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 will get a visible sense of what a serving appears like for every recipe. We all know serving sizes will be subjective, so we needed to indicate 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 day-to-day:
Monday
This can be a meatless meal that’s mild, but gained’t depart you hungry. It’s loaded with mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. Add a bit of 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 recent veggies and prepared in quarter-hour.
Tuesday
Make rooster salad sandwiches! Or serve them up your individual 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 approach.
Traditional Chicken Salad
This traditional rooster salad is straightforward to make and engaging 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 change issues up and serve this over mashed potatoes, or go the standard route and serve with egg noodles.
Ground Beef Stroganoff and Rice
Home made Floor Beef Stroganoff and Rice make a fast, 30-minute dinner that’s each healthful and family-approved.
Thursday
A straightforward pasta dish that tastes connoisseur and takes lower than half-hour to make! This recipe makes use of easy pantry substances that you just (and your children) know and love, and should have already got readily available.
American Carbonara
Carbonara with an American twist! We use bacon and the standard 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 a complete meal. This recipe makes use of 1 boneless, skinless rooster breast, however you’ll be able to all the time use rotisserie rooster. This can be 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! Good for a fast lunch or dinner.
Saturday
Burn up that floor beef and make these cheesesteaks! This one is a superb possibility if you’re craving these Philly cheesesteak flavors, however don’t wish to order takeout.
Ground Beef Cheesesteak
Floor beef cheesesteaks have all the enduring Philly flavors you like in a extra inexpensive format that also brings all the flavour.
Sunday
For Sunday, we’re providing you with a complete yard barbecue feast. All three recipes offer you a whole meal, and every serving remains to be below $3.
Make It Work for You
This plan is versatile. If seven dinners per week is an excessive amount of in your schedule, skip a pair and simply use leftovers or repeat your favorites. If one in every of these recipes isn’t your factor, it’s completely effective to swap it out.
We’ve obtained a customization tool in beta that permits you to do precisely that—modify servings, swap meals, and generate a brand new purchasing checklist primarily based in your modifications. It’s not fancy, nevertheless it will get the job executed.


Funds Suggestions & Notes
Coleslaw Combine: Seize a bagged coleslaw combine to avoid wasting time and scale back waste, particularly if you happen to’re not planning to make slaw greater than as soon as.
Croissants: Be at liberty to swap for sandwich rolls or sliced bread to deliver the associated fee down additional.
Cheese Technique: Shred your individual 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’ll be able to bulk issues up with further veggies if it is advisable stretch the meat a bit of additional.
Trending Merchandise