Welcome to Week 2 of a budget eats meal plan! This week is full of straightforward, satisfying meals that preserve your price range in verify with out slicing corners on taste. We’re constructing on the pantry staples you’ve already stocked, so your grocery checklist focuses totally on contemporary and perishable substances.
This plan is supposed to work along with your actual life. You don’t should observe it in a strict order or make each single recipe. Wish to swap a meal out? Eat leftovers for an evening or two? Completely. Nothing breaks should you don’t follow it completely. You may combine and match as wanted.
We’ve additionally received a free customization instrument in beta. You may alter serving sizes, change out recipes, and generate a brand new purchasing checklist based mostly in your modifications. It’s nonetheless in testing, nevertheless it works.
And don’t overlook: each recipe has a video tutorial on our web site to stroll you thru every step. Whether or not you’re new to cooking or simply need to see what to anticipate, we’ve received you lined.
Remember to try the complete plan information, pantry staples, and menus for the opposite weeks. You may all the time alter the plan to suit your preferences and substitute your favourite recipes.
Fast Tip
Cabbage is certainly one of our favourite budget-friendly buys. For us, the price was $0.96 per pound. Past that, it’s extraordinarily versatile, taking up the flavour of whichever seasonings you select (for our recipe, bacon and brown sugar). It’s additionally tremendous filling and good for you, too!
Grocery Haul
This week’s haul leans closely into contemporary veggies, protein, and dairy. Since your pantry is already stocked, you gained’t be re-buying staples like spices, flour, or oil.
You’ll discover loads of methods to repurpose substances throughout meals—like shredded lettuce and cheese for a number of recipes—to cut back waste and preserve your grocery invoice low.
Obtain the Week 2 Shopping List PDF for a straightforward, grab-and-go model of the checklist.
Receipt
Whole Spent: $130.25
Whole Servings: 44
Common Value Per Serving: $2.96
This week stays proper on the right track with inexpensive, family-friendly dinners. As all the time, costs mirror a typical grocery retailer journey—no sale searching or bulk shopping for required. Your totals could fluctuate barely relying in your location, however this could preserve you shut.
Price range Saver
Shopping for in bulk isn’t required, however there are methods to stretch substances to maintain prices down:
If rotisserie chickens are nonetheless on sale, seize one and use the meat for the taco salad or pasta salad to avoid wasting money and time.
In case your retailer sells sausage hyperlinks in bigger packs, freeze the extras for later weeks.
Purchase a block of cheese and shred it your self—it’s usually cheaper and lasts longer.
The Recipes
Proper above, you’ll see a snapshot of all seven dinners with a visible information to serving sizes. We all know it helps to really see what a portion appears to be like like, so we laid all of it out.
There’s additionally a fast video walkthrough that exhibits the completed meals and provides you a greater concept of what to anticipate all through the week.
Now let’s have a look at every dinner:
Monday
We love a one-pot meal! Overlook the jarred pasta sauce, and make this as an alternative. Our selfmade meat sauce combines easy pantry substances, and it’s one of many best dinners you may make. Serve with a facet of roasted broccoli to maintain issues easy.
One Pot Spaghetti
One-Pot Spaghetti that tastes prefer it simmered all day. Fast, scrumptious, and made with inexpensive substances to maintain your price range in verify.
Tuesday
A taco salad that’s shiny and contemporary, and comes collectively in simply half-hour! That is a type of salads that’s straightforward to make forward, too. Simply prep the veggies and toss collectively, throw it within the fridge, and cook dinner your rooster earlier than serving.
Chicken Taco Salad with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
We’ve taken a basic taco salad and made a lighter model with a fast and straightforward cilantro-lime French dressing.
Wednesday
This straightforward sheet pan meal is an inexpensive and attractive method to make a fast meal that isn’t the identical previous rooster dinner. Plus, it’s loaded with scrumptious, roasted veggies. No must make any sides—this can be a entire meal by itself.
Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
Our sheet pan sausage and veggie recipe has all of the smoky flavors with a easy seasoning combine and minimal prep for a straightforward one-pan meal.
Thursday
Cabbage is without doubt one of the most inexpensive greens you should buy. In the event you don’t love cabbage, this recipe will make you a believer! Bacon and brown sugar add taste and caramelization, making it a dish even your youngsters will love. To spherical out your meal, we prefer to serve it over mashed potatoes.
Easy Fried Cabbage
This caramelized fried cabbage is scrumptious and tremendous straightforward to make with just a few substances. It comes collectively in lower than half-hour!
Friday
These baked nuggets are a better-for-you possibility that gained’t break the financial institution. Made with actual, white rooster breast meat, a flavorful spice mix, and our secret ingredient: parmesan cheese. We prefer to make it a meal with mac and cheese (under) and a facet of frozen veggies or peas.
The Best Baked Chicken Nuggets
These nuggets are made with actual rooster breast meat and baked, so that you don’t get all of that extra oil—they are surely the very best ever!
It solely takes quarter-hour to make this deliciously creamy mac and cheese. This course of is so easy, you gained’t need to return to the boxed stuff.
Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Skip the field and make the good things! This Mac and Cheese is simple to make on the stovetop and it’s prepared in simply quarter-hour.
Saturday
Pasta salads are simply too handy. Throw it collectively, throw it within the fridge, and you’ve got a meal prepared everytime you want it. Simply ensure to retailer your bacon individually so it doesn’t get soggy.
Cilantro Ranch Pasta Salad
This pasta salad is gentle, flavorful, and completely scrumptious. It’s straightforward to make forward, and also you’ll need this cilantro ranch on every little thing!
Sunday
Expend that floor beef with this straightforward taco casserole! Floor beef is a superb protein you can gown up along with your favourite spices. We made our personal taco seasoning mix, which is each scrumptious and cost-effective.
Tasty Taco Casserole
Tasty Taco Casseroles take your entire favourite taco flavors and places them into a straightforward to make casserole!
Make It Work for You
Life occurs, and this plan makes room for it. You don’t must cook dinner seven nights every week. Skip a recipe, stretch leftovers, or repeat a household favourite. It gained’t throw something off.
If you wish to tweak issues, our customization tool in beta is right here to assist. It allows you to alter servings, swap recipes, and get an up to date purchasing checklist in just some clicks. Nonetheless in beta, however prepared to make use of.
Price range Ideas & Notes
Cabbage: One head of inexperienced cabbage goes a great distance. Use the leftovers in salads, stir fry, and even soups.
Rotisserie Hen: An incredible shortcut for the taco salad and pasta salad. Use leftovers throughout two meals.
Sausage: Purchase in bulk or from the meat counter to match the quantity you want. Freeze extras for later.
Cheese: Blocks are normally cheaper than pre-shredded, and so they soften higher too.
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