Menu Plan Monday: Jun 5, 2023
Hey there, lovely readers! It's Nikki, your go-to plus-size fashion blogger, bringing you another exciting edition of Menu Plan Monday. I know everyone's grocery bills are through the roof, so this week, we'll be whipping up some hearty and flavorful dishes that won't break the bank or compromise on your health goals. So, let's dive right in!
Hamburger Soup with Homemade Buttery Rolls Let's start the week off right with a comforting bowl of hamburger soup. Packed with lean ground beef, colorful veggies, and savory broth, this soup is a complete meal on its own. Serve it alongside some freshly baked homemade buttery rolls for that extra touch of warmth and deliciousness. I am only going to use half a pound of hamburger since its only two of us, and I have half full bags of frozen veggies Im going to dump in! I get my hamburger soup recipe from spend with pennies here, and my rolls recipe here.
Crispy Jerk Chicken with Cheese Broccoli Rice Casserole and Hushpuppies Ready to add some spice to your weeknight dinner? Look no further than crispy jerk chicken. I actually bought a Walmart brand shake n' bake seasoning a while back that is jerk chicken and haven't ever used it! I had 4 drumsticks left in my freezer, so I figured this was the perfect time to use it up! Im serving it with cheesy broccoli rice casserole to use up the rest of my frozen broccoli and some golden hushpuppies because again, I bought the mix and its even in my pantry for a while now!
Southern Style Biscuits and Gravy with Home Fries and Eggs Any Style Sometimes I just love breakfast for dinner! Plus its one of the cheapest meals you can make. I don't use a recipe for this, Im a southern girl - we just do it by heart! But I will say, I normally make buy gravy with the hot sausage from jimmy dean, but I have a pound of ground pork in my freezer, and with a little salt, pepper, sage, and red pepper flakes, no one will be able to tell it wasn't originally sausage! Serve them up with crispy home fries- just fried potatoes- and eggs cooked just the way you like them, and you've got a breakfast-for-dinner winner!
Taco Mac Whenever I talk about making homemade hamburger helper, y'all seem to always want the recipe, so this is the easiest one you'll ever make! You need a box of the cheapest shells and cheese you can get, Walmart has the kind with the powdered cheese for $0.50! A can of diced tomatoes with celery and onions, and a pound ground turkey or beef, but turkey is cheaper. (I only use half a pound since again, it's just the two of us). In your skillet, you want to brown your ground meat, then drain if needed. While that's cooking, cook your noodles in boiling water until tender. Throw them into the skillet with the meat, the tomatoes, half to a whole package of taco seasoning, and the cheese packet plus 3-5 tablespoons of water, and stir until its all combined! You can top it with taco toppings like tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, or you can eat it as is!
Poppyseed Chicken Casserole with Rice In my family we call this funeral chicken and it couldn't get any easier! Im using up the end of my sour cream along with some frozen chicken I have from a rotisserie I bought at Sams 4 months ago! Oh, and some white rice! I have the crackers in my pantry, so this one is practically free! I'll probably put whatever veggies I have left in the freezer on the side. Here is the recipe I follow.
Tortilla Soup with Cheese Quesadillas I know what you're thinking...Nikki, its June, why are you eating soup twice this week? To which I will tell you what I told my husband...why not? Everything else we eat is hot, it's not like were eating salads for dinner every night! Soup it is!! I chose this one to use up some of the other ingredients I am using in other recipes. The key to saving money at the store is to use the same ingredients across multiple meals! So this soup will use up the rest of the frozen onions and peppers I have in the freezer, a can of corn from the back of my pantry, some dried black beans Im going to soak over night, the rest of the taco seasoning from the taco Mac, tortilla strips I always keep on hand, and some grilled frozen chicken breast that I usually eat for my lunches, but am willing to make the sacrifice! Throw some shredded cheese into some taquito size tortillas and you have quesadillas on the side!
BBQ Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta and Herbs and Green Beans Let's wrap up the week with a finger-licking barbecue chicken dinner. Chicken drumsticks are on major sale this week ($0.77 A POUND!!!!!) so Im stocking up my freezer! I'll use some for tonight's dinner, and pre cook some to shred the meat for later. BBQ chicken is so easy in the oven, air fryer, or even the crock pot! I have a lonely can of green beans in the pantry and some rice-a-roni angel hair pasta with herbs, so we will finish that off!
There you have it, folks! A lineup of recipes for the week that will tantalize your taste buds and keep you on track with your budget. Remember to always shop your pantry, fridge, and freezer first when you're trying to save money!
My grocery list for this week for these items after shopping my own stash includes:
1 can cream of chicken soup
white rice
diced tomatoes with celery and onions
diced tomatoes with green chilis
limes
white lily flour
cheese
and possibly an avocado if they look good!
What are you having this week? Let me know in the comments!
