Week 1-2 of Meal Planning
Last time I started talking about how I've started planning our meals for the whole month. Now I'm going to share two week's worth of meals, recipes, and a shopping list! I have a good collection of about 12 recipes that are my "go-to's". They are easy, inexpensive, and our family loves them. For February, I planned lots of meals like this because I'm still getting used to mommy-hood. Also, as mentioned in my last post, I cook enough at once so that we can eat that for supper two nights! If you're family doesn't do leftovers, you'll have to add in some extra meals.
Week 1
Day 1/2: Baked Spaghetti
Day 3/4: Taco Night
Day 5/6: BBQ Chicken and vegetables
Week 2
Day 1/2: Chili with cornbread
Day 3/4: Stir Fry
Day 5/6: Taco Night
For the 7th day of each week, we either did a special date night at home with steak that we already had in the freezer or ate a freezer meal that I had made before our son arrived! Those have been so nice to have.
Shopping list for this round
Cost: Approximately $45 (I shopped at Aldi for the majority of the list)
- 2 lbs. ground turkey (use whatever ground meat you like/that's on sale)
- 1 bag of frozen chicken breasts or chicken breasts in bulk (you wont need it all this time, but will use it for the next half of the month)
- 1 package of smoked sausage
- Spaghetti Noodles
- Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
- 4 cup package of shredded cheddar cheese or block of cheddar to shred yourself
- Frozen vegetables of your choice (broccoli and green beans are our favorite)
- 2 cans of chili beans
- 1 package of chili seasoning
- Ingredients for cornbread (I have these on hand) or a package of box cornbread mix
- 3 cans of diced tomatoes
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 onions
- 2 packages of taco seasoning
- 1 large jar of your favorite salsa
- Tortillas
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Recipes
I apologize for not having pictures. Meal time isn't what it used to be with a newborn! I will try by best to have some next time! :)
Baked Spaghetti: Cook noodles and brown 1 lb. ground turkey. Once turkey is completely cooked, stir in jar of spaghetti sauce and a can of diced tomatoes. Make alternating layers of noodles and meat in a 9 x 13 dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes! Steam broccoli or have a salad on the side. This meal is also HUGE. So we sometimes eat it for 3 nights and/or have lunches.
Taco Night: This is possibly our favorite meal to have! It's so easy! Cook chicken breasts (I usually do 2-3 depending on size) in the slow cooker with 1/2 the jar of salsa, taco seasoning, and black beans for 2 hours or until chicken is done. Take the chicken out and shred with two forks. Put back in the slow cooker and stir together add 1 cup of shredded cheese before serving. Serve on tortillas with your favorite toppings. We sometimes put the mixture inside of a tortilla and grill/cook in a pan for a quesadilla instead!
BBQ Chicken: Another family favorite... cook chicken breasts in slow cooker with 1 bottle of BBQ Sauce. Take chicken out and shred. Serve with vegetables and rice or on a bun.
Chili: Dice and saute 1/2bell pepper and 1 onion. Brown 1 lb. ground turkey in a soup pot. Add 2 can of diced tomatoes, 2 cans of chili beans (don't drain!), and package of chili seasoning. Let simmer for 30 minutes. This can also be cooked in a slow cooker. Top with cheese and serve with cornbread!
Stir Fry: Cut smoked sausage into bit sized pieces. Slice 1/2 bell pepper and 1 onion. Saute sausage, pepper, and onion until the sausage browns. I serve this with brown rice. Sometimes I also add some kidney beans and Cajun seasoning.
The shopping list is the BASICS for the suppers. I always have a few things on hand that I can throw together like brown rice and whole wheat pasta, frozen vegetables of all kinds, flour and cornmeal for breads, seasonings and spices. These things help me make meals more flavorful and filling.
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