We are a family of 5 (3 adults & 2 teens). We live in a large urban area in the Midwest. Our grocery budget is around $500 a month, so I average about $125 a week for groceries. We have no major food allergies.

This is the fourth menu plan I’ve shared. You can find the other weeks in my profile.

Some notes about this week’s menu….

1. It’s been hot, hot, hot weather in much of the USA. Definitely in the midwest where we are. So this meal plan does not use the oven at all, and you can mostly avoid using the stove top if you have a few small appliances. In fact, the majority of the meals can either be prepared using a grill, pressure cooker, crockpot, and/or rice cooker to minimize heating up your home.
2. There is premade cornbread in this week’s shopping list. Again, to avoid turning on the oven. I normally bake my own cornbread, and if you’d prefer to make it from scratch instead of purchase it here are a couple of bonus recipes for cornbread. One made in a bread machine & one made in the regular oven. Please keep in mind that the ingredients for these recipes are not in the shopping list below!

Oven recipe: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/cornbread-recipe
Bread Maker recipe: https://makethebread.com/bread-machine-cornbread/

1. If you’d rather have Chicken Fried Rice instead of Vegetable Fried Rice make sure to set aside 2-3 of your grilled drumsticks. Remove the meat from the bone and store in a tightly lidded container to use in the fried rice later in the week.
2. You can choose dried or canned beans for these recipes. Dried beans cost less per serving. Canned beans are more convenient. If you choose to use dried beans just make sure you remember to put them to soak the night before you want to cook them.

For help with converting dried and canned beans when cooking you can refer to this:
(source: https://www.beansbeansbeans.com/dried-beans-to-canned-conversion-table)

Dried Beans to Canned Conversion Table
All measurements are approximate. The exact amount of beans you receive from a can or a bag of dried beans depends on the size of bean. Large beans will be on the low side of these measurements while small beans will have a slightly higher yield.

• 1 cup dried beans = 2-3 cups cooked beans = 1 ½ 15.5 ounce cans
• One 15.5 ounce can of beans = 1 ½ cups cooked = ¾-to-1 cup dried
• 1 lbs. of dried beans = 2-2 ½ cups dried = 4-5 cups cooked = 3-4 15.5 oz. cans

Menu Planning Tips:

1. Don’t feel like you have to reinvent the wheel for every meal when making your own menu plan. Start by sitting down and making a list of what meals your family likes to eat.
2. Then reverse menu plan. Look over your fridge/freezer/pantry and see which meals on your list you have the most ingredients on hand for. Plan those as your meals for the week and make your shopping list based off what is missing. Make sure to add any other items you know you are low on, and whatever loss leaders the stores have that week in your area (you can find these by checking the store’s website for their weekly sales flyer).
3. If you look over the few weeks of menus I’ve shared you’ll see that breakfast, lunch, & snacks are pretty much the same from week to week. I do try to prep cook one different “hot” breakfast option each week (usually something egg based like breakfast wraps).
4. The majority of my time and planning goes into our dinners. Which are often lunch the next day as well.
5. For our family, the kids will normally request one or two special items each week. As long as they’re not expensive I’m happy to pick them up. It’s important to fit small treats into the budget as well! The last couple weeks they’ve been on a bagel & cream cheese kick, but they know that once what I bought is gone it’s gone until I go shopping again in a week. Treats are treats because they’re not limitless. 😉
6. Always keep something quick and easy on hand for dinner in case you just CAN’T cook that evening. Life happens! For our family this is usually a box of pasta and a jar of sauce with some fruits & veggies on the side. I almost always have pasta & sauce in the pantry. It’s also the kids go to on the nights we are out and they have to make dinner for themselves. Pasta and sauce is always cheaper, and usually healthier, than take out!

This week’s menu

Breakfast Options:
Loaded Scrambled Eggs
Eggs (any style) & toast
Oatmeal – brown sugar, apple & cinnamon, fruit, strawberry jam
Fresh Fruit
Strawberry Yogurt
Cottage Cheese

Lunch Options:
Leftovers
Egg salad sandwich or lettuce wrap
Eggs (any style) & toast
Omlet
Tomato sandwich
PB&J or PB & banana
Salad

Suppers:
Sun: Grilled BBQ Chicken drumsticks, Grilled Hashbrowns, Salad
Mon: Chili, Cornbread, Salad
Tues: Easy Chickpea Curry, Jasmine Rice, Steamed Broccoli
Wed: Cheeseburger In A Bowl, Sweet Potato Fries
Thurs: Grilled Veggie Burgers, Microwave Potato Salad, Tomato & Cucumber Slices
Fri: Fried Rice, Tai Pei Vegetable Egg Rolls
Sat: BBQ Chicken Leg Quarters, Microwave Baked Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli, Salad

Dessert
Rice Crispy Treats

Snacks:
Apples – whole, or sliced with PB or cinnamon sugar
Bananas
Carrot sticks w/ PB or ranch
Celery sticks w/ PB or ranch
Popcorn (salty or kettle)
Toast w/ butter, peanut butter, jam, or cinnamon sugar
Strawberry Greek Yogurt
Cottage Cheese
Salad

Drinks:
Milk
Coffee w/cream & sugar
Tea w/cream & sugar
Water
Southern Sweet Tea
Unsweetened Refrigerator Tea

After looking over the recipes I’ve decided on, and shopping my kitchen, then checking the weekly sales for any loss leaders we need to stock up on I’m left with……

My Shopping List This Week

Walmart:

6 ct Plain Bagels – $2.08

12 oz whipped cream cheese – $3.26

Family Pack Tyson Chicken Drumsticks – $4.65 (clearance)

8 ct Tai Pei Vegetable Egg Rolls – $6.38

Grocery Outlet:

2 – seedless watermelon – $2.08

2 – 6 oz blackberries – $1.04

1 cucumber – $1.04

1 cauliflower – $2.07

3 lb bag mandarin oranges – $4.15

4.12 lb cherries – $6.49 Bananas – $1.16

5 tomatoes-on-the-vine – $1.40

5 Nectarines – $1.40

(minus an $0.80 discount for paying cash at the outlet store)

Total: $36.40

Complete Shopping List

This shopping list will cover the basic ingredients that are needed to make the meals on this week’s menu.

Based off of Walmart’s site, if you had to buy every single thing on the list – full price at Walmart without sales, coupons, or price comparing between stores – your total would be $204.00. All prices are for Great Value brand items unless mentioned.

Because of how I menu plan & shop I already have the majority of these ingredients on hand, so I am able to direct our grocery dollars towards stocking up on sale items & buying extra produce for the week in addition to what we need to complete the menu plan.

Bread –
2 loaves sandwich bread – $2.84
8 ct hamburger buns – $1.46
8 ct mini corn breads – $4.42 (bakery section)

Produce –
10 Bananas – $2.24
3 lb gala apples – $3.72
2 – 3 pk Romaine – $6.84
8 roma tomatoes – $2.00
3 pk fresh garlic – $1.68
1 bunch scallions – $0.96
3 lb onions – $3.18
1 celery – $1.88
5 lb whole carrots – $4.46
2 fresh limes – $0.50
2-3 jalapenos – $1
1 fresh bunch kale – $1.48
1 bunch parsley – $1.07
5 lb russet potatoes – $3.68
3 lb bag sweet potatoes – $3.60
1 lb mini cucumbers – $1.97

Freezer –
32 oz Broccoli florets – $2.74
10 ct hashbrown patties – $3.42

Grains –
2 lb jasmine rice – $3.28
2 lb popcorn kernels – $2.38
42 oz old fashioned oats – $4.12

Meat –
3 lb Festive ground turkey – $5.94 (1 lb chili, 2 lb Cheeseburgers In A Bowl)
10 lb Tyson Chicken Drumsticks – $9.84 (grilled drumsticks)
10 lb Tyson Chicken Leg Quarters – $6.72 (BBQ chicken dinner)

Dairy –
1 gal whole milk – $2.54
24 oz cottage cheese – $2.94
32 oz strawberry Greek yogurt – $3.54
16 oz sour cream – $1.97
2 lbs butter – $7.64
Case 60 ct large eggs – $14.36
32 oz half & half – $2.97
8 oz shredded or brick cheese (to use in vegetable quiche; topping taco soup & fajitas)- $1.97

Baking –
5 lb unbleached all purpose flour – $2.43
32 oz light brown sugar – $2.22
2.5 oz cinnamon – $1.29
3 oz chili powder – $1.24
2 oz smoked paprika – $1.98
3.25 oz onion powder – $1.28
3.4 oz garlic powder – $1.24
2.5 oz cumin – $1.28

Condiments –
16 oz peanut butter – $1.94
30 oz mayo – $3.38
18 oz strawberry preserves – $2.48
16 oz ranch dressing – $1.97
40 oz Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ sauce – $3.47
10 oz worcestershire sauce – $1.12
12 oz Dijon Mustard – $1.52
9 oz Panda brand oyster sauce – $3.12

Dry Goods –
22.6 oz French Dark roast coffee – $8.88
100 Tea Bags – $2.12
16 oz Pompeian EVOO – $7.38
15 oz can Red Gold crushed tomatoes – $1.12
15 oz can diced tomatoes – $0.96
15 oz can tomato sauce – $0.96
15.5 oz can light red kidney beans – $0.86
13.5 oz full fat coconut milk – $2.12
1 lb dry chickpeas – $1.46
4 oz Thai Kitchen red curry paste – $3.98
32 oz hamburger dill chip pickles – $2.58
6 oz Wonderful pistachios – $5.88
12 oz Rice Crisps cereal – $1.97
10 oz marshmallows – $1.17

Recipes

Loaded Scrambled Eggs

1 dozen eggs, whisked
4 Tbsp melted butter
½ cup half & half
½ cup shredded cheese
½ onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped (optional)
¼ tsp turmeric (optional)
2 scallions, chopped
½ cup chopped kale or spinach
½ a large tomato, chopped
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
½-1 tsp black pepper

1. Crack eggs into a mixing bowl & whisk well. Add in milk, salt, pepper, & garlic powder. Whisk to combine.
2. Melt your butter in a large skillet. Add your chopped onion & jalapeno into the skillet & sautee over medium for about 5-10 min until they begin to soften.
3. Carefully pour in your egg mixture, lid tightly, and let cook for about 5-10 minutes then stiir to start scrambling your eggs. Replace the lid and cook for an additional 5 min, stir to scramble, and repeat the cooking & stirring steps until your eggs about ¾ of the way cooked.
4. When eggs are about ¾ of the way done add your chopped tomatoes and kale or spinach. Stir well, lid tightly, and cook for a final 10 minutes.
5. Once eggs are done to your liking stir in the shredded cheese & turmeric (optional) as your final step. If you do not have a large skillet these can be made as two batches in a smaller skillet instead or baked in a 9×13 pan in a 350 oven.
6. Serve hot, or store in an air tight container in the fridge to be heated up as breakfast during the week. Serve with toast & fruit, or it also makes an excellent filling for a breakfast burrito if you have tortillas.

Chili

1 lb ground beef or turkey, browned
1 lb bag kidney beans, soaked OR 1 – 15 oz can kidney beans, drained
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded & chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz can tomato sauce
15 oz can diced tomatoes
½-1 15 oz can of water
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp worcester sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard
Salt & Pepper, to taste

1) Rinse & pick over your kidney beans. Place them in a large bowl & cover with about 1-2 quarts of water. Soak overnight.

2) Brown ground meat in your pot or using the sear setting on your pressure cooker.
3) Once the meat is browned, drain off excess fat, and add chopped celery, jalapenos, onion & garlic. Contiue to sautee until vegetables begin to brown.
4) Add 1 ½ cups of your soaked & drained kidney beans, canned tomatoes & spices. Stir well.
Fill one of your tomato cans with water (swish water around inside both cans to get the last of the sauce) & add into your chili. If using a pressure cooker set for 40 min on high pressure. If cooking on the stove top bring to a boil stirring well, then reduce the temperature to a simmer, lid tightly, and cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
5) Serve chili hot with corn bread, cheese, and whatever toppings you prefer.

Chickpea Curry

1 lb dried chickpeas, soaked overnight OR 2 – 15 oz can chickpeas
1 Tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp mild curry paste
15 oz can crushed tomatoes
13.5 oz can full fat coconut milk
1 tsp sugar (optional)
½-1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 cup chopped kale
4 Tbsp parsley, chopped (garnish)
1 lime, juiced (garnish)

1) Rinse your dried chickpeas & check them over for bad ones or small pebbles. Place in a large bowl and cover with 2 quarts of water & let soak overnight.

2) Drain your soaked chickpeas. Measure about 2 cups or 30 oz of soaked chickpeas and set aside. Store remaining soaked chickpeas in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer to use in veggie burgers later this week.

3) Prepare curry in a pressure cooker or in a pot on the stove. If using a pressure cooker use the “sear” setting for 10 min to sautee vegetables or sautee in the bottom of your cooking pot.

4) Add oil & chopped onion. Stir regularly until onion begins to become translucent & brown in spots. Add garlic. Sautee another 1-2 min. Add curry paste and stir 1 min. Pour in crushed tomatoes, coconut milk. Add salt, sugar, and chopped kale. Stir well, place on the lid, and pressure cook on high for about 40 min.

5) If preparing on the stove top add all ingredients, bring to a light boil stirring regularly, then reduce to a simmer. Lid tightly and simmer for about 1 hour.

6) While the curry is cooking prepare jasmine rice in a rice cooker according to the directions on your machine OR prepare on the stove top according to the package.

To serve, add hot jasmine rice to one side of a bowl. Add curry to the other side. Sprinkle with lime juice & fresh parsley or cilantro. Serve hot. Store leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Cheeseburger In A Bowl

https://chefsavvy.com/burger-in-a-bowl/#recipe

*** Use 1 lb ground beef or turkey. Turkey is included in the shopping list. I also just use white onion, so plan to purchase 1 red onion if you’d prefer that.

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

https://thebigmansworld.com/air-fryer-sweet-potato-fries/#wprm-recipe-container-67247

Grilled Veggie Burgers

https://www.acouplecooks.com/ultimate-grilled-veggie-burger/#tasty-recipes-19718-jump-target

*** We prefer to make these with pistachios instead of walnuts, but choose whatever type of nut you prefer.

Microwave Potato Salad

4-5 large potatoes, peeled & cubed
3 eggs, hardboiled & chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped fine
½ – 1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
sprinkle of paprika
salt & pepper

1) Large, microwave safe bowl

2) Peel & cube your potatoes. Place cubed potatoes into your microwave safe bowl. Fully cover the potatoes with water. Cover loosely with a lid or a damp piece of paper towel. Microwave on high for 12-15 min or until potatoes are tender and easily poked with a fork. Drain cooking water. Allow potatoes to cool to almost room temp, then refrigerate for about an hour until potatoes are cool.

3) While your potatoes are cooling make your hard boiled eggs. I use an electric egg cooker, but to avoid boiling water during how weather you can also make them in the microwave following these directions:
https://foodess.com/article/how-to-boil-eggs-in-the-microwave-quick-foolproof-method/

4) Once hardboiled, submerge in cold water to cool them down, peel & chop.

5) Take your bowl of chilled potatoes. Add your eggs, celery, mayo, mustard, s&p. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings are needed. Smooth the top of your potato salad and sprinkle lightly with paprika. Chill until serving.

Vegetable Fried Rice

https://aaronandclaire.com/5-minute-easy-fried-rice/

*** Follow directions in the first video for Egg Fried Rice. Scale the number of cups of rice you use for the number of people you are serving. I usually do about 6 cups of cooked rice for 5 people & cook it in a large chicken fryer skillet or wok. Feel free to add in whatever other vegetables you have around. We like to add a couple of finely grated carrots & about ½ cup of frozen peas towards the end of the cooking time.

Microwave Baked Potatoes

1 baked potato per person
Toppings: sour cream, butter, s&p, shredded cheese, chopped scallions, etc

1. Scrub your potatoes well & poke each potato several times with a shark knife. This will prevent the potato from exploding in the microwave.
2. Place your potatoes on a microwave safe plate and cook on high power for 5-20 minutes depending on how many potatoes you are “baking”.
3. Potatoes are done when you can easily poke them with a fork. Use oven mitts to carefully remove the hot plate from the microwave. Let cool for a couple minutes & serve with toppings.

Rice Crispy Treats

5 cups crisp rice cereal
1 – 10 oz bag marshmallows
1 stick butter

Large nonstick pot
Silicone spatula
9×13 baking pan

1) In a large nonstick pot, over medium heat, melt the stick of butter.
Measure your cereal out into a mixing bowl so you can quickly pour it into your melted marshmallow mixture when it’s time.

2) Once the butter is fully melted pour in the bag of marshmallows. Stir the marshmallows continuously with a silicone spatula, scraping down the sides of the pot as you stir.

3) Once the marshmallows are fully melted QUICKLY add all your crispy rice cereal. Stir quickly until well mixed and immediately pour into a 9×13 baking dish.

4) If you like softer crispy treats try not to compress your crispy treats as you spread them around the pan. Or, if you prefer harder, crunchier crispy treats do press them down a bit with the back of your spatula.

Let sit until fully cooled then serve. Store in a tightly lidded container.

Southern Sweet Tea

https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/how-to-make-sweet-tea