Since having my daughter I’ve really fallen out of the routine of meal prepping and cooking for my family. Now that she is 1 year old and life seems a little bit easier I decided that I was going to start sharing our meal plans for the week and how I can plan 5 meals for our family of four for under $100. You will notice things like I am really not purchasing a bunch of food. The reason I am doing this is because I am really intrigued in maintaining a capsule pantry and refrigerator to help eliminate food waste and clutter. Let’s be real I hate clutter. If you are with me and you don’t want to spend a ton of money but like to take care of your family and hate clutter too I am excited for you to follow along in this journey!
So let’s get down to business!
This week I grocery shopped just for what I needed in my refrigerator and pantry for this initial grocery shop. I did a second grocery shop for lunch items for the kids as well as breakfast essentials. I won’t say my whole grocery bill is under $100 but I do believe it is totally doable to grocery shop for dinners for under $100. My thought was if my meal planning box can have dinners for under $100 so can I. PLUS most of the things I purchase are organic! Please also note that these recipes are mostly gluten and dairy free. You always have the option to add dairy to these recipes, I am just choosing not to.
Here is what I am making this week:
MONDAY – Skillet Mexican Rice (meatless & keep leftovers for Tuesday)
TUESDAY – Chicken Tacos
WEDNESDAY – Easy Korean Ground Beef + Broccoli and Cauliflower
THURSDAY – Creamy Lemon Chicken with rice or pasta
FRIDAY – Taco Salad
Here is what I purchased for groceries:
- 2 avocados (I needed 1 but they were on sale 2 for $3)
- 1 Orange
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Red Onion
- 1 Pint of Cherry Tomatoes
- Fresh Salsa
- Romaine Lettuce
- 1 Package of Ground Beef
- 1 Package of 5 Chicken Breasts Individually Wrapped
- 1 Can of Green Chiles
- Enchilada Sauce
- Soy Sauce (this is usually in my pantry but we were out)
- Chicken Broth (this is usually in my pantry but we were out)
- Black Beans (this is usually in my pantry but we were out)
- Frozen Corn (this is usually in my freezer but we were out)
- Frozen Broccoli and Cauliflower (this is usually in my freezer but we were out)
Here is what I already had in my Pantry/Refrigerator:
*I will be working on how I create capsules for my pantry/refrigerator/freezer*
- Olive oil
- Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Salt
- Oregano
- Brown Rice
- Sesame Oil
- Corn Starch
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- Flour (GF)
- Garlic Powder
- Garlic
- Butter
Now for the recipes! I will be updating these with photos as I cook but I am doing this kind of real time! I was thinking it would feel like you are cooking along with me which made me excited!
MONDAY: SKILLET MEXICAN RICE CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS:
- Half of a small red onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1 can of diced green chilies, drained
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed very WELL
- 12 ounces of enchilada sauce
- 1 cup of cooked brown rice (make this during your prep to save time)
OPTIONAL
- 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- sour cream to top
- avocado
- salsa
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat oil in skillet, add onion and cook until soft, then add the spices and stir. Cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the red pepper and green chilies and stir. Cook for another few minutes until softened. Add beans, corn, enchilada sauce and cooked rice. Stir until well combined.
- If adding cheese, turn the broiler on to high and top with cheese. Put the skillet in the oven for a few minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with Avocado, salsa, sour cream.
TUESDAY: CHICKEN TACOS
*Use any left overs from yesterday as filling for your tacos. A good option if you have a family member that prefers meatless too!*
INGREDIENTS:
- 2-3 chicken breasts, defrost in fridge the night before and slice into thin strips before cooking
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning (I buy a large size for my pantry)
- Taco shells or flour tortillas
OPTIONAL
- 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- sour cream to top
- avocado
- salsa
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat oil in skillet, add chicken and cook until cooked through.
- While chicken is cooking, turn oven to broil and wrap your tortillas in tin foil and put into oven on bottom rack to warm for about 5 minutes.
- Add taco seasoning and stir, add 3/4 cup of water to create sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer to thicken.
- Assemble tacos and serve with leftover Mexican rice avocado, salsa, sour cream.
WEDNESDAY: EASY KOREAN GROUND BEEF AND BROCCOLI
*Use any pre cooked rice from your prep or minute rice to save time!*
INGREDIENTS:
- 8oz ground beef (half a package)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 cup steamed broccoli
OPTIONAL
- Scallion and Green onion for topping
DIRECTIONS:
- Add ground beef to skillet and cook over medium-high heat. Stir often and break into small pieces. Be sure to drain excess grease if needed.
- Add garlic and cook a few more minutes. Stir to combine
- In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, and corn starch.
- Pour over ground beef and lower heat to simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken.
- Serve over rice with broccoli.
THURSDAY: CREAMY LEMON CHICKEN WITH RICE OR PASTA
*Use any pre cooked rice from your prep or minute rice to save time!*
INGREDIENTS:
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- 1/2 cup GF Flour
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons butter
OPTIONAL
- Rice, pasta (your fav), or broccoli
DIRECTIONS:
- Add the chicken to freezer bag and pound it to about a 1/2 inch thick
- Season with lemon pepper seasoning
- Combine flour, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder on a large plate for dipping and put aside.
- Pat the chicken dry and dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture.
- Heat oil in a large pan and sear the chicken for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Set aside.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan with garlic. Allow the broth to come to a gentle bubble and screape the bottom of the pan. let it simmer for 5 minutes for the sauce to thicken.
- Reduce heat to low and add the almond milk, stirring continuously.
- Stir in the lemon juice and add the parmesan cheese. Put chicken back into sauce and let it warm back up.
Serve with rice, pasta, or your favorite veggies.
FRIDAY: TACO SALAD
*Use any pre cooked rice from your prep or minute rice to save time!*
INGREDIENTS:
- 8oz Ground Beef
- Taco Seasoning
- Corn
- Romaine Lettuce
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Avocado
- Salsa
OPTIONAL
- Shredded Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Ricw
DIRECTIONS:
- Cook Ground Beef, season with taco seasoning, add water and allow sauce to thicken
- Assemble salad with your favorite toppings.