I am trying to incorporate a few vegetarian dishes into my weekly rotations. This week we actually have two. I can’t wait for fall so we can start cooking some hearty stews and squash dishes. This is my weekly meal plan on $60 or less including oven grilled cheese and salmon croquet! (my average prices do not include common spices, butter, oil, etc)
Monday
White Cheddar & Spinach Grilled Cheese @$10.25)
- Bread $1.99 (small loaf, asiago cheese bread)
- Baby Spinach $0.49 (¼ bag, $1.99 Trader Joe’s)
- White Cheddar $2.49 (sliced)
- Mozzarella $2.49 (sliced)
- Pumpkin Soup $2.79
Everyone loves a great grilled cheese sandwich. Even better when you can add in some vegetables. Preheat your oven to 450. I place parchment paper onto a sheet pan. Butter to pieces of bread for each sandwich you need to make. Place half the bread buttered side down on the pan and layer with cheeses and spinach. Top with the rest of the bread, buttered side up. Cook for about 5 minutes and then flip the sandwiches over. Served with pumpkin soup. I made a regular grilled cheese for the toddler. Vegetarian dish.
Tuesday
Taco Night (@$11.50)
- Ground Beef $6.34 ( 2lbs, $2.99lb, Fresh Market)
- Taco Seasoning $0.79 (Trader Joe’s)
- Taco Shells $1.79
- Tortillas $0.67 (¼ package)
- Shredded Cheese $0.62 (¼ package)
- Sour Cream $0.44 (¼ container)
- Black Beans $0.80
Tonight we had dinner guests and tacos feed a lot of people. A mixture of hard shell and tortillas made sure everyone was happy. A side of black beans finished off this dish.
Wednesday
Ramen (@$5)
- Ramen Packages $3.96 (4 packages)
- Spinach $0.98 (½ bag)
Yeah I know not the healthiest of options but today was going to be a huge busy day as our household prepares for DragonCon. I use lots of different versions that we usually buy at the Farmers Market. I added spinach at the end to make it a little better for us.
Friday
Red Beans & Rice (@$8.75)
- Andouille Sausage $4.27 (Fresh Market)
- Rice $0.58
- Red Beans $1.20 ($0.60 per can, two cans)
- Onion $0.53
- Celery $0.22
- Bell Pepper $0.88
- Biscuits $1.00
This recipe came out a little spicy. You can use a sweeter style sausage to bring the heat down a little. I also used a little less water. 2 1/2 quarts seemed like an awful lot.
Saturday
Salmon Croquettes (@$8)
- Canned Salmon $5.38 (2 cans. $2.69)
- Mac n Cheese $1.00
- Carrots $0.79
- Onion $0.53
- Egg $0.11
I got this dish from my grandma. I will say that making these are not for the faint of heart. Canned salmon does contain bones that can be picked out or just left. I pick out the big spine pieces but leave the smaller ones. I double the recipe to feed my household. Can be served with ketchup or tartar sauce.
5 meals for around $45
**Bonus**
Since we are in Georgia, I decided my bonus this week would be PEACHES!!!! Yum. So here is the recipe I use for Peach Cobbler. Make sure you have plenty of vanilla ice cream to top it off! Enjoy.
