This week has lots of one pot dishes that make cleanup a breeze, and what busy mom doesn’t need cean up to be a breeze? My least favorite part about cooking for the family every night is the clean up. I cannot recommend the pulled pork loin chili enough, it was too die for! Absolutely perfect for that upcoming Super Bowl party when we watch the Falcons win!
This is my weekly meal plan on $60 or less! (my average prices do not include common spices, butter, oil, etc)
Monday
One Pot Penne Pasta (@$8.50)
- Smoked Sausage $0 (Free Coupon, Kroger)
- Onion $0.44
- Penne $1.00
- Chicken Stock $0.89 (½ carton)
- Roasted Red Peppers $1.30
- Monterrey Jack Cheese $1.66
- Parmesan Cheese $0.99
- Spinach $1.99
(recipe) I omitted the mushrooms since one of the roommates doesn’t really like them, but if you have non picky eaters throw them in to bulk it up a little more. I added salt and pepper for some extra flavor, but a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes would really kick this up a notch. So super easy to throw together and very minimal cleanup. SOLD! Gotta love one pot dishes moms…it saved me at least 20 minutes of soaking and scrubbing dishes.
Tuesday
Sauteed Sirloin Tips(@$8)
- Steak $4.82
- Onion $0.56
- Bell Pepper $1.98 (one red, one green)
- Rice $0.58
(recipe) This had so much flavor for such a simple dish. It does require a little planning since the meat needs to be marinated for a few hours ahead of time, but if that’s the hardest part, i’ll take it. I’d love to try it over some crispy oven roasted potatoes too in the future.
Wednesday
Pork Loin Chili (@$16.25)
- Porkloin $6.94
- Onion $0.68
- Bell Peppers $1.98
- Jalapeno $0.11
- Diced Tomatoes $1.80 (3 cans)
- Black Beans $1.78 (2 cans)
- Kidney Beans $1.20 (2 cans)
- Sour Cream $0.42
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese $1.24
(recipe) This recipe was absolutely amazing. I am always looking for dishes to make with pork loin besides carnitas, pork sandwiches, or a simple roasted pork loin. This was the answer and I will definitely be making this again soon. I made a few changes to the recipe based on comments though, so here they are. I only used 1 jalapeno instead of 3, I used ½ tsp of cayenne pepper instead of 2 tsp, and I used ¼ cup honey instead of ½ cup. Most of the reviews stated this dish was too spicy and too sweet. With these changes it was absolutely perfect. Lots of leftovers or enough for a large group for super bowl sunday to cheer on our Falcons!
Friday
Maple Glazed Flat Iron Steak (@$13.25)
- Flat Iron Steak $6.68
- Red Potatoes $0.99
- Acorn Squash $3.00
- Maple Syrup $2.49
(recipe) For the steak, I made a glaze of pure maple syrup, ground pepper, soy sauce, and garlic. Marinated for an hour and then seared on each side for 8 minutes in a super hot skillet. You could also grill if you choose, but that takes longer. The acorn squash was cooked following the recipe exactly and came out very tasty. For the potatoes, I diced and tossed in olive oil and herbs from from Garlic Salt Grinder from Trader Joe’s and cooked with the acorn squash for about 30 minutes. I tend to buy larger squash so they can be cut into quarters. Winter veggies tend to get overlooked at the market, but give this one a go.
Saturday
Turkey Robinson (@$7)
- Ground Turkey $2.38
- Baby Spinach $1.99
- Cannellini Beans $0.60
- Rotini Pasta $1.00
- Chicken Stock $0.89
(recipe) This turned out very yummy. I did not have garlic infused olive oil so I added some garlic and basil to the turkey as it was cooking. It did need a good amount of salt and pepper, but not a bad thing. I used my garlic salt grinder from Trader Joe’s and whipped this up. I’ll be making this again soon.
5 meals for under $55
