This week has a lot of leftovers and a few more vegetables. Vegetable fried rice, salad (twice), zucchini in spaghetti sauce, broccoli coleslaw for the shrimp sliders, and an avocado chocolate mousse. My next goal is to start trying to cut out processed carbs such as breads and plain pastas but since I am married to an Italian that will probably not go over too well. We shall see. This is my weekly meal plan on $60 or less! (my average prices do not include spices, butter, oil, etc)
Happy Cooking!!!!
Monday
Teriyaki Beef & Fried Rice (@$13.50)
- Stirfry
Beef $5.03 (Thin sliced, Manager’s Special, Kroger) - Teriyaki Marinade $1.99
- Vegetable Fried Rice $2.29 (Trader Joe’s)
- Egg Rolls $3.34 (frozen)
I marinated the beef for about an hour. It was a package of stir fry beef so no cutting required. I used Trader Joe’s frozen vegetable fried rice. It is tasty and fairly cheap. It contains peas, corn, edamame, onions, carrots, and bell peppers. I scrambled an egg or two for real fried rice. Add to the corner of the pan in the last minutes of cooking, scrambled and then mix into the rice. If you want to be more cost effective, you can omit the egg rolls. However my toddler loves them so I splurge.
Tuesday
Veal Dumplings (@$8)
- Veal Dumplings $6.99 (2 lbs, Farmers Market)
- Salad $0.98 (Manager’s Special, Kroger)
We found these frozen dumplings on one of our Farmers’ Market trips. They were actually very tasty. The directions on the package said to boil and then toss with salt, pepper, butter, & vinegar. I used apple cider vinegar since that is what I tend to have on hand. Packaged salad mix added some veggies. 2 lbs of dumplings equals some leftovers.
Wednesday
Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin (@$13.25)
- Pork Tenderloin $4.50
- Bacon $3.50
- Apple $0.98
- Potatoes $1.31 (10 potatoes $2.18, I used 6)
- Cheese $0.94 (½, shredded)
- Salad $1.99 (Trader Joe’s, mix)
This evening we had dinner guests as is our norm on Wednesdays. We stuffed a pork tenderloin with sliced apples, rubbed with a mesquite bbq rub, and wrapped in bacon. Baked in a 375 degree oven for about an hour, or until meat temperature reaches 160 degrees. Served with homemade mashed potatoes and salad. (recipe)
Friday
Spaghetti (@$9)
- Ground Beef $3.69 (2.99 lb, Fresh Market)
- Pasta $1.00 (Spaghetti)
- Sauce $1.59 (Kroger Brand, jarred)
- Zucchini $0.49
- Breadsticks $1.99
I use Kroger brand jarred sauce and add a little Italian seasoning, minced garlic, and Worcestershire to taste. Once the beef is cooked and drained, I add the sauce to the meat and simmer while the noodles cook. I diced and added raw zucchini to the sauce when the noodles were almost finished. I try to not add the vegetables too soon since the texture of crunchy veggies does so much better in the sauce than mushy ones. Often I add bell peppers, mushrooms, and carrots but did not feel like doing that much chopping today. There was a small amount of leftovers.
Saturday
Shrimp Sliders (@$8)
- Frozen Popcorn Shrimp $4.99
- Slider Buns $1.29(½ )
- Cheese $0.84 (½)
- Broccoli Slaw $0.99 (½ , Trader Joe’s)
- Tater Tots $1.20 (¼, Large Bag)
I try to find quick dinners for Saturdays since it is a busy day. Frozen popcorn shrimp was cooked according to package instructions. Added sliced cheddar cheese and broccoli coleslaw (broccoli slaw mix, a little mayo, salt and pepper) to the slider buns and served with tater tots. Leftover shrimp since I cooked the whole package.
5 meals for around $52. Lots of leftovers for lunches and a night of dinner guests
Bonus dessert!!!
Avocado Mousse. This seemed like a great idea to use up mushy avocados and help satisfy a sweet craving. They turned out quite well just not as fluffy as a traditional mousse but still super creamy. I topped mine with sliced bananas instead of whipped cream.
