Welcome to Week 1 of a budget eats meal plan! Should you’re simply getting began, you’re in for per week of flavorful, filling meals—all for below $3 per serving. We’ve saved issues easy, inexpensive, and family-friendly. These meals make use of the pantry staples you stocked up on this week, setting the tone for the remainder of the month.
This plan is supposed to be versatile. You don’t have to make each recipe within the actual order and even make all of them. Wish to swap one out? Skip an evening and eat leftovers? Go for it. You possibly can combine and match with out messing something up. We’ve additionally received a free customization software in beta that’ll allow you to alter serving sizes, swap out recipes, and get a brand new purchasing record constructed only for you. It’s not fancy, nevertheless it will get the job finished.
Want slightly assist in the kitchen? Each recipe on this week’s plan comes with a video tutorial proper on our web site so you’ll be able to cook dinner with confidence, even for those who’re new to it.

Make sure you take a look at your complete information, an summary of the pantry staples, and the opposite week’s menus. You possibly can all the time customise every week to fit your private style preferences and swap in your favorites.
Fast Tip
For the rooster salad sandwiches, you’ll purchase grapes however solely want a number of for the precise recipe. Serve the remainder on the facet all through the week as a snack or a straightforward fruit possibility with one other meal.
Grocery Haul
The haul this week focuses totally on contemporary substances—proteins, produce, dairy, and bread gadgets. You’ll be constructing off the pantry staples you’ve already stocked, so that you’ll discover plenty of the core gadgets (like oil, flour, spices, and condiments) aren’t included on this record.
Needless to say some substances are used throughout a number of meals, so nothing goes to waste.
Don’t neglect to obtain the Week 1 Shopping List PDF to make your grocery run simpler.


Receipt


Complete Spent: $130.92
Complete Servings: 44
Common Value Per Serving: $2.97
This whole displays a full week’s value of dinners for a household, utilizing common grocery retailer costs with out coupons, bulk shopping for, or sale purchasing. It’s based mostly on shopping for precisely what you want for this week’s menu, utilizing pantry staples you’ve already stocked. As all the time, costs will range from area to area and retailer to retailer, however this could get you fairly shut.


Finances Saver
Grocery shops typically promote rotisserie chickens as a “loss chief,” the place they actually promote it for lower than it prices them. Purchase a rotisserie rooster and shred your personal meat, and benefit from the financial savings. Use most of your shredded rooster within the rooster salad on Tuesday, and save the remainder for the cilantro-lime quesadillas on Friday.
The Recipes


Proper above, you’ll see all seven meals from this week laid out so you will get a visible sense of what a serving appears like for every recipe. We all know serving sizes may be subjective, so we wished to indicate you precisely how a lot meals you’re getting with this plan.
There’s additionally a brief video that walks by means of every meal in additional element. You’ll see the ultimate dishes plated and portioned, so there’s no guessing—simply actual meals, clearly proven.
Now let’s break it down daily:
Monday
This can be a meatless meal that’s gentle, but gained’t depart you hungry. It’s loaded with mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. Add slightly heavy cream and a few purple pepper flakes, and you’ve got a restaurant-quality dish with out the restaurant costs.
Penne Rosa
A creamy tomato pasta with a spicy kick! This traditional Penne Rosa is packed filled with contemporary veggies and prepared in quarter-hour.
Tuesday
Make rooster salad sandwiches! Or serve them up your personal type by stuffing it into an avocado or tomato, or serving it up on a mattress of lettuce for an old-school rooster salad.
This recipe requires a small quantity of grapes. You possibly can both depart them out or get pleasure from the remainder of the grapes as a facet dish. We factored in a purchase order of 1 pound of grapes both approach.
Traditional Chicken Salad
This traditional rooster salad is simple to make and engaging by itself, on lettuce, or served as a sandwich. You’re going to like this household favourite!
Wednesday
Stroganoff is a traditional consolation meals, and this recipe makes it even simpler. You possibly can change issues up and serve this over mashed potatoes, or go the standard route and serve with egg noodles.
Ground Beef Stroganoff and Rice
Do-it-yourself Floor Beef Stroganoff and Rice make a fast, 30-minute dinner that’s each healthful and family-approved.
Thursday
A straightforward pasta dish that tastes gourmand and takes lower than half-hour to make! This recipe makes use of easy pantry substances that you just (and your children) know and love, and will have already got available.
American Carbonara
Carbonara with an American twist! We use bacon and the standard velvety cheese sauce. Then throw in peas for a pop of sweetness!
Friday
Your new favourite quesadilla recipe. Loading these quesadillas up with rooster makes them a complete meal. This recipe makes use of 1 boneless, skinless rooster breast, however you’ll be able to all the time use rotisserie rooster. This can be a nice possibility that’s not solely handy but in addition wallet-friendly!
Cilantro-Lime Chicken Quesadillas
These rooster quesadillas are loaded with gooey cheese and all of the cilantro-lime taste we might pack in! Good for a fast lunch or dinner.
Saturday
Dissipate that floor beef and make these cheesesteaks! This one is a superb possibility whenever you’re craving these Philly cheesesteak flavors, however don’t wish to order takeout.
Ground Beef Cheesesteak
Floor beef cheesesteaks have all the enduring Philly flavors you’re keen on in a extra inexpensive format that also brings all the flavour.
Sunday
For Sunday, we’re providing you with a complete yard barbecue feast. All three recipes provide you with an entire meal, and every serving remains to be below $3.
Make It Work for You
This plan is versatile. If seven dinners per week is an excessive amount of in your schedule, skip a pair and simply use leftovers or repeat your favorites. If considered one of these recipes isn’t your factor, it’s completely superb to swap it out.
We’ve received a customization tool in beta that allows you to do precisely that—alter servings, swap meals, and generate a brand new purchasing record based mostly in your modifications. It’s not fancy, nevertheless it will get the job finished.

Finances Suggestions & Notes
Coleslaw Combine: Seize a bagged coleslaw combine to avoid wasting time and scale back waste, particularly for those who’re not planning to make slaw greater than as soon as.
Croissants: Be at liberty to swap for sandwich rolls or sliced bread to convey the fee down additional.
Cheese Technique: Shred your personal cheese as a substitute of shopping for pre-shredded—it’s generally cheaper and melts higher too.
Stretching Protein: For the quesadillas and cheesesteaks, you’ll be able to bulk issues up with additional veggies if you must stretch the meat slightly additional.
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