Cheap Meal Plans: Week 5 Warm Meals
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Do you need to create a menu for your family for this week? I’ve already got you covered! Here’s a simple meal plan with clean foods that you can buy and make for your family of 4 for less than $130.
Below you will find the shopping list, estimated prices (from Walmart, using generic ingredients when available), the meal plan for the week, and the recipes you will need to make. Prices are based on pricing at my closest Walmart store in Wyoming.
To make this meal plan for a family of 2, you can cut everything in half. For a family of 6, add 50% of the ingredients. For a family of 8, double all the ingredients.
You will need extras for sides and snacks this week.
🛒 Shopping List
Protein
- Eggs ~ $8.00 (36ct)
- Ground Beef (1lbs) ~ $6.24
- Chicken Thighs (3lb frozen bag) ~ $9.87
- Pepperoni ~ $4.96
🍞 Grains & Breads
- Bread (1 loaf) ~ $1.42 (make breadcrumbs with leftovers)
- Tortillas (1 pack) ~ $1.98
- White Rice (32oz) ~ $1.77
- Spaghetti (16oz) ~ $0.98
🥕 Produce
- Bananas (16) ~ $4.48
- Onions (3lbs) ~ $2.64
- Frozen Fruit (16oz) ~ $3.52
- Frozen Mixed Veggies (12oz) ~ $0.98
- Green Bell Pepper (x2) ~ $1.56
- Russet Potatoes (10lbs) ~ $4.82
- Garlic ~ $1.48
- Fresh Tomatoes (3lbs) ~ $5.94
- Bagged Salad ~ $2.14
- Celery ~ $1.97
- Frozen Roasting Veggies (14oz) ~ $2.97
🥛 Dairy & Condiments
- Mayo (small jar) ~ $2.12
- Vanilla Yogurt (x2, 32oz) ~ $5.44
- Milk (half gallon) ~ $2.08
- Colby Cheese (16oz) ~ $3.78
- Mozzarella Cheese (16oz)~ $3.78
- Sour Cream (16oz) ~ $1.88
- Heavy Cream ~ $2.96
🥫 Canned & Packaged
- Canned Diced Tomato (2 cans) ~ $1.92
- Granola ~ $2.67
- Refried Beans (x2) ~ $2.00
- Enchilada Sauce ~ $1.00
- Green Chilies ~ $0.88
- Rotel ~ $1.22
- Black Beans (x3) ~ $2.76
- Soy Sauce ~ $1.58
- Honey ~ $3.36
- Olive Oil (17oz) ~ $6.12
- Salad Dressing ~ $1.97
- Salsa ~ $1.92
🌿 Seasonings & Spices
- Cinnamon, Italian seasonings, and various other spices and baking supplies (sugar, flour) ~ $5.00
Estimated Total ≈ $122.16
📅 Cheap Meal Plan #5 Warm Meals
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Yogurt Parfait | Bean Enchiladas | Honey Chicken |
| Tue | Banana Waffles | Leftover Enchiladas | Spaghetti & Salad |
| Wed | Rice Pudding with Bananas | Loaded Baked Potatoes | Tacos |
| Thu | Yogurt Parfait | Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese | Homemade Chicken Patty Sandwiches |
| Fri | Banana Waffles | Vegetable Fried Rice | Cream of Potato Soup & Veggies |
| Sat | Rice Pudding with Bananas | Loaded Baked Potatoes | Homemade Pizza |
| Sun | Omelets | Use up remaining leftovers (leftover buffet) | Use up remaining leftovers (leftover buffet) |
Print a PDF file with the menu plan HERE.
🥪Recipes and Instructions
Breakfast Recipes
Yogurt Parfaits
In a glass or bowl, layer yogurt at the bottom. Add a layer of granola on top. Top with fresh or frozen fruits. Repeat layers as desired.
3 Ingredient Banana Waffles
Rice Pudding with Bananas
Get the recipe for Rice Pudding here. Top each serving with one sliced banana. Double the recipe to serve 4.
Omelets
Whisk together 2–3 eggs with a splash of milk or water, plus a little salt and pepper. Heat some butter or oil in a skillet, then pour in the eggs and let them cook until mostly set. Add chopped leftover meat or veggies (bell pepper and onion planned) and a bit of cheese on one side, then fold the omelet in half. Cook for another minute or two until the eggs are done and the filling is warmed through, then serve hot.
Lunch Recipes
Bean Enchiladas
To make simple bean enchiladas, mix 2 cans of refried beans with 1 can of green chilies and one can of Rotel plus a small amount of shredded cheese. Pour a small amount of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Spoon some of the bean mixture onto flour tortillas, then roll them up and place them seam-side down in a greased baking dish. (Be sure to make at least 8) Pour the rest of the sauce over the top, sprinkle with more cheese, and bake at 350°F for about 20–25 minutes until everything is hot and bubbly. Serve warm with sour cream or salsa if you have it.
Loaded Baked Potatoes
Bake potatoes in advance, then top with beans(black beans planned), cheese, and any leftovers like taco meat or veggies. Make at least 1 large potato per person per meal.
Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
To make a basic grilled cheese, butter one side of two slices of bread. Place one slice, buttered side down, in a skillet over medium heat. Add a slice or two of cheese on top, then place the second slice of bread over it, buttered side up. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 2–3 minutes, then flip and cook the other side until it’s golden and the cheese is melted. Serve warm, with Homemade Tomato Soup.
Vegetable Fried Rice
Get the Fried Rice recipe here.
Supper Recipes
Honey Chicken
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper
Place the chicken thighs into a hot pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on one side before turning over to cook the other side. Once cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, add the soy, honey, and garlic to the pan and cook on low until thick and coated. Serve with rice. You can use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce if you prefer.
Cook all 3lbs you are buying and save what you don’t need (before adding the honey sauce) to use for chicken patties.
Spaghetti
Use this recipe for Homemade Spaghetti Sauce. Serve over noodles with a side salad. Add meat to the sauce if your budget allows.
Tacos
Cook 1lb of ground beef until no pink remains. Add in 1 can of drained black beans and taco seasoning. Serve on tortillas with your favorite taco toppings like lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and salsa.
Cream of Potato Soup
Use my Cream of Potato Soup recipe. Serve with roasted veggies.
Homemade Pizza
This is our favorite Pizza Dough recipe. I’ve included the ingredients to make a pepperoni pizza in this week’s shopping list.
Homemade Chicken Patty Sandwiches
Use my recipe for Homemade Chicken Nuggets but form larger patties for sandwiches instead. Use leftover cooked chicken from the honey chicken. Serve on buns with mayo and a slice of lettuce. Make some homemade buns or add them to your shopping list.
Helpful Tips on Meal Planning
You can, of course, get these prices down even further if you already have some of these items on hand such as the pantry staples. My menu assumes you at least have flour, sugar, salt, and pepper on hand.
There will be items leftover from this menu that you can use next week if you need to or you can add into some of these meals to bulk them up.
You could also make some of these items from scratch to save even more! If you have flour and yeast you can make your own bread for less. You could also make things like dinner rolls to add to these recipes to bulk them up. Here are some tips on making frugal meals stretch and more filling.
Keep all the recipes in a Meal Planning Binder.
Happy Meal Planning!