Healthy Grocery List for Family of 4 on a Budget #9

We are in the swing of things with school, extra activities, and sports practices now. So, this week is all about super quick and yummy comfort food.

It is also starting to get cooler, so we will be using our oven a couple of nights to make some casseroles and one sheet pan meals. Super easy to cook and less clean up!

Our meal plans try to use fresh produce and a little frozen. We like to stick to basics and skip the overly processed convenience meals. I like to include some snack ideas and we have to have a sweet treat for the week too!

One week meal plan

Breakfasts

Mini Muffins with Extra Banana
Cottage Cheese with Canned Peaches
Eggies in a Basket with Strawberries
Rice Krispie Cereal with milk and Bananas

Mini Muffins– I recently did a price comparison on making muffins (Is it Cheaper to make or buy Muffins?), and we found the cheapest options is to buy a muffin mix that just needs milk or water. The cheap little packs of muffin mix typically make 6 muffins which comes out to 18 mini muffins. I like to add a smashed banana to the mix to make it a little more filling. I grease the mini muffin pan really well, and then keep a close eye on them in the oven. They typically take a few minutes less than full size muffins. My kids usually eat 2-3 for breakfast so these muffins could easily last for two breakfasts.

Cottage Cheese and Canned Peaches– This super simple breakfast is a welcome treat when my kids are tired of overnight oats or oatmeal bars. If you are not a fan of peaches you can easily substitute canned pineapple, fresh berries, or even a spoon full of jelly or jam. If the kids are still hungry, we usually add some butter toast on the side.

Eggies in a Basket with Strawberries – This is a super easy egg breakfast made in a non-stick pan on the stove. (There are some versions that use the oven, but to me that takes longer). I start by taking 4 slices of bread and making a hole in the middle. Then I put a little butter in the pan and let it melt. I like to slightly toast the bread on each side and then I crack a whole egg in the middle of the bread. We like our eggs a little runny, but you can also cook it longer to be more like a fried egg. We usually serve these with a side a fruit, and this week we will be using strawberries.

Rice Krispie Cereal with milk and Bananas– Both of my kids are still small but really love bananas. In order to cut down on waste, I start each kid with 1/2 of a banana, and if they want more we will go ahead and cut another banana in half. It is very normal to see half of a banana in a Ziploc bag in my fridge. We found that giving each kid a whole banana ended with a lot of mess and usually someone dropping it. I like the banana sliced into my cereal, but my kids prefer it on the side.

Lunches

Bacon Turkey Sandwiches with Tortilla Chips
Caesar Pasta Salad with leftover Parmesan Chicken
Ham and Egg Salad sandwiches with Carrot Sticks
Dinner Leftovers

Bacon Turkey Sandwiches with Tortilla Chips– We will have a little bit of bacon leftover so to make our sandwich more filling, we will add half of a slice of bacon to each. We usually add some tomato, lettuce, and any sliced cheese we have.

Caesar Pasta Salad with leftover Parmesan Chicken– On the night we make the Ham Pasta, we will go ahead and cook the whole box but save 1/3 of the pasta for this easy lunch. I mix the cold pasta, with a good handful of lettuce, some parmesan cheese, chopped leftover parmesan chicken, squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon, and the Caesar dressing. We will have a bread loaf to use with some dinners, so I like to use up any leftovers by making croutons, or just as cheesy bread on the side. You can also add any leftover vegetables like corn or tomatoes.

Ham and Egg Salad sandwiches with Carrot Sticks– Ham salad gets a little too salty for me, so I cut that taste down by making a salad with hardboiled eggs. I like to add mayonnaise, any pickles I have in the fridge, and a little pepper. This could be a sandwich, or it could be a dip to use with tortilla chips. Since I buy a bag of carrots, I find it easier to go ahead and peel and cut carrot sticks so they are ready to use. I usually save 1-2 whole carrots for sauteed carrots with dinner.

Dinner Leftovers– I try not to overcook my dinners, but I do like to have at least 1-2 extra servings. There should be leftover Potato Soup and the Ham Pasta. These are easy to pack as lunches or to reheat and eat at home.

Dinners

Potato Soup with Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, and Broccoli
Ham, Cheese & Spinach Pasta with Garlic Bread
Garlic Butter Shrimp over Rice with Sauteed Carrots
Smothered Chicken and Rice with Side Salad
Chicken Fajita Bake with Corn & Black Beans
Caesar Chicken with Potato Wedges and Green Beans

Potato Soup with Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, and Broccoli– This is the only dish that may take a while to cook, so I like to make this on a Sunday Night. I like to start with cutting my potatoes in nice 1-inch chunks and putting them in water to boil. You can peel the potatoes if you like, but I keep them on for the extra nutrition in the skins. While the potatoes are boiling, I will go ahead and bake my bacon on a sheet pan. We like to put down a layer of aluminum foil and then cooling racks on top of the pan. This way the grease falls away from the bacon and it is also easy to clean up. Once the potatoes are tender, I will go ahead and add my package of frozen broccoli. (Pro tip: I but the broccoli cuts for this dish because then they are not super big chunks.) I then add 1 cup of milk and 2/3 cup of shredded cheddar to my pot and keep stirring until everything is mixed and melted. I will cook this for another 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup starts to thicken. If you need some more thickness, you can add some sour cream for flavor, and it will make your soup less runny. Since I have the oven on, I will typically make some garlic or toasted butter bread to go with the soup. I add a couple slices of chopped bacon at the end for flavor and crunch. (You can cook a couple of slices in the bottom of the pan when you first start, but I haven’t found much difference taste wise.) As far as seasonings go, I like to stick with the basics of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Ham, Cheese & Spinach Pasta with Garlic Bread– Because I am going to use part of the ham and the pasta for other dishes, I will typically make this on Monday or Tuesday night. In one pot, I will go ahead and boil my whole box of noodles, but I will save 1/3 of the cooked pasta for Caesar Pasta Salad for lunches. In a skillet, I will start by adding half the ham steak that I have chopped into 1/2-inch pieces. The ham is fully cooked but I cooking it adds a little color. Next, I will add my frozen spinach and keep stirring until everything is defrosted. The primary cheese in this dish is cheddar cheese, but to make it creamy I like to add 1/4 of the block of cream cheese that we purchased. Once the spinach is no longer frozen, I will add the cheddar cheese and the cream cheese and keep stirring to combine until melted. By this time, our pasta should be cooked, and I will add the drained pasta to my skillet. Pasta always goes well with garlic bread, so I will use any leftover from Potato Soup night or go ahead and make another small batch in my toaster oven. I love to make garlic bread with fresh garlic because the flavor is so yummy. You can mince it with a knife, use a garlic press, grate it on a small cheese grater, or use a zester.

Garlic Butter Shrimp over Rice with Sauteed Carrots– We don’t eat a lot of seafood, but every once in a while, I get a craving for garlicky shrimp. This is a super easy dish, and it allows us to precook the rice for another night to save time. Rice takes the longest to cook, so I will start my rice with a 2 tbsp of butter in the saucepan. Typically, I only cook 3/4 a cup of rice at a time since that is what we typically will eat in one meal, but this time I will cook 2 full cups of white rice. (That should give us close to 6 cups of rice! Plenty for tonight and at least 2 cups for our baked chicken dish.) Once the rice is cooking, I will start my carrots. I like to go simple and use a little bit of oil in the pan, my diced carrots, and some dried dill seasoning. I sauté these until they are tender and then let them sit until the rest of dinner is ready. Depending on the shrimp that you purchase, you may have to check if you need to devein, peel, or take the tales off. Once the shrimp is fully cleaned, I start with 2 tbsp of butter and melt in a pan that has a lid. Once the butter is melted, I add my shrimp and let it kind of steam with the lid on it. You will know once the shrimp is fully cooked because it should be bright pink. Once it turns pink, I lower the temperature to low-medium and add some minced garlic, a squeeze of half a lime and more butter. (The amount of butter you use will depend on how much sauce you want.) The cooking of the shrimp is very quick, so I like to do this part last. If you overcook the shrimp while you are working on the rice or carrots, it may turn out chewy. Once the shrimp is ready, I like to spoon it over the rice and serve the carrots on the side.

Smothered Chicken and Rice with Side Salad– This is one of those super easy all in one pan kind of meals that I love! We start by using our leftover white rice and coating the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Next, we take our can of cream of chicken soup and 1 1/4 cup of milk. I use a spoon or whisk and make sure this is well combined. Chicken breasts tend to be fairly large, so I take 2 breasts and cut them into tenders. Depending on the size you should be able to cut at least 5-6 “tenders” out of each one. Lay your tenders on top of the rice, and then spread your cream of chicken mixture over the rice and chicken. Put foil over the casserole dish and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the chicken should be fully cooked, so I top the chicken with shredded cheddar cheese and 2-3 pieces of bacon chopped up. Bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted! This dish is a little heavy, so I like to serve it with a simple side salad.

Chicken Fajita Bake with Corn & Black Beans– This is another super easy prep and bake and in the oven. We are going to start by mixing 3/4 of a block of cream cheese with 1/2 a pack of taco seasoning. It is easiest if you let the cream cheese sit on the counter to soften first. Next, we will cut our bell pepper into strips, rinse & drain the black beans, and drain the corn. Depending on the size of the chicken breasts, you can either leave them whole or cut them into tenders. For larger breasts, I cut them down to make cooking quicker. In the bottom of a greased casserole dish, we will put our black beans and corn. (You can add a little salt and pepper at this step.) Next, we will lay out our chicken and use a spoon or knife to top our chicken with the taco seasoning cream cheese mixture. It doesn’t have to be pretty, but I try to get it well topped. I will then use a spoon to add a little salsa to the top of the cream cheese mixture. Then we will sprinkle the top with our bell pepper slices. I like to add a 2 tbsp of water to my pan to help “steam” everything in the oven. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Then remove the foil, and top with some shredded cheese if you like. This chicken comes out so nice and creamy! We usually serve this with some tortilla chips because my kids like to eat it like nachos. Sometimes we break some tortilla chips and sprinkle on top for an added crunch too.

Caesar Chicken with Potato Wedges and Green Beans– This week is all about comfort food and quick, so this next meal is super easy! We will start by cutting our potatoes into wedges or half-moon shapes. I like to lightly coat the potatoes in oil and add some Italian Seasoning Blend. You can also use basil, oregano, or rosemary if you have it. We will put our potatoes on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. While that is baking, I like to cut my chicken breasts into 3 pieces to help make the cooking faster. I dump all the chicken in a bowl and add some Ceasar dressing. I want each piece to be slightly coated but not drowning. When the oven timer goes off, I will flip the potatoes around, and then add my chicken to the pan. Cook for another 20 minutes. This time when the timer goes off, I will add my drained canned green beans. Our goal now is making sure the chicken is fully cooked, our potatoes are tender, and the green beans are warm, so this may take another 5-10 minutes in the oven. Once everything is ready, I pull the sheet pan out of the oven. My kids love this meal and always ask for seconds! Any leftover chicken will be diced up and added to our Cesar Pasta Salad.

Snacks

Carrot and Caesar Dressing
Hard Boiled Eggs or Deviled Eggs
Chips and Salsa
Turkey and Cheese Rollups

My kids are on a savory kick right now, so we have been making 4-6 hard boiled eggs ahead of time early in the week for a snack. If I have the extra time, I will make deviled eggs with a little mayonnaise and relish.

We are also loving a slice of turkey and cheese rolled up or on top of any crackers we have.

Sweet Treat

Rice Krispie Treats

Super easy sweet treat this week and a perfect one to have little helps on too. Basically, you are going to melt some butter, then add your marshmallows. Keep stirring until it is smooth and creamy. Next add your rice cereal and stir as much as you can to combine. Be careful because the pot will be hot!!

Carefully dump the mixture out on to a greased casserole dish and allow to cool. Once fully cooled you can cut into pieces. We like to store ours in a large flat Tupperware dish, but you can also portion them up and put them in small baggies for on the go snacking!

If you are a huge fan of Rice Krispie Treats, you definitely want to make them at home. Check out “Is it cheaper to make or buy Rice Crispy Treats?” where we learned that it is definitely cheaper to make them yourself!

Budget Grocery List for Family

Look through this broken-down by section grocery list and see if you have any of these items already in your pantry or freezer. This will help lower your grocery costs by using what you already have.

This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.

Produce Items	Have on Hand?
Banana x 5
Strawberries
Tomato (x1)
Lettuce
Lemon (x1)
Potatoes
Fresh Garlic
Carrots
Bell Pepper x1
Total: (9 items)

This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.

Meat Items	Have on Hand?
Bacon
Turkey Lunchmeat
Chicken Breasts (need 6)
Ham Steaks
Shrimp
Total: (5 items)

This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.

Dry Good Items	Have on Hand?
Muffin Mix
Canned peaches
Sandwich bread
Rice Krispie Cereal
Marshmallows
Caesar Dressing
French Bread Loaf
Mayonnaise
Canned green beans
White Rice
Cream of Chicken Soup
Canned Corn
Canned Black Beans
Salsa
Taco Seasoning
Tortilla Chips
Pasta
Total: (17 items)

These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.

Frozen Items	Have on Hand?
Frozen Broccoli
Frozen Spinach
Total: (2 items)

These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.

Dairy Items	Have on Hand?
Cottage Cheese
12 count Eggs
Milk (gallon)
Butter
Parmesan cheese
Cheddar Cheese (16oz)
Cream Cheese (8oz)
Total: (7 items)

Weekly Meal Plans on a Budget

I have priced out this meal plan at multiple stores, and at most places it typically runs about $100. If you have some of the items like the dry goods already in your pantry, you can spend even less!

Store	Total
Walmart (Albany, NY)	$90.24
Price Chopper (Albany, NY)	$116.28
Target (Napa, CA)	$106.36
Safeway (Napa, CA)	$127.21
Aldi (Bedford, TX)	$96.94
Albertsons (Bedford, TX)	$104.48
Harris Teeter (Greenville, SC)	$90.45
Food Lion (Greenville, SC)	$92.96
Hy-Vee (Shakopee, MN)	$99.66
Cub Foods (Shakopee, MN)	$110.64
Shaw’s (Warwick, RI)	$109.03
Stop & Shop (Warwick, RI)	$105.97
Schnucks (Florissant, MO)	$111.05
Dierbergs (Florissant, MO)	$143.34
Kroger (Richmond, VA)	$94.06
Publix (Richmond, VA)	$136.80
Lidl (Hatfield, PA)	$115.59
ShopRite (Hatfield, PA)	$98.32
Family Fare (Battle Creek, MI)	$95.62
Meijer (Battle Creek, MI)	$94.87
Total Stores (20)	Average Total: $107.09