Ready? Here we go. Six meals are included in the plan leaving one night for what I refer to as CORN or Clean Out the Refrigerator Night.

You’re giddy, don’t worry it happens to the best of us. Leftovers from the first night in this week’s plan are given an overhaul and served on night three. This week’s plan also includes one meatless option. Rotating a meatless or vegetarian meal into your menu plan is a fairly painless way to shrink the grocery budget.

1. Beef shoulder roast, pan roasted vegetables, baked potatoes
Never baked a potato? It’s simple, just scrub, rub with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and prick with a fork. Place on a baking sheet or oven proof dish and bake for at least 1 hour at 400, they’ll need just a little longer at 350. When the roast is done crank the oven up and put in the vegetables, by the time the roast is cut and ready to serve they’ll be done.

2. Eggplant parmigiana over spaghetti with marinara, Caesar Salad
I totally cheat and use bagged Caesar, if you feel industrious feel free to buy and shred your own Romaine lettuce. If you are in a huge hurry, use a jarred sauce. I won’t tell.

3. Beef and cheddar melts on hoagie rolls, steamed broccoli (or serve raw with ranch for dipping)

Beef and Cheddar Hoagie

If you have time, you can make your own rolls, otherwise just grab a pack from the bakery section. Cut hoagie rolls in half and toast under the broiler. Add thin slices of the leftover beef shoulder to each half of the hoagie roll, cover with cheese and place back under the broiler until melty, gooey, and delicious. Serve.

4. Chicken bog, cornbread, collards

Chicken bog is nothing more than a simple jambalaya type dish, don’t be intimidated and don’t forget to pass the hot sauce.

5. Taco Night, refried beans, fried green corn
Brown the meat, season with taco seasoning, and load up the shells with your family’s favorites.

6. It’s brinner time! That’s breakfast for dinner, this week, let’s try French Toast, fresh fruit, and yogurt

If you don’t have apple cider, just use milk, eggs, and cinnamon. If you can make grilled cheese, you’ve got French toast in the bag. Just dip the bread in your egg / milk mixture until well coated but not falling apart and then fry until golden brown.

The shopping list does not include basic pantry items such as flour and sugar, but does include all the spices, as most people keep spices based on their regional and ethnic traditions. Don’t be scared to substitute and remember many of the dry goods and cheeses will not have to be purchased every week. Simply cross off the items you have on hand and purchase amounts apprporiate to the size and appetite of your family. The linked recipes feed families of 4 - 6 with small amounts of leftovers.

If you are fairly new to cooking, your grocery bill will drop significantly once your pantry is stocked with the basic spices and dry goods.

Dairy Case and Products
Butter
Cheddar (potato topping & taco topping)
Eggs
Milk
Yogurt
Sour cream (optional for your baked potatoes and tacos)

Dry Goods:

Bread
Bread crumbs
2 (28oz) cans crushed tomatoes
2 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes
Hoagie rolls
Parmesan Cheese
Refried beans
Rice
Spaghetti noodles
Taco shells or flour tortillas

Freezer:
Broccoli
Corn

Meat:
Beef Shoulder Roast
3-5 lbs chicken bone in chicken parts (or one whole chicken cut up)
2lbs sausage (smoked beef, kielbasa or even smoked turkey)
Ground Beef or Turkey

Miscellaneous:
Red wine, any drinkable variety will do. If you avoid alcohol for religious or other purposes, substitute beef stock.

Produce:
Baking potatoes
Collards
Eggplant
Garlic
Onion
Parsley (optional)
Vegetables for roasting, your choice (ex turnips, parsnips, carrots, celery, sweet potato, cauliflower)
Taco toppings (lettuce, tomato, avocado it’s up to you)

Spices and condiments:

Bay leaves
Italian seasoning
Garlic Powder
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Red Pepper (optional)
Taco Seasoning
Worcestershire

Heather can also be found sharing more domestic time saving tips, tricks and recipes at <a href=”http://www.home-ec101.com”>Home Ec 101</a>

Planning a week’s worth of dinner can be intimidating.  
No worries, I have taken care of all the dirty work, right down to the shopping list.
Six meals are included in the plan leaving one night for what I refer to as CORN or Clean Out the Refrigerator Night. 
This week’s plan also includes one vegetarian option. Rotating a meatless or vegetarian meal into your menu plan is a fairly painless way to shrink the grocery budget.

1. BBQ chicken, green beans, stove top macaroni and cheese

Lentil Casserole

2. Lentil casserole, baked sweet potatoes (scrub, prick the skins with a fork, brush lightly with olive oil and bake at 400F for an hour)

Baked Potato Soup

3. Baked potato soup, tuna melts. Tuna melts are simply a cross between grilled cheese and tuna salad sandwiches. Prepare your tuna salad as usual, then add a couple tablespoons as filling in the center as you assemble your grilled cheese.

4. Beef pepper steak, rice

5. Chicken picante, tossed salad

6. Oven baked chimichangas, refried beans, zucchini with corn and cilantro (Simply heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add sliced zucchini and cook until tender. Add a cup or two of frozen corn kernels stir until heated through, and add some coarsely chopped cilantro. Skip the cilantro if you hate it)

7. Clean Out Refrigerator Night

The shopping list does not include basic pantry items such as flour and sugar, but does include all the spices, as most people keep spices based on their regional and ethnic traditions. Don’t be scared to substitute and remember many of the dry goods and cheeses will not have to be purchased every week. Simply cross off the items you have on hand. Purchase amounts apprporiate to the size of your family. The linked recipes feed families of 4 - 6 with small amounts of leftovers.

If you are fairly new to cooking, your grocery bill will drop significantly once your pantry is stocked with the basic spices and dry goods.

I highly recommend Better Than Bouillon instead of buying canned or boxed stock, not only does it cost less per serving, but it does not have MSG which can be a headache trigger for some people. Additionally it is lower in sodium than most bouillon cubes and dissolves more easily in water, speeding up the cooking process.

Dairy section and products:

American Cheese
Butter
Cheddar (sharp)
Eggs
Half and half
Milk
Sour cream (optional)

Dry Goods:

5oz can evaporated milk
Banana pepper rings (Typically near the pickles and sandwich garnishes, get mild or hot based on your preference)
Beef stock / broth/ or bouillon
Dried lentils
Fettucinni noodles
Macaroni noodles
Mayonnaise
Parmesan cheese
Re-fried beans
Rolled oats (oatmeal, but not instant or quick cooking)
Salsa
Sweet cherry peppers (Typically this is near the pickles and sandwich garnish)
Tortillas
Tuna (canned)

Freezer:

Corn
Green beans

Meat:

Bacon
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Round steak (enough for two meals)

Produce:

Bell peppers
Carrot
Celery
Cilantro
Garlic
Green onions
Onion
Potatoes (Idaho are fine, but Yukon gold work well)
Salad supplies (any produce you deem necessary for a good tossed salad)
Sweet potatoes
Zucchini

Spices:

Basil
BBQ Rub or make your own
Cajun spice mix
Dry mustard
Hot sauce, such as Tabasco
Soy Sauce
Vinegar

Heather also blogs at <a href=”http://www.home-ec101.com”>Home Ec 101</a>.

Planning a week’s worth of dinner can be intimidating.  No worries, I have taken care of all the dirty work. Right down to the shopping list. Six meals are included in the plan leaving one night for what I refer to as CORN or Clean Out the Refrigerator Night. This week’s plan includes one vegetarian option instead of the usual fish. If your family refuses a meatless meal, a pound of browned ground beef could be substituted for the kidney beans in meal #5. These meals do not have to be prepared in any particular order, simply arrange them as best fits your schedule.

The shopping list does not include basic pantry items such as flour and sugar, but does include all the spices as most families keep spices based on their regional and ethnic traditions. Don’t be scared to substitute and remember many of the dry goods and cheeses will not have to be purchased every week. Simply cross off the items you have on hand. If you are fairly new to cooking, your grocery bill will drop once your pantry is stocked with the basic spices and dry goods.

Let’s get started:

1. Pot roast with onions, carrots, and celery, rice, and gravy.  This meal works well with a crockpot, leaving only the rice and gravy to be prepared near dinner time. If you are completely intimidated by the idea of making gravy, consider using a jar or packet, but don’t forget to add it to the shopping list.

2. Pork chops fake-n-bake style, baked apples, collards. Baked apples are a cinch, remove most of the core, don’t cut through to the bottom. Fill the hole with butter and brown sugar, place in an oven safe dish and bake for 15 minutes with the pork chops or a little longer if you like the apples quite soft.  If you want to be particularly naughty, try these for dessert stuffing the apples with Fun Size Snickers or Milky Ways.

3. Chicken, mushrooms, and peppers, roasted acorn or butternut squash. Squash is an excellent and simple autumn or winter side. Simply cut in half, place face down in an ovensafe dish add 1/4″ of water, and bake at 350F or 400F until the skin can easily be pierced with a fork.

4. Super simple cream of broccoli and grilled cheese or ham and cheese sandwiches.

5. Not Quite Shepherd’s Pie (lacto-ovo vegetarian), tossed salad

6. Sloppy joes, baked potato wedges, and raw vegetables

Shopping List

Dairy Case & Products:

Butter
Cheddar
Cheese of choice for grilled cheese
Eggs
Milk

Dry Goods:

Beef bouillon or stock
Bread crumbs
5oz can evaporated milk
Chicken bouillon or stock
Cornstarch
Hamburger buns
1 can kidney beans
Rice
Tomato paste
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
Vegetable bouillon or stock

Freezer:

Broccoli florets & stems (Just florets is fine)
Frozen vegetables for the shepherds pie

Meat:

Bacon or Sausage (optional, for the collards)
3-5lb bone in chicken (1 whole cut up is perfect)
Chuck roast
Ground beef or turkey
Pork chops
Sliced ham (optional for sandwiches)

Produce:

Apples (Not Red Delicious, get something suitable for baking, but not necessarily as tart as Granny Smith)
Acorn or Butternut Squash
Bell peppers
Bulb Garlic
Button mushrooms
Carrots
Celery
Collard greens
Onions
Potatoes (2 side dishes + 1 extra potato)
Tossed salad “fixings”

Spices and Condiments:

Bay leaves (optional)
Cayenne (optional)
Chili powder
Dry mustard
Garlic powder
Montreal steak seasoning
Nutmeg (optional)
Paprika
Red wine (optional)
Rosemary (optional)
Rubbed sage
Thyme
Worcestshire sauce

Heather also blogs at Home Ec 101. To see what her family is eating, click here.

Planning a week’s worth of dinner can be intimidating.  No worries, I have taken care of all the dirty work. Right down to the shopping list. Let’s get started.

1. Fettucini alfredo with blackened beef tips and broccoli, Caesar salad (To speed everything up and for those just transitioning to cooking more at home simplify this meal by using jarred sauce and bagged salad.)

2.Black bean burritos with your choice accompaniments (When topped with items such as shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, rice, guacamole, tomatoes etc) all of the food groups are covered. Feel free to use either canned or dry black beans. This recipe is great for a crockpot or slow cooker.

3. Garlic and soy chicken thighs, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli - after steaming toss in a pan on medium heat with a TBSP of olive oil and two - three teaspoons of soy sauce

4. Ground beef and cabbage skillet, green beans This meal also works great in a crockpot

5. Oven fried fish and chips, peas with almonds

6. Peppers and onions, sauteed cabbage

7. C.O.R.N. - Clean Out Refrigerator Night hurray!

Not included in the grocery list are standard pantry items: flour, yeast, sugar, and cooking oil (usually olive, sometimes vegetable). Determine the amount of each item based on the size of your family. All of the linked recipes come from my site Home Ec 101 and easily serve a family of 4 - 6 with leftovers eaten at lunch and one night of the week.

Spices will be listed, as what is considered common can vary by region and ethnicity. Simply cross off those you already have.

Dairy Case & Products

Butter
Cheese - shredded Taco mix or cheddar
Guacamole (optional)
Half and half
Milk
Parmesan

Dry Goods:

Almonds
Black beans (canned or dry your choice)
Bread crumbs
Cornmeal (white or yellow truly won’t matter)
Fettuccine noodles
Honey
15 oz can diced tomatoes (optional)
15oz can tomato sauce
6oz Tomato paste
Tortillas

Freezer:

Green beans
Peas

Meat:

Cod or whiting
Ground beef or turkey
Sausage links (your choice Italian sweet or hot, kielbasa, brats etc)
Sirloin tip steak
Chicken thighs

Produce:

Broccoli
Cabbage
Cilantro
Garlic
Green onions
Lime
Potatoes
Tomato
Yellow or white onions

Spices / Condiments:

Bay leaf (optional)
Cajun Seasoning
Cayenne pepper - optional
Crushed red pepper - optional
Dill
Hot sauce (like Tabasco) - optional
Soy Sauce
Thyme

Planning a week’s worth of dinner can be intimidating.  No worries, I have taken care of all the dirty work. Right down to the shopping list. To save money, because we all could use a little extra, the leftovers from one meal may be used as an ingredient in a meal later in the week.  This week both Ready? Good.

Photo Credit sfllaw

• Roast chicken, pan roasted carrots and celery, rice.

Double the amount of rice you usually prepare and immediately and save it, along with any leftover chicken for future use.

• Taco night, with zucchini and cilantro for a side dish.

You know what your family likes, serve hard or soft shells, cheese, sour cream or guacamole.  Season ground beef or turkey and serve with diced tomatoes, chopped lettuce, and shredded cheese. This is a great meal for a busy night.

• Beef stir fry, fried rice.

Skip the noodles and use plain old button mushrooms, if you want to use fancy ’shrooms, go right ahead. Use the extra rice from Monday night to cut down your time in the kitchen. (Alternately save some of your chopped vegetables for tomorrow’s soup)

Photo Credit: Donna Grayson

• Chicken noodle soup

Use your leftover chicken for the meat  If your family insists soup alone isn’t a meal add grilled cheese or ham sandwiches.

• Dilled salmon, roast potatoes, steamed broccoli.

If you are new to cooking fish, I can’t recommend salmon enough; it’s a lot more forgiving than other varieties. Roast potatoes are a piece of cake. Wash the potatoes, cut them into chunks, about 1″ in size, toss with olive oil and garlic powder or salt (just be careful is someone at your table is heavy handed with the salt shaker) and cook with the salmon until nicely browned.  They will take a little longer than the fish, so it’s perfectly fine to put them in on the bottom rack before you prep the fish for cooking. If you want them really browned and slightly crisp on the outside, toast them under the broiler for a few moments after the fish is done.

• Pizza night

Not up for making your own crust? That’s fine, grab a loaf or three of Italian bread. This sauce can be made in the crockpot.

• C.O.R.N. That’s right, it’s Clean Out Refrigerator Night!

Contain your excitement kids, you’ll get to experience it again next week, too!

The Grocery List

Not included in the grocery list are standard pantry items: flour, yeast, sugar, and cooking oil (usually olive, sometimes vegetable). Determine the amount of each item based on the size of your family. All of the linked recipes come from my site Home Ec 101 and easily serve a famiy of 4 - 6 with leftovers eaten at lunch and one night of the week.

Spices will be listed,as what is considered common can vary by region and ethnicity. Simply cross off those you already have

Groceries:

Meat:
whole chicken
round steak
ground beef or chicken
salmon
pepperoni or sausage for pizza (unless you prefer vegetarian pizzas, of course)

Vegetables:
yellow or white onions
celery
carrots (whole, baby carrots lack a lot in the flavor department)
head broccoli
frozen corn
zucchini
baby spinach
mushrooms
green onions
garlic (bulb or minced in water)
cilantro
Any vegetables you consider great pizza toppings

Canned Items & Dry Goods:
28oz can crushed tomatoes
8oz can tomato sauce
molasses (near the maple syrup)

Dairy:
Mozzarella
shredded cheddar or taco mix cheese
plain yogurt

Miscellaneous:
Taco seasoning
soy sauce
sesame oil
Spices on hand:
powdered garlic or garlic salt
dill weed
salt / pepper
Cajun seasoning (optional, it’s just how we have our roast chicken)
poultry seasoning

Do you create a weekly menu plan? Tell us more at the Blissfully Domestic social network!

Heather also blogs at Home Ec 101.