Sunday, October 30, 2016

Meal Plan 2

It's officially fall here in Idaho!!! Today it's chilly, rainy and lazy out. So you'll notice I selected somewhat heavy meals this time. It's my favorite time of the year! Bring on the sweaters, leggings and an extra 5 pounds, baby! It's a little beef and protein heavy this time too.. just remember every recipe can be altered to fit your specific wants and needs! 

Comment and share how much you're spending on groceries each trip and how many trips you make in a month!! Send me some feedback on types of recipes you'd like to see on here! 


Dinners:

Chicken Enchilada Rice Bake

Chicken Quesadilla
I just slice 1-2 chicken breasts very thinly, sauté with some olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin. Then assemble the tortillas with refried or black beans, chicken, cheese and whatever else you want to add. (salsa, rice, avocados, etc.) Toast in a skillet or in the oven until crisp. 

Homemade Pizza
Just pick up your favorite pizza crust, tomato sauce, mozzarella and the pizza toppings you prefer. Bake according to the crust and the cheese is bubbly. For a fun family night, pick up mini crusts and make a toppings bar for the kiddos to assemble their own! I like to put my tomato sauce in a sauce pan, add some seasonings and cook it down until it is between a sauce and paste just to concentrate the flavor a little more.

Grilled Cheeseburgers & Chicken
(2 meals, whenever we fire up the grill, I throw on as much as I can)
I have been craving a cheeseburger like you don't even know, lately. The greasier the better. Don't forget the steak fries!
The leftover BBQ chicken makes great leftovers on salads, in wraps or just reheated. Also try a BBQ chicken quesadilla if you want! Use BBQ sauce and sautéed onion instead of beans, mozzarella instead of cheddar and sliced up leftover chicken. 

Chili 
Feel free to use your favorite chili recipe! I'll share what I do, because it's quick, easy and basic. I just grab a can of kidney beans, pinto beans, Bush's chili beans, small can of tomato sauce, 1lb ground turkey, a small onion and chili seasoning. Cook the turkey and onions, add in the seasoning packet (we tried McCormick's BBQ chili seasoning packet and enjoy that as well for something a little different from time to time) throw in the drained kidney and pinto beans, the whole can of tomato sauce and the can of chili beans. You can heat it up on the stove or the crockpot. Serve with cheese, plain greek yogurt, green onion, crackers or Fritos! You can switch up the beans, opt for no meat, add diced tomatoes, do your thing! 

Fried Rice
http://therecipecritic.com/2013/08/easy-fried-rice/
*If you didn't use your whole bag of frozen shrimp, toss it in!

Ham & Swiss Sliders
http://www.kingshawaiian.com/recipes/hawaiian-ham--swiss-slider/
We never use all of the sauce for topping these sandwiches. You could easily cut it in half, in my opinion. 


Tater Tot Casserole
I hate cream of mushroom soup... cream of anything soup to be honest. But I do like a good tater tot casserole when it's cold and dreary outside. I use 2 lbs of lean ground beef, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 16oz of sour cream (or plain greek yogurt), 1 cup of cheese and 1 bag of frozen tater tots. Mix sour cream and soup together then layer it on top of the browned hamburger. Next, add cheese and top with the tots. Cover in foil. Bake at 350 in a greased 13x9" pan for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes. 

Frittata
(super easy and customizable.)
We like to add some sautéed spinach, ham or bacon, cheese & mushrooms. 






































**This round of meals we are making a large batch of breakfast burritos for breakfast. An hour or so of work and dirty dishes but a hot and hearty breakfast in under 2 minutes all week long.
***With each meal, I like to serve a vegetable and a fruit. Lately I have struggled as my local grocery store is kind of terrible with their produce, but right now they're "renovating". 
*cue eye rolls*
-If you want me to share my sides with each meal as well, let me know!!! -

Groceries
Produce:
1 onion
1 green pepper
Garlic
Cilantro- optional
(Frittata add ins)
(Pizza toppings)
(Burger fixins) 

Center of the Store:
Ketchup
Brown sugar
Mustard
Applecider vinegar
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
2 enchilada sauce cans
Rice
Refried beans
1 can of corn (or frozen)
Black, pinto or refried beans (optional for quesadilla)
Pizza sauce
(Pizza toppings)
Favorite bbq chicken seasoning or marinade
Pinto beans
Kidney beans
Chili beans
Tomato sauce
Chili seasoning
Fritos
Hawaiian rolls
Onion powder
Mayo
Worcestershire
Dijon mustard
Poppy seeds
Cayenne
Garlic powder
Paprika
Olive oil
Cream of mushroom soup

Cold Stuff:
Cheddar cheese
Monterrey jack cheese
Mozzarella
Swiss cheese slices
Butter
Plain greek yogurt or sour cream

Freezer stuff:
Peas
Tater tots

Meat:
4lbs ground beef
1lb ground turkey
6 chicken breast
Eggs
Milk
Ham deli meat
Pork chops
(Pizza & Frittata toppings)

*Don't forget to grab stuff for breakfasts, lunches and snacks!
    However, I wouldn't worry too much about desserts or sweet things this round! Here's a link to 55+ ideas for what to do with all the leftover Halloween candy you'll inevitably have! http://www.somethingswanky.com/55-recipes-using-halloween-candy/

Enjoy!

Happy Shopping,

-The Cheap Mama



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