Summer Meal Planning Thread with budget saving ideas!

Tonight ended up being a cookout at my parents pool... we did stuffed green peppers, hashbrown casserole and corn on the cob. My parents supplied the sides and I did the peppers- $9 (.99c x 4 for the peppers and ~$5 for the pepper stuffing mixture). I brought home leftover meat and left some with my parents, too, it was more than enough.

Monday: boneless chicken breasts on the grill (<$2), veggie from freezer (.88c), rice/pasta side (.49c)

Tuesday: Stuffed peppers, corn on the cob, baked potatoes (leftover meat mix, peppers and corn from my parents garden, so only about .50c for the potatoes)

Wednesday: Beefy Skillet Ravioli (new recipe, unsure of cost at moment)

Thursday: Pepperoncini Pasta w/chicken (new recipe, not budget friendly but I have everything in my pantry already, so we're going to try it)

Friday: Stir-Fry beef with white rice... about $5
 
Ok, I went to the grocery today and just now started thinking about my dinner menu for the week. I guess I should have thought about that before I went!

Here is my rough menu for the week:

Monday: Hamburger steaks, potatoes and onions and mushrooms; $13.00
Tuesday: Hotdogs, baked beans and shells n cheese; $4.00
Wednesday: Crockpot meatballs w/onion gravy, egg noodles and peas; $4.50
Thursday: Crockpot barbeque pork, cornbread and corn on the cob; $$6.00
Friday: Chicken pesto pizza; $$4.50
 
Our menu for the week...
Monday- Shrimp Alfredo, salad $4.00
Tuesday- French toast, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit $3.00
Wednesday- Chicken tettrazini, green beans, salad $3.50
Thursday- Tuna sandwiches, carrot/celery sticks, fresh fruit $3.50
Friday- Chicken Alfredo, broccoli/carrots, corn bread $4.50
 
This thread is great! I'm going grocery shopping tomorrow so I'll try and post my dinners for the week. Thanks for all the ideas!
 

I spent $150 on groceries today but am stockpiling at the moment and got a HUGE amount of food for that price (and a month's worth of DD's diapers on clearance)!

We also have 'breakfast for dinner' on Saturday nights - smoothies and pancakes or waffles (with blueberries or strawberries inside them), plus I will make some turkey bacon or veggie bacon (only 1/2 package - DH is on a low-cholesterol diet). Yum! That's 4 dinners right there! I just made a list of the dinners we like and we'll have each one twice a month...not bad. ;)

I better crash...
 
dd is gone for the week. she is out of town visiting relatives. what i usually do when i only have to cook for myself is make 2 or three things and eat it for lunches and dinners until it is gone. or i freeze leftovers into my own tv dinners. i went over to my sisters house tonight. she had the the items on hand so i made pasta with alfredo sauce from the kraft website of course! :) tommorrow i'll be having meatloaf,mashed potatos, frozen veg from freezer. i didnt make chicken casserole last week so ill make it this week and have salad with it.not sure if ill make chicken and rice or chicken and stuffing casserole. ill get through the week eating those two items adding breakfast for dinner if im not in the mood for whats already made.

i went to cvs and got 2 boxes of cereal. saved 5.29 (buy 1 get 1 free and had a coupon) spent 3.29. i also went to price rite and spent $18.00. i really dont need anything else this week. saturday ill probably hit cvs again depending on whats on sale.
 
We arrived home yesterday from our weekend getaway, and were full from eating out all weekend, so no dinner... Also too tired to shop as of today, so prices will be estimated.

Monday: Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup (already in the house) but around $3.00
Tuesday: Spaghetti with garlic crisps $2.50
Wednesday: London Broil, baked potato, corn from the cob $7.00
Thursday: Taco's - hamburger/left over steak if any, chicken, refried beans, and fruit $4.50
Friday: Open to ideas - I have chicken, turkey ham, hamburger meat, hot dogs, and italian sausage... Any ideas sound just really yummy??:confused3

Satuday: Always left open because my children are always busy.

I am not going shopping this week. I have everything I need except milk, bread. So that will be under $5.00. The rest of food we need to just use up. This works out well as the money for the weekend can be deducted from here, leaving me maybe one more overnight with the kids this summer!:banana:


Next week is my summer stock-up. I am late, so I will only do a 1/2 trip as the next one will be end of August before school starts again.
 
momx2 Would you share the meatballs in mushroom gravy recipe? I still have some meatballs left after spaghetti and meatball subs and that sounds like a good 3rd meal from them! Thanks!
 
^^^

Yes - please share - my dh would love this:goodvibes
 
momx2 Would you share the meatballs in mushroom gravy recipe? I still have some meatballs left after spaghetti and meatball subs and that sounds like a good 3rd meal from them! Thanks!

Sure, I love this recipe for the ease and my kids both love it. I use the bagged meatballs, but leftover should be fine too.

1 lb. frozen meatballs
1 jar beef gravy (or 2 envelopes beef gravy mixed with 2 cups water)
1 onion cut into chunks (I quarter and then half the quarters)
1 teaspoon allspice
1 tbsp. worsheshire sauce

Put meatball in crock, add onions, pour gravy over them. Add allspice and worsheshire sauce and mix. Cook until done, about 4 hours on high and about 6 on low.

I serve over 6 oz. of egg noodles.

We had this tonight and it is all gone now. Yum!
 
We arrived home yesterday from our weekend getaway, and were full from eating out all weekend, so no dinner... Also too tired to shop as of today, so prices will be estimated.

Monday: Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup (already in the house) but around $3.00
Tuesday: Spaghetti with garlic crisps $2.50
Wednesday: London Broil, baked potato, corn from the cob $7.00
Thursday: Taco's - hamburger/left over steak if any, chicken, refried beans, and fruit $4.50
Friday: Open to ideas - I have chicken, turkey ham, hamburger meat, hot dogs, and italian sausage... Any ideas sound just really yummy??:confused3

Satuday: Always left open because my children are always busy.

I am not going shopping this week. I have everything I need except milk, bread. So that will be under $5.00. The rest of food we need to just use up. This works out well as the money for the weekend can be deducted from here, leaving me maybe one more overnight with the kids this summer!:banana:


Next week is my summer stock-up. I am late, so I will only do a 1/2 trip as the next one will be end of August before school starts again.

Well I crashed my plans for this week. I have been terrible, but I am getting back on track tonight.

Since we didn't go as planned:

Thursday: Spaghetti pie (I have some left overs that will make this budget friendly for me, so pray that mozzarella sticks melt..:lmao:)

Friday: London Broil grilled with baked potatoes, and corn.

So I am making myself accountable starting again today.
 
Well I crashed my plans for this week. I have been terrible, but I am getting back on track tonight.

Since we didn't go as planned:

Thursday: Spaghetti pie (I have some left overs that will make this budget friendly for me, so pray that mozzarella sticks melt..:lmao:)

Friday: London Broil grilled with baked potatoes, and corn.

So I am making myself accountable starting again today.


For your mozzerela sticks:
pixiedust:pixiedust:pixiedust:


:rotfl:
 
Monday: boneless chicken breasts on the grill (<$2), veggie from freezer (.88c), rice/pasta side (.49c)

Tuesday: Stuffed peppers, corn on the cob, baked potatoes (leftover meat mix, peppers and corn from my parents garden, so only about .50c for the potatoes)

Wednesday: Beefy Skillet Ravioli (new recipe, unsure of cost at moment)

Thursday: Pepperoncini Pasta w/chicken (new recipe, not budget friendly but I have everything in my pantry already, so we're going to try it)

Friday: Stir-Fry beef with white rice... about $5

Well I crashed my plans for this week. I have been terrible, but I am getting back on track tonight.

Since we didn't go as planned:

Thursday: Spaghetti pie (I have some left overs that will make this budget friendly for me, so pray that mozzarella sticks melt..:lmao:)

Friday: London Broil grilled with baked potatoes, and corn.

So I am making myself accountable starting again today.

My week got blown to heck and back too. DH wanted Pizza Hut pasta Tuesday night so we did that and bumped the leftovers to Wednesday night. Then his uncle called, they're coming in from out of town and they're all getting together for a big family dinner so we're headed that way tonight for that.
So I bumped stir-fry and pepperochini pasta from my menu for the week. I ended up making two peanut butter & fudge swirl pies and crock-pot Macaroni and cheese for tonight, though.

Tomorrow is the beefy skillet ravioli.
 
tuna cakes, corn on cob, fruit
taco night
creamy veggie soup, cheddar-garlic biscuits, fruit
poppyseed chicken casserole, cheesy broccoli
goulash, peas, garlic bread
grilled BBQ chicken, potato/onion packets on grill, fresh pineapple
homemade pizza night

Can you give us the recipe for poppyseed chicken casserole? Sound yummy and I have some poppyseeds in the pantry
 
I can give you a chicken poppyseed casserole recipe. I'm not sure if it's the same one as the PP mentioned but it's yummy!

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup of sour cream
1 Tbsp of poppyseeds
2 sleeves of Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter, melted
Chicken flavored seasoning

I usually boil the chicken in chicken broth and then shred it and add chicken seasoning to taste. In a bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup, the sour cream, and the chicken together. Add the poppyseeds. Dump the mixture into a 16 x 9 baking dish and spread evenly. Crush the Ritz crackers and mix with the melted butter. Spread the cracker mixture on top of the chicken and bake uncovered at 350 for 30 mins or until lightly browned.

My boys love this and ask for it all the time! Enjoy!!!
 
This week has gone really well so far. Tonight we did end up going out to eat but it was only because my Aunt and Uncle also decided to come to our side of town to join us for dinner and they wanted BBQ.

Tomorrow I am hoping to either make cincinnati chili or turkey burgers. It depends on how early we get to the grocery store.

OMG, someone in Cleveland is making Cincinnati Chili??????? Got to have our Skyline Chili......
 
I can give you a chicken poppyseed casserole recipe. I'm not sure if it's the same one as the PP mentioned but it's yummy!

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup of sour cream
1 Tbsp of poppyseeds
2 sleeves of Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter, melted
Chicken flavored seasoning

I usually boil the chicken in chicken broth and then shred it and add chicken seasoning to taste. In a bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup, the sour cream, and the chicken together. Add the poppyseeds. Dump the mixture into a 16 x 9 baking dish and spread evenly. Crush the Ritz crackers and mix with the melted butter. Spread the cracker mixture on top of the chicken and bake uncovered at 350 for 30 mins or until lightly browned.

My boys love this and ask for it all the time! Enjoy!!!

This.
 
Okay, I am suppose to grill tonight, but it is pouring out. I really don't want to heat up the house. So I am officially...... Doing breakfast for dinner.

So tomorrow, we will eat steak!!:worship::rotfl2:
 
DisneyBound31 and BoogasMom

THANKS to both of you. I was imagining a casserole with pasta to make up bulk. This looks YUMMY. Rich but delicious.

I will try it next week.
 





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