Where did summer go? Over the past few days, the smell of back to school has begun to drift on the breeze tickling the tip of my nose. I loved the first day of school when I was a kid! I loved getting all the school supplies labelled and placed just so in my pencil case, picking out my outfit and making lists of all of the things I wanted to do in the new year. Fresh notebooks, sharpened pencils, and a brand new planner! Just thinking about all those things makes my stomach do a tiny flip 😂.
Today is the day! Today, the Kids go back to school… Even if it is only for 2 hours 🤣. They were both up incredibly early and yet we still barely managed to get out of the house in time today 😏. HBear starts her first real year of high school today! Grade 10! Not only did the summer fly by, but it would appear that the past 15 years have also flown by while I wasn’t looking. So many new and incredible experiences are on HBear’s horizon, and I cannot wait for her to experience them all! Have a wonderful year, My Love, you are going to be great!
And my baby, SydneyBean, off to middle school… 😳. She has had a lot of nervous energy this past week as she has tried to temper her expectations while managing her insecurities. Which is a lot for a 10-year-old! 🤪 HBear’s middle school experience was tough and a learning curve for all of us. However, they are totally different kids and I have an amazing feeling about SBean’s grade 6 year! Good luck, Sweetheart, just be yourself and you will be great. 💛
I hope everybody out there has a wonderful first day of school! It’s a clean slate! Today is the day! Let your personalities shine and keep your ears and hearts open! Cheers to a wonderful 2023–2024 school year!
MENU (Feel free to change days up to suit your schedules and your cravings)
Sunday: Cheesy Mustard Baked Chicken with Mashed Potatoes & Steamed Cauliflower and Broccoli
Monday: Sesame Beef Ramen Stirfry
Tuesday: Hoagies with Quick Pepper Relish
Wednesday: Black Bean Pasta
Thursday: Smoked Sausage with Potatoes & Green Beans
Friday: Fall Harvest Vegetable Soup
Saturday: Pork Stirfry & Rice
These items are ALWAYS in my pantry or fridge. This tip bares repeating… As soon as I see an item running out it goes on the my shopping list. If they come up on my PC Points list or go on sale, I buy them. We have a second fridge in the garage, so I always have eggs, mayo, soy sauce, etc. on hand. It may take you a while and some money to get this system going but once you do… your wallet will thank you 🙂
Things I need for this week’s menu that I already have in my kitchen (my staple items) are listed below and in red.
Shopping List
3 chicken breasts
3/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup soy sauce
3/4 white onion
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme (garden)
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt
1 can black beans
1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese + 8 slices (see above 😉)
5 cups broccoli florets
8 carrots (bought a bag)
1 zucchini
I stock up on meat when it’s on sale so I only needed to buy the steak for this week. This is the meat we need at the prices of each.
1 lb ground beef (not extra lean so I’ll make sure I drain!)
$14.27 for 4lbs = $3.56/lb
This week I need 1 lb of ground beef = $3.56
Meat $21.02
Menu $72.67
Lunches & Stock Up $52.79
TOTAL= $146.48
$10.14 UNDER
SUNDAY:
Cheesy Mustard Baked Chicken with Mashed Potatoes & Steamed Cauliflower and Broccoli
Adapted from Foodie Crush
3 chicken breasts
4 tablespoons butter, divided
salt and pepper
1/4 white onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon flour
¾ cup milk
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 cup extra sharp white cheddar cheese & 4 ounces, grated
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated and divided
⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
parsley chopped, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a baking dish with cooking spray and place chicken in the dish. Spread half of the butter onto the chicken breasts and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake the chicken breasts for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is about 155 degrees F.
Remove the chicken breasts from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 475 degrees F. Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts and sprinkle each of them with the panko bread crumbs and remaining parmesan cheese. Bake for 5-10 more minutes or until chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees and the tops of the chicken and sauce is golden brown. Garnish with parsley.
MONDAY:
Sesame Beef Ramen Stirfry
Adapted from 12 Tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece ginger, grated
1 lb lean ground beef
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
2 cups broccoli florets, diced
3/4 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks
3 packages ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/2- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Sesame seeds
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, soy sauce, chicken broth, sesame oil, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, and pepper. Set aside.
In a large wok, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and cook until soft, 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then stir in ginger and garlic. Stir briefly, 15 seconds, then push to the side of the skillet.
While beef cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ramen noodles and cook 1 1/2 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon oil. Set aside.
To serve, sprinkle green onion and sesame seeds over.
TUESDAY:
Adapted from The Food Network
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced small
2 orange peppers, diced small (I used a 1/4 of a red I had too)
1 small onion, diced small
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
3 tablespoons butter
1 smoked sausage, cut into 4 and split open
8 slices provolone (too expensive! I bought aged white cheddar for another recipe & used it here too)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 hoagie buns
Green leaf lettuce
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, jalapenos, bell peppers and onion and sauté for to 4 minutes to soften. Add the vinegar, honey and whole grain mustard. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
While the relish cooks, Add the sausage pieces cut-side down to a heated pan and cook until well browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Flip and place 2 pieces of cheese onto each sausage piece. Cook until the cheese has melted completely, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Build the sandwiches by spreading the mayonnaise on the bottoms of each bun and laying on a piece of lettuce. Top each with a cheese-covered sausage piece and a generous portion of the pepper relish. Replace the top half of the buns and serve.
Adapted from Vegan Cocotte
3/4 bag of pasta (I had a mix of different pastas that I used)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely diced (I used a red onion I had from last week.)
1 carrot, chopped small
1 red pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 jar tomato passata
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously, and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan and sauté the onion, carrot and red bell pepper and I threw in a half of a jalapeño I had on the fridge, chopped finely. for 5-6 minutes on medium heat until softened. Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, red chili flakes and salt and continue to cook for another minute.
Stir in the tomato paste, tomato passata, black beans, corn and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water.
Bring to a boil, then cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss well to cover in sauce.
Stir in the fresh parsley, season to taste and serve immediately.
Adapted from Easy Weeknight Recipes
4 tablespoons olive oil, separated
1 package smoked sausage
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced & separated
¼ cup chicken broth (I used beef broth that I had in the fridge)
fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
½ teaspoon red pepper flake
1 lb green beans, trimmed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon butter
Remove potatoes from skillet; cover and set aside. In the same skillet, heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the sliced sausages and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Season with Italian seasoning and oregano. Stir in 2 cloves of minced garlic, and continue to cook for 20 seconds. Deglaze with the chicken broth and stir around to coat.
Fall Harvest Vegetable Soup
Adapted from Joyous Health
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cups butternut squash, cubed
2 carrots, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 zucchini, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
In a large soup pot, heat olive oil on medium and add onions. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add butternut squash and carrots.
Sauté for 5 more minutes, add stock, celery, zucchini, canned tomatoes. Give a stir.
Add bay leaf, parsley, basil and oregano.
Lastly add the garlic and salt. Give a stir. Bring to a soft boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Pork Stirfry & Rice
Adapted from Small Town Woman
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
⅛ teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 lb. pork, sliced into very thin strips
1 onion, diced
2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces (I also had 1 cup of cauliflower left over that I threw in)
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 green onions, sliced
In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, chili garlic sauce, and cornstarch. Set the bowl aside for a bit.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pork and cook until seared and browned on the bottom. Flip and cook until browned on the other side. Plate the pork and cover it to keep it warm. Work in batches so as not to crowd the pan. Add more oil if needed.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, broccoli, cauliflower, and red bell pepper. Stir fry for about 2 minutes, then add the carrots and continue cooking and stirring for another 1-2 minutes or until everything is crisp tender. Plate the vegetables but do not cover them.
Whisk the sauce that was set aside and add it to the skillet over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking frequently until thickened. Add the pork and veggies back to the skillet and toss to warm. Garnish with sliced green onions.
4 thoughts on “Back to School & September: A Week Long Meal Plan on a Budget”
Your meals look amazing and what fun your family looks to be having together!
Your meals look fantastic! Also, it looks like you all had a blast to end out the summer. Thank you for linking up with Tell It To Me Tuesday! I hope to see you back again this week.
WOW, good luck to your kids for the new school year. All that foam playing looks like a lot of fun.
Thank you for sharing your links with us at #277 SSPS Linky. See you again next week.
Love your meal plan. I appreciate you sharing this. Sending well wishes to you and your children on having a good school year.
Visiting today from TTMT #11&12