According to Canada’s Food Price Report for 2024, a family of 4 will spend $16,297.20 on food this year — that’s up $701.79 from 2023!
That’s $1,358.10 a month.
That’s roughly $313.40 a week.
NEW CHALLENGE!!!
Let’s feed me, my husband, our 15 year old and our 11 year old for about HALF that and make a week long menu plan for under $160.00!
Here is February’s weekly meal plan staying close to my budget of $160.00! I want you to have all the tools to be able to feed your family 7 healthy(ish) meals, while not putting yourself into the poorhouse! I hope you enjoy and please let me know if you follow this weekly plan and if you were able to stick to the budget! NEW FEATURE ALERT!!!! Now you can click on the recipe listed in the MENU below and it will take you directly to the recipe!!
MENU
Sunday: Pork Chops with Scalloped Potatoes & Corn
Monday: Turkey Melt with Mom’s Mandarin, Feta & Spinach Salad
Tuesday: White Cheddar Broccoli Shells
Wednesday: Creamy Potato Bacon Soup
Thursday: Beef and Rice Casserole
Friday: Chicken Orzo
Saturday: Classic English Breakfast
Staple Items
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 on the right. The items that I need to buy are listed on the left.
So here is the thing, I make game time decisions while I am grocery shopping. Turkey at the deli was $4.56/g!!!!! That’s crazy! So I bought ham for our sandwiches because it was on for $2.00/g! Same with tomatoes, the small clamshell was $4.00 but a big clamshell was on for $5.00. I decided not to get the 3 big tomatoes on the list and got the big clamshell of grape tomatoes instead! I bought bowtie pasta instead of shells because my Kids like bowties better than shells! Don’t be scared to change up the recipe to suit your family’s tastes, wants and needs. That’s a big thing with cooking, as you do it more and more, you feel more comfortable adapting the recipe and that can tailor your shopping list to be more suited to your family instead of mine.
SHOPPING LIST:
NEED TO BUY:
8 slices sourdough bread
2 cans baked beans
3 tomatoes
8-10 mushrooms
3 green onions
loaf of bread of choice
8 slices deli turkey
6 cups fresh baby spinach
1 lb pasta
3 cups broccoli florets
2 cups milk
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
3 cups white cheddar cheese + 4 slices
2 ribs celery
10 oz can chili Tomatoes
parsley for garnish if desired
10 oz cherry tomatoes
¼ cup basil pesto
8 Eggs
10 cloves garlic
1 cup orzo
1 can mandarin oranges
STOCKED UP ITEMS:
1 package breakfast sausages
3-4 pork chops
6 potatoes
7 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 can niblet corn
1/4 cup honey mustard
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 ½ onion
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon cornstarch
cayenne pinch
1 lb lean ground beef
1 red bell pepper
1 ½ cups beef broth
1 cup long grain rice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 chicken breasts
1/4 toasted almonds
1/2 cup tablespoons oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup toasted almonds
1/4 cup Feta cheese
11 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
Sunday: Pork Chops with Scalloped Potatoes and Corn
This was the perfect Sunday dinner. The pork chops were moist and juicy & the potatoes were tender and full of flavour. We loved that this dish was easy and came together in no time! It was filling and set us up for a good week of work, school, and play.
Pork Chops with Scalloped Potatoes & Corn
4
servings5
minutes55
minutesIngredients
3-4 pork chops
4 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 can niblet corn
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Arrange potatoes and onion on bottom of baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.
Brown and season pork chops and put on top of potatoes and onion layer.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until combined. Add broth and bring to boil. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Cook and stir until thickened.
Pour sauce over pork chops.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Cook corn in a microwaveable dish for 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute.
Serve with corn and enjoy.
Monday: Turkey Melt with Spinach Salad
This is a favourite sandwich of ours and we have had it many times before. Same with this fresh and delicious salad! If you would like to see step by step pictures see my original post on these delicious sandwiches, HERE! I served this with My Mom’s Mandarin and Feta Salad but I used spinach instead of lettuce and fresh strawberries instead of oranges because we haven’t had fresh strawberries in SO long!!! It was so fresh and tasty!
Ingredients
8 slices sourdough bread
4 tablespoons honey mustard, divided
4 slices white cheddar cheese, divided
8 slices deli turkey, divided
1 tomato thinly, sliced
1 cup fresh baby spinach, divided
8 slices bacon, cooked
4 tablespoons butter, divided
Directions
Spread ¼ tablespoon honey mustard on both sides of each piece of bread (8 sides total).
Place one slice (or enough to cover the bread) of cheese on each piece of bread.
Layer 2 slices deli turkey, tomato slices and ¼ cup baby spinach on 2 pieces of bread.
Place 2 slices of bacon on remaining 2 pieces of bread.
Close sandwiches. Each sandwich should have one piece of bread with turkey, tomatoes, and spinach and one piece of bread with bacon. Spread ½ tablespoon butter on outside of each piece of bread (4 sides total).
Heat large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once hot, place sandwiches in skillet. Toast bread for 3 to 4 minutes on one side, then flip and toast bread another 3 to 4 minutes on other side, or until cheese is melted and sandwich is warmed through.
Ingredients
4 cups spinach
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
1 can mandarin oranges, drained (I used fresh strawberries instead)
Directions
Add oil, vinegar, and sugar into a jar and shake well.
Add 1 cup spinach to bowl, top with dressing, 2 tablespoons feta cheese and oranges. Optional: add 2 tablespoons toasted almonds
Tuesday: White Cheddar Broccoli Pasta
This was a creamy pasta with crunchy broccoli that oozed cheesey deliciousness. You could use whatever pasta you want, we used bowties because the Kids love them. There were not leftovers with this pasta dish and even Ninja who isn’t the biggest fan of white sauce pasta, loved this dish!
Ingredients
1 lb pasta
3 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups white cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt & pepper, to taste
Directions
Cook pasta shells according to package instructions in lightly-salted water until al dente. Set aside.
Bring a medium pot of lightly-salted water to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add broccoli and allow broccoli to simmer 3-5 minutes until tender. Set aside.
Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and let cook 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Slowly drizzle in milk and cream, whisking constantly until smooth and incorporated.
Cook sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sauce is bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat and add cheeses, garlic powder, and onion powder, whisking until cheese is melted.
Fold shells and broccoli into sauce until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Wednesday: Creamy Potato Bacon Soup
I have a few potato bacon soup recipes. I LOVE potato bacon soup. This one is by far the easiest and best for a weeknight dinner. There is no immersion blending or long simmering times. This is a 40 minute comfort dinner that will fill you up with warmth. The pictures do NOT do this soup justice. I had a rough few days this week and Ninja was cooking dinners, running the kids to activities AND taking pictures before getting these dishes on the table. He is a SAINT but not really a photographer LOL.
Ingredients
8 slices bacon, chopped
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, diced
3 cups chicken broth
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced ½"
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
salt & pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
parmesan cheese & sliced green onions, optional garnish
Directions
Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add onion, garlic, and celery to the bacon fat and cook 3-4 minutes or until onion softens slightly.
Stir in chicken broth, potatoes, and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in cream and simmer for 5 minutes longer.
Combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water to create a slurry. Whisk into the simmering soup and simmer 1 minute. Stir in half of the bacon. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.
Spoon into bowls, top with parmesan cheese, remaining bacon and green onions.
Thursday: Beef and Rice Casserole
One pan dishes are the BEST! This was a colourful comfort dish that was hearty and different from our regular meals. Made in 1 pot, this dish was an amazing meal for a family on the run. As each member came home from activities, bowls were dished up and heaping and dinner was eaten in BIG mouthfuls. It’s just that easy. Everyone asked for leftovers the next day in their school thermoses.
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 can chili diced tomatoes - do not drain
1 ½ cups beef broth
1 cup long grain rice
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 - 1 cup cheese, shredded
parsley, optional for garnish
Directions
In a large skillet, brown ground beef, garlic, salt and pepper over medium heat. Drain and return to the stove at medium heat.
Stir in the garlic, onion, and peppers. Continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes to soften the onions and peppers
Add the beef broth, rice, undrained diced tomatoes, and Worcestershire Sauce to the skillet and stir until well combined.
Bring everything to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for another 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle generously with the cheese. Cover the skillet and let the mixture rest for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
Friday: Chicken Orzo
2 One pan dinners in a row? Yes please! This was a stunner. This was THE dish of the week. I mean that pork dinner was AMAZING but this chicken orzo dish was everything! It was creamy, tasty, easy, beautiful and absolutely bursting with flavour. Each element of this dish was packed with Mediterranean tastes that will make your mouth sing!
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt & pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons oil, divided
1 cup orzo, uncooked
5 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cups chicken stock
5 oz fresh spinach
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup basil pesto
Directions
Slice chicken breasts into thin strips. Generously season the chicken with smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add chicken. Cook the chicken on medium heat for about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate.
To the same, now empty, skillet, add uncooked orzo, minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the orzo on medium heat, stirring, for about 2 minutes until browned.
Add 2 cups of chicken stock, half of the cherry tomatoes, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 or 10 minutes, occasionally stirring to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the orzo is cooked through.
Add spinach and the remaining cherry tomatoes. Stir everything on low-medium heat until the spinach wilts. Add heavy cream and basil pesto to the skillet with orzo and veggies and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Return the chicken to the skillet. Allow the chicken to simmer in the sauce to heat through and until the chicken is completely cooked through.
Saturday: Classic English Breakfast
We love our breakfast ls for dinner. Nothing beats a dippity egg and hot buttered toast. Except if you add sautéed cherry tomatoes and mushrooms, toss in some turkey sausages and baked beans! We used 2 cans of baked beans but you could and should lol make My Mother In Law’s Bestest Baked Beans. I used to date an English fella and his mom made the BEST English breakfast! This reminded me of those yummy memories, next I will have to try to make her English roasted potatoes!!!!
Ingredients
8 bread slices
2 cans baked beans
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 package breakfast sausages
2 tomatoes or 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
10 mushrooms, cleaned or peeled
8 eggs
salt & pepper, to taste
2 green onions, chopped
Directions
Prepare the baked beans according to directions on can.
Add oil to a large frying pan. When hot, place sausages, tomatoes and mushrooms in the pan. Cook on medium to low heat till it is well seared and cooked completely. Keep flipping and stirring until cooked, set aside.
Toast bread and spread with butter. Set aside.
Heat butter in the pan. Crack eggs, season with salt and pepper and cook to your liking.
Place a couple of sausages, fried eggs, grilled mushrooms, tomatoes, toast and baked beans on your plate. Sprinkle with green onions, season with salt & pepper to taste and serve.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Ep.368: Making Friends. This week, we get together to discuss: Genesis Open, French Blonde, music lessons, Valentine’s Day, food by province, SOW, duets, and Canadian hip hop.
This week I continued my Planking Challenge, bought myself a new book, spent 2 days reading it and then read the 3rd book in another series. They were both fantastic! HBear did the dishes, Ninja made us Star Wars pancakes, and SBean practiced new gymnastics tricks. Ninja and I went out on a Valentine’s Day date to see duelling piano players while the Kids had dinner with my Dad, J and her Mom. This weekend was a long weekend and HBear volunteered at the school on Pro D Day, Oliver enjoyed the sunshine and Ninja took the Kids to Tickleberries for their first cone of the season! We spent Family Day with my Dad, Sis and her family Geocaching in Peachland! It wasn’t super warm out but it was nice to get out in the frsh air and having a heated scarf helps a lot too! LOL
2 thoughts on “February Meal Plan”
Lovely compilation. Quick question: Mom’s Feta & Spinach Salad you have mandarin listed as an ingredient but it does look like strawberries to me.
Yes! I switch up the fruit for whatever is in season! I talk about the advantage of using different fruits in my description of the meal, oranges are the best but strawberries are a delicious spring change up! Thanks for reading and commenting!