Hello March! For the past 5–6 months our menu has had some repeat dishes, lots of stews, soups, and all of our favourite comfort dishes. But, no more! The time sprung ahead this week, and sunshine is on the horizon, so I am picking dishes that are bright, light, and perfect for nicer weather, longer days, and fresh produce that is starting to come into season!
March: Meal Plan on a Budget!
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 the March 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: Tuscan Beef Casserole
Monday: Smothered Chicken Burritos
Tuesday: Ground Pork Banh Mi Bowls
Wednesday: Chicken Ramen
Thursday: Pastina Soup
Friday: One Pot Broccoli Cheese Orzo
Saturday: Asian Burger with Hoisin Ketchup
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 left. The items that I need to buy are listed on the right.
SHOPPING LIST:
STAPLE ITEMS:
4 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons oil
1 cup uncooked orzo
1 cup Parmesan
salt and pepper, to taste
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1/2 cup salsa
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1-3 teaspoons Asian chili garlic sauce
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 lb stewing beef
1 onion
pinch of dried Italian herbs
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 can of cannellini beans
1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch
7 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup water
1 cup frozen peas
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
1 2-inch piece of Parmesan rind
French Fries
NEED TO BUY ITEMS:
French bread
4 burrito tortillas
1 can red enchilada sauce
4 hamburger buns
14L chicken broth
1 sweet onion
2 shallots, minced
2 cups broccoli
13 cloves garlic
parsley
1 bag coleslaw
1/2 red onion
3 sticks of celery
8 carrots
4 large mushrooms
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cucumber
cilantro
5 green onions
5 eggs
1 pound ground pork
1 cup milk
1 rotisserie chicken
3 cups cheddar, shredded
3 packets of instant noodles
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups little pasta
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1.5 cups beef stock
1 packet taco seasoning
2 1/2 tablespoons hot sauce
SUNDAY: Tuscan Beef Casserole
This Tuscan beef casserole isn’t a typical casserole, yet it isn’t a typical stew either. This has comfort dish written all over it, perfect for a Sunday dinner! The addition of white beans instead of using potatoes, makes this the perfect spring stew!
Ingredients
1lb stewing beef
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 sticks of celery, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped into large pieces
4 large mushrooms, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 can of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
Spray a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with some cooking oil spray. Season the beef with salt and black pepper and fry in two batches until lightly browned all over, remove and set aside.
Spray the pan again and add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery and fry for a few minutes to soften.
Add in the red wine vinegar and a little bit of the stock and deglaze the pan, ensuring you scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom. Add back in the beef and any juices, the mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, thyme, onion powder and stock. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Add the beans in for the last 20 minutes.
Mix the cornstarch with a little water to make a slurry, then add this in the casserole, stirring over medium heat until thickened. Taste and season with black pepper as needed. Optional, sprinkle with fresh parsley.
MONDAY: Smothered Chicken Burritos
This is Ninja’s new favourite weeknight dinner! It is SO easy and can be made ahead of time! You could roll up these burritos in the morning, put them into the fridge, and come home after work, pour over a can of sauce, top with shredded cheese and pop into the oven for 25 minutes! That’s it! You could also freeze the burritos without the sauce or cheese and take them out in the morning and top with sauce & cheese and bake as directed. These taste SO good and the Kids Loved them! Easy Peasy Chicken Cheesey!
Ingredients
2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup salsa
1 packet taco seasoning
6 extra large flour tortillas, burrito size
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
chopped cilantro (optional)
sour cream (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, corn, black beans, salsa and taco seasoning.
Lay a tortilla flat and add 3/4 cup of the meat mixture to the centre of the tortilla.
Fold the ends of the tortilla in, then roll it up burrito style. Place in a large casserole dish (9x13 inch) that has been sprayed with oil.
Repeat until all the burritos are rolled and in the casserole dish. Pour the enchilada sauce over the burritos and then top with shredded cheese.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish as desired.
TUESDAY: Ground Pork Banh Mi Bowls
Our whole family loves Pork Banh Mi! We have tried the sandwich version, the noodle version and now the rice bowl version! This is such a fresh and easy weeknight dinner! Perfect for everybody that is on the run. The whole family loved this dish, and it will be added to our summer meal rotation for sure!
Ingredients
1 lb ground pork
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, divided
2 tablespoon fish sauce, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 teaspoon sriracha, divided
3 teaspoon brown sugar, divided
1-2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1/2 - 1 English cucumber, cut into half moons
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups chickne broth
2 teaspoons butter
Salt, to taste
2 green onion, chopped
handful of cilantro, garnish
Directions
In a bowl combine 1/4 cup of the rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and 2 teaspoons brown sugar. Whisk to combine. Add the carrot and cucumbers to the rice vinegar mixture. Use a spoon to stir. Keep the quick pickled vegetables on the counter so that you can stir them every few minutes while preparing the rest of the meal.
Prepare the rice.
Prepare the sriracha mayo by combining 2 teaspoons of sriracha with the 1/2 cup of mayo. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to use.
Add 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sriracha, and 1 teaspoon brown sugar to a bowl and whisk to combine.
Preheat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and crumble cooking 3 to 4 minutes until most of the pink is gone. Drain the pork if needed.
Add the sauce to the pork and continue to cook another 5 to 6 minutes until the ground pork begins to brown. Remove from the heat.
Add a scoop of rice, pickled vegetables, and ground pork. Garnish with the sriracha mayo, green onions and cilantro.
WEDNESDAY: Chicken Ramen
HBear loves ramen. I love ramen. HBear and I have got Ninja and SBean to also jump on our ramen train with this crazy easy dish that is packed full of flavour and deliciousness! The hardest part of this dish, hard boiling the eggs lol. I don’t know why I have such a hard time making hard boiled eggs! Ninja did it this time, on the first try lol I didn’t think it could be done! This dish is easy and delicious!
Ingredients
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon ginger, minced
6 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce depending on how hot you like it
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
3 packets of instant noodles noodles only, discard the flavour packets
4 green onions, chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced in half
1 carrot, peeled and sliced into thin strips
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Directions
Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan, over a medium heat, until the butter melts. Add the garlic and ginger, and fry for 1 minute, stirring often.
Add the stock, soy sauce, sriracha, rice wine, brown sugar, and pepper. Stir together, then add in the shredded chicken.Turn up the heat to high, and bring to the boil, then simmer for 3 minutes to heat through the cooked chicken.
Add the instant noodles, bring back to the boil then simmer for 3 minutes, stirring a couple of times to separate the noodles.
Divide the noodles between four bowls. Ladle over the sauce and add the chicken. Top each bowl with green onions, 2 pieces of egg and strips of carrot. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds.
THURSDAY: Pastina Soup
I’m not going to lie, my family and I could and would, and usually do, eat soup 12 months out of the year. This is a recipe I adapted from Giada, yeah, the beautiful chef from the Food Network! Apparently Pastina means small pasta so it’s up to you, what you would like to use. I looked for little alphabet pasta shapes, but they were sold out and opted for Ditali instead. This was a light soup filled with vegetables, and even though we used frozen peas, fresh spring peas in this soup would be amazeballs!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 shallots, minced
3 sprigs of thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 2-inch piece of Parmesan rind
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups little pasta
1 cup frozen peas (thawed)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
Heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil, celery, carrot, and shallots and cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes, or until softened.
Add the sprigs of thyme, salt, Parmesan rind, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the pasta and stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking to the pan. Return to a simmer and continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes more, or until the pasta is cooked and the liquid is slightly thickened.
Remove the thyme sprigs and Parmesan rind. Stir in the peas. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with grated cheese.
FRIDAY: One Pot Broccoli Cheese Orzo
Do you like macaroni and cheese? If you said, yes, this dish is for you! This is the creamiest, cheesiest, one pot pasta dish ever! We devoured this dinner, and I called all the leftovers! This was also the dish that we were eating when HBear got sassy with me and I flung a spoonful of it at her head! I missed and I hit the patio door which I had to clean and then later Ninja had to re-clean! Lol
Ingredients
2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cup uncooked orzo
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 cup milk
1.5 cups cheddar, shredded
½ cup Parmesan, grated
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Add oil and butter to a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add garlic and carrots and cook down for another few minutes or until the garlic is starting to get tender and fragrant.
Add uncooked orzo and the stock and stir. Once simmering, put the lid on and let cook for about 6 minutes.
Remove lid and add broccoli and milk and stir once more. Put the lid back on and let the dish cook for 4 more minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is tender.
Add the cheese and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
SATURDAY: Asian Burger with Hoisin Ketchup
The pictures for this dish do not do this burger justice! Ninja loved this meal so much, he has already asked for it to be added to our April menu! This burger was absolutely delightful. It was unique, it was filling, and the flavours were like a party in my mouth! TIP: We used the leftover spicy mayo from our Banh Mi Bowls instead.
Asian Burger with Hoisin Ketchup
4-5
servings20
minutes10
minutesIngredients
4 hamburger buns
1 tablespoon oil
1 lb lean ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1-3 teaspoons Asian chili garlic sauce
2 tablespoons & 1 teaspoon soy sauce, separated
2 tablespoons hoisin, separated
1 1/2 tablespoons & 1 teaspoon lime juice, separated
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1 bag coleslaw
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Directions
Add egg to a large bowl and gently whisk. Add ground beef, panko, chopped red onion, 1-3 teaspoons Asian chili garlic sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon hoisin, 1 tablespoon lime juice, brown sugar, salt, dried basil, garlic powder, ground ginger, pepper and mix with your hands just until combined.
Form mixture into 4-5 equal patties roughly the size of your hamburger buns then make a deep impression in the middle of each patty with your thumb. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together ketchup, 1 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon lime juice in a small bowl. Refrigerate.
Whisk together mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon Asian chili garlic sauce in a small bowl. Refrigerate.
Add coleslaw to a large bowl and toss with rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon lime juice, sugar, and sesame oil. Refrigerate.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until brown and slightly charred on one side, about 3-4 minutes, flip, reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook an addition 3-5 minutes or to desired doneness.
Spread hamburger buns with Chili Garlic Mayonnaise, top with Asian hamburgers, top with Hoisin Ketchup followed by Asian Slaw.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Ep.371: Steel Tongs This week, we get together with Spring Break looming. Topics: flooded basement, black cats, spring cocktail, strange noises, Canadian travel, office renovations, public life, & second life on the internet.
The majority of my week was spent in bed. I worked this week, went to the library, enjoyed the sunshine while reading on the balcony, and had lots of cuddles! The Kids had a full week of school, second last curling week, and SBean has been very busy preparing for musical theatre competition that is coming up soon. It was a rough week, but hopefully this week will be better.
2 thoughts on “March: A Week Long Meal Plan”
What an awesome menu for a full week. I think I need to come and visit
Thanks so much for participating and sharing at SSPS 301. See you again next week!
This is going to be a great week for eating at your place. Thanks so much for sharing on SSPS, I hope to see you again next week.