Skip to main content

26 Meals for $165

Meal prep day is always a good day in my house. Today I prepped 26 meals for less than $165 (about $6/meal). If you're curious how to do your own meal prep, check out this post. Or you can simply follow these recipes and grocery list.

 Here's what's on the Menu |

Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Pad Thai
Chicken Fettuccine
Teriyaki Chicken
Honey Apple Pork Loin
Pulled Pork
Three Bean Chili & Cornbread
Tacos
Salsa Chicken Burrito Bowls
Teriyaki Salmon
Ranch Chicken
Italian Sausage Subs

(make 2 of each)

 Grocery List |

Meat:
4 bags of pre-made meatballs
1 large pork loin (8 lbs.) or 4 2 lb. pork loins
4 lbs. ground beef
2 bags salmon filets
5 3 lb. bags of chicken breasts
2 packages Italian sausage links

 Canned:
4 jars marinara sauce
4 jars Alfredo
4 cans black beans
2 cans kidney beans
2 cans pinto beans
4 cans of corn
2 16 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 jar salsa
1 bottle grape jelly
1 bottle BBQ sauce

 Produce:
1 bunch green onion
2 zucchinis
1 bag shredded carrots
2 apples
2 red bell peppers
2 green bell peppers

 Dried Goods:
1 package rice noodles
2 packages fettuccine noodles
2 packages spaghetti noodles
2 bags of rice
4 packages of cornbread mix
2 packages of hard shell taco shells

 Seasoning/sauces/marinades:
Fish sauce
Rice vinegar
brown sugar
1 bottle Mr. Yoshida's teriyaki
Honey
2 packets slow cooker pulled pork seasoning
2 packets of taco seasoning
Ranch seasoning

 Freezer:
2 stir fry vegetable mix

 Bread:
2 packages of buns
2 packages of hoagies

Other:
1 bottle red wine
1 box gallon bags
3-4 boxes of slow cooker liners


Step one: layout all your grocery goodness on the counter. It's about to turn into 26 meals. Step two: label gallon-sized bags with a permanent marker. Make two of each. Step three: start browning the 4 lbs. of ground beef so it will be ready when you need it. Step four: make magic...I mean meals. Go through each meal at a time until each bag is filled and all your ingredients are spoken for.

(Tip: go ahead and put all the pantry and freezer items where they belong so they're out of the way. Example, the buns and veggie mixes in the freezer, the taco shells and noodles in the pantry.)

 Sweet & Sour Meatballs
1 bag meatballs
1/2 bottle grape jelly
1/2 BBQ sauce

Slow cook on low for 7 hours.

Spaghetti & Meatballs
1 bag meatballs
2 jars marinara
1 bay leaf
1 tsp basil

Store spaghetti noodles in the pantry. Slow cook on low for 7 hours. Prepare noodles.

Pad Thai

 Bag 1: 1 cup shredded carrots, 1/2 bunch diced green onions, 1 sliced zucchini
Bag 2: 1.5 lbs. chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic (thaw and slice thinly before cooking.)

Sauce is made with fish sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar. Follow these instructions when cooking the pad thai.

Chicken Fettucine
1.5 lbs. of chicken seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic

Thaw and pan fry. Add 2 jars of alfredo and prepare fettucine noodles.

 Teriyaki Chicken
1.5 lbs. chicken breasts
1/4 cup yoshidas sauce

Thaw and grill. Steam stir fry veggies. Cook rice.

 Honey Apple Pork Loin
1 2 lb. pork loin (slice halfway through every inch or so)
Stuff the slices with sliced apples
Drizzle with honey
Add: 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp garlic powder (at least) and seasoning with salt and pepper.

Add 1 cup broth to the bottom of the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.

 Pulled Pork

 1 2 lb. pork loin
1 packet of pulled pork seasoning
1 tsp ground mustard
1-2 dash of liquid smoke

8 hours on low. Shred and serve with buns and BBQ sauce.

 Three Bean Chili & Cornbread

 1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 large can of tomato sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1-2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
Season with salt

7-8 hours on low. Prepare cornbread mix and turn it into cornbread waffles.

Tacos
2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 packet of taco seasoning

Warm in a skillet and serve on hard shells with all your favorite toppings.

 Salsa Chicken Burrito Bowls
1.5 lbs. of chicken
1/2 jar of salsa
1/2 packet of taco seasoning

8 hours on low. Shred and serve on prepare rice with beans and corn (stored in pantry) and your other favorite toppings (avocado, cheese, shredded lettuce, etc.)

 Teriyaki Salmon
1 bag salmon filets
1/4 cup yoshidas teriyaki sauce

Thaw and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

 Ranch Chicken

 1.5 lbs. chicken
Season with ranch seasoning

Thaw and grill or pan fry.

 Italian Sausage Subs
1 package Italian sausage links
1 sliced green bell pepper
1 sliced red bell pepper
1 cup red wine
Season with garlic, basil

8 hours on low. Stuff in a hoagie or Italian bread and top with cheese.


Remember to make 2 of each meal and enjoy not making a total mess of your kitchen every single night you have to feed your family.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

30 Gluten-Free Crock Pot Meals that Won't Break the Bank

In honor of my dad, this round of crock potting is gluten-free. Over the summer my dad was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and when I found out, I cringed for him. My dad, like me, loves food - all kinds of food but especially pastas, pizzas, bread. How on earth could we take out so many delicious foods that fall under the category of "gluten" and still be satisfied? Apparently it's not as hard as I thought. These recipes are REALLY good, completely satisfying, super easy, and very affordable. I did 30 meals for $168 (this includes a strainer I needed plus disposable trays for the two freezer meals). Keep in mind these recipes are NOT Paleo or AIP. They are simply GLUTEN FREE. That also doesn't mean fat-free or calorie-free. Sorry, folks! ;) You also won't find any cream of whatchamacallit or seasoning packets. Not because I'm completely opposed to them (though I do know they are highly processed and not good for us), but because most, if not all of them
41 comments
Read more

How We Painted Our Cabinets {and Totally Transformed Our Kitchen}

About 9 months ago I took the plunge and painted our kitchen cabinets. I feel like this is the DIY project that most people are afraid to tackle because, hello! It is the kitchen. So much time is spent in the kitchen and it really is the focal point of the home – if it’s done sloppy, wrong or doesn’t turn out as expected it would be a huge headache and a lot of money to fix. However, this is probably the best DIY project our family has done. Not only did it make a HUGE impact on our home and main living space but it was extremely cost effective at only $150. Once upon a time, our kitchen looked like this: Now it looks like this: It was pretty yellow before. Maple was everywhere. Maple cabinets, maple floors. I walked in this room and it felt like it was constantly glowing (even after I painted the walls a beautiful shade of “perfect greige”). Anyhoo, I knew I wanted a white kitchen. I feel like white cabinets appear decade after decade. They are timeless and cla
7 comments
Read more

Each Day Has Enough Trouble of Its Own

Sometimes we hear exactly what we need to hear. That's what happened to me this week. Along with motherhood, as many of you know, comes so much worry. Worry about the well-being of your child. Worry about doing things correctly. Worry about giving enough time to your children and enough time to your husband. Worry about finding enough time for yourself. Worry about being a good mom and a good wife. Worry about getting enough sleep tonight so I can have enough energy to get through tomorrow. The list of worries and anxieties go on and on. They don't tell you about this when we sign up to be parent. Or do they? Anyway, last week I was reading the Bible. While studying the book of Matthew I came across this verse: "But seek first His kingdom and all His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33-34 Isn't that script
2 comments
Read more