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28 Meals for $215


Want to know how to definitely look like crazy lady? 

Go meal prep shopping the night the governor locks down the state. I have never seen Winco so nuts. Empty boxes and shelves everywhere. I'm lucky I was able to get rice and pasta. Even frozen vegetables were dwindling. I saw one couple with seven (7!) packages of toilet paper. What the what?

Meanwhile I was cruising through stocking up on chicken, seasoning packets, and pasta sauce. Oh, and wine. Definitely grabbed some wine.

Anyhoo, I digress. I was able to get all the ingredients for my meals and now my freezer is full so my organized heart is happy.

I prepped 28 meals for $215, averaging $7.67 per dinner for a family of five.

MENU | 
(I made 2 of each with the exception of orange chicken and spaghetti, I made 4 each of those. Kid favorites.)

California Burritos
Chili
Spagetti & Meatballs
Caribbean Jerk Chicken
Garlic and Herb Chicken
White Chicken Enchiladas
Orange Chicken and Broccoli
Tacos
Sausage Bake
3 Color Donburi
Pulled Pork on Pretzel Rolls
Cobb Salad 

GROCERY LIST |

Meat:
2 3 lb. carne asada roast (pre-sliced round roast)
9 lbs. ground beef
4 bags of meatballs
5 3 lb. bags of chicken breasts
2 Hillshire smoked sausages (I got turkey this time)
1 12-15 lb. pork loin (will be divvied into fourths)

Seasoning:
5 packets taco seasoning
2 chili seasoning packet
Brown sugar
Bay leaves
Herb & Garlic seasoning mix (comes in a bottle)

Marinades:
1 bottle Caribbean Jerk marinade
1 bottle of Garlic and Herb marinade
2 bottles Orange Sauce
Mr. Yoshidas

Freezer:
2 packages of French fries
4 bags of popcorn chicken
6 bags of broccoli florets

Bakery:
2 packages of burrito sized tortillas
2 packages regular sized tortillas
2 packages of Pretzel Rolls

Canned goods:
2 can black beans
2 can pinto beans
2 can kidney beans
2 30 oz. can of tomato sauce
8 jars marinara sauce
2 cans cream of chicken
2 8 oz. cans of green chilis
2 8 oz. cans of jalapenos (optional)
2 cans green beans

Dried goods:
2 packages of cornbread mix
4 packages of spaghetti noodles
6 lbs. rice
2 packages taco shells

Refrigerator:
16 oz. sour cream 

Other:
Slow cooker liners
1 30-count box of Hefty gallon freezer bags 


First things first. Label all bags. Then place in piles according to type of meat. You can read this to get a more detailed run down of how I meal prep.

Then just start dumping ingredients in each bag.

RECIPES |

California Burritos
2-3 lbs. carne asada
1 packet taco seasoning

8 hours on low. Cook French fries to package instructions and serve in tortillas with cheese and pico de gallo

Chili
1 lb. ground beef
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 30 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 chili seasoning packet
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

8 hours on low. Serve with cornbread.

Spaghetti
1 bag meatballs
2 jars marinara
2-3 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

7 hours on low. Serve over your choice of noodles.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken
2 lbs. chicken breasts
½ bottle CJ marinade

Thaw and grill.

Garlic and Herb Chicken
1.5 lb. of chicken breast
½ bottle of garlic and herb marinade

Thaw and grill.

White Chicken Enchiladas
1.5 chicken
1 can cream of chicken
8 oz. of sour cream
1 can diced chilis
Taco seasoning

7 hrs on low. Roll up in tortillas and top with cheese.

Orange Chicken and Broccoli
1 bag popcorn chicken, cook to according to package instructions
Steam 1 bag of broccoli
Add orange sauce

Serve over rice.

Tacos
2 lbs. ground beef
1 taco seasoning packet

Warm in skillet. Serve with taco shells stored in pantry.

Sausage Bake
1 smoked sausage
1 bag broccoli florets.

3 Color Donburi
I will make this the night of because it is so simple.
To prep, freeze 1.5  lbs. of  beef
Store rice.
Store canned green beans or frozen peas.

Cook ground beef and sauce it up with Mr. Yoshidas. Scramble some eggs. Warm green beans or peas. Serve over rice.

Pulled Pork on Pretzel Rolls
3 lb. pork loin
1 bbq seasoning packet

8 hours on low. Shred. Serve on rolls.

Pork Roast
3 lb. pork loin
1 packet slower cooker pot roast seasoning

Add 1 cup of chicken broth upon cooking. 8 hours on low.

Cobb Salad
1.5   Lbs. chicken breasts
Herb and Garlic Seasoning
1 package bacon

Thaw and grill. Prepare bacon. Serve on salad with your favorite cobb toppings.

And that'll do it. 28 meals. Prepped and ready to be cooked up and served to your family!


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