MEAL PLAN #1: Five Easy Weeknight Meals

This is meal plan #1 with five easy weeknight recipes that you can use for cheap and quick dinners. The meal plan includes all five recipes and a shopping list for you to download and print.

Meal Plan #1

This is Meal Plan #1 and includes five dinner recipes that use cheap and easy ingredients. Here you’ll get pizza sloppy joes, soy sauce chicken thighs and broccoli, cheese tortellini casserole, parmesan ground pork quiche, and one-pot chicken thighs with tomatoes and sweet potatoes.

Be sure to watch the video below so you can cook along with me!

Why Should You Use A Meal Plan?

Meal plans make life easier, once you get the hang of things.
You’ll know what to expect for the entire week, taking the guesswork out of knowing what to cook for dinner.
You’ll save money at the grocery store by knowing exactly what to buy, and nothing more.
It allows your family to enjoy a variety of recipes without having to search for new ones yourself.
you’ll save time! Everything is planned out for you already. No need to write a grocery list either, I’ve done that for you!

Download Our Printable Shopping List

Download the full meal plan and shopping list for FREE! Click here to download Meal Plan #1.

Meal Plan Tips

Take a look at the meal plan with shopping list before you go grocery shopping.
Shop your pantry first! For example, there’s no need to buy new spices or canned diced tomatoes if you already have some.
Swap out ingredients that you don’t like. For example, if sweet potatoes aren’t your thing, try using russet potatoes instead.
Work smarter not harder. Cook a double batch of a recipe and freeze the rest for later. For example, our parmesan ground pork quiche freezes beautifully. One could easily be frozen for a future meal.
Check your local grocery stores for any sales and discounts. For example, one of my local stores was offering 2-for-1 on chicken thighs. I don’t normally shop there because it’s more expensive, but I made a trip and just bought the chicken!

Watch The Meal Plan Cooking Video:

Dinner 1: Pizza Sloppy Joes

My family loves any kind of pizza-themed meal and this one is no exception. Ingredients are cheap, it’s fast to make, and it’s filling and full of flavor. What more could you need!?

Hamburger buns can be swapped for any bun style. You could also use garlic bread or a loaf of french bread. Even slices of toast!
Swap black beans with any favorites including lentils, chickpeas, or white beans.
Ground pork and ground turkey are cheaper than ground beef! Want to save some money? Try using this recipe with one of those.

See the full pizza sloppy joe recipe here.

Pizza Sauce Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 grated carrot
1 cup black beans
14 oz pizza sauce
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ tsp dried oregano
4 hamburger buns sliced in half

Click Here For Full Recipe

Dinner 2: Tortellini Casserole

It’s a simple baked pasta made from fresh tortellini, tomatoes an mushrooms. A jar of alfredo is poured on top making this recipe easy peasy.

You can add different veggies including chopped asparagus, bell pepper, frozen broccoli etc.
For extra creaminess, add 2 jars of alfredo sauce. I’m pretty sure they’ve gotten smaller at my grocery store (thanks to inflation), so two will make it creamier. Or if you want to save money, use one jar of alfredo and one can of cream of mushroom soup.

See our full tortellini casserole recipe here.

Tortellini Casserole

Ingredients:

25 oz fresh tortellini pasta about 2 packs (I used rainbow cheese tortellini)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 jar of alfredo sauce or use 2 jars if you want it extra saucy
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Click Here For Full Recipe

Dinner 3: Soy Sauce Chicken, Broccoli & Rice

One-pot meals just make life easier! Less clean up! Frozen broccoli is added straight to the pot. Serve this recipe with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.

See the full soy sauce chicken thighs with broccoli recipe here.

Soy Sauce Chicken Thighs with Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs sliced in half
½ cup water
¼ cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ginger powder
1 bag of frozen broccoli florets
1 cup uncooked rice to serve with (optional)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup water

Click Here For Full Recipe

Dinner 4: Parmesan Ground Pork Quiche

Eggs an ground pork make this recipe easy on the budget. Everything is poured into a store-bought pie crust and topped with shredded cheese.

Consider making two of these and freezing one for a future meal. The frozen one can be thawed in the fridge and reheated in the oven.
Top the quiche with your favorite sauce! Salsa, hot sauce, barbecue sauce or ketchup would all be great options.

See the full parmesan ground pork quiche recipe here.

Parmesan Ground Pork Quiche

Ingredients:

½ lb ground pork or ground sausage meat
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 green bell pepper chopped
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
12 oz can of evaporated milk or heavy cream
3 eggs
1 cup mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated parmesan
1 unbaked pie crust

Click Here For Full Recipe

Ground pork quiche with a slice cut out and a fork inside.

Dinner 5: Chicken, Tomatoes & Sweet Potatoes

A few simple ingredients create a very flavorful meal! Everything is cooked in one pot, it couldn’t be more simple to make!

Bone-in chicken thighs are tender and flavorful. But if you want to save more money, swap them with chicken legs which tend to be the cheapest.
Don’t like sweet potatoes? Swap out with russet potatoes instead.
This recipe doesn’t need a side. However, serve with rice, quinoa or pasta if you’ve got a hungry family.

See the full one-pot chicken thighs with tomatoes and sweet potatoes recipe here.