Meal Planning: Digging Deeper

After sharing my meal planning process I have had several requests to go a bit deeper and share exactly what it is that I bought, how much I spent, and the meals that will go with that list. So, ask and you shall receive! Below you will find first my detailed list of groceries. This came straight off of my receipt from Wal-Mart. All of the products are ‘store brand’ or generic unless otherwise noted. This will get us mostly through the month. I will have to take a trip to the store at some point for more milk and probably more cereal.

After the grocery list you will find a list of the meals the handy dandy grocery list will turn into when they grow up. I have Sundays blocked out for dining out since we generally end out eating out due to church obligations. I also had a few meals that I already had all the ingredients for so I didn’t add those to the list.

Shopping List

• Frozen Broccoli 3 @ $0.84 each
• Frozen Peas @ $0.84
• Celery Stalk @ @ $0.98
• Mixed Bell Peppers @ $3.88
• Cauliflower 2 @ $1.77
• Spaghetti Squash @$4.89
• Cream of Mushroom Soup 2 @ $0.75
• Mild Salsa @ $1.98
• Velveeta Cheese Sauce $2.98
• Dijon Mustard @ $0.92
• 3 LB Granny Smith Apples @ $3.44
• 3 LB Yellow Onion @ $1.74
• Sliced Pepperoni @ $2.24
• Smoked Brats @ $2.98
• 3 LB Frozen Chicken Breasts 2 @ $6.46
• 1 LB Ground Turkey 3 @ $1.96
• Smoked Kielbasa Sausage 2 @ $2.78
• Plain Bread Crumbs @ $1.08
• Shell Pasta @ $1.00
• Trix Cereal @ $2.98
• 5 LB Russet Potatoes @ $1.99
• Wishbone Ranch Dressing @ $1.88
• Ketchup @ $0.78
• Sesame Oil @ $2.98
• Tomato Paste 2 @ $0.62 each
• Onion Soup Mix @ $0.72
• Pineapple Juice @ $2.68
• Alfredo Sauce @ $1.00
• 5 LB Flour @ $1.17
• Pork Chops @ $4.58
• Pork Chops @ $8.89
• Round Steak @ $11.46
• Round Steak @ $11.21
• Thick Cut Bacon @ $2.58
• Cube Steak @ $6.08
• Chuck Roast @ $10.02
• Colby Jack Cheese @$1.89
• Buttermilk @ $1.53
• Sour Cream @ $1.08
• Heavy Whipping Cream @ $1.74
• Bologna @ $1.13
• Saltine Crackers @$1.78
• Parmesan Cheese @ $3.98
• Mushrooms @$1.48
• Butter Quarters @ $1.54
• Butte Quarters @ $0.84
• Sharp Cheddar @ $5.96
• Mozzarella Cheese @ $5.96
• Orange Juice @ $1.74
• 1 Dozen Eggs @ $0.43
• Baby Formula @ $24.98
• Jar Baby Food 4 @ $0.98
• Ziplock Bags 2 @ $1.98

Total: $198.48

Meals:

• Orange Barbecue Chicken/ Shell Pasta with Alfredo Sauce
• Tacos
• 3 Cheese Kielbasa Bake
• Garlic Herb Chicken/Bacon Ranch Cheddar Potatoes/Peas
• Fish Sticks/Mac and Cheese
• Meat Loaf/Mashed Potatoes
• Teriyaki Pork Chops
• Bacon Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder
• Fried Chicken
• Asian Beef Stew
• Pork Fried Rice
• Southwestern Cheese Steak
• Dijon Pork Chops
• Spaghetti Squash Chicken Alfredo
• Pot Roast and Veggies
• Tomato Soup/Grilled Cheese
• Cranberry Chicken
• Country Fried Steak
• Sausage, Pepper, & Rice Skillet
• Creamy Cooker Chicken
• DIY Pizza
• Brats/Homestyle Potatoes
• Beef with Broccoli
• BBQ Chicken

Breakfast is generally cereal or if my hubby is feeling ambitious he will make breakfast burritos (we generally keep all necessary ingredients for those on hand).

For lunch we either eat left overs, peanut butter sandwiches, or mac and cheese.

Getting started in this process was the biggest challenge for me. With that in mind here are two recipes to help get you started:

Three Cheese Kielbasa Bake

Orange Barbecue Chicken Chunks

Coming up next: My morning and evening routines (complete with a ‘routine cheat day’)