Wow have groceries gone up in price, right? Definitely makes me wish I had preserved more of our harvest this year. Sunday is my shopping day and after I prep so I can get a head start on the week.
Total this week I spent for groceries barring anything unforeseen is $143.21. The most expensive of the items purchased included 3 lbs of ground beef, a pound of thick cut deli ham, a pound of bacon and a bag of frozen precooked chicken strips.
Meals planned for the week are:
Dinners
- Lasagna Rolls with meat sauce and Italian bread
- Meat Loaf with baked potato and broccoli
- Tuna Noodle but instead of peas mixed in I use a frozen Asian medley.
- Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
- Big Salads
- Cheesy Cauliflower Soup with bacon
- Black Bean Nachos
Lunches
- Leftovers everyday
- Salads
- Mac Salad and Fruit
Breakfasts
- Broccoli Quiche
- Oatmeal with Fruit
- English Muffin PBJ
- Avocado Toasts with eggs on Black Bread
- Pumpkin Pie
Snacks
- PB Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Brownies
- Popcorn
- Guacamole with Chips
- Vanilla Biscuit Cookies with Hot Cocoa
- Jell-O with Pineapple
- Fresh Pineapple and Blueberries
- Butterbean Salad
- Ice Cream
My meal prep list was long but in two days I have gotten the meatloaf and lasagna rolls made and had enough to freeze, made the quiche which I will share but will also eat all week long, made chocolate chip cream cheese brownies, made the Jell-O, cut up the fresh pineapple, and made brown sugar for the pantry. (Yes , I make my own brown sugar)
Still to make/prep this week is Cauliflower soup, PB Cookies, Black bread, Mac Salad, pumpkin pie (I have the filling already made), scalloped potatoes and the tuna noodle which will be tonight’s dinner.
The tuna noodle I make is a bit different than most. Here is the recipe:
- One can, Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese Soup
- Two cans, Campbell’s Cream of Celery Soup
- Two cans, white tuna
- Three cans milk
- One bag of egg noodles
- One bag Asian Medley frozen veggies
- One sleeve of Ritz crackers crushed
- A sprinkle of garlic powder, salt, pepper and some dried or fresh parsley for color and taste.
After boiling the noodles mix everything together, add the frozen veggies right in there. Pour into a baking dish and top with the crushed Ritz crackers. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees till brown and bubbly, about 40 minutes.
I have been stuck in a rut for a long time with cooking for us. I lost my routine and hope to get it back in full. With the cost of food rising there is no time like the present to cook and bake at home. Going out to eat has been astoundingly expensive for just the two of us much less an entire family.
What are you all cooking this week? Have groceries gone up where you live? I’d love to hear from you! -MM
The Professional Domestic 
Groceries have greatly increased in cost here on Long Island, NY. Unfortunately time constraints with work and helping to care for elderly parents limits my make ahead abilities. When I can I make baked ziti to which I sometimes add either ground beef or ground poultry. This freezes and reheats well. I also make individual chicken pot pies which also freeze well and can be used in a pinch. I like to make a big batch of meatballs and sausage in homemade spaghetti sauce. Again something that freezes well for future dinners. Usually there is extra sauce that can be frozen separately or used for other meals throughout the week. Beef or Chicken barley soup are also hearty meals that are usually cost effective although beef prices are quite high at the current time. Lunches for me are usually salads with hard boiled eggs or chicken breast as well as soup. I make a lot of muffins for the elderly relatives and freeze a few for myself.
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You and I sound very similar Cathie. All of those are great ideas and even if we can spare an hour here and there for meal prep it greatly helps down the line 😊
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I cook for four and then freeze half for a second meal. Our favorite easy meals are meatloaf, bierocks, enchiladas, green Chile beef and turkey and dumplings. I use one of those, sometimes two each week. We have also done large batches of beef stew, Chile and ham and beans, canning the rest for future meals.
Prices are going up, but the canning of garden produce helps so much!
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