Weekly Meal Planning on $60 or Less: Chicken Pot Pie

This week, my sauces were mostly made from scratch with ingredients I already had at home. Doing this definitely helped keep my costs down for the week. And I have to say, mine tasted better than a  lot of the store bought versions and hopefully healthier too. This is my weekly meal plan on $60 or less! (my average prices do not include common spices, butter, oil, etc)

Monday

Mongolian Beef (@$6.50)

• Stirfry Beef $5.99 (thin sliced steak, Special, Kroger)
• Scallions $0.25 ($1.00 per bunch)
• Rice $0.58

OMG! This recipe was absolutely amazing! I was told to use more meat the next time I make this. It was so yummy but there was not any leftovers. 

Tuesday

Breakfast @$6)

• Eggs $0.54 (Trader Joe’s $1.29 dozen brown eggs)
• Kielbasa $2.50
• Biscuits $1.00
• Gravy $0.89
• Shredded Cheese $0.83

I needed something with not a lot of prep for dinner today. Breakfast is always my go to. Scrambled eggs and cheese, biscuits and gravy (powder sauce mix) and oven roasted kielbasa. I sliced the kielbasa and cook at the same temp as the biscuits. Quick and tasty.

Wednesday

Honey Balsamic Pork Sliders (@$15.25)

• Pork Tenderloin $8.30 (4 ¼ lbs, Kroger Sale)
• Honey $1.50 (½ bear)
• Slider Buns $1.84 (2 packages)
• Corn $2.00 (6 ears)
• Potatoes $1.50 (red)

I get tired of always using BBQ sauce with pulled pork so I thought this would be a welcome change. (recipe) We had dinner guests, 8 people total, and there was still leftovers. The potatoes were diced and tossed with olive oil, salt, & pepper. The corn was trimmed, but left in the husks. Both were cooked at 375 for about 30 minutes, until potatoes were tender. I don’t eat corn off the cob, I always cut mine off. The boys however just peeled back the husk and rolled them in butter. 

Friday

Chicken Pot Pie(@$11)

• Chicken $3.70 ($2.99lb, Fresh Market)
• Carrots $1.00
• Onion $1.00
• Celery $1.00
• Pie Crust $2.79
• Chicken Broth $1.34 (3 cups, $1.79 container Trader Joe’s)

I have been making this for years without a recipe but this one is pretty close. First off, I bake my chicken sometime during the day and shred with my KitchenAid mixer. Lately due to time constraints, I buy the Mirepoix blend at Trader Joe’s. It is just pre-diced carrots, onions, and celery in the exact amount I need. I also use dried thyme and omit the wine. Sometimes  I do the egg wash, sometimes I don’t. I think it does fine either way. I forgot to take a picture of the whole pie, oops. 

Saturday

Jambalaya (@$12)

• Shrimp $6.99 (frozen, wild caught)
• Turkey Kielbasa $2.50
• Rice $1.16
• Onion $0.53
• Bell Pepper $0.66

I don’t want to say this is truly Jambalaya, but this is my version. I peeled and deveined my shrimp, tossed with a little olive oil and old bay seasoning. The turkey sausage was sliced. Both the shrimp and sausage was baked in the oven at 375 for about 8-9 minutes. Shrimp should be pink and firm. I melted butter in a large pot, added the bell pepper and onion. Cooked for about 7 minutes and then added hot sauce (red hot, ¼ cup), cajun seasoning (1 tbsp), and chicken broth (1cup).  Added rice (2 cups dry) and 1 more cup water to mixture. Cook until rice is tender. Add shrimp and sausage. Mix well. Add more seasoning or hot sauce to desired taste.

5 meals for around $51.

***Bonus*** I found a recipe for one chocolate chip cookie! Absolutely amazing. Sometimes you just want a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie but you (or your thighs) don’t need a whole batch. Yes it is a large cookie but still! I forgot to take a picture because I was trying to mix, bake and eat it all during nap time so I would not have to share,.