Author: Sarah Marshall

Bi-Weekly Meal Plan – April 24, 2017

Posted on by Sarah Marshall
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Meal Plan Monday

Meal planning for two weeks at a time has proven to be really effective for us. I’ve found it really beneficial to be prepared and ingredients on hand for double the number the meals. It allows me more flexibility which has been vital in the past few weeks where I’ve gotten sick (strep is the worst!!), kids have gotten sick, and Keith’s spring sports/work schedule can be changed at the drop of a hat.

It took me a little while to get in a groove of the two week meal plan. Now that I have, I feel that our grocery budget has been reduced. We’ve have some anamolies, such as spring break in March, that keeps me from declaring with certainty that this method is saving us money on groceries. But at this point, it seems quite possible.

Our breakfasts and lunches have become very routine so planning for them has become quite simple. We’ve found some new dinner recipes that are a hit with everyone and hope to share some recipes here on the blog real soon. Brooke has plans over both weekends & Keith will be gone the second so I left the weekends open because Leah & I are pretty easy to please and I’m sure there will be leftovers to throw into the mix.

Meal Plan for April 24 – May 7, 2017

Breakfast

Eggs & Toast
Smoothies
Yogurt & Granola
Breakfast Bars

Lunch

Leftovers
Salmon & Veggies
Sandwiches
Salads
Homemade “Lunchables” (Brooke’s lunches)

Dinner

Cheeseburger Pie
Oven Tacos
Garlic Parmesan Pork Chops
Baked Penne with Sausage & Peppers
Burgers
Creamy Italian Chicken
Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Stacks
Easy Taco Salad
Mexican Pizzas
Weeknight Creamy Sausage Pasta

Below is a screenshot of my Plan To Eat planner to give you an overview of how I have meals planned each day. As always, nothing is set in stone.
BW Meal Plan 2017.04.24-05.07

Have you tried meal planning for longer than a one-week period? What did you like or not like?

Great Game Day Snack: Chili Dip

Posted on by Sarah Marshall

Chili Dip has been a family favorite for over 30 years. The recipe originated from the instruction manual for an electric skillet my parents received as a wedding gift. I remember it being the main event at many birthday parties and family events.

As I started my own family, I made sure it was a regular feature of our special occasions. And at our house, two of the most special occasions are Christmas & the Super Bowl. So you can be sure Chili Dip will be on our menu every Christmas Eve as gather to watch our traditional movie, Elf. And you can also be sure we’ll be snacking away at it this weekend for the Super Bowl.

Chili Dip

One of my favorite aspects of this dip is that it is entirely made in a skillet so, other than rinsing cans to be recycled, there is little mess left behind. This is something I definitely take into consideration when I’m hosting!

You definitely don’t need to have an electric skillet to make this dip. I use this skillet that was a gift from my sister that I use almost daily!! You could probably make this and transfer it to a slow cooker before you put the cheese on to keep in warm. Personally, I haven’t tried it but might next time I make it!

Chili Dip

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground turkey or beef
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 Tbsp cumin
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 32 oz. refried beans
  • 15 oz black beans drained & rinsed
  • 15 oz diced tomatoes & green chiles
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
  • Sliced black olives optional
  • Sliced green onions optional

Instructions
 

  • Brown ground meat. Add onion and cook until translucent.
  • Add chili powder, cumin & garlic and stir until combined.
  • Add refried beans, black beans, tomatoes & green chiles and tomato sauce to meat mixture. Stir until combined.
  • Lower heat and simmer 10-15 minutes.
  • Add cheese and leave on low heat until cheese has melted. If desired, add olives and/or green onions.
  • Serve warm with chips. I suggest wavy potato chips, tortilla chips or corn chips, preferably Fritos Scoops!

Meal Plan & Aldi Grocery Haul | January 23, 2017

Posted on by Sarah Marshall

This week I’m sharing a meal plan & grocery haul combo!! I’ve tried something new which was to have planned & shopped for two weeks’ worth of meals. I hope this will prove to help us save both time, money and possibly even the amount of effort put into the meal planning & grocery shopping process.

Meal Plan Aldi Grocery Haul

We do the majority of our shopping at Aldi – we love that place!!! As with almost all of the meal plans I’ve shared, I used PlanToEat.com to organize my recipes, schedule our meals and create the shopping list.

And here’s our family meal plan for the next two weeks – note it is very likely these meals will get switched around:
Monday – Taco Salad Leftovers (http://bit.ly/1XmHyzs)
Tuesday – Chili from the freezer (http://bit.ly/2jrlEfj)
Wednesday – Breakfast Burritos
Thursday – Meatballs & Noodles Leftovers (http://bit.ly/1TQBKhM)
Friday – Aldi Deli Pizza
Saturday – Chili Dip (coming soon!)
Sunday – Meatball Stew (http://bit.ly/2jT6jXZ)
Monday – Pasta & Meatballs
Tuesday – Chili Dip Leftovers
Wednesday – Slow Cooker Pot Roast (http://bit.ly/2jLEyhR)
Thursday – Open
Friday – Pizza Night
Saturday – Sunday Chicken Dinner in Slow Cooker (http://bit.ly/2iYISgt)
Sunday – Open

Below is the video of our two week meal plan as well as our Aldi grocery haul. If you enjoy it, I hope you will subscribe to be notified of future videos and check out my playlist of Grocery Haul videos.

If you’re interested in using Plan To Eat to simplify your meal planning and grocery shopping, they offer a free 30-day trial!! You can import your recipes and use them to quickly and easily make your meal plan. Print the shopping list organized by category for you and head to the grocery store (or send your husband – that’s what I do!!)

Do you meal plan on regular basis? If so, do you do it weekly, bi-weekly or monthly?

{This post contains affiliate links. Purchases made after clicking these links may result in compensation for me. All opinions in this post are honest and completely my own.}