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Shopping List
✔ | QUANTITY NEEDED | INGREDIENTS |
☐ | 1 ½ pounds | andouille sausage |
☐ | 1 pound | baby potatoes |
☐ | 12 slices | bacon |
☐ | 5 cups | beef broth, low sodium |
☐ | 12 ounces | beer |
☐ | 1 | bell pepper |
☐ | 3 stalks | celery, with leaves |
☐ | 9 ounces | cheese tortellini pasta |
☐ | 5 cups | chicken stock |
☐ | 6 | chicken thighs, boneless, skinless |
☐ | 3 cups | cooked chicken (rotisserie, canned) |
☐ | 1 ½ cups | cooked or frozen chopped carrots |
☐ | 1 ½ cups | cooked or frozen green peas |
☐ | 4 ounces | cream cheese |
☐ | 12 ounces | fresh green beans |
☐ | 3 | fresh jalapenos |
☐ | 11 cloves | garlic |
☐ | 15 ounces | jarred Alfredo sauce |
☐ | 3 pounds | lean ground beef |
☐ | 8 ounces | linguine pasta, uncooked |
☐ | 1 ½ cups | long grain rice, uncooked |
☐ | 2 | onions |
☐ | ¼ cup plus | parmesan cheese, shredded |
☐ | 1 pound | smoked sausage |
☐ | OPTIONAL ITEMS | fresh parsley + green onions (garnish) |
✔ | STAPLE INGREDIENTS |
☐ | all purpose flour |
☐ | all purpose seasoning |
☐ | bay leaves |
☐ | bread crumbs |
☐ | butter |
☐ | Cajun / Creole seasoning |
☐ | cayenne pepper |
☐ | dried Italian herbs |
☐ | dried sage or thyme |
☐ | eggs |
☐ | garlic powder / garlic salt |
☐ | hot sauce |
☐ | milk |
☐ | oil / olive oil |
☐ | onion powder |
☐ | salt |
☐ | pepper |
Monday
📖 Recipe
Alfredo Style Italian Meatballs
Your family will love this comforting combination of Italian classics. This recipe features homemade tender Italian meatballs slow simmered in cheesy alfredo sauce, and is best served over hot pasta.
Ingredients
- 15 ounces Rao's Homemade Alfredo Sauce
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- ⅛ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces dry linguine pasta prepared to package directions
- chopped fresh parsley or spinach optional garnish
- shredded parmesan or romano cheese optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a slotted broiling or baking pan and place it on top of a drip pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the lean ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan, milk, and all seasonings. Using your hands, combine the mixture until the ingredients are well combined.
- Portion small tablespoon-sized amounts of the meatball mixture and roll gently with your hands to form round balls.
- Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 18 - 20 minutes.
- Transfer the meatballs to a large skillet. Pour the jar of Rao's Homemade Alfredo Sauce over the top. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Serve over hot pasta and garnish with fresh chopped parsley, spinach and sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
To make this recipe low-carb, serve over riced cauliflower instead of hot pasta.
Recipe is easily doubled.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 628kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 39gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 185mgSodium: 1106mgPotassium: 557mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 110IUCalcium: 123mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Tuesday
📖 Recipe
Death Valley Cajun Jambalaya
A spicy + savory recipe for classic Cajun Jambalaya made with smoked venison andouille sausage and the holy trinity of celery, onion and bell peppers. Perfect for gameday.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds venison andouille sausage sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 onion peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning blend
- 1 ½ cups long grain rice uncooked
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 12 ounces beer
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce more to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper more to taste
- green onions chopped, for optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a stock pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Cook the sliced andouille until browned, about 7 minutes.
- Add the chopped peppers, onion, celery and garlic to the pot. Sprinkle half of the Cajun seasoning over the top. Stir and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are crisp tender, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the uncooked rice. Combine with the sausage and vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the chicken stock, beer, hot sauce, bay leaves, remaining Cajun seasoning, and cayenne. Stir to combine well.
- Increase heat to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Keep an eye on the heat, and do not remove the lid while simmering. The jambalaya is done when the rice is tender and the mixture is very slightly sticky.
- If there is too much liquid in the pot at the end of cooking time, remove the lid, increase heat slightly and cook until liquid is gone.
- Serve in bowls with fresh chopped green onions, additional hot sauce and seasoning.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 673kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 28gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 1266mgPotassium: 649mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 800IUVitamin C: 31.9mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 3.2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Wednesday
📖 Recipe
Chicken & Cheese Tortellini Soup
Comforting and hearty, the familiar taste of homemade chicken soup is packed with tender cheese tortellini and tender, shredded chicken.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken chopped
- 1 ½ cups cooked or frozen chopped carrots
- 1 ½ cups cooked or frozen green peas
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 6 - 8 cups water depending on size of your pot and how thick you like your soup
- 9 ounces package of cheese tortellini pasta see refrigerated section
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon dried rubbed sage or thyme
Instructions
- In a large pot, add chicken, carrots, peas, chicken broth and water. Heat over medium high, bringing to a low boil. Cook for 10 minutes, then reduce to medium low and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste the soup, and add seasonings as needed. If you are using your home made broth, it is likely well seasoned already. If not, add a little at a time until you like the taste.
- Turn the heat to medium high and bring to a gentle boil. Slowly add tortellini, and stir. Boil for 8 minutes (or according to cooking time on package). Reduce heat, then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, and serve with fresh chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 168kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 13gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 538mgPotassium: 216mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2840IUVitamin C: 12.3mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 1.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Thursday
📖 Recipe
Potato + Smoked Sausage Foil Pack Dinner
Simple, wholesome, and hard to beat! This delicious recipe is perfect for camping. Tender, buttery potatoes, fresh green beans, savory smoked sausage...all wrapped in foil for easy clean up.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter cut into cubes
- 12 ounces green beans fresh, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 pound baby potatoes quartered or halved
- 1 pound smoked sausage sliced
- 2 - 4 cloves garlic peeled and sliced thin
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut beans, quarter potatoes, slice garlic, slice sausage, etc.
- Lay 4 large sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil on a flat surface. In the center of the foil, evenly distribute the ingredients among the 4 portions.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste as you go.
- Fold the left and right sides of the aluminum foil to the center, then bring the top and bottom together and fold tightly.
- When ready to cook, place on a heated grill and cook for 20 - 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Notes
NOTE: Cooking time will vary based on the size of your slices, the method of cooking, and temperature of grill. They are done when the potatoes are tender, which takes 20 - 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1PackCalories: 562kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 18gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 1074mgPotassium: 893mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 939IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Friday: Leftovers!
Saturday
📖 Recipe
Bacon Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken
Flavorful chicken thighs stuffed with cream cheese, fresh jalapenos, wrapped in hickory smoked bacon + grilled to perfection. This stuffed chicken recipe is CRAVE-city good.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- ½ teaspoon all purpose seasoning
- 3 jalapenos sliced in half lengthwise, seeded
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 12 slices bacon
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- toothpicks
Instructions
- First, prepare the chicken thighs by removing the bone and skin. Sprinkle lightly with your favorite all purpose seasoning. Lay each chicken thigh flat.
- Then cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds and membrane.
- Next, fill each jalapeno half with cream cheese.
- Place the cream cheese stuffed jalapeno pepper in the center of the chicken thigh.
- Roll the chicken thigh closed over the pepper.
- Wrap each chicken thigh in 1 - 2 slices of bacon, as tightly as possible, and secure with toothpicks.
- Sprinkle lightly on all sides with black pepper.
- Preheat grill to 400 - 450 degrees. Place the chicken onto the grill. Cook for 35 - 40 minutes, rotating every few minutes to ensure even cooking on all sides and to crisp up the bacon.
- Remove from grill, cover with foil, and let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Recipe nutritional information is approximate, and will vary based on the size of the chicken thighs, jalapenos, type of bacon, etc.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 386kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 29gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 157mgSodium: 453mgPotassium: 415mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 381IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Sunday
📖 Recipe
Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Simple but delicious, this recipe for Salisbury steak features perfectly seasoned hamburger steaks simmered and smothered in a homemade mushroom gravy.
Ingredients
For the Salisbury Steaks
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- ½ cup breadcrumbs not seasoned
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- oil for cooking, IF needed
For the Mushroom Gravy
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 16 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 2 onions peeled, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 5 cups beef broth low sodium
- ½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper more or less to taste
- Worcestershire sauce a few shakes to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef with the breadcrumbs, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Use your hands to incorporate all of the ingredients evenly.
- Form the beef mixture into 6 patties.
- Next, heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Brown the hamburger steaks on both sides. Transfer to a plate, over, and keep warm.
- In the same skillet, add the butter. When melted, add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Cook untouched for 3 – 5 minutes until browned.
- Stir in the sliced onions,and garlic. Cook and stir for 10 minutes until the onions are browned and softened.
- Then stir in the flour. Cook and stir, working it into the mushroom mixture, for about 2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in the beef broth. Cook and stir until bubbly and smooth. Season with a few shakes of Worcestershire, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Finally, add the hamburger steaks to the skillet, Stir to coat with the gravy. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened and the steaks have cooked through.
Notes
You can stretch this recipe out by making 8 smaller-sized patties if you'd like.
Nutrition
Serving: 6gCalories: 494.91kcalCarbohydrates: 30.78gProtein: 42.91gFat: 21.75gSaturated Fat: 11.47gCholesterol: 178.4mgSodium: 1673.78mgPotassium: 1038.61mgFiber: 2.51gSugar: 4.35gVitamin A: 429.06IUVitamin C: 5.66mgCalcium: 79.08mgIron: 6.38mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Notes about This Week's Meal Plan:
- Each recipe makes at least 4 servings. Most make more.
- Feel free to switch the meals and days around to fit your schedule and mood.
- Feel free to make seasoning substitutions as you see fit based on what you have on hand and your taste.
- Mashed potatoes or cooked noodles are highly recommended to go along with the Salisbury Steak.
- Substitute the fresh herbs with dried if you'd like to save $$. Use what you have in your pantry.