Today we’re sharing another menu plan and shopping list. I thought about doing two weeks, but I’ll be honest that we have to go to the store about once a week for fruits and vegetables, so this is more in line with my own family’s shopping and eating habits.
If you missed our earlier “quarantine” posts, Amy shared a two-week menu plan here, I shared another two-week menu plan here, and I shared an Easter dinner for four here (it also works well as a Sunday dinner menu).
This menu is for a family of four without any dietary restrictions. If one of the nights doesn’t look like something your family would enjoy, let that be your night to order takeout from a local restaurant.
Here’s the printable shopping list for this week’s menu:
One-Week Menu Plan With Recipes
Day 1 (Shopping Day):
Baked salmon side and lemon fusilli with arugula (recipe here)
I’ve mentioned this before, but I do most of our weekly shopping at ALDI, and they sell a fresh salmon side that I try to cook the same day that I bring it home. If you have to buy frozen salmon, then obviously you can make this any day. There are tons of great salmon recipes out there, but the easiest weeknight one I know is to sprinkle it all over with “Everything But the Bagel” seasoning (it’s available at Trader Joe’s or ALDI, or buy it from Amazon, or make your own with this recipe). Put the salmon on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake it at 375° for 15-20 minutes.
While it’s baking, make the lemon fusilli with arugula. I noted this on the shopping list, but if you can’t find fusilli, you can substitute rotini, and if you can’t find baby arugula, you can substitute baby spinach. This is one of our favorite spring and summer side dishes!
We usually have a little salmon left over and I’ll use it to make a salad for lunch the next day.
Day 2:
Bratwurst on rolls with sauerkraut, roasted new potato salad (use this recipe), and corn on the cob (or substitute another fresh vegetable if unavailable).
The brats are cooked in beer with onions and then finished on the grill, and then we serve them with whole grain mustard, chopped onions, and sauerkraut. Because brats usually come in packages of five, we just buy and cook two packages and use the leftovers for lunches.
Day 3:
Tacos (is it Tuesday?!) with black bean salad (recipe below) and chips with guacamole and salsa
I’ll usually make a double batch of meat and save half of it for taco salad for lunches or dinner another night. On the shopping list, I included these taco fixings (add or remove based on your family’s preferences): salsa, sour cream, avocados/prepared guacamole, green onions, fresh jalapeño, tomato, lettuce, and shredded cheddar cheese.
Tip: we usually use ground turkey for our taco meat and I make my own seasoning. If you’d like to try my recipe, it’s 1/4 c. chili powder, 1-1/2 t. onion powder, 1-1/2 t. garlic powder, 1-1/2 t. cumin, 1-1/2 t. oregano, 1/2 t. paprika, 1 t. salt, and 1 t. pepper. Mix and store in a mason jar. For each pound of ground meat, use 2 T. of mix and 2/3c.-3/4 c. water.
Amy passed this black bean salad recipe to me decades ago; the original recipe has chopped mint in it, which is delicious, but the flavor profile doesn’t go as well with tacos so I usually omit it. It’s also good without the red onion.
Black Bean Salad
A fast and easy side dish for tacos
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans drain and rinse
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1/3 c crumbled feta cheese
- 2 T olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 c minced red onion
Instructions
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Toss black beans and onions with lemon juice, olive oil, and feta cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
Day 4:
Pork chops (recipe below or read the post here) served with roasted potatoes and roasted broccoli/cauliflower (or lima beans if your family prefers)
Easy and Delicious Pork Chops
There are only TWO ingredients in this marinade, but I've never found one I like better!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork chops (Can use bone in if you prefer)
- soy sauce
- garlic powder
Instructions
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Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with garlic powder and soy sauce, turning with a fork to be sure all of the meat is covered
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Let rest at room temperature for about an hour, turning after 30 minutes, or in refrigerator for the day, turning every 2 hours or so.
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Cook on the grill over high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Let them rest (cover them with foil to keep them warm) for several minutes before you eat. For thicker chops (about 1″ thick), do the same thing–cook 2-3 minutes per side on high and turn them a quarter turn after about a minute if you want to give them a cross-sear–then turn the heat down to low and give them a few more minutes per side until they’re done.
Potatoes: wash them, slice them in half, and toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 400° for 30-40 minutes until browned.
Broccoli and cauliflower: wash both heads, cut into florets, toss with a drizzle of olive oil, and roast at 400° for 20-30 minutes until soft. If your family doesn’t like cruciferous vegetables, lima beans are a good substitute.
Day 5:
Chicken and biscuits (recipe below)
This is a great one-dish Sunday dinner so you might want to rearrange the menu if this falls on a weeknight for you)
A 3″ deep baking dish is really helpful for this recipe; I use this one.
Chicken and Biscuits
This is one of my favorite Sunday dinners!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 T olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 5 c chicken stock
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon
- 1-1/2 sticks butter
- 2 yellow onions (about 2 c.)
- 3/4 c flour
- 1/4 c heavy cream
- 2 c medium diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes (can also use 10 oz frozen chopped carrots)
- 2 c frozen peas (10 oz package)
- 1/2 c minced fresh parsley
- 1 can buttermilk biscuits (8 count, like Grands)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°
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Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes. After they cool enough to handle, cube the chicken.
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Heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. Set aside until needed.
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In a large pot, melt the butter and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until translucent.
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Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
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Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick.
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Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the heavy cream.
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Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, and parsley. Mix well and pour into a 13 x 9 x 3" rectangular baking dish.
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Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place the biscuits on top of the stew.
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Bake for another 20-30 minutes, placing foil over the biscuits if they start to get too brown. Be sure that the bottom of the biscuits has cooked all the way through before removing.
Day 6:
Steak kebabs (recipe below or read the post here) on a bed of couscous
I know that depending on where you live it can be hard to find some items. You can easily substitute cubed chicken or pork in this recipe if you can’t find steak.
Steak Kebabs–Easy Grill Recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 steaks NY strip, rib eye, etc
- 3 peppers green, red, and yellow
- 1 package whole mushrooms
- 1 package cherry or grape tomatoes
- soy or teriyaki sauce
Instructions
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Cut up steak into cubes. Thread onto a skewer (wood or metal) alternating with red onion and green, yellow, and red peppers. Optional ingredients are mushrooms or cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, or soy/teriyaki sauce to taste.
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Cook over high heat for about 2 minutes per side, so about 8-10 minutes total. Remove from grill, cover with foil, and allow to rest for five minutes. Serve over a bed of couscous for a one-dish meal.
Day 7:
Chicken Tortilla-less Soup (recipe here) with cornbread.
This is a great Whole30 or paleo-type recipe, but we serve it with a dollop of sour cream and crumbled tortilla chips when we’re not on the wagon. You’ll definitely need something on the side, like cornbread, because when I make this recipe for our family of four, we eat every drop without any leftovers.
If you don’t already have a enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, this is a great time to buy one since they’re on sale everywhere. They are my pot of choice for soup, every single time. I have this one (4 qt) and this one (7 qt).
As I do almost every week, at the end of the week I make a frittata with any leftover vegetables. If we don’t eat it all, it reheats for fast weekday breakfasts.
Frittata
This is how we get rid of leftover vegetables every weekend!
Ingredients
- Leftover vegetables: I always use onion and a little garlic; everything else varies. In the past I've used ham, bacon, mushrooms, green onions, quartered cherry tomatoes, spinach, kale, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, shredded hash browns, chopped roasted asparagus, broccoli, and peppers. It really is how I get rid of all the leftover vegetables!
- 6-10 eggs
- 1/2 c milk or cream
- salt and pepper
- 1/2-1 c shredded cheese (optional)
- 1 pinch dry mustard
Instructions
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Sauté onion, garlic, and leftover vegetables in olive oil or butter until soft.
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Spread in 13×9" baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
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Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
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Beat eggs with milk or cream, salt and pepper, and dry mustard, and pour on top of vegetables.
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Bake at 400° for about 45 minutes until center is set.
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Great for breakfast, lunch, or weekday leftovers!
I hope this saves you some time and effort over the next week. Enjoy, stay well, and thanks for stopping by!
Christy, what items are in your recipes that you do not purchase at Aldi?
Hey, Cindy–
Almost everything on this list is at ALDI; ours is a smaller store so a bigger store might have everything. Here are the things I see that I would have to get elsewhere: arugula (sometimes they have it, sometimes they don’t; however, they always have baby spinach so I can substitute), fresh parsley, frozen lima beans, frozen carrots, and diced green chiles. That’s it! Oh, and my husband prefers we get our steaks elsewhere but I’ve been pleased with their ground beef and beef roasts. I hope that helps!