I added a dip, a breakfast, a dessert and a side because I knew we would would do them on the weekend being home and it being football season. Plus the whole point of this is to save money so if you completely plan ahead you already have all the supplies. Now, that being said, my goal is to get these meals for cheaper and cheaper each time. I think this round we spent right at $250.00 in groceries but a lot of the spices I had to buy will be reused in future planning.
These are the Meals we planned: (they are not all crockpot meals, but they are all pre-prepared so that when I get home from work I just have to cook, not prepare.) These are not in any order. We just picked out what we wanted from the list for the next night and put it in the fridge to thaw overnight!
-Mini Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
-Cilantro Lime Shrimp
-Cajun Potatoes
-Steak and Broccoli Stir Fry***
-Italian Chicken (Crockpot)%%%
-Taco Soup (Crockpot)%%%
-Lemon Chicken
-Pulled Pork (Crockpot)%%%
-Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken
-Chicken Noodle Soup***
-Porkchop Butterflies
-Chicken Tacos (Crockpot)%%%
-Salsa Chicken (Crockpot)
-Broccoli and Cheese Soup***
-Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole%%%
-Buffalo Chicken Dip
-Easy Cheesecake
**** The ones that I had enough vegetables to make into 2 meals. So these will be made twice.
%%%These are the ones I had enough that we ate leftovers so don't plan these meals back to back with one! Plan one of these for a break the next day! (Depending on the size of your family!)
&& With the pulled pork, I bought a bag of potatoes for the italian chicken and only used about 6 of them so I used the rest of them and made baked potatoes with pulled pork for a leftovers night!
In total this makes about 15-18 meals. This includes left overs for lunches (which saved money) and a couple suppers. Also, chicken was on sale at our local fresh market so I bought it in bulk... Hence the majority chicken recipes!
These meals lasted us: Start 9 September-6 October... (with two nights of eating out for a cheat day and one night we ate cereal because thats what the princess wanted!)
***Some of these I only froze the meat but I still prepared it and had the Recipes written on my bags so I knew how many pieces were in each bag. Also, with the chicken noodle soup and stir fry, I froze the meat separately from the veggies.. It can be done either way but I only had quart bags.. If you have gallon bags, by all means go right ahead!
MEAL RECIPES: (I suggest making a list for the fridge so you make everything you plan for!)
-Mini Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
For the Rolls: For the Icing:
1 (8oz) crescent roll dough 1 TSP Maple Syrup (or any syrup)
2 TBSP butter 1 TBSP Milk
Cinnamon (to taste) 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Brown Sugar (to taste)
Preheat oven to 350.
Lay out 1/2 the dough (4 triangles) and pinch seams together on both sides.
Roll over and smooth the seams out to be about the same thickness throughout.
Brush with 1/2 the butter and sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar.
Roll into a log and cut into mini rolls. (about 8-10 pieces)
I placed them in a sprayed mini muffin tin to bake!
Repeat this process with the remaining ingredients!
Bake according to crescent roll directions!
Icing:
Whisk maple syrup and milk in a bowl.
Add powdered sugar to desired consistency and drizzle over cooked rolls!
-Cilantro Lime Shrimp
2 TSP olive oil
2 LB shrimp (peeled & deveined)
6 cloves garlic
1/3 cup fresh cilantro (if you dont use fresh it will not take this much)
1 lime
salt and pepper to taste (I always use Tony's instead)
Heat oil in pan on medium heat and add shrimp.
Cook on one side then saute with garlic, salt and pepper.
When shrimp is cooked, squeeze lime over mixture and
toss with cilantro!
(could be served over pasta!)
**This meal actually took me the longest bc my shrimp was fresh from the coast and already frozen so I had to peel and devein them!
-Cajun Potatoes:
I did not freeze anything, just prepared by buying it all and cutting the potatoes.
(I made this as a side dish to the pork chops) If you cut potatoes, sprinkle lemon juice on them and put them in the fridge, it will help them keep longer. I did not cut mine yet!
6 potatoes, un-peeled
1 stick butter, melted
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
3/4 cup water
1 TBSP Tony Chacheres
12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Slice potatoes and place in 9x13 dish.
Mix next 4 ingredients in bowl and pour over potatoes.
Bake at 350, covered for 1 hour.
Uncover, add cheese and heat until melted!
-Steak and Broccoli Stir Fry***
Steak pieces cut into strips/chunks= each bag
About 2 cups broccoli each bag= each bag
About 1 cup fresh green beans (can be left out)= Each bag
1 green bell pepper= split b/t bags
1 orange bell pepper=split b/t bags
1 red bell pepper=split b/t bags
2 package noodles= one for each
2 jar teriyaki sauce (Or whatever you choose)= one for each
Cook steak pieces down in pan until rare.
Add vegetables and jar of sauce.
Cook until tender. Serve over noodles
Cook noodles according to package.
-Italian Chicken (Crockpot)%%%
(I only froze my chicken and carrots for this meal!)
4 Chicken breasts
1 (16 oz) Italian dressing
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Italian Seasoning Packet
4-6 Potatoes (cubed) I used red potatoes
1/2 bag of carrots (I used 3/4 and ate the rest for a lunch snack)
Pour layer of dressing in crock pot.
Add chicken and sprinkle with Italian seasoning packet
Pour cheese across Chicken
Layer Carrots
Then Dressing
Then Potatoes
& Finish with Dressing
Cook on low 6-8 hours.
-Taco Soup %%%
2 LBS ground beef (cooked with 2 taco packs/garlic then frozen in bag)
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Taco Seasoning packets
(This will be the only thing you freeze for this meal)
2 (12 oz) cans Corn
2 (10 oz) cans RoTel
2 Packets Ranch Dressing mix (optional, I only use when I have it)
1 (16oz) Kidney beans
1 (15oz) Black Beans
1 (16oz) Navy beans
(Sometimes I just get 2 kidney beans and call it a day!)
2 (14oz) diced tomatoes (sometimes I just get 3 RoTel and call it a day!)
Mix all ingredients and cook until warm (Usually about 20-30 minutes)
Serve with sour cream, cheese and fritos
-Lemon Chicken
(I only froze the chicken for this one!)
About 3 TBSP Butter
4 Chicken Breasts
1 Italian Chicken Packet
Lemon Juice
Put the butter in the bottom of the crock pot.
Lay the chicken in and sprinkle with Italian packet.
Drizzle lemon juice on top, cover, cook on low 6-8 hours!
We ate this with some corn on the cob!
-Pulled Pork (Crockpot)%%%
2 Small Pork tenderloins (Or 1 large)
1 large bottle Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce (I love all the flavors)
1 pack buns (& Mayo is a must)
Cut the fat off the tenderloins if you want, I do.
I froze them like this. This was the only thing I froze, you can freeze your buns so they stay fresh!
Then throw them in the crock pot and cook 5-6 hours on low
Shred with a fork and pour in BBQ sauce.
Let it sit until warm.. The longer it sits, the better the flavor but it only needs to sit until the sauce is good and warmed up!
-Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken
(I only froze the chicken with this one too)
4 Chicken breasts
4 Garlic Cloves, minced (I press mine)
4 TBSP brown sugar
3 TSP olive oil
Preheat oven to 500 and grease 9x13 dish
Saute garlic and oil in pan until tender
Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar
Place chicken breasts in greased dish and top with mixture
Add salt and pepper to taste (I didnt do this)
Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes
When I bought my stir fry veggies I just bought a big bag of fresh green beans from the Fresh Market and froze some by themselves and we ate them as a side to these!
-Chicken Noodle Soup***
3 (14oz) Cans Chicken Broth=each time you make it, makes 2 meals.
1/2 cup chopped onion=each bag (I just split 1 large onion b/t the two)
1/2 cup chopped celery=each bag (I just split a bunch b/t the two)
1 cup carrots=each bag (I just split a bag b/t the two)
3 chicken breasts cut into chunks=each bag
2 bags egg noodles= one for each time
Mix first 4 ingredients and bring to a boil
Simmer and cook 20 minutes
Add COOKED chicken and simmer 10 more minutes
Cook noodles according to packet and add to soup.
Serve when heated through.
*I cooked my chicken with a lil Mrs. Dash*
-Porkchop Butterflies
I only froze the pork chops. I also made this on the weekend to avoid dishes. =)
3 butterfly pork chops
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Dip pork chops in beaten egg.
Combine next 4 ingredients and dip chops in mixture.
Put in skillet and pan fry i olive oil for 40 minutes (low to med heat)
Turn occasionally. DO NOT COOK OVER MEDIUM. IT WILL BURN.
-Chicken Tacos (Crockpot)%%%
1 Envelope Taco Seasoning Packet
6 boneless chicken breasts (I only froze this)
1 jar of salsa (If you care, I did medium)
Dump ingredients in crock pot, stir, cook on low 6-8 hours.
Shred with fork.
Place in tortillas and serve with toppings!
We topped with sour cream, cheese and lettuce.
-Salsa Chicken (Crockpot)
4 Chicken breasts (I only froze the chicken)
1 cup salsa
1 taco seasoning pack
1 cream of chicken
1 cup sour cream
Mix first 4 ingredients in crock pot and cook on low 6 hours
Shred with fork, Add sour cream and cook 15 more minutes.
We ate this with fritos.
-Broccoli and Cheese Soup***
1 (10oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 LB Velveeta Cheese
1 (10oz) frozen broccoli (I used fresh and froze it bc I bought it w/ the stir fry)
Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 3-4 hours
I put mine on warm for 8 hours and it worked fine, depends on your cooker!)
Could also be done on the stove in no time!
We ate this with Hawaiian sweet rolls.
-Easy Chicken Bake%%%
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts (I only froze this!)
2 Cups Rice (I used Minute Rice)
1 onion soup mix
1 Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cream of Celery Soup
Heat oven to 350.
Mix soups, 1 can of water and 2 cups of rice in buttered 9x13 dish.
Lay chicken on top of mixture and add onion soup mix
Cover with foil, bake 1 hour.
We ate this with a side salad and bread!
-Buffalo Chicken Dip
3-4 Chicken breasts
1 Bottle of wing sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's)
1 (8oz) cream cheese
1 pack cheese
1 cup ranch dressing
1 bag chips (we use fritos)
Boil chicken breasts in water and shread.
Combine chicken and wing sauce in bowl to taste
Let it soak until ready to use.
Spread the cream cheese in the bottom of dish then top with chicken
Sprinkle some cheese and then drizzle the ranch on top.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until bubbly.
Serve with chips!
This is my Hubby's favorite game day treat!
-Easy Cheesecake
3 (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 (14oz) can condensed milk
4 eggs
2 TSP vanilla extract
1 TBSP lemon juice
2 (9in) graham cracker crusts
Mix first 5 ingredients together
Pour into crusts
Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes!
We topped our with a can of strawberry topping!
I hope everyone enjoys and feel free to share any additions or new recipes you try with me!! Also, I had to throw this list together pretty fast so if you have any questions just let me know!!!
