About the Author

Jill is a mother, wife, teacher, artist, creative genius, and writer. She works daily on her blog at SimpleDailyRecipes.com. When she is not home schooling her kids or writing for her blog, Jill likes to experiment in her kitchen to create new food delights.

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5 Simple Meals & A Shopping List

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(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Skip trying to figure out what your family’s going to eat this week; it’s all right here!

HERE’S ALL YOU NEED TO DO

Follow the Recipe links and print the recipes
Print the Shopping List provided
Follow the cooking suggestions

ON THE MENU

SHOPPING LIST

3 small onions
2 fresh jalapeños
1 head of green leaf lettuce
1 bulb of garlic
1 bunch of cilantro
1 fresh lime

1 box Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles
1 (26 oz.) can/jar Spaghetti sauce
4 oz. whole kernel corn, small can
1 (15 oz.) can Southwest Style tomatoes
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans
1 jar of your favorite salsa

1 package of Mission Zesty Garlic Flour Tortillas
1 package Mama Mary’s Gourmet Thin & Crispy Pizza Crusts, comes with two medium crusts
Corn Tortilla chips for dipping

1 to 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
4 chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
1 pound chicken tenders

8 oz. container sour cream
16 oz. container small curd cottage cheese
1 package (2 cups) Mexican Blend shredded cheese
1 package (2 cups) Monterey Jack cheese
1 package (2 cups) Italian Blend shredded cheese
1 package (2 cups) Pizza Blend shredded cheese

.

COOKING SUGGESTIONS

Roast the chicken breasts and cook the ground beef. Divide up the cooked meats to use in the recipes, and store in airtight containers or freezer bags to have ready. You’ll have 2 extra cooked chicken breasts to use as you wish.
Wash, prepare and store green leaf lettuce and cilantro in airtight containers to have ready to use.
Make the Black Bean Salad, Chicken Quesadillas before the chicken fajitas, there will be plenty of black bean salad to add as a side for the fajitas.
Reserve 1/3 cup spaghetti sauce from the lasagna recipe to use on the Hamburger pizzas. You can add 1/3 cup water/vegetable/chicken broth back to the lasagna sauce and no one will know the difference.
The Rich & Meaty Lasagna will make enough to eat for two dinners. So, there’s one night you don’t need to cook, just reheat leftovers.

Okay, now I’ve done all the planning, list building, and given you easy to follow instructions. Go live it!

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT
Come back and tell me if this meal plan worked for you and your family. Should I make more of these?

You gotta speak up. This was a bigger task than I thought it would be, but I would do it again and again, if I knew it would help you through the week.

There Are 10 Responses So Far. »

Comment by cybergal on 20 February 2008:

This looks awesome. I’m definitely going to try this for next week!
Comment by Laura Brittain on 20 February 2008:

That is a GREAT idea, Jill! As soon as we use down some of the stuff I have in my freezer, I am DEFINITELY going to start doing your week of recipes. You are so smart … and you have stuff listed that my kids would actually attempt to eat. It was embarrassing when we moved to see how much food I have! I have a bunch in the freezer I need to use before it gets old … it is just hard to remember to get stuff out to thaw ahead of time. I need to make a list of what I have and keep it handy and mark it off as I use it. Anyway, keep up the good work as always! :o)
Comment by Francie on 20 February 2008:

Jill, this looks great. I’ve marked some of these recipes to try anyway. This is as good a time as any. Thanks!
Comment by Jill on 21 February 2008:

Thank you Ladies!

This post was all compiled with human brain power. I didn’t have special software to help me calculate servings, measurements and what not.

THIS IS MY DISCLAIMER: It’s not perfect. But, it’s the start of helping you all with your busy work weeks.

If it doesn’t pan out (no pun intended), that’s cool. It’s like any new recipe, I’ll try it out, and see how everyone likes it or dislikes it.

I really would love ya’lls help in making it a ROCKIN COOL feature to SDR.

(Thank you for your friendship and support.)
Comment by Anne on 21 February 2008:

oh yeah - I’m copying the list right now. Thanks for doing all my work for me
Comment by Lisa on 21 February 2008:

I am definitely going to give this a try next week. This is exactly what I have looking for. I will let you know how everything is.
Thank you!!
Comment by Jill on 21 February 2008:

YEAH!!! This is so exciting…teeheehee! I have other great ideas in development. This meal planning bit is just the beginning.
Comment by Lisa on 10 March 2008:

I tried all the recipes, but the chicken fajitas. I like the concept of the grocery list and recipes, but I thought that this week had too many Tex-Mex type meals, quesadillas and fajitas. So that is why I did not make the fajitas. I think the week should have more variety of the ethnicity of foods you have. This is first time I had tried cooking meat ahead and I just LOVE it!! I think you are on the right track.
Comment by Jill on 11 March 2008:

THANK YOU for living this out and sharing your honest feedback. You Rock!

That’s cool that you didn’t want two Tex Mex dinners in one week. Being my first menu plan,
I planned exactly what my family likes to eat and we could eat Tex Mex everyday. Honestly,
I tried to break it up with two Italian dishes (the lasagna and the pizza). I could Italian everyday, personally.
If I lived in Italy, I would eat Italian meals everyday. (~~daydreaming about pasta~~)

*I’m back!*
I’m glad you dig cooking meat ahead. It really helps to have it on hand for those crazy weeknight dinners.
Again, thank you, thank you for the feedback. I will remember it in the next meal planning session.
Comment by Mintie on 28 March 2008:

Wow, thank you , thank you, thank you! You are a lifesaver I ran out of ideas and web sites for 5 meals and 1 list(yup, I like the easy way) It’s the only way I found not to order take-out.