Meal Plan 1

Be inspired with easy meals every week! Our free weekly meal plans include three main dish recipes, a few easy side dishes, a bread item, a breakfast idea, and a dessert.

Why not a full week? So much goes into crafting meals for the week: social events, leftovers, groceries that need using up, and your mood!

Yep, it’s okay to make what sounds good even if it’s not on the plan.

Our 3-day meal plans allow you some flexibility at the same time as adding structure and reducing decision fatigue. Not to mention they’ll save you a bundle of cash!

Be sure to read our strategies for saving money on groceries, tips for quick meal prep, swapping in ingredients, and what to do with leftovers. These strategies will serve you even if you don’t cook up these exact recipes.

Hungry for more? Check out this month’s featured meal plan on sale. You’ll find easy meals for every day of the month.

This Week’s Recipes

This week’s meal plan includes 3 main dishes, 3-4 sides, a breakfast idea, and a sweet treat. This allows you freedom in the week to enjoy leftovers, go out to eat, or be spontaneous with the evening’s plan. Feel free to mix and match the recipes as they suit you best.

You can click their names to read the full posts and grab the recipes.

• Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad, Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
• Bean & Beef Burritos with Red Sauce, Mexican Rice, Coleslaw
• Margherita Flatbread Pizza, Green Salad
• Breakfast: Protein Overnight Oats
• Dessert: Lemon Loaf

Save Money on This Week’s Meals

1. Shop the kitchen. Compare the shopping list with what you already have on hand. Avoid buying duplicates wherever possible. Consult our list of ingredient swaps so that you can use what you have.
2. Plan frugal meals. We’ve taken care of this for you! All these recipes are budget-friendly, using typically affordable ingredients. Build the rest of your meals based on frugal ingredients and you will stretch your dollar further.
3. Make a plan for leftovers. This is leftover ingredients as well as leftover prepped food. Scroll down for specific tips on what to do with the leftovers from this week.
4. Shop the store with the best prices. What store you choose will make a difference in what you pay. Compare prices so you know what’s the best fit for you this week.
5. Scan the sales and clearance. You can save a bundle buying a few extras of the items you regularly use when you see them on sale.
6. Cook from scratch. Not only does homemade taste better, but it’s usually cheaper, too. I’ve developed recipes that make it easy to make homemade so you can save yourself more money.
7. Freeze extra for later. Anytime you can freeze extra prepped food or ingredients for another time, you’re saving yourself effort as well as cash and avoiding food waste. See below for what meals can be frozen.

Here’s this week’s 3-day meal plan:

Meal Prep Tips

Many recipes in this meal plan can be made in advance. Some can even be made ahead and frozen. If you like to meal prep, know that you can prepare each of the recipes to serve later. 

• Shred the cheeses for the salad, burritos, and pizza all at one time if you don’t buy them already shredded.
• Prep the spice mixes at the same time and use them throughout the week to season vegetables, meats, and other dinner recipes.
• Cook the chicken and the beef ahead of time to incorporate into your meals. If you make extra of both you can work those proteins into other dishes or freeze them for later.
• You can save more money if you cook dry beans instead of buying canned. If you do so, make a big batch and freeze them in 2-cup portions which is the equivalent of a can.
• Make the enchilada sauce yourself for just pennies! Consider making a big batch and storing extras in the freezer.
• The veggies for the salads can be prepped up to 4 days in advance. Store them in airtight containers in the fridge.
• Bake the lemon loaf while the pumpkin rolls are rising, then add the rolls to the oven while it’s still warm.
• The following recipes can be made in advance and frozen: the chicken (to add to a salad later), the rolls, the burritos, and the lemon loaf cake. Consider making double batches of these items to freeze for a future time.

What to Do with Leftovers

Be sure to refrigerate leftovers promptly and consume them within 4 days of preparation.

• Leftover rice is delicious in soups or burrito bowls.
• Leftover coleslaw should be good for a few days in the fridge. It’s great in bowls or wraps.
• Many of the basic ingredients like cooked chicken, beans, beef, shredded cheese, spinach, and enchilada sauce can be frozen to use another time.

Want more done-for-you meal plans? Purchase our featured meal plan of the month.

A Month of Meals Back to Basics is a return to classic favorites that everyone loves. They are familiar meal ideas that you can make yourself for less at home.

Whether you’re an old pro in the kitchen or a novice home cook, this basics meal plan is designed to make suppers simple for the weeks to come.

Which recipes do you love?

Be sure to leave starred reviews on the recipes so we know what you love. This helps us build better meal plans for you! Click on the recipe name and choose the number of stars you want to award the recipe.

Show us your meals!

Be sure to snap a photo of your meals this week and share on social media with the hashtag #goodcheapeats. We love it when you share your creations with friends and family!