We try to keep our meals economical and budget-friendly. I know some people batch cook, but I’m not a fan — I prefer variety and meals I can fit in easily during the week.
I love looking at other people’s meal plans, so I hope this gives you ideas for your own! Each month, I share sample weekly meal plans complete with recipes and links.
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Money-saving tip: buy herbs and spices in bulk—you’ll save a lot compared to small, pre-packaged jars (most of the cost is just the packaging!). To make it even easier, I’ve linked my favorite bulk herbs and spices below, and you can organize them into these handy reusable spice containers for a tidy, budget-friendly kitchen!
I’m excited to share a FREE printable weekly meal plan template to organize your meals for the week. Planning ahead makes mealtime smoother—and it’s way more fun when your planner is pretty! Pro tip: laminate your planner and stick it on the fridge with magnetic stickers—use a magnetic washable marker to fill it in each week. Scroll down for ideas, and be sure to explore my other blog posts for even more budget-friendly meal plans.
Sunday: Enchiladas & Rice
Family dinner night with my extended family! My dad wanted to learn how to make enchiladas, so that helped decide the meal. Enchiladas are also a great choice for feeding a crowd and perfect for bringing to a new mom — you can prep them in a lasagna pan.
As a wedding gift, my mom & sister gifted me the Bridal Edition of the Betty Crocker cookbook and after 16 years of marriage, I still use this book! I would highly recommend if looking for a bridal gift! The Enchilada recipe is adapted and originally from the cookbook.
Ingredients
Enchilada Sauce
- 1/3 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1.4 oz can of green chilis
- 1 chopped garlic clove
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
Enchilada Filling
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion
- 1/2 cup sour cream (Daisy sour cream is our favorite!)
- 1 cup of Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 teaspoons of dried parsley or 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Prep Enchiladas
- 8 tortillas (corn or flour)
- Toppings if desired: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and chopped onions
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Start with enchilada sauce so it has time to cool. In a 2-quart saucepan, add the tomato sauce and water, and add in chopped green bell pepper, chili powder, oregano, cumin, chilis and garlic. Once boiling simmer for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Take about 1/2 cup of sauce and put on bottom of lasagna pan. Pour the rest into a 9-inch pie plate and let cool while working on the filling. Once complete.
- In a 10-inch skillet – I love my cast iron! – cook beef for 8-10 minutes at medium heat, and drain. Add in chopped onion, sour cream, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, parsley and pepper. Remove from heat and cover till ready to start filling tortillas.
- Take each tortilla and dip into the enchilada sauce, I usually flip it over twice. Spoon a generous 1/4 cup of beef filling into the tortilla and roll. Place each tortilla into a lasagna pan.
- Pour any remaining sauce over enchiladas.
- Bake 20 minutes uncovered. There should be small bubbles to indicate if done.
- Serve with garnish and choice of sides!
My Notes:
- Canned chilis are optional — I don’t always have them on hand.
- For the tomato sauce, I blend a can of diced tomatoes.
- Served with rice (cooked in bone broth) and a green salad.
- I doubled the recipe for 5 adults and 11 children. I cut the enchiladas in half for the little ones.
- Set aside about an hour from start to finish. You can prep the filling and sauce ahead of time. Let the sauce cool before dipping the tortillas.
Monday: Zuppa Toscana
Mondays are busy — my younger three have Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, so I plan meals I can prep early or make quickly. Soup is perfect for this. I have come to love Zuppa Toscana as a warm and comforting weeknight soup.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of sausage (for kid-friendly find a mild Italian or a salt & pepper sausage)
- 5-8 medium russet or gold potatoes -sliced into bite size
- Kale or Spinach (traditionally, it is kale, but I have used spinach before, which I love!)
- 10 large garlic cloves
- 1 onion
- 10 cups bone or chicken broth (if you want less do 6 cups broth and 4 cups water)
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Salt & Pepper as desired
- Parmesan Cheese to serve!
- In your favorite large soup pot – here is my favorite Cuisinart one, has lasted me for almost 16 years of marriage cooking! – sauté the sausage till brown. Remove on a plate with a paper towel.
- Add the diced onion and sauté till soft. Towards the end add in the garlic to sauté for about a minute.
- Add broth to bring to a boil.
- Add the cut potatoes and boil for about 10-1 5 minutes or can be pierced with a fork.
- Once potatoes are almost soft add in greens of choice with sausage and bring to a soft boil.
- Add in 1 cup of cream to boil for 1 minute and then done!
- Serve with desired salt & paper with parmesan cheese on top!
My Notes:
- I add the greens if I have them, but I’ve omitted them before and it still tastes great.
- Delicious with crusty sourdough bread!
Tuesday: Linguine with Red Sauce
We went to the zoo this day, so I needed something quick! Here’s my go-to red sauce recipe:
Simple Red Sauce (for 2 lbs pasta):
- 2 (28 oz) cans diced or whole tomatoes
- 1 cup bone broth
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2–3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- Olive oil or butter
- Optional: 1 lb ground beef or sausage
Directions:
- Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil or butter.
- Add meat if using.
- Blend tomatoes in a blender.
- Add tomatoes, spices, and broth to the pot. Simmer at least 30 minutes.
Serve with any pasta, salad, and/or bread. Always a crowd-pleaser!
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Wednesday: Chicken and Rice Soup
A family favorite and a great way to use up leftover chicken or rice. I used rice leftover from Sunday’s enchiladas.
My Adapted Version:
- 12 tbsp butter
- 1 large chopped onion
- 2 cups chopped carrots
- 1 cup flour
- 6 cups chicken or bone broth
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 4 cups cooked chicken
- 24 oz milk
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
- Melt butter, sauté onion and carrots.
- Stir in flour, then add cooked chicken.
- Add broth and bring to a boil.
- Boil for 1 minute, stir in milk, season, and serve.
My Notes:
- The original calls for evaporated milk, but I usually use whole milk.
- I’ve also added zucchini and summer squash in season — it adds great flavor!
Thursday: Hamburgers & Roasted Potatoes
Thursdays are busy homeschool soccer days. We’re usually not home until after 5 p.m., and my dad comes over for dinner. If I can prep ahead, I do — but this day was packed with a dental appointment and homeschooling before soccer.
We finally had a sunny day, so I grilled hamburgers when I got home.
Hamburger Mix:
- Ground beef
- Salt, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire sauce – roughly a teaspoon of each, but this is one you can experiment with to make it unique to you!
I make small burgers or cut them in half for the kids. We usually need 2–3 lbs of beef.
Roasted Potatoes:
- Cut up a 5 lb bag of red potatoes
- Toss with3-4 tablespoon of coconut oil, 1 tablespoon parsley, and salt, pepper, garlic powder as desired
- Roast at 400°F for ~45 minutes until crispy
Homemade Hamburger Buns:
➡️ Hamburger Buns Recipe | Taste of Home
Friday: Pizza
Fridays always calls for homemade pizza. We have a family recipe called Nonna’s bread and we use it for bread and pizza dough!
Nonna’s Bread Recipe (Perfect for Pizza Dough)
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup olive oil or butter
- 1 tbsp salt
- 6 cups flour
- 1 extra cup warm water (set aside)
Instructions:
- Mix 1 cup warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let proof for ~5 minutes until bubbly.
- Add flour, egg, oil, and salt. Slowly add more warm water until dough forms and is no longer sticky.
- Let rise until doubled in size.
- Divide into 6 small or 3 large pizzas. Spread onto pizza pans.
- Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes for pre-baked shells, or top with sauce and cheese and bake ~12 minutes.
As you can see, homemade breads and pizza doughs are a staple in our home. It’s an affordable, healthier way to feed a big family—and we always keep Red Star Yeast stocked in the pantry!
Saturday: Pulled Pork & Sweet Potato Apple Bake
Saturday was packed! Samantha had an event, three of the kids had karate belt tests, and we planned to meet friends at our town’s Oktoberfest before hosting dinner.
I needed a make-ahead meal, so I chose pulled pork — always a hit. I cooked it in the oven using this recipe in the morning, so we were ready!
Ingredients
- 6 pounds of boneless pork butt
- 3 tablespoons of mixed spices – cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard and salt, pepper.
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 3 stalkers of celery, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 1/2 cups bone broth
Directions
- Heat oven to 325 degrees and season pork with mixed spices rubbing it into the meat
- Cut the pork into 2-3 inch size chucks.
- Lightly sear chunks of the pork and then put on a nice large cookie sheet, two if necessary.
- Add the vegetables – onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and pour the broth over the meat and vegetables.
- Cover the pork with foil and let cook in over for about 2 hours. Then continue checking from there every half hour to up to 4 hours if needed. When done the meat should fall apart with two forks. I like keeping the pork in the liquid as it keeps it moist.
Notes:
- Cooked the pork on one of my favorite Nordic Ware cookie sheets.
- Checked on it between belt tests — left it in the oven off, covered in foil, so it stayed juicy until dinner.
Side Dish: Sweet Potato & Apple Bake
- Chopped sweet potatoes & apples
- Add 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 2-3 tablespoons honey, 1 tsp salt or as desired.
- Top with cubed butter
- Bake at 350°F for 30–45 minutes
This is an old recipe from my mom — I eyeball it now and it always turns out.
Bonus Tip:
Find a local family-friendly Oktoberfest! They often have vendor giveaways (balloons, sunglasses, pens), which keep the kids happy and don’t create clutter.
That wraps up one week of a Gratefully Willd Home meal plan! — full of real food, real-life scheduling, and budget-friendly ideas for a big family. Don’t forget to grab your free printable below!
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