April: Meal Plan on a Budget!
It’s April! April is my favourite month, it’s my birthday month and it’s spring! Even when I lived in Manitoba, April was the first month where you could feel the warm sunshine and know… Summer is coming! To welcome spring, we have some brighter, lighter, and fresher dinners for our April meal plan! No more soups! No more casseroles! We are looking at burgers, rice bowls, asparagus, and lots of colourful vegetables! Enjoy these 7 delicious April dinner recipes!
According to Canada’s Food Price Report for 2024, a family of 4 will spend $16,297.20 on food this year — that’s up $701.79 from 2023!
That’s $1,358.10 a month.
That’s roughly $313.40 a week.
NEW CHALLENGE!!!
Let’s feed me, my husband, our 15 year old and our 11 year old for about HALF that and make a week long menu plan for under $160.00!
Here is the April weekly meal plan staying close to my budget of $160.00! I want you to have all the tools to be able to feed your family 7 healthy(ish) meals, while not putting yourself into the poorhouse! I hope you enjoy and please let me know if you follow this weekly plan and if you were able to stick to the budget! NEW FEATURE ALERT!!!! Now you can click on the DAY listed in the MENU below and it will take you directly to that day’s recipe!!
MENU
Sunday: Cacio e Pepe Asparagus Tortellini
Monday: Cottage Cheese Egg Bake with Salad
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Burrito Bowls
Wednesday: Smashed Bacon Turkey Burgers with Fries
Thursday: Honey Cilantro Lime Salmon with Caesar Salad & Rice
Friday: Sweet & Soup Pork with Fried Rice
Saturday: Bean and Vegetable Burritos
Staple Items
These items are ALWAYS in my pantry or fridge. This tip bares repeating… As soon as I see an item running out it goes on the my shopping list. If they come up on my PC Points list or go on sale, I buy them. We have a second fridge in the garage, so I always have eggs, mayo, soy sauce, etc. on hand. It may take you a while and some money to get this system going but once you do… your wallet will thank you 🙂
Things I need for this week’s menu that I already have in my kitchen (my staple items) are listed below on the left. The items that I need to buy are listed on the right.
SHOPPING LIST:
STAPLE ITEMS:
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 package bacon
2 onions
¾ cup flour
1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons oil
12 cloves of garlic
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup feta cheese
7 cups chicken broth
3 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 bay leaf
3 chicken breasts
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 lb ground chicken
1/4 cup panko
4 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoon cajun
1 pound pork loin
1/2 cup cornstarch + 2 teaspoons
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup frozen peas/carrots/corn blend
1/2 inch ginger, grated
3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce
NEED TO BUY ITEMS:
1 package Cheese Ravioli
2 cups butter
8oz fresh asparagus
1 cottage cheese
3 bell peppers
12 eggs
4 cups Monterey jack cheese
1 package frozen, chopped spinach
1 jalapeño pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans black
1 can red beans
2 cans corn
4 limes
8 large burrito-sized flour tortillas
3 Roma tomatoes
1 large salmon fillet
⅓ cup cilantro
6 green onion
1 lemon
4 buns
Lettuce
Fries
SUNDAY: Cacio e Pepe Asparagus Tortellini
I was watching the Kardashians (don’t even get me started on how awful I feel admitting that) and Kris Jenner kept on saying that her favourite Italian dish was Cacio e Pepe throughout the entire episode lol so I looked it up. Apparently, it’s just Parmesan cheese and pepper pasta. But, because the Mom of all Moms raved about this dish, I decided to give it a try! We changed it up a bit by using tortellini and by taking advantage of all the fresh asparagus in the grocery store and props to Kris Jenner, because this dish is simple, cost-efficient, and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
1 package Cheese Tortellini
1/4 cup reserved pasta water
3 tablespoons butter
8oz asparagus, woody ends trimmed off
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Directions
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the tortellini. Cook according to the packages instructions.
While the pasta boils, add the butter to a large skillet. Melt over medium heat. Add the asparagus, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Cook for about 7-9 minutes.
Once the tortellini is cooked, transfer to the pan with the asparagus. Add in a little bit of reserved pasta water, about 1 tablespoon at a time.
Mix in 3/4 of the cheese. Turn the burner off. Keep tossing until the cheese melts. Top with remaining cheese, more black pepper, and a little bit of lemon zest.
MONDAY: Cottage Cheese Egg Bake
You know how much I love quiche. I love quiche so much that I almost always have one in my freezer to pull out… Just in case lol. Well, this is an even healthier and just as flavourful twist on my favourite quiche! I bought Monterey Jack cheese, but you could use whatever cheese you bought or have on hand. Same with bell peppers, I put a red bell pepper in so it looked prettier, but you can pick whatever pepper you want! That’s what I love about cooking, you can customize any recipe to fit you and your family, this ain’t a one size fits all kind of thing! I bought an Asian salad in a bag to go with this egg bake because it was on sale, and we love the Asian sesame dressing. But you can add whatever salad or side dish you want.
Ingredients
8 pieces bacon, divided
10 eggs
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded & divided
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
3/4 container cottage cheese
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 red bell pepper, diced divided
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated & divided
2 green onion, chopped & separated
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 9" x 13" pan with oil.
Cook bacon using your preferred method, until chewy-crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Chop bacon into bite-sized pieces.
In a bowl, whisk eggs until combined. Set aside ¼ cup of the chopped bacon, then add the rest to the eggs. Set aside ½ cup of the cheese, then add the rest to the eggs. Add the spinach, cottage cheese, melted butter, half of the red pepper, 1/2 the green onions, and all of the yellow onion. Stir to combine.
Sprinkle the flour, seasoning salt, pepper, and half of the Parmesan over the egg mixture. Stir to combine.
Add the egg mixture to prepped pan. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan, bacon and red pepper over the top. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, plus a generous sprinkle of black pepper.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake 20-30 minutes more, or until center is firm. If the top starts to brown more than you like, place the foil back on the pan.
Remove the pan from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving. Sprinkle with chopped green onion.
TUESDAY: BBQ Chicken Burrito Bowls
This one pot BBQ chicken bowl is half burrito bowl, and half BBQ chicken bowl. I had half a rotisserie chicken shredded in my freezer so I used that instead of the chicken breasts. Because the chicken was already cooked, I just threw the chicken in at the same time as the corn and beans and it worked out perfectly!
BBQ Chicken Burrito Bowls
4
servings10
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minutes5
minutesIngredients
3 Roma tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
2 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/2 onion, chopped into quarters
2 teaspoons cumin, divided
3 teaspoons salt, divided
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup basmati white rice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 bay leaf
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for serving
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Optional toppings: Shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream
Directions
Place the tomatoes, broth, garlic, onion, and 2 teaspoons of the salt in a Nutri Bullet and blend on high speed until smooth.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the rice, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, and chili powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice starts to make a crackling sound, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato mixture and bay leaf and stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any stuck grains of rice.
Arrange the rice in an even layer and bring to a full simmer, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, place the chicken in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon cumin, drizzle with the barbecue sauce, and toss to combine.
Add the chicken to the rice in an even layer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir, cover again, and continue cooking until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Remove the pot from the heat. Sprinkle with the corn, then the beans (I used leftover rotisserie chicken and I added it now). Cover and let sit covered 5 minutes for the rice to steam and for the corn and beans to heat through. Gently fold to incorporate the chicken, corn, and beans together. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve with desired toppings.
WEDNESDAY: Smashed Bacon Turkey Burgers with Fries
We love burgers, and we especially like trying out new types of burgers. This one was our first burger of the spring, and it did not disappoint! This turkey patty was juicy and flavorful, and the toppings including the Sriracha mayo were absolutely delicious all together! I used Monterey Jack for my cheese slices, but you can use any kind of cheese you like. We just had these burgers with some Cavendish french fries (that I bought on sale a few weeks ago) that we Air fried for a delicious spring dinner!
Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/4 cup panko
1/3 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
2 tablespoons green onion, diced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil
4 slices Monterey Jack cheese
4 strips bacon, cooked and cut in half
4 buns
1/4 cup mayo
hot sauce, to you liking
1/4 red onion, sliced
A few leaves of lettuce, optional
Directions
In a mixing bowl combine all of turkey, egg, panko, red pepper, green onions, paprika, cajun, salt, pepper, and garlic give it a good mix. Divide the meat mixture into 4 patties, and roll them into a ball.
Preheat oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add 4 patty balls and smash them with a spatula, cook for 4-5 minutes, flip on the other side. Add cheese and cover the skillet with a lid cook for 3-4 minutes.
Mix mayo and hot sauce together and spread on the buns, add a cheesy patty, follow by red onion, lettuce and crispy bacon.
THURSDAY: Honey Cilantro Lime Salmon with Caesar Salad & Rice
Ninja and HBear are big fans of salmon, or as HBear used to call it, pink steak lol. SBean and I are not as big of fans. In other words, we don’t eat it at all. No fish, no seafood, nothing that com lol. I buy salmon in small to medium size fillets so they can pull one or two out for themselves when we cook salmon. They also prefer Caesar salad over my mom’s mandarin salad so they tossed together that on the side along with my basmati rice. We doubled the rice recipe and put half of it in the fridge for fried rice the next day! I find it very difficult to take pictures of salmon. It’s a very fatty fish, but I assure you Ninja and HBear devoured it!
Ingredients
1 large salmon fillet or a couple of medium-sized fillets
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 limes, 1 lime thinly sliced & 1 juiced
4 tablespoons honey
1 clove garlic, minced
⅓ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line and grease a large baking sheet with foil. Lay salmon on foil and season with salt and pepper on both sides to taste. Slip lime slices underneath the salmon.
Stir the butter, lime juice, honey, and garlic together. Pour mixture over salmon. Fold sides of foil up over the salmon, it doesn't have to cover the salmon completely.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Switch oven to broil and cook another 2 minutes. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top and serve.
FRIDAY: Sweet & Soup Pork with Fried Rice
This sweet & sour pork tasted super authentic. Or as authentic as I know Chinese food to be at least. This pork was super tasty, the perfect texture and tasted just like a really good takeout dish! We used cold rice from our dinner the night before and made my fried rice, just without the shrimp. This is a fantastic dinner that comes together in just 30 minutes and is the perfect way to end a busy week!
Ingredients
1 pound pork loin, cut to 2-cm pieces
1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt, separated
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
2 green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Directions
Combine the pork pieces, oil, and half the salt in a big bowl. Mix well and let marinate for 15 minutes.
Mix ketchup, apple cider vinegar, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and rest of the salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Add the beaten egg into the bowl with the marinated pork. Stir to mix well. Add 1/2 cup cornstarch. Stir to coat the pork until it forms an uneven coating with a little dry cornstarch left unattached.
Heat the oil in a heavy-duty skillet until hot. Add the pork all at once and spread it out into a single layer in the skillet. Separate the pork pieces with tongs. Cook without touching the pork for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom turns golden. Flip to brown the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate and remove the pan from the stove. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
Place the pan back onto the stove and turn to medium heat. Add the green onion and garlic. Cook and stir a few times until it releases its fragrance, a few seconds. Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Pour it into the pan. Stir and cook until it thickens, when you can draw a line on the bottom with a spatula without the sauce running back immediately.
Add back the cooked pork and stir to coat with sauce, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate and serve with Fried Rice.
SATURDAY: Bean and Vegetable Burritos
I was a bit worried about these burritos tasting too much like the BBQ chicken burrito bowls we had earlier in the week, but I had no need to worry because although they used similar ingredients, they tasted completely different. The Kids absolutely loved these burritos and I especially liked the crispy tortilla wraps that really take these burritos to the next level. If you wanted to make this burrito, extra “meaty” use two cans of beans in your filling! I use Monterey Jack cheese for this recipe but again, use whatever cheese, you and your family enjoy most.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 onion, diced small
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 small can diced tomatoes
1 can of beans, black, red, or pinto, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
4-5 large flour tortillas
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, and once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and bell pepper and cook until the the ingredients begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cumin, half the chili powder, and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes and let simmer for 1 minute, then add the beans and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste the mixture and add salt. Add remaining chili powder if needed for your desired heat level. Add the corn and stir until everything is warm.
Remove from heat and squeeze the juice of half a lime over the mixture.
Warm up the tortillas for 15 seconds in the microwave to soften them. If they seem dry, spray them lightly with water before warming. Spoon about 3/4 cup of the filling in the lower third of a warmed tortilla. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup jack cheese. If you want your burritos spicier, you can add hot sauce. Fold the bottom of the tortilla over the filling, fold in the sides, and roll it up, setting it to cool seam side-down. Repeat with remaining tortillas, filling, and cheese.
Heat a skillet with a thin layer of oil over medium heat and add burritos you’re ready to eat. Cook until browned and crisp on both sides.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Ep.375: Dicks, Decks & Dentists. This week, we get together to discuss: podcasting, Lake Breeze cocktail, drinking, communicating needs, Magnolias, the eclipse, and billionaires.
This week was back to school, back to lessons, and back to work. After getting the house back in order after Easter and spring break, I worked, hung out with the dog, and read a few books. Ninja continued to work on the deck with all of us helping as much as we can. He also surprised me at work and came by at the end to finish up my job, just when I’m at my most tired! He carried my equipment back to the van and went back to work himself. I’m SO lucky. SBean had an extra musical theatre class this weekend while HBear stained the fence. We ended our week watching the eclipse on TV… Next week, The Masters!
2 thoughts on “April: Meal Plan on a Budget!”
These recipes look delicious. I will try a few of them this week for my family. Thank you for sharing!
Fantastic! I hope your family enjoys them as much as my family did!