October: Meal Plan on a Budget!
It’s October!
According to Canada’s Food Price Report for 2025, a family of 4 will spend $16,833.67 on food this year — that’s up $801.56 from 2024!
That’s $1402.81 a month.
That’s roughly $350.71 a week.
NEW CHALLENGE!!!
Let’s feed me, my husband, our 16 year old and our 12 year old for about HALF that and make a week long menu plan for under $175.00!
Ninja and I keep a running tab of all our grocery expenditures. This is our spending for September,
We spent $$565.10 and used $80.00 in points, leaving our monthly spending at $485.10, clearly keeping to our budget and actually came in $214.90 under for the month, and so far we are under budget by $1015.63 for the year!
Here is the October weekly meal plan staying close to my budget of $175.00! 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! Click on the recipe listed in the MENU below and it will take you directly to the recipe!!
MENU
Sunday: Smothered Pork Chop Scalloped Potato Casserole with Broccoli
Monday: Dill Pickle Grilled Cheese SandwichesÂ
Tuesday: Potsticker Stir Fry with Rice
Wednesday: Sweet Potato & Black Bean Soup
Thursday: Ground Chicken Sweet Chili Noodles
Friday: Pierogi and Meatball Skillet with Green Beans
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:
4 boneless pork chops
1 lb lean ground beef
10 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley.
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried basil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons white cooking wine
1/2 cup dill pickles
9-11 tablespoons butter
2 1/3 cups milk
2 cups cheddar cheese
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 box frozen pierogies
3 1/2 onions
4 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup chicken stock
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 can black beans
4-6 potatoes
4 large carrots
3/4 cup sweet chili sauce
7 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
NEED TO BUY ITEMS:
2 lbs. smaller tomatoes (I used grape + on the vine tomatoes)
15 garlic cloves
2 cups heavy cream
1 bag Jumbo Shells pasta
8 slices sourdough bread
2 cups mozzarella cheese
4 handful dill pickle potato chips
2 large white sweet potatoes
12-18 frozen potstickers
10 mushrooms
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
20-30 green beans
1 lb ground chicken
1 bunch green onions
9 oz rice noodles
GARNISH: Sesame seeds, sliced green onion, parsley chopped, 4 fresh thyme sprigs
SUNDAY: Smothered Pork Chop Scalloped Potato Casserole
This is a Sunday dinner dish that you eat while the sun is going down (earlier and earlier gulp) and you hear the heat kick in while you shuffle up to the dinner table in your slippers and everybody shares what their plans are for the week because the dinner makes everyone comfortable and cozy. You know what I mean? Lol. This was a VERY good fall casserole that doesn’t take a lot of prep or work, but does take a while to bake. Totally worth it.
Smothered Pork Chop Scalloped Potato Casserole
4
servings20
minutes1
hourIngredients
4 boneless pork chops
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-6 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded & divided
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons butter
GARNISH: parsley, chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Season the pork chops with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the pork chops for about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden. Remove and set aside.
In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir continuously until lightly browned and well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
Gradually whisk in the milk and chicken broth, ensuring there are no lumps. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the dried thyme, paprika, and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Mix until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat.
Grease a large baking dish. Layer half of the sliced potatoes on the bottom, overlapping slightly. Pour half of the cheese sauce over the potatoes.
Place the browned pork chops over the potatoes. Layer the remaining potatoes on top of the pork chops.
Pour the remaining cheese sauce over the top layer of potatoes. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese on top.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden and bubbly.
Allow the casserole to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
MONDAY: Dill Pickle Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
This was better than I thought it would be lol. I am always looking for new grilled cheese recipes. We eat a lot of grilled cheeses in our house. Some days I schedule feed yourself days. Grilled cheeses, ramen noodles, and cheese quesadillas are the most popular picks. This was a neat twist that we all liked. It wasn’t too pickley, new word LOL but seriously, I was worried about that, and it wasn’t. It had good crunch and good flavour. I even tried 1 with bread and butter pickles with plain ripple chips but it wasn’t as good.
Dill Pickle Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
4
servings5
minutes10
minutesIngredients
8 slices sourdough bread
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated or sliced
1/2 cup dill pickles, chopped and patted dry
4-6 tablespoons butter
4 handful dill pickle potato chips
Directions
Lay out the sourdough bread. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese evenly over 4 slices of bread.
Add 2 tablespoons of dill pickles in an even layer on top of the 4 cheese slices, then cover with the remaining 1/4 cup grated cheese.
Top with the remaining slices of bread to form a sandwich.
Spread the 1/2 tablespoon of butter evenly on the outside surfaces of the bread slices—the top and bottom of the sandwich.
Preheat a griddle over medium-low heat. Place the buttered sandwich onto the griddle. Cook for several minutes on each side, until the exterior is golden brown and crisp, and the cheese is completely melted.
Remove the sandwiches from the griddle. Carefully open them up while still hot and add a handful of dill pickle chips inside each sandwich. Close the sandwiches again and slice in half.
TUESDAY: Potsticker Stir Fry with Rice
This wasn’t my favourite dinner of the week. I felt like having 2 carbs was heavy but Ninja and HBear really liked it and devoured their plates. I guess I was outnumbered because there weren’t any leftovers lol.
Potsticker Stir Fry with Rice
4
servings15
minutes10
minutesIngredients
12-18 frozen potstickers (do not thaw)
1/2 cup water
10 mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
20 green beans, sliced in thirds
2 large carrots, sliced thin
1 onion, diced
sesame oil
- Sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
Directions
Mix all sauce ingredients and set aside.
Heat the olive oil and sesame oil in a skillet. Add the frozen potstickers. Fry until the bottoms turn brown.
Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Gently stir and cook uncovered until water dissolves and the potstickers are cooked. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add mushrooms and onions and cook until brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Add a teaspoon of sesame oil and broccoli to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add the green beans and carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes until cooked but still al dente.
Add the cooked broccoli, mushrooms, and onions back to the skillet with the cooked green beans and carrots. Add the cooked potstickers.
Stir in sauce and cook until the sauce thickens.
Serve over rice.
WEDNESDAY: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup
We went to the farmer’s market to buy sweet potatoes. Apparently sweet potatoes don’t grow well here. but white sweet potatoes do! You could use either orange or white here as they taste very similar. My Kids THINK they hate sweet potatoes, so I just told them they were potatoes and we all LOVED this easy peasy soup that had lots of flavour and was full of yummy veggies.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup
4
servings10
minutes25
minutesIngredients
2 large white sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 large carrots, chopped
1 cup green beans, chopped into 3 pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
In a large pot, heat olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until soft.
Add the sweet potatoes, drained black beans, carrots, green beans, cumin, and chili powder. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the broth and 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
THURSDAY: Ground Chicken Sweet Chili Noodles
This was easy. Easy to make, easy to pre, easy to feed my family, and easy to clean up. This was a no brainer, yummy, dish that nobody RAVED about but that might have been because they were to busy scarfing every bite down. Like I said, easy!
Ground Chicken Sweet Chili Noodles
4
servings10
minutes20
minutesIngredients
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 lb ground chicken
1 bunch green onions, white parts finely minced and green parts cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
3/4 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
9 oz rice noodles, cooked according to package instructions
GARNISH: sesame seeds
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil and swirl to coat bottom.
Add ground chicken and white parts of onion to pan and break up over medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink.
Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, ginger, and green parts of green onion and let cook 2-3 additional minutes until fragrant.
In a small bowl, combine chili sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.
Toss sauce and cooked rice noodles into ground chicken and cook 3-4 minutes until noodles are bubbly and coated in sauce.
Season noodles with salt and pepper to taste if needed and garnish with sesame seeds.
FRIDAY: Pierogi and Meatball Skillet with Green Beans
We had mixed feelings about this meal. We all agreed it tasted GOOD. it was comforting and familiar and the pan gravy was delish. However, it was a bit more work than I thought, at least for pierogis and meatballs. This should have been a weekend meal though and definitely not the end of a long work week kinda dinner, so if you make this (which you should because it really is good) make sure you have the time. I had a red pepper and some leftover green beans in the crisper so we steamed them with some salt and butter and had them on the side.Â
Pierogi and Meatball Skillet
4
servings15
minutes40
minutesIngredients
 1/3 cup milk
 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
 1 egg
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 lb ground beef
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 box (16 oz) frozen pierogies
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
GARNISH: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1/3 cup milk and the panko breadcrumbs. Let them sit until the milk is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
To the breadcrumb mixture, add the egg, garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, nutmeg, and allspice; mix well. Add the ground beef, mix until thoroughly combined. Form into about 15 meatballs.
In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the pierogies and 2 tablespoons of water; cover and steam until the pierogies are softened, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and allow the pierogies to pan fry until lightly golden, 5 minutes. Remove them to a plate.
In the same skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the formed meatballs in a single layer and fry, turning to cook evenly, until fully cooked, 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Pour off any excess grease.
In the same skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring frequently until the flour is all gone, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly add the beef broth and the remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard.
Add the pierogi and meatballs to the skillet, along with any juices, stirring gently to coat them in the sauce and heat them through. To serve, sprinkle with parsley.
SATURDAY: Pasta Shells in Creamy Garlic Tomato Sauce
Summer is over but this pasta dish feels like a warm fall night, using up the last of the late summer garden tomatoes. This was really tasty but we all agreed, the jumbo pasta looked cool but took a long time to fully cook and we would have preferred medium pasta shells. Next time and there will definitely be a next time!Â
Pasta Shells in Creamy Garlic Tomato Sauce
4
servings10
minutes25
minutesIngredients
1 bag Jumbo Shells pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
- Roasted Tomatoes
2 lbs. smaller tomatoes (I used grape + on the vine tomatoes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 fresh thyme sprigs, optional
3 cloves garlic, minced
- Sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups heavy cream
¼ cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons white cooking wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
Directions
Cut your tomatoes into halves. In a bowl, add the tomatoes along with olive oil, spices/dried herbs, salt & pepper and mix everything together until tomatoes are coated.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Add the seasoned tomatoes unto the baking sheet (in a single layer) and add thyme sprigs and garlic cloves all around. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tomatoes are charred, wilted, and tender. Remove and let cool slightly.
Cook pasta according to packaging.
In a large skillet, add the oil and garlic sauté frequently about 1-2 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
Add in the salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes and whisk together until well combined.
Add in the heavy cream, tomato paste, chicken stock, and white cooking wine, whisking until combined and it begins to bubble, about 1-2 minutes. Add in the roasted tomatoes and continue to let it bubble for another 1-2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add in the cooked pasta and stir until everything is well coated.
Check out Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #441 The Life of Sydney
This week, we get together to discuss: travelling, early Thanksgiving, geography, Hockey Pools, Taylor movie, Vancouver, shopping, photo shoot, SOW, new Taylor Album, & Benson Boone.
Thank you to Life and Linda and For the Love To and Crazy Little Lovebirds for featuring my Fall Books & Cocktails post at their Love Your Creativity Link Party, Weekly Link-Up Party, and Crazy Little Lovebirds Link Party. Thank you to French Ethereal for sharing my MS update and Fall Pasta post at her Share Your Style Link Party this week.
This was a big week, especially for SBean! First we attended TS’s album release party at the theatre! Then, for SBean’s middle school graduation present she received tickets to Benson Boone in Vancouver and FINALLY the concert was this weekend! When asked what else she would like to do in the big city, she said, “shopping, poutine, Palate Kitchen, and a photo shoot at Maan Farms!” Ha! Done! While Ninja and SBean were away, HBear worked and I watched the Jays, read and prepped for our fantasy hockey draft!
6 thoughts on “October: 7 Day Meal Plan”
Those recipes look yummy! I am particularly interested in the sweet chili with chicken and noodles; we just recently “discovered” sweet chili sauce and my husband loves it.
We have basically replaced ketchup in our house with sweet Thai chilli sauce, lol it has been my gateway condiment to bringing spice into my children’s lives! We use it as a dip, condiment, and ingredient lol. Enjoy!
Who doesn’t love a meatball? I wonder why we all do? :=)
cheers
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
Ha Ha right?!?! Thanks for stopping by and commenting 🙂
Great weekly meal plan Kristen. Your meals look and sound amazing.
Thanks so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
Thank you! See you next month 🙂