It’s December!
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 17 year old and our 13 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 November!
We spent $871.99 and used $80 in points, leaving our monthly spending at $791.99 we clearly went over our budget this month coming in $91.99 over for the month, but so far we are under budget by $932.83 for the year! This sometimes happens, especially in November when our groceries include ingredients for HBear’s birthday, SBean’s birthday, Christmas baking, stocking stuffers, extra donation food, big family dinners, and even toys for the local toy drive. I’m not too worried about it though because overall, we have been killing it on our grocery budget this year!
Here is the December 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: Deconstructed Shepherd’s Pie
Monday: Weeknight Spaghetti
Tuesday: Vegetable Stir Fry with Rice
Wednesday: Pizza Bagel Casserole
Thursday: Bacon Fried Rice
Friday: Marsala Chicken Orzo Skillet
Saturday: Patty Melts with Secret Sauce
SHOPPING LIST:
STAPLE ITEMS:
6 tablespoons oil
3 onions
2 carrots
11 cloves garlic
6 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 bay leaves
1 cup peas
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups mashed potatoes
13 tablespoons butter
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons white wine
3 1/4 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon corn starch
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
2 teaspoons fresh ginger
1 can pizza sauce
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
4 cups cooked basmati rice
3 eggs
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ cup sweet Marsala
8 oz orzo pasta
4 oz Parmesan cheese
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
6 slices cheese
NEED TO BUY ITEMS:
1 package spaghetti
2 lbs ground beef
1 red onion
3 bell peppers
1 bag frozen stirfry vegetables
16 oz mushrooms
8 oz pepperoni slices
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 package bacon
6 everything bagels
â…“ cup parsley
2 green onions
12 oz chicken sausage
12 slices sourdough bread
2 Vidalia onions
GARNISH: Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley
SUNDAY: Deconstructed Shepherd’s Pie
Ok SOOOO many things happening here. First shepherd’s pie uses lamb so this would actually be considered Cottage Pie, but my Mom always called it shepherds pie, so that’s what I call it. Second, mashed potatoes go on TOP of the ground lamb in a traditional shepherds pie. That’s why I call this Deconstructed! Anyways, on to the actual dish, we LOVED this. We had left over mashed potatoes in the fridge (careful planning from the week before, although I should have had that dish this week, so I could show you how to use potatoes in 2 dishes to save time, but instead, I’m telling you. We had leftover mashed potatoes so we just had to make the meat portion of this dish and instead of baking it, we just put the meat on TOP. Easy Peasy comfort dish in 35 minutes.
Deconstructed Shepherd’s Pie
4
servings10
minutes25
minutesIngredients
2 tablespoons oil
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled & diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 cup peas
salt and pepper, to taste
3-4 cups mashed potatoes, hot
Directions
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the meat and cook, breaking it apart as it cooks, until cooked through, about 7-10 minutes, before setting aside and draining off all but 2 tablespoons of grease.
Add the onions and carrots and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic and tomato paste, and mix before sprinkling in the flour, mixing again and cooking for a minute.
Add the broth, meat, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf, bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves, mix in the peas, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve over mashed potatoes.
MONDAY: Weeknight Spaghetti
Ninja would eat spaghetti once a week if I liked it. It’s true, spaghetti is my least favourite pasta dish. It’s the meat sauce. It’s so heavy and to make a good sauce it needs time to simmer. This dinner satisfied Ninja’s spaghetti craving, was a light and refreshing change for me, the Kids loved it and it was made in 30 minutes. That’s a winner in my books!
Weeknight Spaghetti
4
servings10
minutes20
minutesIngredients
1 package spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 thyme sprigs
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons white wine
GARNISH: parmesan cheese, fresh parsley
Directions
Cook pasta according to packaging. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a good amount of salt to the boiling water.
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and butter until heated and the butter has melted. Add the onions, garlic, and bell peppers, and sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, basil, smoked paprika, parsley, and red pepper flakes, stirring until combined.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the diced tomatoes and white wine stirring until combined. Let it slightly bubble for 1-2 minutes and then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the sauce, tossing until sauce fully coats + sticks to pasta. Garnish with chopped parsley and grated parmesan.
TUESDAY: Vegetable Stir Fry with Rice
Buying local fresh produce has been tough as we head into the winter months. That’s why I have been buying more frozen veggies from Canadian producers this month. This was easy, healthy and super tasty. We made this with Basmati Rice and made a double batch. We but half in the fridge for fried rice later in the week. We all really enjoyed this quick and easy dinner.
Vegetable Stir Fry with Rice
4
servings10
minutes15
minutesIngredients
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon corn starch
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
1 bag frozen stirfry vegetables
8 oz mushrooms, quartered
1 bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
Directions
In a small bowl, combine chicken broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, and hot sauce and stir to incorporate the corn starch, set it aside.
Set a wok over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the mushrooms and frozen vegetables and stir-fry for about 3 minutes or until the vegetables are just crisp-tender.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, garlic, and ginger, and stir constantly for 30-60 seconds or until fragrant.
Whisk the sauce and add to wok and stir it into your vegetables.
Reduce the heat to medium/low and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the sauce thickens and vegetables reach your desired tenderness.
WEDNESDAY: Pizza Bagel Casserole
You had me at Bagel. Seriously I love bagels, specifically my BIL’s homemade bagels and everything bagels. This recipe combines my love of bagels and Ninja’s love of pizza plus was super easy to whip up. The best part, it tasted really really good!
Pizza Bagel Casserole
4
servings15
minutes20
minutesIngredients
6 everything bagels
1 cup pizza sauce
8 oz pepperoni slices
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup bell peppers, diced
5-6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Directions
Preheat oven to 425F.
Chop everything bagels into bite sized pieces.
Dump bagel pieces into a large mixing bowl. Add the pizza sauce and pepperoni slices to the bowl. Stir together until the bagel pieces are all coated in sauce.
Dump the bagel and pepperoni mixture into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish and spread it out evenly.
Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top. Sprinkle the diced bell peppers and bacon on top.
Bake until the cheese is completely melted and just starting to brown. 14-16 minutes. Remove from oven, slice and serve.
THURSDAY: Bacon Fried Rice
Using the leftover rice and the leftover bacon from the bagel casserole, we made this yummy and easy dish that satisfied all of our take out cravings. Fried rice is so easy to make and you can add any protein or whatever veggies you have on hand. My favourite part is the scrambled egg throughout this yummy dish.
Bacon Fried Rice
4
servings5
minutes25
minutesIngredients
6 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
4 cups cooked and cooled basmati rice
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 green onions, chopped
Directions
Cook the bacon in a cold skillet over medium heat until crispy, then remove and set aside.
Sauté the onion in the bacon fat until translucent.
Add garlic and frozen peas and carrots; cook until tender.
Incorporate the cooked rice, breaking up clumps, and heat through.
Scramble the eggs in a cleared space of the pan, then mix them into the rice.
Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil; combine thoroughly.
Season with salt and pepper; garnish with green onions before serving.
FRIDAY: Marsala Chicken Orzo Skillet
I would love to tell you how this heats up really well the next day but I wouldn’t know. There were no leftovers. In fact there was a little bit of an argument over who got more and who got the last spoonful. We love a good marsala dish and this was a REALLY good marsala dish.Â
Marsala Chicken Orzo Skillet
4
servings5
minutes25
minutesIngredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
8 oz mushrooms, quartered
12 oz chicken sausage, sliced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup sweet Marsala
3 cups chicken broth
â…“ cup parsley chopped, plus more for garnish
8 oz orzo pasta
2 tablespoons butter
4 oz Parmesan cheese, shredded
Directions
Heat oil to medium-high in a large saucepan. Add onion and saute about 3-5 minutes, leaving it slightly firm.
Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and saute about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add sliced chicken sausage, then saute about 1 minute, searing slightly.
Add Marsala, chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Add orzo then cover and cook for 10-12 minutes then remove from heat. Stir a few times while pasta is cooking.
Stir in butter and chopped parsley, then sprinkle Parmesan evenly across the top of the skillet. Replace lid for 1-2 minutes allowing the cheese to melt slightly. Garnish with additional parsley.
SATURDAY: Patty Melts with Secret Sauce
If I had a food truck, this is the first sandwich I would add to the menu. The sauce is delicious and the caramelized onions are decadent mixed with the buttery toast. Cheesy yumminess with a flavourful beef patty. This sandwich was so good!
Patty Melts with Secret Sauce
4-6
servings15
minutes45
minutesIngredients
1 lb. ground beef
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
12 slices sourdough bread
1/2 cup Secret Sauce
1 cup Caramelized Onions
6 slices cheese
6 tablespoons butter
- Secret Sauce
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- Caramelized Onions
2 tablespoons butter
2 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
Directions
In a medium cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and golden brown, approximately 35 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Shape ground beef into 6 oval patties.
In a large cast-iron skillet, cook patties over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, approximately 2 minutes per side.
Remove skillet from heat. Remove patties from skillet; wipe out skillet.
In a small bowl, stir together mustard, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, and hot sauce. Store, covered in refrigerator.
Layer 1 bread slice with 1 tablespoon Secret Sauce, 2 to 3 tablespoons Caramelized Onions, 1 slice cheese, 1 patty, and another 1 tablespoon Secret Sauce. Top with another bread slice. Repeat with remaining bread, Secret Sauce, Caramelized Onions, cheese, and patties.
Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet. Working in batches, cook sandwiches, flipping once, until golden brown and heated through, approximately 3 minutes per side. Add remaining butter to skillet as needed.
Thank you to Homemade on a Weeknight for featuring my German Beef Noodle Soup at their Home Matters Link Party last week.
One week left until the winter holidays officially begin!
This was another jampacked week full of holiday fun! SBean laid down the vocals for her YPAG Christmas video that came out this past weekend and HBear enjoyed her last winter formal! SBean had a very busy week with a goodbye party for one of her friends who is moving away this month, improv night at the high school, and her jazz band performed at The Annual Toys For Tots Drive at her school, plus Ninja & the Kids got their flu and Covid shots this week. We watched all the Taylor that we could, set up the front yard for Christmas and then the Kids had a cousin sleepover at Papa‘s to help him decorate for Christmas too!
4 thoughts on “December: 7 Day Meal Plan”
What a delicious week’s worth of meals! Thanks for sharing your post on the Fine-Whatever link-up.
Rena
https://finewhateverblog.com
Thank you and thank you for having me 🙂
Great meal plan! What a creative way to serve shepherds pie. I’m going to have to remember that.
Thanks so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
Thank you! It was so much easier and made a wonderful Sunday comfort dish a weeknight staple. Thanks for having me, see you again next time.