May: Meal Plan on a Budget!
It’s May!
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 April! We spent $712.15 but used $30.00 of points leaving our monthly spending at $682.15, clearly keeping to our budget and actually came in $17.85 under for the month, and so far we are under budget by $515.83 for the year!
Here is the May 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: Ginger Garlic Pork with Jasmine Rice
Monday: Beef Enchilada Tortellini Skillet
Tuesday: Bird Dog Sandwiches
Wednesday: Sausage & Perogie Skillet
Thursday: House Salad
Friday: Sazon Skillet Chicken with Air Fried Potatoes
Saturday: Baked Feta Eggs
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 lb ground beef
3-4 chicken breasts
1 lb pork loin
10 slices bacon
1 pound smoked sausage
4-8 chicken tenders, enough tenders to fill a hot dog bun
12 frozen potato and cheese perogies
1 cup Jasmine rice
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1½ teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine
1 cup + 7 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
8 ounces feta cheese
1 1/2 cups croutons
2- inch knob ginger
2 cups corn
1 1/2 onion
4 potatoes
4 eggs
NEED TO BUY ITEMS:
3 cups cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Roma tomatoes
1 red onion
4 hot dog buns
3 romaine hearts
3 cups grape tomatoes
1/2 zucchini
3 cups spinach
3 bell pepper
17-20 cloves garlic
1 package tortellini
2 cups enchilada sauce
2 cans black beans
3 green onions
1 tablespoon cilantro
GARNISH: parsley, green onion, cilantro, sour cream
Sunday: Ginger Garlic Pork with Jasmine Rice
If I want to start the week right, I feed my family something we will all like, something like, Ginger Garlic Pork with Jasmine Rice. This was a quick and easy dinner to make that everyone devoured and we could start the week with no leftovers in the fridge lol!
Ingredients
1 lb pork loin cut into 1/4-inch thick slabs, then 1/4-inch thick strips, about 3 inches long
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon oil, plus extra if necessary
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
2- inch knob of fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, chili garlic sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Set aside.
Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat and swirl to coat. Let it heat until it is shimmering. While the oil heats, sprinkle the pork strips with salt and pepper then toss to distribute it evenly.
Add the pork to the pan. Let the first side brown, flip the pieces, and brown the second side. Transfer the pork to a plate.
Return the pan to the heat and add in the broccoli, garlic and ginger. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Raise the heat to high and pour in the sauce mixture and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. When the sauce is very bubbly and thickened like warm honey, toss the pork back in and toss constantly to coat everything and reduce the sauce to a thick glaze on the pork.
Monday: Beef Enchilada Tortellini Skillet
We eat a lot of Mexican food and this Beef Enchilada Tortellini Skillet wasn’t our favourite. We all liked it and it was super easy to make but we all agreed that we’ve had better enchilada dishes. I had some extra Monterey Jack in the fridge that we used, feel free to use whatever cheese you have on hand.
Ingredients
1 package tortellini
1 lb ground beef
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 cup water
2 cups enchilada sauce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn
1 cup cheddar cheese (or Monterey jack), shredded
1/4 cup sour cream
2 green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Directions
Start cooking the tortellini as directed on package.
Cook the ground beef in a large skillet before draining any excess grease. Mix in the seasoning followed by the water, enchilada sauce, the tortellini, beans and corn into the beef and bring to a simmer.
Top with the cheese, place under the broiler until the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes, before topping with sour cream, green onions and cilantro.
Tuesday: Bird Dog Sandwiches
I don’t know why they call this a Bird Dog Sandwich, all I know is that it was crazy easy to make and it tasted delicious! Like I want to bath in that sauce, lol. We had a some bacon in our fridge from our salad and it went perfectly with this dinner. We added a few crispy strips to each sandwich and, Yum! Ninja loves a good sandwich and he really really enjoyed this one!
Ingredients
4-8 chicken tenders, enough tenders to fill a hot dog bun
lettuce, shredded
2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- The Sauce
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon green onions, finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Directions
Cook your chicken tenders according to package directions. I use my air fryer to make them nice and crispy. Cook your chicken tenders according to package directions. I use my air fryer to make them nice and crispy. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, I brushed the buns with some butter and broiled them for 30 seconds to 1 minute until toasty.
Mix all the sauce ingredients and set aside in fridge until ready to use.
Spread the sauce on both sides of the bun, add the chicken tenders, bacon (if using), lettuce, onions and tomato.
Wednesday: Sausage & Perogie Skillet
Growing up in a Ukrainian household allowed me a lot of opinions on good perogies and sausage skillets and this one, is a good Sausage & Perogie Skillet lol. The paprika reminded us very much of the Pierogi Sausage & Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner that we had in the fall. We loved it then and we loved it now.
Ingredients
12 frozen perogies
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 cups spinach
1 bell pepper, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
GARNISH: parsley and sour cream
Directions
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside.
In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and bell pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and paprika, cooking for an additional minute until fragrant.
Add the perogies to the skillet. Stir gently to combine with the onion and pepper mixture. Cook for about 7-10 minutes, allowing the pierogis to brown slightly, flipping occasionally.
Once the perogies are heated through and have a nice golden colour, return the cooked sausage to the skillet. Add the spinach and toss all ingredients together until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream on the side.
Thursday: House Salad
Sometimes you just want a salad for dinner. We could’ve added chicken or something else to this, but we just wanted a House Salad and this was perfect. This dressing is absolutely fantastic and can be left in your fridge for a few weeks to enjoy. I have a few go to dressings and this is definitely one of them. We completely forgot the almonds, but I guarantee those always add a great texture and taste to any salad.
Ingredients
1 cup almonds, slivered
10 slices bacon
2 romaine hearts, chopped into bite size pieces
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
- Dressing
3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper, to taste
Directions
Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar. Cover and shake to blend. Chill in refrigerator while you prepare remainder.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds into an even layer on a small baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until just lightly golden brown, about 6 - 10 minutes, tossing once halfway through toasting. Remove from oven, set aside to cool.
Cook bacon until crispy. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and let cool. Once cool chop bacon into small pieces.
Add lettuce to a large serving bowl. Add in almonds, bacon, tomatoes, cheese, and parmesan cheese. Shake dressing again then pour over salad, toss salad then add croutons and toss again.
Friday: Sazon Skillet Chicken with Air Fried Potatoes
We really enjoyed the new flavours of this Sazon Skillet Chicken that we served with Air Fried Potatoes. We don’t use turmeric enough because I really like that flavour. Such a simple dish but because of the new spices, it was different and interesting. This would be very good with rice but we served it with potatoes because honestly, SBean asked for them lol and we already had rice with our pork earlier in the week.
Ingredients
1 ½ tablespoons oil, divided
1 pound chicken breast, chopped into ½ inch cubes
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ onion, diced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 zucchini, sliced and quartered
¾ cup corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- Sazon Seasoning
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
pepper, to taste
Directions
In a small bowl, mix together the spices for the homemade sazon seasoning. Set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large deep skillet and place over medium high heat. Add in diced chicken then sprinkle with half of the sazon spices, stirring well to coat the chicken. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink. Once chicken is cooked, transfer it to a large bowl and set aside.
Add another ½ tablespoon of oil to the pan and add in the garlic, onion and bell pepper. Saute for 3-5 minutes until onion is tender, then add in the zucchini, corn, black beans and remaining half of the sazon spice mixture. Stir to coat, then cook for 5-10 more minutes until the zucchini gets a little fork tender.
Add the chicken back in and cook for a few more minutes to bring flavours all together. Reduce heat to low and add 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese on top, then cover and allow cheese to melt. Garnish with green onion and cilantro.
Saturday: Baked Feta Eggs
So because we actually do these meal plans weeks before the post actually comes out lol I picked these Baked Feta Eggs for my birthday dinner! They were so yummy! Baked eggs with fresh spinach and salty feta? Yes please! The pop of the grape tomatoes was the icing on the birthday cake lol.
Ingredients
2 cups grape tomatoes
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces feta cheese
4 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 cup spinach
4 eggs
GARNISH: green onions, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
If using individual serving dishes - divide the tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, garlic, and feta cheese between 4 oven-safe dishes. Drizzle hot sauce and a tablespoon of oil over each dish.
If using one large dish - combine the tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, and garlic in the dish and place the feta in the centre. Drizzle the hot sauce and oil over the feta and veggies.Place the oregano, salt, thyme, and pepper, in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the feta and veggies (divide equally between the four dishes if you are making individual servings).
Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the dishes from the oven and stir to combine so the feta is evenly mixed in with the veggies. Then add the spinach and stir it in till combined. Create a well in the middle of each ramekin or four wells if using one baking dish. Crack the eggs into the wells. Place dishes back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #425 Think Like Me. This week, we get together to discuss: The Met Gala, sickness, PAMDA concert, Bob turns 80, busy Sunday, Kentucky Derby, SOW, pop punk, & female led bands.
Thank you to French Ethereal for featuring my Cinco de Mayo post at her Share Your Style Link Party last week and to Crazy Little Lovebirds for featuring my Easter in Vancouver & Cinqo de Mayo post at her weekly Link Party as well!
I caught SBean’s cold. Ninja and HBear went to the PAMDA Concert, and she did dance photos and worked before also succumbing to this damn cold. Everyone celebrated my FIL’s 80th birthday ay Earls, SweetPea had a swim meet, and SBean had her Musical Theatre finale and wrap up party.
