November: Meal Plan on a Budget!
According to Canada’s Food Price Report for 2026, a family of 4 will spend $17,571.79 on groceries this year — that’s up $994.63 from 2025!
That’s $1464.32 a month.
That’s roughly $366 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 $183!
Ninja and I keep a running tab of all our grocery expenditures. This is our spending for October!
We spent $605.20 and used $40 in points, leaving our monthly spending at $565.20. clearly keeping to our budget and actually came in $166.80 under for the month, and we are under budget by $682.41 for the year, so far!
Here is the November weekly meal plan staying close to my budget of $183! 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: Chicken Cordon Bleu Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes & Vegetable of Choice
Monday: Cheeseburger Gnocchi
Tuesday: Turkey Dijon Melt
Wednesday: Cozy Anti-Inflammatory Lentil Soup
Thursday: Tater Tot Breakfast Bowl
Friday: Orecchiette with Mushroom Thyme Sauce
Saturday: Steak Bowl with Veggies and Rice
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 shallot
3 tablespoons parsley
7 eggs
2/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup panko
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
5 cloves garlic
1 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoon thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup Parmesan cheese
8 slices sourdough bread
16 oz turkey
8 slices Havarti cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
hot sauce, to taste
1 ½ lbs sirloin, flank, or ribeye steak
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
½ cup corn
1 tablespoons lime juice
1 lb ground beef
2 onions
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup red lentils
2 carrots
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups jasmine rice, cooked
Mashed Potatoes
Vegetable of your choice
NEED TO BUY ITEMS:
1/2 lemon, juiced + 1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 celery stalk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 (16-oz) package gnocchi
1 red onion
2 tablespoons cilantro
1 (red) bell pepper
1 cup broccoli florets
4 cups tater tots
2-3 green onions
14 slices bacon
16 oz orecchiette pasta
18 oz mushrooms
1 cup milk
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup ham
1 lb ground chicken
1 oz Swiss cheese
Garnish: green onions and shredded cheese
SUNDAY: Chicken Cordon Bleu Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes & Peppers
When I moved out, the first time lol, I moved out with my WpgBestie. We thought we were so mature lol. We went to JYSK and bought all of our furniture lol and then went to M&M Meatshop for our first home-cooked meal. A package of Alfredo, Lipton Sidekicks and a frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu. Fancy! At the time, I can honestly look back and say, we knew next to nothing lol however, we weren’t wrong about one thing, the chicken Cordon Bleu, lol. Chicken Cordon Bleu is crazy hard to make, scratch that, it’s not hard, it just takes a lot of time. That’s why we are always looking for new recipes that will give us chicken Cordon Bleu without the hassle! These Chicken Cordon Bleu Meatballs 100% fit the bill! We served them with mashed potatoes and sautéed belle peppers. These are so easy to make, used all the ingredients of chicken Cordon Bleu, and tasted so freaking good! Winner winner, chicken ball dinner!
Chicken Cordon Bleu Meatballs
4
servings20
minutes20
minutesIngredients
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 egg
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup ham, finely diced
1 lb ground chicken
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs (for coating)
1/3 cup panko (for coating)
1 oz Swiss cheese, cubed into 12 pieces
- Dijon Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
Combine the shallot, half-and-half, parsley, egg, and 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs, stirring well. Add the ham & chicken to the bowl & season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, & paprika. Mix until just combined.
Roll the mixture into 12 balls, pressing a cube of cheese into the centre of each. Mix 1/3 Italian breadcrumbs with panko. Roll meatballs in the breadcrumbs until coated. Place meatballs on a plate and put into the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm.
Preheat oven to 400°F and set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs, cooking until browned on all sides, about 5-10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack. Bake in the preheated oven until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 10 mins.
Wipe the skillet clean and melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the broth and half-and-half, stirring continuously. Add mustard, salt, and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Serve with the Dijon cream sauce, mashed potatoes, and your choice of vegetable.
MONDAY: Cheeseburger Gnocchi
What do you get when you cross a ground beef, cheese and the ultimate potato dumpling? Cheeseburger Gnocchi! We love gnocchi and we’re always trying to find new ways to get it in our bellies. This was a super easy dish that is the perfect way to get your cheeseburger fill when the weather starts to turn chilly. This perfect weeknight dish will make everybody happy.
Cheeseburger Gnocchi
4
servings5
minutes25
minutesIngredients
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper, to taste
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 (16-oz) package gnocchi
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Garnish: green onions and shredded cheese
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned.
Stir in the diced onion and garlic. Sauté for 2–3 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Add garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat evenly. Pour in the diced tomatoes (with their juice), beef broth, and cream. Stir well.
Add the gnocchi to the skillet. Cover with a lid and let simmer for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gnocchi is tender and has absorbed some of the liquid.
Reduce heat to low and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted and the sauce is creamy. Garnish with green onions and shredded cheese.
TUESDAY: Turkey Dijon Melt
After Thanksgiving, we had a ton of turkey meat left over. After the whole dinner is said and done, I always forget to give all of our family members bags of turkey meat to take home. Also, we don’t usually clean the bird until after everyone has left and then we see that we have enough turkey to feed the 11 of us 3 times over lol. We freeze the turkey in 2 cup increments, allowing us to pull out a bag for pastas, soups, and sandwiches throughout the winter. This Turkey Dijon Melt was super easy and tasted delicious. In fact, that half a sandwich was so craveable that we all fought over it the next day. I left half of my sandwich for my lunch the next day and SBean called me from school and asked if she could come home for lunch to eat it lol I said yes, fell asleep, and HBear came home and heated it up and ate it herself before SBean got home bahahaha.
Turkey Dijon Melt
4
servings10
minutes10
minutesIngredients
8 slices sourdough bread
16 oz turkey, sliced
8 slices Havarti cheese
- Creamy Dijon Spread
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce until fully combined and smooth.
Lay out the 8 slices of sourdough bread. Apply a generous layer of the Dijon spread to one side of each slice. On 4 of the slices, layer the Havarti cheese, the turkey, and then another layer of cheese. Top with the remaining bread slices, spread-side down.
Spread softened butter on the outside of the top slice of each sandwich. Place them butter-side down in a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Butter the new top sides of the sandwiches.
Grill for 4-5 minutes on each side, until the bread is golden brown and crispy and the cheese is thoroughly melted.
WEDNESDAY: Cozy Anti-Inflammatory Lentil Soup
Cozy Anti-Inflammatory Lentil Soup isn’t exactly a sexy name for a soup lol but it’s honest. I ate this bowl of soup and felt, nourished. It was a cold and rainy night and the whole family barely spoke while we all devoured this delicious soup that just made us feel, good! This was a freaking amazing soup that we will eat many times over the frosty winter.
Cozy Anti-Inflammatory Lentil Soup
4-6
servings10
minutes50
minutesIngredients
1 cup red lentils, uncooked & washed
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, diced
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until slightly translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the carrots and celery, cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes until they begin to soften.
Add the red lentils to the pot, mixing them well with the sautéed vegetables.
Pour in water and add turmeric, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
Remove the pot from heat, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, and serve garnished with chopped parsley.
THURSDAY: Tater Tot Breakfast Bowl
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, then you know that we are breakfast for dinner kind of people. It’s a throwaway dinner, we always have eggs, potatoes, and some sort of breakfast meat in the freezer. On long days when Ninja doesn’t want to cook and I’m not feeling well, a Tater Tot Breakfast Bowl is the perfect dinner. Filling, comforting, easy, and delicious.
Tater Tot Breakfast Bowl
4
servings5
minutes15
minutesIngredients
4 cups tater tots
6 eggs
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2-3 green onions, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
hot sauce, to taste
Directions
Preheat your oven and spread the tater tots on a rimmed sheet. Bake until golden and crispy, about 18–22 minutes.
Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes; drain on paper towels and crumble.
Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt, pepper and hot sauce. Heat a skillet with a little butter, then pour in eggs. Stir gently; cook and scramble to your liking.
Scoop tater tots into each bowl, add scrambled eggs over the tots and sprinkle the shredded cheddar on top. Top with bacon and green onions.
FRIDAY: Orecchiette with Mushroom Thyme Sauce
We eat a lot of pasta. I am always trying to find new pasta shapes that we will enjoy. This pasta shape was new to us and we really enjoyed it. It was chewy, held the sauce well, and looked super cute! This Orecchiette with Mushroom Thyme Sauce was absolutely divine. The thick cut mushrooms were meaty, the thyme was autumnal, and the dish was stunning. This was a standout pasta that was devoured before leftovers were even considered.
Orecchiette with Mushroom Thyme Sauce
4
servings5
minutes25
minutesIngredients
6 slices bacon
16 oz orecchiette pasta
1 tablespoon butter
16 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon thyme, minced or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
Using a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and drain most of the excess bacon grease from the pan. Leave about a tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet for flavour.
Cook orecchiette until al dente (according to package instructions). Once cooked, drain and set aside.
Add butter and mushrooms to the skillet and place over medium heat. Sauté for 3-4 minutes without stirring. Flip mushrooms over, add the garlic and continue sautéing for 3-4 more minutes without stirring.
Using a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and half-and-half together. Add this mixture to the skillet along with milk, crumbled cooked bacon, salt, pepper, thyme and Parmesan cheese; stir until well combined.
Simmer mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes, or until sauce has thickened. Add cooked orecchiette to skillet and toss until well combined.
SATURDAY: Steak Bowl with Veggies and Rice
Just because we’re into November does not mean we have to take steak off of our menus. Beef is super expensive right now, but I have found that if you buy 1-2 good sized steaks, on sale, that once sliced up and added to sides, dinner filled Ninja our 2 teenagers and me right up. You don’t need a full steak for each person, to have a full steak dinner. Sometimes less is actually more. If you are missing the sun on a cold night, this will be the perfect dinner as it tasted like summer in a bowl. We had the last of our cherry tomatoes from the garden so we threw them in. Feel free to switch up the veggies as to what is in season and local wherever you are from.
Steak Bowl with Veggies and Rice
4
servings20
minutes25
minutesIngredients
1 ½ lbs sirloin, flank, or ribeye steak
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 (red) bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, sliced
½ cup corn
2 cups jasmine rice, cooked
1 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Directions
Pat the steak dry. Coat with olive oil, rub in smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Let it sit for 15 minutes (or longer).
Cook rice. Before serving, toss with lime juice and cilantro.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a splash of oil. Toss in peppers, mushrooms, onion, and broccoli. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until charred at the edges but still crisp. Throw in tomatoes and corn at the end.
Sear the steak over high heat. Cook 3–4 minutes per side for medium-rare, depending on thickness. Then let it rest at least 5 minutes.
Spoon rice into a bowl. Top with roasted veggies. Slice steak against the grain and fan it on top.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #466 Well Read This week, we answer an email from Agent Palmer and get into a little book talk.
Thank you to French Ethereal, Crazy Little Lovebirds and The Cottage Market for featuring my Catch Up & Fall Baking post at their Share Your Style, Crazy Little Lovebirds, Morning Cup of Joe Link Party last week.
The last week of October was a doozy! Halloween looked a little different this year for Ninja and I as the Kids worked and went to parties instead of trick or treating with Dad and Papa. We even carved the pumpkins on our own while the Kids were out. Halloween wrapped up and SBean moved directly into Christmas lol and HBear explored Penticon with her BF, my Sis, SPea and CPatch 💕
