Weekly ALDI meal plan week of 3/26/17 – 4/1/17

ALDI meal planning week of 3/26/17 – 4/1/17

Six complete dinners for a family of four for $60.00

Prices here are collected from this week’s ad and my local store in the Chicago suburbs, but may vary by location & region. I’m assuming here that you already have pantry basics like olive oil, mustard, and spices. Read through the recipes before you shop to make sure you have the necessary pantry staples on hand.

Six Easy Dinners from ALDI for $60.00

• Sunday: Slow cooker chicken with artichokes & olives (use half of the chicken thighs). Serve over cooked rice with sliced cantaloupe on the side.
• Monday: Creamy tomato hummus soup + grilled cheese sandwiches (use half the loaf of sourdough). Sides: Apples & bananas.
• Tuesday: Sheet pan chicken thighs with green beans & red potatoes — halve recipe & use other half of the chicken thighs — might need to reduce cooking time slightly to compensate. Side: Roasted baby carrots (toss one bag of baby carrots with a little olive oil, sea salt, pepper and roast in separate dish for about 25 minutes or until tender — put in oven about 10 minutes after you start the chicken).
• Wednesday: Stuffed peppers (use multi-colored rather than green peppers & top with shredded cheddar for the last 10 minutes of baking), served with any leftover tomato soup and bananas. Also chop half the broccoli into florets and oven roast with a little olive oil, garlic, and seasonings to taste, then top with a little fresh squeezed lemon juice after removing from oven.
• Thursday: Spice dry rub oven baked chicken wings (play with the spice mix for your own taste preferences). Sides: Oven roast some red potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, & garlic to taste, plus iceberg wedges topped with blue cheese, diced onion, a few diced grape tomatoes, fresh ground black pepper, and bacon bits. (Set out additional dressing to dip wings.)
• Friday: Salad Bar with shrimp — “create your own salad” night with choice of dressings. Quick saute shrimp in butter or olive oil with a little minced garlic and lemon juice until just pink, then remove from heat and drain. Set out with spinach, salad, any leftover iceberg lettuce, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, drained and rinsed beans, the rest of the olives, sliced onion, broccoli florets, and bacon bits (omit if you’re eating meatless for Lent). On the side: Sourdough toast with the rest of the cream cheese, plus sliced apples and saute the other half of the bag of green beans with a little garlic, olive oil, salt, & pepper to taste
• Saturday: Leftovers, family pizza night, eat out, or date night!