Frugal Weekday Dinner Menu for 11/9 – 11/13

This week’s menu is going to be pretty basic because it is a busy work week and I won’t have as much time as I’d like to spend in the kitchen.  I will be posting recipes soon so check back and feel free to ask questions.

MONDAY: Spaghetti with meat sauce
Inexpensive store bought sauce gets a facelift.

TUESDAY: Michael’s Foolproof Crockpot Chicken
Five minutes prep time makes the best chicken you could imagine.

WEDNESDAY: Homemade Taco Salad
Made-from-scratch taco meat is the centerpiece for this yum fest.

THURSDAY: Stir Fry
Any excuse to use fresh veggies and steamed rice is good to me.

FRIDAY: Chili
It is time for the cool weather favorite even if it isn’t that cold yet.

As you can see I am including three dinners that use ground beef this week;  I bought 5 pounds of ground beef on sale last week and preparing the meals this way allows me to brown all the beef at one time for all three recipes.  I simply brown all of the meat at once with onion and garlic and store it in portions for individual recipes.

HOT TIP: Instead of spending more on lean ground beef, just brown the less expensive stuff as usual, drain and rinse under warm water.  This removes just as much fat and saves you money.

Another way I save money is by using dried beans instead of canned.  Not only does this cost a lot less but I can be absolutely sure of every ingredient in them.  This week I am making my pseudo-refried beans to go with taco salad on Wednesday and also cooking pintos and great northern beans for Friday’s chili.