If you’ve been looking for affordable dinners that your family will actually eat, this week’s meal plan is for you! I’m sharing 7 easy dinners made with simple ingredients, plenty of flavor, and a few extra vegetables mixed in.

One piece of feedback I’ve heard from some of you is that you’d love to see a few more veggie-packed meals. I appreciate that, and while my goal will always be to create budget-friendly comfort food, I also love finding ways to add more vegetables without making dinner feel like a chore.

This week’s meal plan is full of meals that are:

• Budget-friendly
• Family-approved
• Easy enough for busy weeknights
• Made with affordable grocery store ingredients
• Flexible for families who want to add or skip a starch

Whether you’re shopping at Aldi, Walmart, or your local grocery store, I hope these recipes help make meal planning a little easier this week!

This Week’s Dinner Menu

Monday

Cheeseburger Cabbage Skillet

A one-pan dinner packed with seasoned ground beef, tender cabbage, onions, and melty cheddar cheese. It has all the flavors of a cheeseburger while stretching one pound of ground beef into a filling family meal.

Get the full Cheeseburger Cabbage Skillet recipe here.

Tuesday

Creamy Parmesan Spinach Chicken Pasta

Tender chicken, fresh spinach, pasta, and a creamy Parmesan sauce come together in about 30 minutes for a comforting dinner that’s easy enough for any weeknight.

Get the full Creamy Parmesan Spinach Chicken Pasta recipe here.

Wednesday

Lemon Garlic Chicken & Green Beans

Juicy chicken is baked with fresh green beans in a buttery lemon garlic sauce for one of the easiest sheet pan dinners you’ll make all week.

Serve with roasted potatoes if you’d like a heartier meal, or enjoy it just as it is.

Get the full Lemon Garlic Chicken & Green Beans recipe here.

Thursday

Creamy Beef & Broccoli Skillet

Ground beef, broccoli, cheddar cheese, and a creamy sauce make this one-pan dinner both comforting and budget-friendly.

Serve it on its own or over rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles.

Get the full Creamy Beef & Broccoli Skillet recipe here.

Friday

Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken

One of my favorite dump-and-go slow cooker meals!

The shredded chicken can be served in tacos, burrito bowls, salads, lettuce wraps, nachos, or quesadillas, making it a great option for busy families.

Get the full Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken recipe here.

Saturday

Southwest Chicken Bowls

These colorful bowls are loaded with seasoned chicken, lettuce, corn, black beans, tomatoes, cheese, and your favorite toppings.

One of the best things about this recipe is that everyone can build their own bowl exactly how they like it.

Get the full Southwest Chicken Bowls recipe here.

Sunday

Pizza Stuffed Peppers

Pizza night gets a fun makeover with bell peppers stuffed with seasoned meat, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni.

They’re colorful, filling, and a great way to sneak a few more vegetables onto the dinner table.

Get the full Pizza Stuffed Peppers recipe here.

Grocery Shopping Tips

To help keep this week’s grocery bill low, several ingredients are used in multiple recipes.

You’ll use:

• Chicken in several meals
• Ground beef in multiple dinners
• Cheese throughout the week
• Garlic in several recipes
• Bell peppers in more than one meal
• Fresh vegetables that can be used across multiple dinners

Shopping this way helps reduce food waste while keeping your grocery budget under control.

My Favorite Part About This Week

I love that this week’s menu has a little bit of everything.

You’ll enjoy comforting pasta, slow cooker meals, one-pan dinners, fresh vegetables, pizza night, and customizable bowls—all while sticking to a realistic grocery budget.

My goal has never been to make “diet food.” I simply want to help families put affordable, homemade dinners on the table without needing a huge grocery budget.

I hope this week’s recipes make dinner just a little easier for your family. If you make one of them, I’d love to hear which recipe was your favorite!

Want the Printable Grocery List?

If you’re part of my weekly meal plan membership, your printable grocery list and recipe cards are ready for you inside the subscriber library.

And if you’re new here, welcome! I share a new set of budget-friendly dinners every week to make family meals easier and more affordable. Click here to sign up!

Grocery List

Meat

• 6½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or substitute chicken thighs for the Lemon Garlic Chicken if preferred)
• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 lb Italian sausage or additional ground beef
• ½ cup chopped pepperoni

Produce

• 1 small green cabbage
• 2 small onions
• 1 head garlic (about 12 cloves needed)
• 1 lb fresh green beans
• 1 lemon
• 2 limes (1 for Salsa Verde Chicken, 1 for Chicken Bowls)
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1 cup diced tomatoes (about 2 medium tomatoes)
• 4 large bell peppers

Dairy

• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1½ cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (or use cheddar)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• 5 tablespoons butter

Canned & Jarred Goods

• 1 (16 oz) jar salsa verde
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans
• 1 cup pizza sauce

Frozen

• 1 cup frozen corn

Pasta & Grains

• 12 oz penne or rotini pasta
• Rice (optional for Southwest Chicken Bowls)

Pantry Items

• Worcestershire sauce
• Yellow mustard
• Chicken broth (2½ cups total)
• Beef broth (1½ cups)
• Olive oil
• Cornstarch
• Taco seasoning (2 packets or about 4 tablespoons homemade)
• Italian seasoning
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Smoked paprika
• Paprika
• Salt
• Black pepper