Next Week's Meal Plan

Next Week’s Meal Plan: 5 Budget-Saving Summer Suppers

Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
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updated May 29, 2019
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(Image credit: Susanna Hopler)

It’s that time when my monthly grocery budget and my zeal for overbuying must work in unison. To put it more plainly, I’ve got a bunch of produce to use up and I’m going to pull from my pantry and freezer to spend less on groceries this week.

Don’t worry — it’s not a week full of ramen and peanut butter and jelly for dinner. Instead most of this week’s dinners are budget-friendly to start, using ingredients like frozen ravioli and ground turkey, while still being incredibly delicious and full of summer produce, which makes them cheaper too. Here are the five budget-saving summer dinners I’m cooking next week.

Welcome to This Week’s Meal Plan

Planning my weekly meals is a habit I enjoy. Since I’m frequently asked by friends and family what I’m cooking for dinner each week, I thought it’d be useful to share my weekly meal plan here. Whether you’re just learning to meal plan and looking for a real-life example of how this works or you’re an old pro on the hunt for inspiration, here’s a peek at how I’m feeding my family this week.

New to meal planning? Start here.

(Image credit: Brie Passano)

Monday: Caramelized Figs and Ravioli with Brown Butter & Crispy Prosciutto

Is it weird that I’ve been waiting almost a year to make this recipe? Our fig tree is finally full of ripe figs and I’m hoping to beat the birds and squirrels to enough of them to make this fast and fancy ravioli dish.

(Image credit: Diana Yen)

Tuesday: Slow-Cooker Turkey Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes were a request from my husband, and he’ll be throwing these together for dinner this night. I’ve been adding grated carrots to my sloppy Joes for a few years now. They add sweetness and make me feel a tiny bit better about serving potato chips as a side dish.

(Image credit: Lauren Volo)

Wednesday: Sausage with Summer Squash Gratin

I keep buying zucchini and summer squash at the farmers market only to discover that I have leftovers from last week in the drawer. Making this gratin will use up a ton of them! I’m partnering this with pre-cooked chicken sausages from the freezer and cherries for my kiddos.

(Image credit: Ghazalle Badiozamani)

Thursday: Dill Pickle Chicken

This recipe was made for my pickle-loving 5-year-old! Chicken thighs are inexpensive and flavorful, making them one of my favorite budget staples. We’re serving this simple chicken bake with corn on the cob and a buttermilk-dressed green salad.

(Image credit: Maria Siriano)

Friday: Grilled Pesto Chicken Flatbreads

Pizza Friday at our house has returned! You guys, I’ve really missed this routine. We have a bunch of family in town this weekend for my niece’s birthday and this felt like the easiest way to serve dinner and entertain everyone. We are providing the flatbread and cheese and everyone else is bring toppings, salad, or wine.

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