WEEK 2 Pantry Challenge Update

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Week two came and went in a flash it seems. This week we leaned heavily on planned leftovers for lunches, and quick, partially prepped dinners to accommodate a busy schedule. I did a poor job of remembering to grab photos this week, so I have inserted some from past meals. What We Ate Breakfasts Baked Oatmeal with Apples, Walnuts, and Dried Cranberries w/ Yogurt Protein Granola Bars Coffee Cake Muffin from Dunkin' Lunches Pulled Pork Sandwich BBQ Pulled Pork w/ Mac & Cheese & Green Beans Steak, Mac & Cheese, & Green Beans Steak, Potato, Salad Misc Leftovers from a Volunteer Gig of Pasta, Chicken, and Broccoli Sides: Grapes & Blackberries Sheet Pan Mac & Cheese! Dinners Dinner Out: Texas Roadhouse (lunch leftovers!) Steak & Shrimp w/ Mac & Cheese and Green Beans Lemon Chicken Cutlets w/ Rice & Green Beans  Lemon Chicken Cutlets w/ Pasta & Broccoli Shrimp & Steak Leftovers with Rice and Salad Grayson waiting to see the vet for his ann...
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WWS & WWA | March 19th - 25th

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Can you say cheese? Shaw's was running a great sale on one-pound blocks of cheese this week, at $2.77/lb this is about the lowest cheese prices will go for cheddar (even beating out bulk prices at Sam's Club). Cheese lasts months in the fridge, and even longer in the freezer. We had the opportunity to tour Cabot Creamery's factory a few years ago, and they shared that the date on the shrink wrap (for cheddar, and most other hard cheeses) only indicates the date upon which the cheese enters the next "aging category" (ie, what you bought was aged for 6 months, the date on the wrapper is the date for when the cheese will be 9 months old, it is not a best by date, if anything, the flavor is better!). We keep an eye on the quality of the wrapper seal, freezing blocks that look like they may be losing their seal. This allows us to always have cheese on hand!

In the meal prep realm, I turned to one of my favorite meal prep tricks - sheet pan meals! We have two standard half-sheet pans from Sam's Club that provide a ton of room to roast a variety of food at once, I highly recommend investing in one or two if your looking to maximize your oven capacity. This week we did fish, chicken, sausages, cabbage, and tomatoes, which were mixed and matched for dinners and lunches throughout the week.

What We Spent 

Market Basket

  • 7.24lbs Fresh Green Bean - $7.35 (why, um, yes, green beans are a favorite around here)
  • Soft Oatmeal Bread - $2.00
  • Polar Seltzer - $0.75
  • Tax & Bottle Deposit: $0.09
    Total: $10.19

Shaw's
  • Lay's Cheddar & Sour Cream Chips - $1.97
  • 8 Polar 1 Liter Seltzers - $3.76
  • (10) 1lb. Blocks Cheddar Cheese - $27.70
  • 1/2 Gallon 1% Milk - $2.29
  • (2) 1lb. Blocks Dragone Mozzarella - $5.98
  • 2-Pack of Toothbrushes - $0 (store freebie)
  • 6.34lbs. Beef Steak Tips - $37.85
  • (4) 1lb. Packages Butterball Turkey Bacon - $3.96 (clearance)
  • 8 Boxes Nature Valley Granola Bars: $6.76
  • Garlic Bread - $1.24 (clearance)
  • 2 Bagels - $1.48 (clearance)
  • 1 Dozen Eggs: $0.77
  • Whole Rotisserie Chicken - $4.97
  • $3 off $30
  • Tax & Bottle Deposit: $1.54
    Total: $97.27
Part of Our Shaw's Groceries (a few things were picked up on a separate day)

Papa's Produce
  • 2lbs. Strawberries - $3.00
  • 1/2 Pint Blackberries - $1.50
    Total: $4.50


Total for 2nd Week of March: $111.96
Total for March: $281.05
Cumulative Total for 2021: $725.27

What We Ate

Planned & Prepped - Did it Go as Planned?

This week was another great example of how well ingredient prepping works for our two-person household. We were able to make a nice variety of lunches and dinners with minimal time spent in the kitchen on busy week nights!

What we Actually Ate:

  • Breakfasts
    • Breakfast Quesadillas
    • Cereal w/ Milk
    • Toast w/ Peanut Butter
    • Everything Bagel w/ Cream Cheese
    • Pancakes w/ Bacon

  • Lunches
    • Chicken, Lemon Herb Pasta, & Green Beans or Cabbage
    • Roasted Garlic Sausage, Roasted Cabbage, Knorr Rice Sides
    • Burger & Fries from McDonalds (impromptu parking lot lunch date!)
    • Burrito from a Local Restaurant for Ben
    • Leftover Steak, Mac & Cheese, & Green Beans
    • Leftover Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, & Green Beans

  • Dinners
    • Friday - Leftover Chicken, Potato Skins, Potato Pancakes, and Beets
    • Saturday - Sandwiches
    • Sunday - Chicken, Sundried Tomato Tilapia, Lemon Herb Pasta, Green Beans
Sunday & Monday Dinners
    • Monday - Rotisserie Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Garlic Bread, Green Beans
    • Tuesday - Sheet Pan Nachos w/ Queso
Sheet Pan Nachos & Queso for Dinner
    • Wednesday - Pan Seared Steak Tips w/ Herb Butter, Sheet Pan Mac & Cheese, Green Beans
    • Thursday - Leftover Chicken, Potatoes, Green Beans, Garlic Bread

How did your meal prep and planning go this week?

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