I’m late in saying this, but Happy New Year! I want to apologize for my recent absence; I’ve been sick, but I’m on the mend now. Running Meals With Maria solo means when I’m down, the kitchen takes a brief hiatus. I know many have faced health challenges lately, and I genuinely hope you’re in good spirits and getting better. I’m thrilled to be back and share an exciting new January meal plan with you. The past weeks made me miss my time in the kitchen, and I can’t wait to reconnect through these delicious recipes. Your support means the world to me, and I appreciate your understanding during this brief break. Here’s to a fantastic start to 2024 filled with delicious meals and renewed connections!
I will continue to provide free weekly meal plans through January 2024! Each plan follows the design of my “Stick to Your Budget Checklist” and includes 3 pantry friendly meal options (at least one of which is vegetarian), 3 budget conscious recipes, and assumes 1 leftovers day. There are also 2 breakfast options and a sweet treat to try!
Monday: For an easy Monday night dinner, try these chicken and avocado roll ups. They are made with canned chicken, and really easy to make ahead. Serve them with a favorite salad or chips or both!
Tuesday: These Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas are the perfect twist on taco Tuesday. They are perfect to use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken. If you buy a rotisserie, you can use the leftovers in the salad tomorrow!
Wednesday: This Mediterranean Chopped Salad is perfect to use up the rest of the chicken from Tuesday. I find it’s nice to lighten things up part way through the week and get in some veggies!
Thursday: This one pot lasagna is a great weeknight twist on the classic lasagna. I feel like anything with red sauce and ground beef is a winner in my house, hope that’s the same for you too! Serve this with a salad or your favorite veggie for a well-rounded meal!
Friday: It’s Friday night, so let’s making things super easy, instead of ordering pizza, make these fast and easy air fryer tortilla pizzas. You can top them with anything you have laying around or purchase your favorite toppings.
Saturday or Sunday (one night is leftovers): For a special treat this weekend, make Marry Me Chicken! This is actually really easy but tastes very gourmet. I like to serve mine with rice or mashed potatoes to soak up all the delicious sauce!
For Breakfast: You can make these Sausage McMuffin Copycats ahead on Sunday and just toast them up in the toaster oven or oven when you’re ready to eat. They are delicious just like McDonalds but much, much cheaper!
These oatmeal muffins are perfect for using up what’s already in your pantry. Apples are still cheap this time of year and they double as a delicious snack!
For a Sweet Treat: Call me lame but I think it’s time to cook up some boxed brownies. I like to get the fudge brownies when they go on sale for around $1 and save them for a rainy day. This is the week to bake them up and add in some goodies, if you like! Here are some delicious additions you can use based on what you have in your cabinets:
- Chocolate Chips
- Shredded Coconut
- Potato Chips
- Pretzels
Please share your favorite way to make boxed brownies in the comments! Have a wonderful week!
FOR MORE INEXPENSIVE FAMILY RECIPES CHECK OUT THESE VIDEOS:
- 3 Delicious Pantry Friendly Meals
- 105 Meals for $115 – Feeding My Family For a week
- The Top 10 Secrets to saving big on food!
CHECK OUT THESE PREVIOUS MEAL PLANS:
Maria Ronan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Links on this site may include affiliate links to Amazon and its affiliate sites on which the owner of this website will make a referral commission. Thank you for supporting Meals With Maria! My videos and website are for entertainment purposes only. Any information related to food, food safety, cooking, recipes, etc. are my opinions only. Maria Ronan is not liable and/or responsible for any advice, services, or product you obtain through this video and website.
Thank you so much for sharing! I am always looking for easy budget-friendly dinners.