Weekly Family Menu with Recipes & Grocery List (Under $200)

Feeding teenagers means keeping the fridge stocked, stretching the budget, and planning meals that are hearty, filling, and easy to prepare. This weekly menu includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks — plus full recipes and a grocery list broken down by category. All of this comes in at under $200 for the week.

🍳 Breakfasts

1. Breakfast Burritos

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs, scrambled

• 1 cup shredded cheddar

• 6 tortillas

• Salsa (optional)

Instructions:

1. Scramble eggs.

2. Place eggs into tortillas, sprinkle with cheese.

3. Roll up burrito-style.

4. Serve with salsa on the side.

   
   

2. Peanut Butter Banana Toast

Ingredients:

• Whole-grain bread

• Peanut butter

• 2 bananas, sliced

Instructions:

1. Toast bread.

2. Spread peanut butter evenly.

3. Top with banana slices.

   
   

3. Breakfast Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 6 English muffins or bagels

• 6 scrambled or fried eggs

• 6 slices cheese

• 6 slices bacon or sausage patties

Instructions:

1. Cook eggs and bacon/sausage.

2. Toast English muffins.

3. Layer egg, cheese, and meat onto muffins.

4. Wrap extras for grab-and-go meals.

   
   

🥪 Lunches

1. Turkey & Cheese Wraps

Ingredients:

• Tortillas

• Deli turkey

• Cheese slices

• Lettuce & tomato

Instructions:

1. Layer ingredients on tortillas.

2. Roll tightly, slice in half.

   
   

2. Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded chicken

• ¼ cup mayo

• 1 tbsp mustard

• Bread or bagels

Instructions:

1. Mix chicken, mayo, and mustard.

2. Spread onto bread or bagels.

   
   

3. Pizza Bagels

Ingredients:

• 3 bagels, halved

• ½ cup marinara sauce

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions:

1. Spread marinara on bagel halves.

2. Top with cheese.

3. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes.

   
   

4. Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

• Bread slices

• Cheese slices

• Butter

• 1 can tomato soup

Instructions:

1. Butter bread, add cheese between slices.

2. Grill in skillet until golden.

3. Heat soup per instructions.

4. Serve together.

   
   

🍽️ Dinners

Monday – Sheet Pan Chicken & Veggies

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken thighs

• 3 cups potatoes, cubed

• 2 cups carrots, chopped

• 2 cups broccoli florets

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Toss veggies in olive oil, salt & pepper.

3. Spread chicken and veggies on a sheet pan.

4. Bake 40 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

   
   

Tuesday – Taco Night

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef/turkey

• 1 taco seasoning packet

• 6 tortillas

• Lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa

Instructions:

1. Brown meat, drain fat.

2. Add taco seasoning + ½ cup water, simmer 5 minutes.

3. Serve in tortillas with toppings.

   
   

Wednesday – Creamy Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fettuccine pasta

• 2 cups cooked chicken (shredded or cubed)

• 2 tbsp butter

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup heavy cream (or half & half)

• 1 cup grated parmesan

• Salt, pepper, parsley

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta per package directions.

2. In skillet, melt butter, sauté garlic 1 minute.

3. Add cream, simmer 3 minutes.

4. Stir in parmesan until sauce thickens.

5. Toss with pasta and chicken. Garnish with parsley.

   
   

Thursday – Cheesy Beef & Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef/turkey

• 2 cups cooked rice

• 1 can diced tomatoes

• 1 cup shredded cheddar

• 1 cup corn (frozen or canned)

Instructions:

1. Brown meat, drain fat.

2. Stir in rice, tomatoes, and corn.

3. Spread into baking dish, top with cheese.

4. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

   
   

Friday – Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs pork shoulder/butt

• 1 bottle BBQ sauce

• 6 sandwich buns

Instructions:

1. Place pork in crockpot, cover with BBQ sauce.

2. Cook on low 7–8 hours or high 4 hours.

3. Shred with forks.

4. Serve on buns.

   
   

Saturday – Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

• 1 lb penne or ziti pasta

• 1 jar marinara

• 1 cup ricotta

• 2 cups mozzarella

• 1 cup spinach

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta.

2. Mix pasta with marinara and ricotta.

3. Spread into baking dish, layer with mozzarella & spinach.

4. Bake 25 minutes at 375°F.

   
   

Sunday – Crockpot Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken thighs, cubed

• 4 potatoes, cubed

• 3 carrots, sliced

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3 cups chicken broth

• 2 tsp Italian seasoning

• 1 cup frozen peas

Instructions:

1. Add chicken, potatoes, carrots, onion, broth, and seasoning to crockpot.

2. Cook on low 6–7 hours or high 3–4 hours.

3. Stir in peas 30 minutes before serving.

   
   

🍏 Snack Ideas for Teens

• Trail mix (nuts, pretzels, M&Ms)

• Apples with peanut butter

• String cheese & crackers

• Veggie sticks with ranch

• Granola bars

• Popcorn

  
  

🛒 Grocery List (By Category)

Protein

• Chicken thighs (family pack, for sheet pan + stew + alfredo) – $20

• Pork shoulder/butt (2 lbs) – $10

• Ground beef/turkey (2 lbs) – $8

• Eggs (3 dozen) – $9

• Deli turkey – $8

• Bacon/sausage – $6

Dairy

• Milk (2 gallons) – $8

• Shredded mozzarella – $6

• Cheddar block – $5

• Ricotta (small tub) – $4

• Parmesan cheese – $6

• Heavy cream (1 pint) – $4

• String cheese – $6

Pantry & Grains

• Tortillas (2 packs) – $6

• Bread (2 loaves) – $6

• Bagels – $4

• English muffins – $4

• Peanut butter – $5

• Pasta: fettuccine (1 lb) + penne/ziti (2 lbs) – $6

• Rice (5 lb bag) – $8

• Marinara (2 jars) – $6

• Salsa – $4

• Taco seasoning (1 packet) – $2

• Italian seasoning – $2

• Diced tomatoes (2 cans) – $4

• Chicken broth (2 cartons/cans) – $6

• Popcorn kernels – $3

• Crackers – $4

• Granola bars (box of 12) – $8

Produce

• Bananas – $4

• Apples (bag) – $5

• Lettuce – $3

• Tomatoes – $4

• Carrots – $4

• Broccoli – $4

• Spinach – $4

• Potatoes (5 lb) – $5

• Sweet potatoes (3 lb) – $4

• Onion (2 lb bag) – $3

• Garlic (1 bulb) – $2

• Frozen peas – $3

• Corn (1 bag frozen or 1 can) – $2

• Parsley (optional) – $2

Extras

• Hummus – $4

• Pretzels – $4

• BBQ sauce – $4

• Slider/sandwich buns – $5

  
  

Estimated Total: $195–$198

✅ You now have:

• 3 easy breakfasts

• 5 lunch options

• 7 dinners (2 crockpot meals for busy days)

• Affordable teen-friendly snacks