Week 3 of the cheap eats meal plan brings even more variety without overcomplicating your grocery list. You’ll find meals that are cozy, fresh, and full of flavor—including a foil packet dinner, a family favorite pizza night, and a bright lemony chicken dish that’s perfect for spring or summer.
By now, you’ve got a stocked pantry, and that’s going to keep your haul small and your costs even lower this week.
Remember, this plan is flexible. You don’t have to cook every meal in the exact order—or even make all seven. You can double up on favorites, skip a night, or throw in a leftovers day and still stay on track. Our free customization tool (in beta) lets you easily adjust serving sizes, swap out recipes, and generate a new shopping list based on your choices.
And if you’re more of a visual learner, you’re in luck! Each recipe has a step-by-step video tutorial on our site to guide you through it.
Menu Quick Look
Don’t forget to check out the other weeks of the plan and the pantry staples guide. You can mix and match across the full 4-week plan or customize any week to fit your needs.
Quick Tip
For the chicken salad sandwiches, you’ll buy grapes but only need a few for the actual recipe. Serve the rest on the side throughout the week as a snack or an easy fruit option with another meal.
Grocery Haul
This week’s shopping trip is smaller than the last two, thanks to the pantry staples you’ve already purchased. You’ll mostly be picking up fresh produce, meat, and a few extras like bread and cheese.
Don’t forget to download the Week 3 Shopping List PDF to make your grocery run fast and easy.
Receipt
Total Spent: $111.99
Total Servings: 42
Average Cost Per Serving: $2.67
Week 3 comes in at the lowest cost so far, with generous serving sizes across the board. Prices are based on a standard grocery run—no coupons, no bulk buying, just realistic costs.
Quick Tip
This week’s meal plan uses 5 pounds of ground beef. You might be thinking, “That’s a lot of beef!” But we promise, spread throughout the week and with different flavors, you won’t even notice. Ground beef is a great protein that’s easy to cook and stores well in the freezer. There are so many different ways you can serve ground beef—it’s one of our go-tos when we don’t know what to make for dinner.
The Recipes
Right above, you’ll find a snapshot of all seven meals this week, laid out with portion sizes so you can see exactly what you’re getting. Serving sizes can be hard to picture, so we made sure to show what each recipe looks like plated.
There’s also a quick video walkthrough that gives you a look at the full spread.
Let’s break it down meal by meal:
Monday
Turn ground beef and noodles into a hearty, cheesy comfort food meal! This easy, one-pot recipe has been a household staple for over a century. Our recipe serves 8 using a half pound of pasta, but you could easily use the whole pound for more servings and leftovers! Just make sure to add 1 extra cup of beef broth and don’t simmer it quite as long to maintain the right consistency.
Old Fashioned American Goulash
American Goulash is a one-pot meal that is ready in just 45 minutes! This comfort food favorite is made with ground beef and pasta in a flavorful tomato-based stew. There’s a reason why it’s been a comfort food favorite for over 100 years!
Tuesday
Add some color and variety to your week with this easy stuffed bell pepper recipe. Our Tex-Mex ground beef and rice mixture brings the flavor! If you’re looking to add a side, we recommend our Slow Cooker Refried Beans.
Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers
These bell peppers are stuffed with a delicious cheesy ground beef and rice mixture. Super easy to make and they’re ready in about an hour!
Wednesday
We love anything fajita over here! This flavorful salad is packed full of tender, perfectly seasoned chicken, lettuce, and veggies. Plus, you have your very own fajita seasoning mix made from the pantry staples.
Skinny Chicken Fajita Salad
Skinny Chicken Fajita Salad is a recipe you’ll use over and over again. This salad is ready in under 15 minute making it the perfect quick healthy meal.
Thursday
One of our favorite easy dinners! This bright and zesty pasta dish is made in one pot and uses a handful of ingredients, making it a weeknight (and wallet) win. If you’re looking to save some time and money, go ahead and use rotisserie chicken instead of chicken breasts.
Lemon Chicken and Orzo
Keep dinner easy with Lemon Chicken and Orzo! A zesty, creamy, one-pot meal packed with chicken, parmesan, and herbs—ready in 45 minutes.
Friday
Pizza night made easy! No need to make your own dough with this recipe. Just pile on the cheese and your favorite toppings for a dinner everyone will love. If you’re looking to add a side to this dish, we recommend a veggie plate—easy on time and your wallet.
Garlic French Bread Pizza
A layer of garlic butter is our secret to the best French Bread Pizza. It’s never been easier to throw together an inexpensive pizza night!
Saturday
This one-pot chicken and rice dinner is the most delicious and easy comfort food, complete with a green veggie and gooey cheddar cheese. If you’re looking to beef up your meal and create more servings, we recommend adding an extra cup or two of broccoli.
One Pot Chicken Broccoli & Rice
One Pot Chicken Broccoli and Rice delivers comfort food in a bowl—creamy, cheesy, and made with real ingredients. Perfect for hectic nights.
Sunday
These tinfoil dinners combine simple ingredients, and you don’t even need a campfire to make them! Load up your packets with ground beef and your favorite veggies, and throw them over the grill or in the oven.
Hobo Foil Packets
These hobo foil packets are full of flavor with juicy patties and seasoned veggies. Make in the oven, on the grill, or over campfire coals.
Make It Work for You
This plan is flexible. If seven dinners a week is too much for your schedule, skip a couple and just use leftovers or repeat your favorites. If one of these recipes isn’t your thing, it’s totally fine to swap it out.
We’ve got a customization tool in beta that lets you do exactly that—adjust servings, swap meals, and generate a new shopping list based on your changes. It’s not fancy, but it gets the job done.
Budget Tips & Notes
Bell Peppers: You’ll use them for stuffed peppers and fajita salad—buy in bulk or grab a variety pack to save.
Broccoli: One large crown or head goes a long way. Use extra for snacks or steam as a side later in the week.
French Bread: Only one loaf needed for pizza night, but if there’s a two-for-one deal, freeze the extra for later.
Ground Beef: Buy a larger pack and split it between goulash, foil packets, and stuffed peppers.