This post was sponsored by the Indiana’s Family of Farmers. You get to learn about affordable ways to prepare food. I get a few extra bucks in the Royal coffers. The post and opinions are 100% mine. No editing was done by anyone. I’m sure you could find some grammatical errors if you read it again. Read more on my disclosure policy.
WAHOO Spring has sprung! That means I have officially purchased new gas for our grill and try to use it as much as possible when there weather cooperates (and sometimes in a raincoat when it doesn’t). More grilling = fewer dirty dishes and that’s A-OK with me. For this month’s ALDI meal plan, I decided to provide some out-of-the-box ideas and healthy ideas for you to get your grill on and feed your family 8 meals for $50. No hot dogs and hamburgers here, friends. We’re making breakfast pizza, campfire potatoes, and even grilling fruit. We’re going to have some fun.
Once again, there are 6 ALDI Meal Plans on my site – all where you spend $50 or less. From Freezer Meals to Crockpot Meals, from Simple Meals to the original ALDI $50 Meal Plan I posted that went viral, you can find more than a month’s worth of ideas right here. As always, I don’t account for things like spices or kitchen staples (salad dressing, flour, eggs, milk, butter, oil, rice, etc.). You may have other items on hand to punch up a dish and add some pizazz. I’ll make suggestions when I can. Because many of you have asked, this is a plan for 4 people. There are some allergen sensitive items that you might have to replace or alter. If you have more people in your family, you’ll want to add more food.
Without further ado, here’s what I bought:
Half Boneless Pork Loin $8.69: Don’t gasp. This is the most expensive item on the shopping list. An affordable ($1.89/lb.) larger cut of meat can be easily subdivided and used for more than one meal. In this case, I’m going to use this pork loin for two meals (I honestly think you could stretch it to three if you wanted to because it’s 4.6 lbs.). We’ll cut it into 4 nice 1″ chops for a Brown Sugar Balsamic Grilled Pork Loin and then chop the rest into bite sized pieces to make kabobs in a second meal.
Chicken Tenderloins $3.29: ALDI regularly marks down meat that’s nearing the sell-by date by $2. This means you can pick up a steal of a deal if you’re paying close attention. This week, I was able to snag just under 2 lbs. of Chicken Tenderloins for $3.29. I can’t promise what your store may or may not have, but it wouldn’t surprise me if you could find them at a similar rate. If not, you may have to increase your budget a teeny bit (although other items on this list might be lower in price). These chicken tenderloins will be divided out, with one pound designated for Naked Chicken Fajitas and the other use for a Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad.
Pork Sausage Roll $0.99: Recently, ALDI began offering special half priced deals just for the weekend. I was so excited to see the Pork Sausage (reg. $1.99) on sale for $0.99 today because I wanted to make two pizzas for the grill this week. The one roll will be enough for 2 pizzas because they have other hearty ingredients to pair with the sausage. One pizza is a Breakfast Pizza with eggs, cheese, and sausage. The other is a sausage and cheese pizza that you can add veggies to if you have some extras in your fridge.
Boneless Chicken Breasts $6.49: I am such a fan of the frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast – you can grill them straight from frozen or marinade them while they thaw. No matter the ethnic cuisine or purpose, they’re versatile in pasta, salads, sandwiches, or just straight up on the plate. ALDI sometimes reduces the price on their 3 lb. bag but I’ve never seen them more than $6.49 when I shop there. We’ll grill these to use chopped in a Grilled Chicken Pesto Bow Tie Pasta and have a salad dressing marinaded Chicken Breast served with plenty of great grilled veggies.
Dozen Large Eggs $1.19: We love eggs! My newest passion is cooking two scrambled straight in my waffle iron each morning. However, for this meal plan, we’ll boil some for the Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad (4) and scramble the rest for the Grilled Breakfast Pizza.
Colby Jack Shredded Cheese $2.79: Yay for cheese, my favorite food! Everything tastes better with it, without a doubt. We’ll use this bag of Colby Jack in three directions – 1 cup sprinkled Naked Chicken Fajitas, 1 cup to top the Grilled Breakfast Pizza, and 1 cup in the Campfire Grilled Red Potatoes.
Mozzarella Shredded Cheese $3.29: This is an enormous bag of cheese, y’all. 4 cups means we can use it in a number of meals. It will primarily top the two pizzas – the Grilled Breakfast Pizza (1/2 cup) and the Grilled Sausage Cheese Pizza (1 1/2 cups). We’ll also use a 1/2 cup of it to top the Grilled Chicken Pesto Bow Tie Pasta meal. The remaining 1/2 cup can be used on the Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad.
2 Pizza Crusts with Sauce $2.99: You don’t have to make this purchase if you have the time in your schedule and ability to make a crust for your grill. However, if you’ll be squeezed for time this makes it a bit simpler.
Farfalle (Bow Tie Pasta) $0.99: We don’t do a ton of pasta, but I thought it would be fun to add one dish to the mix this week. I actually had a full box in my cabinet, but I wanted it to be on your shopping list in case you don’t. Depending on the size of your family, you may only need half of the box or you can fix plenty and have leftovers. If you have a different favorite pasta, you could sub it out. ALDI has a number of options, including an affordable Gluten Free line and Organic pastas.
Pesto Sauce $1.69: I can’t even believe how affordable pesto is at ALDI. And it tastes fabulous, too. We’ll obviously use it in the Grilled Chicken Pesto Bow Tie Pasta.
Black Beans $0.59: The Naked Chicken Fajitas get kicked up a notch with some extra veggie protein power in the form of black beans.
Seedless Cucumber $0.99: To me, nothing tastes better with grilled meat than green things. As vegetables come back into season, the prices begin to drop. I picked up a seedless cucumber to use in both the Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad and a side side to serve with the Grilled Sausage Cheese Pizza.
16 oz. Roma Tomatoes $0.99: Fresh tomatoes are great for salads and sandwiches. In this plan, we’ll have more than enough for the Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad, a side salad to accompany the Grilled Sausage Cheese Pizza, to top the Naked Chicken Fajitas, and to toss into the Grilled Chicken Pesto Bow Tie Pasta.
Living Boston Lettuce $1.49: If I could marry a lettuce, this would be the one for me. I picked up some a couple of weeks ago and loved how fresh it remained since the roots are still intact to the leaves. We’ll use it for side salads for two dishes – the Grilled Chicken Pesto Bow Tie Pasta and the Grilled Sausage Cheese Pizza. The great thing is that you can pull the number of leaves you want off and leave the remaining ones attached until you’re ready to use them.
Flat Leaf Spinach $1.79: One of the most economic greens, spinach is a staple in our house and we rarely go a week without purchasing and consuming an entire bag. For this meal plan, it features in the Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad. You may even have some leftover for a healthy smoothie!
Fresh Asparagus $0.99: Butter, salt, and asparagus wrapped in aluminum foil = amazing. We’ll have it on the side of the Brown Sugar Balsamic Grilled Pork Loin and Grilled Chicken meals.
1 Quart of Strawberries $1.99: Strawberries and springtime go together like peas and carrots. We’ll slice up (and then gobble up) these strawberries with the Grilled Breakfast Pizza and Campfire Red Potatoes.
Mushrooms $0.99: Once again, I bought the mushrooms because I like mushrooms, especially with pesto. My guess is that everyone else will be picking them out of the meals. 3/4 of the mushrooms we’ll use with the Grilled Pork and Veggie Kabobs and the other 1/4 you can chop and use on the Sausage Cheese Pizza if you’d like. Or you can use half and half or all or nothing at all. 😉
Sweet Onions $0.89: This one onion was enormous. I’m pretty sure I could fed my neighborhood with it. I didn’t use all of it, but if you’re an onion-y family and yours is equally large, feel free to add it to just about every dish. Kabobs and fajitas get the lion’s share of the onion. However, you could use it in the pizza, pasta, potatoes, and even salad if that’s your thing. I only like cooked onions and not raw (I’m a baby like that) so I use them sparing but I do like the flavor.
Multi-Colored Peppers $2.49: I regularly pick up peppers to use in salads, pizzas, fajitas, and pasta. This week, we’ll use them primarily in the Naked Chicken Fajitas and the Grilled Pork and Veggie Kabobs. You can also chop up a small portion into fine pieces to put in the Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad and side salads.
5 lbs. Red Potatoes $0.99: It seems that the potato deals float to a variety per week at ALDI. This week you can get 5 lbs. $0.99. What in the world? So we’ll have them as Grilled Campfire Potatoes with the Grilled Breakfast Pizza, mashed on the side with the Brown Sugar Balsamic Grilled Pork Loin, and roasted with a little olive oil and salt and pepper with the Grilled Chicken Breast. 11 good sized potatoes are in the bag. It won’t be difficult to stretch them, especially since we’ll have additional side dishes.
Green Beans $1.69: Again, I love the grilled and the greens. We’ll fix simple, fresh green beans on the stovetop to pair with the Grilled Pork and Veggie Kabobs.
Nectarines $0.49 (3): A few years back, I started grilled fresh peaches and nectarines and love to pair their flavor with pork dishes. This will be a side for Brown Sugar Balsamic Grilled Pork Loin. However, they are the bomb.com on Pork Burgers. Amazing.
Here’s my receipt proof! I even had $0.25 to put back as my ALDI quarter for my next trip!
Print the entire ALDI Grill Meal Plan Shopping List here.
And here’s what I made:
Meal #1
Brown Sugar Balsamic Grilled Pork Loin
Grilled Asparagus
Mashed Red Potatoes
Grilled Nectarines
When you come home from the store, you’ll want to cut up your pork loin into 4 inch “chops” and the rest into bite sized pieces for Grilled Pork Kabobs. You can see how I’ve done it in the past here. I’m anything but fancy, so anytime I’m low on ideas of how to season or marinade meat, I default to mixing together 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 T of Balsamic Vinegar, a twist or two of Garlic Salt (bought at ALDI oh so affordably), 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of hot water. I poke the meat vigorously with a fork and then pour the mixture over the meat and refrigerate anywhere from 8 – 24 hours. The longer it marinades, the better the flavor. For the most delicious asparagus you’ve ever tasted, cut off the thick ends of the stalks and then lay half of the asparagus on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap around and create a little packet. Top it with some Sea Salt and about 1 T of butter, cut into small pieces. Seal it up an place on the top rack of your grill while the pork is cooking. Prepare the Mashed Potatoes in the old fashioned way, boiling 4 large potatoes, chopped (the thinner the slices, the more quickly they’ll cook). You’ll need to add butter and maybe a bit of milk to them as well. The nectarines are much easier to prepare then you’d think. I slice them thickly into their natural crescent shapes and then place directly on the upper rack (be sure to scrub it down well before starting the grill) about 5 minutes before the meat is about to finish, turning half way through. For times, temperatures, and tips on grilling pork loin, check out this great resource from Indiana Pork.
Meat #2
Naked Chicken Fajitas
with Grilled Chicken, Grilled Peppers, and Onions
Black Beans
Rice
Lettuce and Cheese
I’m hooked on ordering the Kids’ Naked Burrito at Qdoba and so I recreate that meal at home on a regular basis. You’ll grill half of the Chicken Tenderloins on low heat. They’re so thin that it won’t take them long to cook at all. You can sprinkle them with a taco seasoning if you have it but you don’t have to. Create another veggie packet in aluminum foil, using 1/3 of the peppers and about 1/2 of the onion (to your family’s taste. Prepare the Black Beans on the stovetop. I buy rice in bulk about every 6-8 months from Sam’s Club and keep a 25 lb. bag in my laundry room. I definitely think it’s a great staple to keep on hand, especially for meals like this. Top with Colby Jack Shredded Cheese and chopped Boston Lettuce. If you’re like us and always seem to have a jar of salsa hanging around, you could crack that out or even drizzle with a little bit of ranch dressing, too. It’s simple, fairly quick, and filling.
Meal #3
Grilled Pork Kabobs
Grilled Veggie Kabobs
Green Beans
Rice
I have some metal, reusable shish kabob skewers that I use on the grill over and over again. They’re a good investment if you don’t already have them because not only can you use them multiple times, you don’t have to soak them like the disposable wood variety. I understand that if you don’t own some you may need to make an additional purchase here (or choose to grill the meat and veggies in aluminum foil instead. After you skewer the meat, you can choose to marinade them in a mixture akin to Meal #1 (although I’d leave the brown sugar out and make them savory instead opting for a Mesquite seasoning if you have some in your cabinet or simply salt and pepper). Again, the longer you marinade, the richer the flavor. I like to prepare the veggie and meat kabobs safely and just recently realized that it’s actually okay for you to cook them together as long as they’re heated to the same internal temp. So it’s dealers’ choice for you. Simply skewer bite sized pieces of pepper, onion, and mushrooms together. You should have enough for about 3-4 skewers worth. Prepare the fresh green beans on the stove top and again fix a side of rice, too.
Meal #4
Grilled Breakfast Pizza
Grilled Campfire Red Potatoes
Sliced Strawberries
I bet this meal was the one that caught your attention, right? I’ve been seeing this fun video recipe float around Facebook and thought that it looked so yummy that I wanted to put a unique grill spin on it. Whisk together 8 eggs with 1/2 cup of milk and then scramble them on the stovetop. Prepare entire roll of pork sausage, drain, and place half of the prepared meat into a sealable container to refrigerate. Open the pizza crust. You could choose to either use the pizza sauce in the packet or you could prepare a basic gravy using the leftover drippings from the sausage or if you like Huevos Rancheros and have some, you could use salsa as your “sauce.” Or, you could simply drizzle some melted butter on top of the pizza crust. Whatever you choose, you’ll want to go light on the sauce, spreading just enough to cover it completely, but not so much that it will become soggy and break apart. Top the pizza with the prepare eggs, sausage, and a mixture of 1 cup of Shredded Colby Jack Cheese and 1/2 cup of Mozzarella. Drizzle more of your sauce across the top of the pizza. Grill it until everything is warm and melty. You can choose to put it on a pan and place on the grill or if you’re brave like me can place it directly on the rack. I got the idea to do a simplified version of Campfire Red Potatoes from this recipe. I skip the parsley and the Worcestershire sauce because everyone here would turn their noses up at both and opt for water over broth. Vary it to fit your family’s needs, though. Plus, I use only a bit of the onion to flavor things (and when I have it add fresh garlic, too). These potatoes were large enough I only needed to use four, too. Slice the strawberries and you’ll have an unusual breakfast for dinner option, fresh from the grill.
Meal #5
Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad
with Spinach, Cucumber, Tomato, Peppers, Eggs, and Cheese
Toast or Simple Homemade Yeast Rolls
I love a fresh salad with grilled chicken. If your family is picky, this one may not fly. PBJ can be an option (if you fix it yourself) at our house but you have to eat something of the main dish. Simply grill the second half of the chicken tenderloins and chop, chop, chop your veggies. The Spinach seems to be never ending at our house and more than enough for 4 to have it as a main dish. You can boil your eggs days in advance, too and have them chopped and ready. I love to take Sunday nights to chop up veggies and prepare eggs for the week ahead. Store them in air tight containers in your refrigerator so that you can get them out each evening that you have a salad or need chopped veggies. I switched to all glass containers this year (used my Christmas money to buy some) If you’d like to include a bread with your salad, you can make an easy yeast roll (this recipe works well) or you can simply make toast (we love to dip ours in olive oil) to go with it.
Meal #6
Grilled Sausage Cheese Pizza
Green Side Salad
No-Knead Garlic Bread Fingers
Pull the pork sausage you prepared on Day #4 from the refrigerator and quickly put together another pizza. Use the included sauce packet to lightly spread sauce on the pizza (again too much will make it a soggy mess) and then top with plenty of mozzarella and pork. If you have leftover mushrooms or onions and want to use them, add them too (or any other veggies that are creeping around your fridge and need used). Prepare a side salad with whatever veggies, spinach, eggs, and Boston lettuce are left over. Now, if one pizza won’t due for your family size or appetites, you can make some Quick Rise No-Knead Garlic Bread fingers (I use this recipe without the cheese and sub garlic powder or salt for the garlic salt). It does take a little prep time so read the recipe thoroughly. If you didn’t use the extra pizza sauce packet or have a jar of pasta sauce, you could use it for dipping purposes.
Meal #7
Grilled Chicken Pesto Bow Tie Pasta
Green Side Salad
Toast or Leftover Garlic Bread (if you have it) if desired
We’re keeping it completely basic with this meal. Thaw 2-3 chicken breasts (they vary in size so choose a couple larger ones or three smaller ones) the night before. Grill the chicken, prepare the pasta, add the jar of pesto to the prepared pasta, and if you have any leftover spinach or chopped tomato at this point, you could also stir it in with the pasta and sauce. Then top with the grilled chicken and mozzarella cheese. If you want to add a bread to this, you could use any leftover garlic bread from the day before or whip up some toast again. However, you have so much pasta, it’s probably a nicety, not a necessity.
Meal #8
Salad Dressing Grilled Chicken
Roasted Red Potatoes
Grilled Asparagus
Nothing drives me crazier than wasting condiments. So whenever I have a half bottle of salad dressing, I fill it up with warm water, shake an then use it to marinade meet. I’ve had great success with Italian dressing, French Dressing (especially Mullens), and Poppyseed (my favorite!). If you don’t have a half bottle in your refrigerator, you could choose to make your own simple marinade with ingredients likely in your kitchen already. Use this recipe as a base to prepare the Roasted Red Potatoes on the grill and prepare the asparagus in the same way as Meal #1.
And there you have it, my friends. $50 for 8 Meals from ALDI. Again, if your family is larger or has special nutritional needs, this plan might not fit you to a T but it works for ours.
How many grill meals can you make with $50?! I’d love to know what plans you use or what recipes are your favorite. Leave me some comment love and feel free to ask questions!
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[…] $50 ALDI Meal Plan: 8 Meals for Your Grill! […]