How to plan a menu on a tight budget...Tips Tricks and What Not.

Chicken Breasts in a bag price match usually 6-8 breasts per bag

• Walmart $6.96 plus tax
• Fry's $6.99 plus tax if on sale I can get them for $4.99 a bag but the real deal is clearance deal on family packs $ 2.50 - $3.50 or less for 5-6 breasts

This is a few meal examples that you can make w/the chicken.

Meal 1 8 x 8 pan (5 Enchiladas w/ Mexican Rice and Refried Beans this will feed my family of 3- 2 for fiance and 1.5 per me and my daughter)

For the Enchilada part =$12.50 or less if you have deals or items on hand

2 Tortillas $2.00 from dollar store
32 oz canned Enchiladas sauce $1.00 from dollar store
$7.00 or Less for a regular bag chicken breast grocery store only using just enough to make the meal (saving leftover meal for other meals)
$1.50 or less if on sale for a bag of shredded cheese x 2 bags

Mexican Rice part=6.00 or less if you have items on hand

White Rice $1.00 from dollar store (will have leftover white for another meal)
Water free
Veggie oil/Soy Oil =$1.00 from dollar store (leftovers for other uses)
8 oz of salsa =$1.00 from dollar store (leftovers for other uses)
1/4 onion $1.00 a bag onions from dollar store (leftovers 4 another meals)
2 Tbsp of garlic from jar of minced garlic or 10 heads of garlic for $1.00 dollar store (leftovers 4 another meals)
2 Tbsp Cumin $1.00 (leftovers 4 another meals)

Homemade Refried Beans $ 1.25 or less if you have items on hand

1 onion(use leftover onion from above) $.00
Dry pinto beans $1.00 from dollar store
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped under $.25 cents
2 tablespoons minced garlic (use leftover from above) $.00
5 teaspoons salt (should have on hand at home) $.00
1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper (should have on hand at home) $.00
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin(use leftovers from above)
9 cups water $.00

I know you are freaking thinking $19.75 right??? Let’s look at a few more things

You will have the following ingredients leftover to use w/ meal #2 and meal #3

• Refried Beans Leftovers to freeze and some for meal # 2 #3
• Leftover Chicken Breast to use w/ Meal #2
• Leftover Mexican Rice- to use w/ Meal #2
• Spices Garlic & Cumin leftovers
• Leftover onions
• Maybe leftover salsa unless you used it to top your dinners.

Meal #2 Shredded Chicken Quesadillas w/ Mexican Rice and Refried Beans

• Make Quesadillas lay open flat on cookie sheets (cut w/ pizza cutter)
• 5 Tortillas leftover from the first meal plus 10 from the un-opened pack use only what you need for meal (Using leftovers for Meal # 3)
• Using some of the leftover shredded chicken/Mexican Rice/ Refried Beans/Onion

Meal # 3 Chicken & Rice & Bean Burritos

• Use remaining leftovers to create this meal.
  

So for less the $20.00 you were able to create 3 meals w/ one batch of Chicken/ Bag of Rice & Bag of Beans a pantry items