April Meal Plan Week 1

Our April Meal Plans begin this week with seven dinner recipe ideas. Included you will also find a list of grocery ingredients for each entrée and side dish ideas you can use.

Scroll all the way down for a list of dessert recipe ideas to cook for your family. Also visit our Meal Plans page for more ideas. Meal Planning is one great way to save on the grocery budget.

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More Meal Plans

About the meal plan

This meal plan will serve 4. Some recipes will serve more than four depending on your portion sizes.
It’s a meal plan for one week of dinner ideas.
Some recipes are intended to create premeditated leftovers, like casseroles or large pots of soup. This saves on the budget.
It is understood that you have common ingredients in your pantry such as salt and pepper so those are not included in the ingredient lists.
Some recipes will call for ingredients that can be used in multiple recipes for the week. Such as a head of lettuce can be used to make side salads with a small amount also portioned for tacos. A bag of carrots can be used for multiple dishes in one week to avoid waste.
There are 7 dinner ideas each week, in no particular order.
Scroll down for the recipe links.
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April Meal Plan Week 1

All recipes are linked at the bottom of this article. Side dish suggestions are not required, cook your favorite family sides. The grocery list for each entrée includes the ingredients required for that entrée.

1. Glazed Baked Spam

This easy recipe for canned Spam is sliced and placed into a baking dish. Covered with a simple brown sugar and mustard sauce then baked a short time in the oven. A quick and easy weeknight meal idea with few ingredients.

Side Dishes

Serve your baked Spam with rice or mashed potatoes and your choice of a green vegetable such as peas or green beans.

Grocery List

Canned Spam
Brown sugar, light or dark
Mustard

baked spam slices on a bed of rice — Glazed Baked Spam

2. Easy Classic Lasagna

This recipe for Classic Lasagna is even better the next day. I like to make this meal on Saturday so we can have premeditated leftovers on Sunday to take a break from the kitchen.

Side Dish

Rolls and a salad will make a complete meal. We often eat lasagna with nothing but rolls because it is very filling.

Grocery List

1 box lasagna noodles
1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 lb. ground sausage
1 jar spaghetti sauce, I use this brand
Ricotta cheese, 32 oz.
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz. grated parmesan cheese

Easy recipe for classic lasagna. Easy Lasagna recipe. Classic lasagna recipe. — Easy Classic Lasagna

3. Roasted Broccoli Salad with Homemade Yogurt Dressing

This roasted broccoli salad has a delicious combination of golden roasted broccoli florets, crispy cooked bacon, toasted sunflower seeds and golden raisins. It is gently tossed with a simple homemade yogurt dressing.

Side Dish

No side dish is needed with this Broccoli salad. However, serve your favorite crackers like these buttery Ritz crackers.

Grocery List

6 Cups fresh broccoli florets, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and black pepper, to taste
½ Cup. plain Greek yogurt (full fat)
1 Tbsp. sugar-free mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
½ tsp. dried dill
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
¼ Cup. yellow raisins
¼ Cup. sunflower seeds, toasted
¼ Cup. fresh parsley, chopped plus extra for garnish

Yogurt dressing going onto a Roasted Broccoli Salad — Roasted Broccoli and Bacon Salad

4. Simple Ground Beef and Potato Casserole

This easy recipe is a must-have make again and again. Layers of ground beef hugged potatoes with melted cheese and a cream of mushroom soup gravy to swim in makes a delicious reliable casserole.

Side Dishes

Serve your favorite green vegetables that come in a can such at Italian beans, like these, Cut green beans like these, or Peas and Carrots like these. Dinner rolls are a must with this ground beef and potatoes casserole. We like these Hawaiian rolls the best.

Grocery List

1 lb. Ground beef, browned and drained (or ground turkey)
1 Can cream of mushroom soup
1 can diced potatoes, drained (or sliced potatoes)
½ cup milk
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup French fried onions

Meat and Potato Casserole recipe at intelligentdomestications.com — Ground beef and potato casserole with cream of mushroom soup

5. Chicken Florentine Soup Instant Pot Recipe

This light and flavorful Chicken Florentine soup has unique tasty flavors. Pureed white beans, heavy cream and a chunk of Parmesan rind add to the creamy texture.

Side Dishes

This Chicken Florentine soup is loaded with meat and vegetables so a side dish isn’t needed. However, you can serve those yummy Ritz crackers that you bought to go with the Roasted Broccoli Salad.

Ingredients

1/2 cup of sundried tomatoes, like these (not packed in oil)
2 cups of water
2 (15 oz.) cans of Cannellini beans
1/3 cup of heavy cream
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, I like this brand
1 small red onion, chopped fine
3 or 4 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped
4 cups of chicken broth
8 oz. of white mushrooms, sliced
4″ Parmesan cheese rind (find it in the Deli cheese area)
2 tsp. of Italian seasoning, like this
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenderloins
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup baby arugula
3/4 cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Chicken Florentine soup — Chicken Florentine Soup

6. Crockpot Sweet and Savory Meatballs

This simple and easy recipe for Sweet and Savory Meatballs is great for weeknight meals. Use these meatballs to make sub sandwiches or serve them on a bed of rice. This meatball recipe is also good for game day fun food.

Side Dish

Serve your meatballs on a bed of rice or make Hoagie sandwiches and serve chips on the side.

Grocery List

1 bag (14-16 oz.) of frozen meatballs
1 8 oz. jar of grape jelly
1 12 oz. jar of chili sauce

Kitchen Tip

Keep watch for frozen meatballs to be on sale at your grocery store. Buy them on sale and keep them in the freezer. You can makes lots of different recipes with frozen meatballs. Some grocery stores, like Publix, runs them on BOGO regularly.

Sweet and Savory Meatballs — Sweet & Savory Meatballs

7. Pan Seared Grouper with Lemon-Thyme Sauce

A quick and easy weeknight meal recipe for pan-seared grouper. Substitute any white fish if Grouper is not your favorite.

Side Dish

Serve your favorite quick and easy vegetables. This Homemade Creamy Cole Slaw or Homemade Mashed Potatoes go well with any fish dinner. If you want to stay on the lighter side, try this Spicy Roasted Cauliflower recipe.