ALDI Standard Meal Plan

BUDGET RATIONALE

Why these meals: This week's plan makes the most of ALDI's fresh sale proteins while keeping your cooking varied and low-stress. Chicken thighs anchor two nights, Tuesday's quick skillet dinner with green beans and mushrooms and Thursday's pan-seared version with roasted Honeycrisp apples, so you get two completely different flavors from one family pack. Monday's pork butt roast braises low and slow with sliced white mushrooms for a fall-apart tender dinner, Wednesday brings a fast ground beef skillet paired with caramelized maple dijon cauliflower, and Friday winds down the week with a simple, meatless tortelloni tossed in harvest pasta sauce. Together these meals balance heartier slow-cooked comfort with quick weeknight options, so you're never stuck with the same texture or prep style two nights in a row.

5-DAY MEAL PLAN

Monday
Meal: Braised Pork Butt Roast with Mushrooms
Description: Pork butt roast is seared then braised low and slow with sliced white mushrooms until fork-tender and pulls apart easily. Served with pan juices spooned over the top.
Sale items used: Smithfield Fresh Pork Butt Roast, Sliced White Mushrooms
Prep time: 20 minutes active, plus braising
Serving note: 2 lbs pork butt roast, 1 pkg (8 oz) sliced white mushrooms. Total cook time runs about 2.5 hours in the oven or slow cooker, so start the braise in the early afternoon or the night before and reheat before serving.
Recipes:
- Pot-Roasted Pork Shoulder With Mushrooms Recipe

Tuesday
Meal: Skillet Chicken Thighs with Green Beans and Mushrooms
Description: Boneless skinless chicken thighs are pan-seared until golden, then finished alongside a quick-heated side of green beans with mushrooms. A simple weeknight one-pan dinner.
Sale items used: Fresh Antibiotic Free Family Pack Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, Green Beans with Mushrooms
Prep time: 30 minutes
Serving note: 2 lbs chicken thighs, 1 pkg Green Beans with Mushrooms.
Recipes:
- Skillet Chicken Thighs with Green Beans and Mushrooms Recipe

Wednesday
Meal: Ground Beef Skillet with Maple Dijon Cauliflower
Description: Organic grass-fed ground beef is browned and seasoned simply, served with maple dijon cauliflower roasted until caramelized at the edges. A hearty, fast midweek meal.
Sale items used: Simply Nature Fresh Family Pack 93% Organic Grass-Fed Ground Beef, Maple Dijon Cauliflower
Prep time: 25 minutes
Serving note: 2 lbs ground beef, 1 pkg Maple Dijon Cauliflower.

Thursday
Meal: Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs with Roasted Honeycrisp Apples
Description: A second, differently seasoned chicken thigh preparation, pan-seared with a fall-spiced glaze, paired with wedges of roasted Honeycrisp apples for a sweet-savory finish. Quick and different in flavor from Tuesday's dish.
Sale items used: Fresh Antibiotic Free Family Pack Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, New York Honeycrisp Apples
Prep time: 30 minutes
Serving note: 2 lbs chicken thighs, 1 bag (2 lb) Honeycrisp Apples, using about half the bag sliced into wedges for roasting.
Recipes:
- Autumn Apple Chicken
- Rosemary Apple Cider Chicken
- Apple Cranberry Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs

Friday
Meal: Fall Tortelloni with Harvest Pasta Sauce
Description: Priano Fall Tortelloni is boiled and tossed with Specially Selected Seasonal Harvest Style Pasta Sauce for a warm, meatless pasta night. A simple, comforting end to the week.
Sale items used: Priano Fall Tortelloni, Specially Selected Seasonal Harvest Style Pasta Sauce
Prep time: 20 minutes
Serving note: 1 package Priano Fall Tortelloni, 1 jar Specially Selected Seasonal Harvest Style Pasta Sauce, both sized to serve 4.
Recipes:
- Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce
- Harvest Pasta Sauce

SHOPPING LIST

Buy on sale:
- Smithfield Fresh Pork Butt Roast (2 lbs): $3.98
- Fresh Antibiotic Free Family Pack Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (4 lbs): $9.96
- Simply Nature Fresh Family Pack 93% Organic Grass-Fed Ground Beef (2 lbs): $11.98
- Sliced White Mushrooms (1 pkg): $1.29
- Green Beans with Mushrooms (1 each): $3.49
- Maple Dijon Cauliflower (1 each): $3.49
- New York Honeycrisp Apples (1 bag): $2.29
- Priano Fall Tortelloni (1 each): $4.99
- Specially Selected Seasonal Harvest Style Pasta Sauce (1 each): $3.99

Pantry staples needed:
- Cooking oil
- Salt and pepper
- Onion
- Garlic
- Chicken or beef broth
- Dijon-style seasoning or basic spices for chicken glaze