Kroger Kid-Friendly Meal Plan
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5-DAY MEAL PLAN
Monday
Meal: Baked Perdue Chicken Drumsticks with BBQ Sauce and Corn on the Cob
Description: Two juicy chicken drumsticks are coated in sweet BBQ sauce and baked until golden and sticky, a total crowd-pleaser for any kid. Served alongside a fresh ear of corn on the cob, this is a classic, hands-on dinner that is fun to eat.
Sale items used: Perdue Chicken Drumsticks ($0.99/lb), Kraft BBQ Sauce ($0.99, Mix & Match), Kroger Sweet Corn 4 ct Tray ($4.99)
Prep time: 50 minutes
Serving note: Use approximately 0.5 lb of drumsticks (roughly 2 drumsticks) at $0.99/lb; serve with 1 ear of corn from the 4-count tray. Bake drumsticks at 400F for 35-40 minutes, brushing with BBQ sauce in the last 10 minutes.
Tuesday
Meal: Sloppy Joes with Kroger 80% Lean Ground Beef on Ball Park Buns
Description: Savory, saucy ground beef simmered with Manwich sauce is spooned onto a soft Ball Park bun for a messy, delicious classic kids absolutely love. This quick stovetop meal comes together in under 20 minutes and is perfectly portioned for one.
Sale items used: Kroger 80% Lean Ground Beef ($4.99/lb), Manwich Sauce ($0.99, Mix & Match), Ball Park Buns 8 ct ($2.99)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Serving note: Use approximately 0.25 lb of ground beef for 1 generous Sloppy Joe; serve on 1 bun from the 8-count pack. Leftover buns can be used Friday for burgers, reducing waste across the week.
Recipes:
- Sloppy Joe Recipe
Wednesday
Meal: Stovetop Eckrich Smoked Sausage with Hunt's Pasta Sauce over Knorr Pasta Sides
Description: Sliced smoked sausage is browned in a pan and simmered with tangy Hunt's pasta sauce, then ladled over a creamy Knorr pasta side for a hearty, comforting bowl kids will clean right up. It is warm, filling, and ready in about 20 minutes with minimal cleanup.
Sale items used: Eckrich Smoked Sausage 12-14 oz ($2.99 with Digital Coupon), Hunt's Pasta Sauce 24 oz ($0.99, Mix & Match), Knorr Pasta Sides ($0.99, Mix & Match)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Serving note: Use about one-third of the sausage link (roughly 4 oz) sliced into coins; prepare half a packet of Knorr pasta sides and use about one-third of the Hunt's sauce jar. Store remaining sausage and sauce in the fridge for easy lunches later in the week.
Thursday
Meal: Springer Mountain Chicken Tenders with Ranch Dipping Sauce and Baby Carrots
Description: Lightly seasoned chicken tenders are pan-cooked or baked until golden and served with a side of creamy ranch dip and crunchy baby carrots, a meal that feels like a restaurant kids' menu favorite. Simple, familiar, and totally fun to dip and munch.
Sale items used: Springer Mountain Boneless Chicken Tenders ($3.99/lb), Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing 36 fl oz ($5.99 with Buy More Save More), Kroger Cut & Peeled Baby Carrots 1 lb ($1.39)
Prep time: 25 minutes
Serving note: Use approximately 0.5 lb of chicken tenders at $3.99/lb; serve with a small handful of baby carrots and a few tablespoons of ranch for dipping. The large ranch bottle will last many weeks as a fridge staple, so its cost is noted but it functions as a long-use condiment purchase.
Recipes:
- Baked Chicken Tenders with Homemade Ranch Dip
Friday
Meal: Pan-Cooked Kroger 73% Lean Beef Patties on Ball Park Buns with Mustard and Ketchup
Description: A juicy beef patty is cooked in a skillet until perfectly done and served on a soft Ball Park bun with classic yellow mustard and ketchup, just like a backyard cookout burger. Simple, satisfying, and exactly the kind of meal kids get excited about on a Friday night.
Sale items used: Kroger 73% Lean Beef Patties Frozen 2 lb ($10.00), Ball Park Buns 8 ct (already purchased Tuesday), Heinz Yellow Mustard 14 oz ($0.99, Mix & Match)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Serving note: Use 1 frozen patty (approximately 0.25 lb) from the 2 lb pack; the remaining patties can be stored in the freezer for future meals. Buns are carried over from Tuesday's purchase, so no additional bun purchase is needed.
Recipes:
- The Perfect Homemade Beef Burger
- Best Hamburger Patty Recipe
- Homemade Beef Burger Recipe
🛒 Shopping List
SHOPPING LIST
Buy on sale:
- Perdue Chicken Drumsticks (0.5 lb): $0.50
- Kroger 80% Lean Ground Beef (0.25 lb): $1.25
- Ball Park Buns 8 ct (x1 pack): $2.99
- Manwich Sauce (x1): $0.99
- Eckrich Smoked Sausage 12-14 oz (x1): $2.99
- Hunt's Pasta Sauce 24 oz (x1): $0.99
- Knorr Pasta Sides (x1): $0.99
- Kraft BBQ Sauce (x1): $0.99
- Heinz Yellow Mustard 14 oz (x1): $0.99
- Kroger Sweet Corn 4 ct Tray (x1): $4.99
- Springer Mountain Chicken Tenders (0.5 lb): $2.00
- Kroger Cut & Peeled Baby Carrots 1 lb (x1): $1.39
- Kroger 73% Lean Beef Patties Frozen 2 lb (x1): $10.00
- Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing 36 fl oz (x1): $5.99
Pantry staples needed:
- Ketchup
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
- Olive oil or cooking spray
- Butter (for corn)
🏷️ All sale items this week
SALE ITEMS FOUND
Meats on sale:
- Perdue Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs (or Wings): $0.99/lb
- Kroger 80% Lean Ground Beef: $4.99/lb
- Ball Park Meat Franks (15 oz): $1.99 each
- Kroger 75% Lean Ground Beef (2.25 lb or Frontiere Wagyu Beef Patties 1.32 lb): $12.00 each
- Kroger 73% Lean Beef Patties (Frozen, 2 lb): $10.00 each
- Home Chef St. Louis Style Ribs (Fully Cooked, 2 lb, In the Deli): $13.99 each
- Swaggerty's Sausage Rolls or Links (16 oz): $3.99 each
- Kroger Dinner Sausage Links (18 oz): $3.99 each
- Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage (16 oz Roll) or Jimmy Dean Bacon (12 oz): 2 for $8.00
- Wild-Caught Lobster Tails (3-4 oz): 2 for $12.00
- Jumbo EZ Peel Shrimp (21-25 ct, Raw, Sold in 2 lb bag): $7.99/lb
- Home Chef Fried or Baked Chicken (Fully Cooked, 8-Piece): $8.99/lb
- Tri Tip Roast: $10.99/lb
- Springer Mountain Boneless Chicken Breast or Tenders: $3.99/lb
- Just Bare Frozen Chicken (36 oz): $14.99 each
- Tyson Frozen Chicken (16-26 oz): $5.99 each
- Eckrich Smoked Sausage (12-14 oz) or Prima Fresh Lunch Meat (8 oz): $2.99 each (with Digital Coupon)
Deli and prepared on sale:
- Kroger Party Size Potato Chips (12.5-13 oz): 2 for $5.00
- Oscar Mayer Lunchables (2.27-4.4 oz) or P3 Protein Packs (2-2.3 oz): $1.29 each (with Digital Coupon)
- Kroger 80% Lean Ground Beef or Wendy's Beef Patties (1 lb): $8.00 each
- Home Chef Fried or Baked Chicken (8-Piece): $8.99/lb
Produce on sale:
- Blueberries (Pint): $2.99 each
- Cosmic Crisp or Pink Lady Apples: $1.79/lb
- Cotton Candy or Gum Drops Grapes: $2.99/lb (with Digital Coupon)
- Kroger Navel Oranges (4 lb) or Red Grapefruit (5 lb): $4.99 each (with Digital Coupon)
- Private Selection Snacking Tomatoes (10 oz): 2 for $7.00
- Bloom Haus Dozen Rose Bunch: $8.00 each
- Calbee Harvest Snaps (2.5-3.3 oz): $0.99 each
- Kroger Packaged Vegetables (24-32 oz): $6.00 each
- Strawberries (16 oz): $2.99 each
- Fresh Cut Fruit Bowls (18 oz): $5.00 each
- Kroger Cut & Peeled Baby Carrots (1 lb): $1.39 each
- Kroger Sweet Corn (4 ct Tray): $4.99 each
Dairy and eggs on sale:
- Chobani Greek Yogurt (4.5-5.3 oz): 10 for $10.00
- Simple Truth Organic Milk (Half Gallon): $3.99 each
- Kroger Ice Cream (48 fl oz) or Private Selection Ice Cream (16 fl oz): $1.99 each (with Digital Coupon)
- Breyers Ice Cream (48 fl oz): $3.99 each
Bakery and bread on sale:
- Goldminer or Wholesome Harvest Bread (24 oz, In the Bakery): $4.49 each (with Digital Coupon)
- Cherry Pie (8", In the Bakery, or Other Varieties): $6.99 each
- Ball Park Buns (8 ct): $2.99 each
- Private Selection Fresh Baked Butter Croissants (Large 4 ct or Mini 12 ct) or Mini Cupcakes (12 ct): $5.00 each
- Kroger Bread (20 oz): $1.99 each
- Private Selection Buns (8 ct or Bread, 20-24 oz): $2.49 each (with Digital Coupon)
- Stonefire Naan Dippers (7.05 oz, In the Bakery): $1.99 each
Pantry on sale:
- Tostitos (9.5-14.43 oz) or Tostitos Queso (15 oz): $2.99 each (with Digital Coupon)
- Kroger Pasta Sauce (24 oz) or Totino's Party Pizza (9.8-10.9 oz): 3 for $5.00
- Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers (4-8 oz): $1.49 each (with Digital Coupon)
- Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers (26.7-27.3 oz): $7.99 each (with Buy More Save More)
- Knorr Sides (4.5-7 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Birds Eye Frozen Vegetables (8-10.8 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Kraft Mac & Cheese (5.5-7.27 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Nissin Ramen or Chow Mein (2.54-4 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Heinz Yellow Mustard (14 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Kraft BBQ Sauce (17.5-18 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Chef Boyardee (14.5-15 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Chef Boyardee Skillet Entrée (5.3-8 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Campbell's Tomato Soup (10.75 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup (10.5 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Early California Olives (2.25 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Manwich Sauce (15-16 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Hunt's Pasta Sauce (24 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Jell-O Gelatin or Pudding Mix (3-3.9 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Kind Bar (1.4 oz): $0.99 each (Mix & Match 5 or more)
- Skippy Peanut Butter (40 oz): $4.99 each (with Buy More Save More)
- Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (36 fl oz) or Velveeta Shells & Cheese (3 ct): $5.99 each (with Buy More Save More)
- Birds Eye Steamer Vegetables (8-16 oz) or Hidden Valley Ranch Mix (0.4-1.1 oz): 2 for $4.00
Frozen on sale:
- Marie Callender's Bowl (10.5-13 oz) or Healthy Choice Café Steamers (9.5-10.3 oz): $1.99 each (with Digital Coupon)
- Freschetta Pizza (18.85-33.88 oz): $3.99 each (with Digital Coupon)
- Newman's Own Pizza (15.1-17 oz) or Farm Rich Meatballs (20-26 oz): $4.99 each (with Buy More Save More)
- Smucker's Uncrustables (15 ct): $12.49 each (with Buy More Save More)
- El Monterey Taquitos (18-20 ct): $5.99 each (with Buy More Save More)
- Kroger Freezer Pops (36 ct) or Budget Saver Twin Ice Pops (12-18 ct): $2.99 each
🛒 Estimated Shopping Cost
Based on sale prices for items in this plan
Some sale prices require the store's loyalty card or a clipped digital coupon. Check the flyer before you shop.
$37.05
for 1 person · $37.05 per person
📍 Disclaimer: Prices and availability are based on the Kroger weekly sales flyer for the week of August 26, 2026. Flyers are sourced from store websites and weekly flyer aggregator sites. Actual prices may vary by location. Always verify prices at your local store. We are not affiliated with Kroger.