Coronavirus Menu Plan 1 Family Favourites

If we’re housebound, let’s make sure that life is extra delicious!! {Also – Meal Plan #2 now available!)

2 weeks ago, you might’ve turned your nose up at the thought of stocking up on food in anticipation of being housebound due to Coronavirus. Today, I’d consider it the wise thing to do. I don’t want to be overly dramatic or an alarmist, but these are uncertain times. But one thing we can do to give ourselves a sense of security is to stock our pantries with a sensible amount of food. So here’s a 15 Day+ Menu Plan with a consolidated grocery list for a family of 4! This is what you’ll get:

15 dinner recipes – most will have some leftovers Long shelf life ingredients – all ingredients are freezable or kept in the pantry Family friendly – I’ve parked the more exotic / spicy dishes for another day! Common ingredients across recipes – for efficiency (cost and number of items) Highly versatile – substitute away! Easy to make, complete meals – so you don’t have to think about adding sides

Hope you find it useful! – Nagi x

Tip: Go to the grocery store as soon as it opens. Or ask them when they do restocking of shelves!

Here’s an overview of the meal plan. Notes on long shelf life adjustments and substitutions for each are listed in each recipe below. Also see my GOLD TIPS on smart food stocking(don’t hoard!) Click here to download and print the grocery list

1. Chicken Enchiladas

Filled with a juicy chicken and bean filling and homemade Enchilada Sauce! Sub options: use any beans you have – even lentils or chickpeas, or add diced frozen vegetables instead. Or make the ground beef/mince version! Get the recipe »

2. Creamy Chicken Pasta

Chicken, parmesan, garlic, creamy, sun dried tomatoes, and a sprinkle of bacon. Do you need anymore information? 😂 Subs: Use any pasta you can find, long or short. Also – cream and parmesan are freezable! Use frozen spinach in place of baby spinach – or any vegetable you can get your hands on. Or just leave it out! Get the recipe »

3. Chunky Vegetable Beef Soup

Slow cooked for fall apart beef! Magnificent stew-like soup that’s hearty with a flavourful broth. Subs: Use any vegetables you can. Switch the stewing beef for any protein suitable for stewing! Get the recipe »

4. Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Tastes like a risotto…but so much easier to make! Subs: Skip the chicken and double up on broccoli to make it meat free. Switch the broccoli for any vegetables you have. Get the recipe »

5. Corn Chowder

Creamy corn chowder with potato and sprinkled with bacon bits… it’s all MINE!!! Psst recipe recommends fresh corn, but just use canned or frozen (quantity is in the recipe 👍) Subs: Switch the corn for anything you could add into soups. Diced vegetables, peas, even rice, quinoa or beans! (Ooooh…creamy bean soup….) Get the recipe »

6. Creamy Tuna Mornay

The highest and best use for canned tuna, full stop! The creamy garlic parmesan sauce is 100% amazing (and no cream!) Subs: Make this with any short pasta, switch tuna with canned salmon, use other chopped proteins OR stir in frozen veg and make it meat free! Get the recipe »

7. Chicken Nachos

Imagine Friday nights in with THIS in front of Netflix…… Get the recipe »

8. Brazilian Coconut Chickpea Curry

Chickpeas made amazing, thanks to the Brazilians! Subs: This sauce works with everything, from Fish to shrimp/prawns, chicken, beef, vegetables, any bean. Get the recipe »

Click here to download and print the grocery list for this 15 Day Meal Plan

9. Beef Ramen Noodles

One pot wonder! Psst Recipe calls for beansprouts, but we’re going to sub with cabbage instead cause it lasts forever in the fridge (ok ok, “forever” is a slight exaggeration – but upwards of 4 weeks for sure!) Subs: Make this with any ground/mince meat. (Fellow Aussies, there was still plenty of KANGAROO meat at the store today even though everything else was gone!) Get the recipe »

10. Cashew Chicken

Chinese takeout gold standard! (PS Loads of sauce to soak your rice. Promise.) Subs: Make this with any vegetables or protein you have. The sauce will make anything taste great! Get the recipe »

11. Chili Mac and Cheese

Nope, not spicy. Just loaded with flavour! Juicy, saucy, cheesy, beefy, it’s a cross between Chilli Con Carne and Mac ‘n Cheese. Subs: Make this with any ground/mince meat, switch the red kidney beans for any beans you have. Or sub with diced veg. This one’s all about the sauce (eeer….and cheese 😇) Get the recipe »

12. Chicken Lo Mein Noodles

The beauty of these noodles? You could make it with just spaghetti and cabbage, and it’s still going to be delicious (I should know, I’ve done it!). That Lo Mein Sauce ROCKS. RECIPE CHANGE: Grocery list calls for this to be made using instant ramen / dried noodles because of long shelf life (recipe calls for fresh noodles). Also grocery list accounts for double batch to serve 5 (recipe as written serves 2 – 3). Get the recipe »

13. Salmon Patties

Who knew you could make something so amazing with CANNED salmon!!? Subs: Try this with any canned fish, especially tuna! Skip the fresh dill if you don’t have it, just add 1 tsp of any dried herbs you have. Get the recipe »

14. Baked Spaghetti

A vision that makes me weak in the knees… Subs: Make this with any pasta, and any ground/mince meat. Get the recipe »

15. Mexican Beef Rice Casserole

This is how you take a packet of beef mince (ground beef) and a cup of rice and turn it into an amazing dinner. Subs: Any ground/mince meat, any diced veg! Only rule – no skimping on the CHEESE 😉 Get the recipe »

Grocery List

I’ve combined the ingredients for all the above recipes into one consolidated grocery list. You can even browse the big matrix I used to calculate the totals and check the formulas I used to convert the ingredients into different metrics! 😂 Click here to download and print the grocery list

I hope you find this Menu Plan useful! If there’s enough demand, I’ll prepare another one which is more adult focussed – more worldly foods, more exciting flavours. (Think – Chicken Shawarma, Indian Chickpea Curry, Lamb Koftas etc) And lastly, you might also find this useful – my gold tips for food stocking for Coronavirus. Sensible suggestions for space saving and cost saving food items. Stay safe everyone! – Nagi x