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$150 Aldi Meal Plan – Freezer Cooking !

by!Lauren!Greutman!

From!iamthatlady.com!!Please!note!that!the!prices!contained!in!this!guide!were!current!as!of!January!15,!2015!in!Central!New!York!Aldi!locations.!!Prices!at!other!locations!and!at!different!times!will!vary.!!Additionally,!meats!are!sold!by!weight,!and!although!this!guide!assumes!reasonably!sized!packages,!your!local!store!may!not!carry!that!specific!weight.!As!such,!I!cannot!guarantee!that!your!grocery!shopping!trip!will!cost!less!than!$150;!it!might!be!less,!it!might!be!more.!!!I!am!not!responsible!for!the!outcome!of!any!recipe!you!try!from!this.!!I’ve!made!each!recipe!personally!and!find!them!quite!good,!but!you!may!not.!!You!may!not!always!achieve!the!results!desired!due!to!variations!in!ingredients,!cooking!temperatures,!typos,!omissions,!or!individual!cooking!abilities.!!Please!always!use!your!best!judgment!when!cooking!with!raw!ingredients!such!as!eggs,!meat,!chicken!or!fish.!!No!part!of!this!publication!shall!be!reproduced,!transmitted,!or!sold!in!whole!or!in!part!in!any!form,!without!the!prior!written!consent!of!the!author.!!All!trademarks,!registered!trademarks!and!images!of!appearing!in!this!guide!are!the!property!of!their!respective!owners.!!!All!rights!reserved.!This!guide!or!any!portion!thereof!may!not!be!reproduced!or!used!in!any!manner!whatsoever!without!the!express!written!permission!of!the!publisher!except!for!the!use!of!brief!quotations!in!a!book!review.!!Copyright!©!2015!THAT!Lady!Media,!LLC.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Letter From Lauren !I am thrilled to bring you my fifth Aldi Meal Plan! Many of you have been asking for a Freezer Cooking Edition meal plan, so here it is. And let me tell you – these recipes are GOOD! Some of them you’ve tried, others you haven’t. But these are family favorites for us! If you’ve never shopped at Aldi, I recommend you read this post about what to expect during your first Aldi trip. We have included a few worksheets for you in this meal plan to help make it easier than ever! Here is what is included in this printable pack: 1.) Printable Shopping List This shopping list has the specifics of what you will need to purchase at Aldi. It lists the section of the store you can find the items, and a box to check off each item. This should make your shopping trip as quick and easy as possible (even with kids along). 2.) Pantry List Aldi does not sell everything, but they do sell most things. We took a look through our pantry and made a list of all of things most people have in their pantry – that way they don’t have to buy it again. Aldi sells inexpensive spices, so if you don’t have all of the spices and other items listed, you can usually find them at Aldi for an additional cost. 3.) Detailed Preparation Instructions Freezer cooking works best when you can devote one afternoon or evening to prepare almost a month’s worth of meals. We’ve gone through and figured out the best way to get it all done ahead of time – so just follow our instructions and you will be all set! I would set aside 3 hours of prep time for this plan. 4.) Blank Calendar In the past, we’ve included a suggested arrangement of the meals based on which produce might go bad first… but this time, you can do whatever you want! Freezer cooking leaves the scheduling completely up to you.

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5.) Recipe cards for all recipes All of the recipes cards are organized in the order they are planned on the meal-planning calendar, that way you don’t have to flip back and forth between recipes. Make sure you check out our other Aldi meal plans over at iamthatlady.com and as always you can email me any questions that you have at lauren@iamthatlady.com. Have a great day!

Lauren Greutman (aka – ‘THAT Lady’)

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Shopping List

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Pantry Items

There are ingredients in the recipes not included in the shopping list because they are probably in your kitchen’s pantry… but you might not have all of them. If you are missing any of these items, you’re your cost at the store will be slightly higher. So before you head out to the grocery store, take a look at your pantry to make sure that you have the following: Spices:

! Salt ! Black Pepper ! Chili Powder ! Ground Ginger ! Dried Basil (most of a bottle) ! Dried Oregano ! Dried Parsley ! Cumin

Other ingredients:

! Olive oil (or vegetable oil) ! All-purpose Flour ! Brown Sugar ! Peanut Butter ! Nutmeg ! Chicken Bouillon ! Honey ! Lemon Juice ! Dry Mustard ! Worcestershire Sauce ! 4 eggs

Ingredients that may not be available at your local Aldi:

! Pita Bread Make sure to also buy:

! Freezer bags (you will need 14) ! Disposable casserole dishes (you will need 7) ! Aluminum foil

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Aldi Freezer Cooking Meal Plan Calendar

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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore (make 2 of this recipe, and freeze in freezer bags)

Aldi Ingredients:

• 2-3 Chicken Leg Quarters, thawed, rinsed and skin removed

• 1 onion, sliced • 1 bell pepper (green), sliced • 1 can crushed tomatoes (28

oz. each) • 2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5

oz. each) • 3 cloves of garlic, minced or

crushed

Pantry Ingredients: • 1 Tbsp dried basil • 1 tsp black pepper • 1/2 tsp salt (more if desired) • Parmesan Cheese

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in freezer bags.

2. Freeze.

To cook: 1. Take out of freezer the night before

you plan to cook. 2. Place in slow-cooker and cook on

low or medium for 6 hours.

Served over/with: • Pasta • Parmesan cheese

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Baked Ravioli (make this twice, freeze in 2 pans)

Aldi Ingredients:

• 25 oz. package frozen cheese ravioli

• 0.75 lb. ground beef, cooked

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 3-4 cups of spaghetti sauce

Instructions:

1. Spoon 1/2 cup of sauce into bottom of baking pan.

2. Layer about a third of frozen ravioli on top of sauce.

3. Cover with 1/3 of ground beef, 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1 cup of sauce.

4. Repeat steps 3 & 4. 5. Layer final third of ravioli, followed

by the remaining ground beef, and remaining sauce. Be sure sauce covers ravioli. Top with remaining cheese.

6. Cover dish with foil and write “Bake @ 400, 25 minutes covered, 10 minutes uncovered”

To cook:

1. Take out of freezer the night before or morning of the day you plan to cook it.

2. Bake @400 for 25 minutes covered. 3. Remove foil and bake for another 10

minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

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Salsa Chicken (this is a single recipe, prepare twice in freezer bags)

Aldi Ingredients: • 1 ½ lb. of chicken

breasts • 1 ½ cup of salsa

Instructions:

1. Put chicken breasts, salsa, water and black beans in a freezer bag.

2. Freeze. To cook:

1. Take out of freezer the morning of the day you plan to cook.

2. Place in slow-cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours (or high for 3-4)

3. Shred chicken, taste and add salt as needed.

Served with:

• Brown Rice • 4 oz. shredded cheddar • Sliced avocado • Tortilla chips • Sour cream

Pantry Ingredients: • Salt • ¼ cup water

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Thai Peanut Pork (this is a single recipe, prepare twice and freeze in freezer bags)

Aldi Ingredients:

• 2 lb. boneless pork (1/2 of pork loin)

• 1 ½ multi colored red bell peppers, thinly sliced

• 2 cloves of garlic • 1/3 cup soy sauce

Pantry Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup peanut butter • 1 cup chicken broth (or

1 cup water, 1 cubes bouillon)

• 3 Tbsp honey • ½ tsp red pepper flakes • 1 tsp ground ginger

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in freezer bag.

2. Freeze.

To Cook: 1. Take out of freezer the night before

you plan to cook. 2. Place in in slow cooker and cook on

low for 5 to 6 hours. 3. An hour before it is finished, remove

lid so sauce thickens.

Served with: • Rice

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Homemade Spaghetti Sauce (this is a triple recipe, used for baked ravioli and spaghetti and meatballs)

Aldi Ingredients:

• 7 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes

• 6-8 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped

• 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (optional)

Pantry Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp dried basil • 2 tsp black pepper • 1 tsp. of sugar

(optional - if you want the sauce a little sweeter)

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan medium heat, and add the chopped or pressed garlic.

2. Heat for one to two minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic, then add all the crushed tomatoes, black pepper, basil and sugar. Stirring often, bring to a low boil.

3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours stirring often.

4. For the first half of the simmer time, do so with the pot uncovered, then cover.

5. Add the cheese, stir in and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

6. Freeze in freezer bags with meatballs.

Served with: • Meatballs • Your favorite pasta

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Meatballs (this is a double recipe, divide and freeze in freezer bags with sauce)

Aldi Ingredients:

• 1.75 lb 80/20 ground beef • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs • 4 cloves of garlic, pressed

or minced Pantry Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp dried basil • 3 Tbsp dried parsley • 2 tsp seasoned salt • 2 eggs

Instructions: 1. In a bowl, combine everything except the beef and mix well. 2. Add the beef and blend, trying not to work the meat too much (works best

with your hands) 3. Form small balls of the meat and place on a cookie sheet. 4. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes (this could be longer or shorter depending on

the size of the meatballs). 5. Divide meatballs into 2 freezer bags. Add 7-8 cups of spaghetti sauce in each

bag. To Cook:

1. Take out of freezer the morning you pan to cook. 2. Heat in a pan and simmer for 20 minutes.

Served with:

• Spaghetti Sauce • Your favorite pasta • Italian bread (1/2 loaf)

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Chicken Enchiladas (this is a double recipe, divide and freeze as needed)

Aldi Ingredients: • 3 lbs. chicken breasts,

cooked and shredded • 2 cups salsa • 8 oz. shredded

cheddar cheese • 1 cup sour cream • (2) 10.5 oz. cans

cream of chicken soup

• ½ cup black beans (rinsed)

• Flour tortillas

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine soup, salsa, sour cream and spices.

2. In another bowl, mix 2 cups of the mixture with the chicken and 1 cup of cheese.

3. Equally fill and roll each tortilla with the chicken mixture.

4. Place rolled tortillas in a 13x9 baking dish (x2).

5. Top with remaining soup mixture, and then the remaining cheese (x2).

6. Cover with foil and write “Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes”

To Cook:

1. Take out of freezer the night before of the morning of he day you plan to cook.

2. Preheat over to 350 and bake for 30-40 minutes uncovered or until cheese is bubbly.

Served over:

• Rice

Pantry Ingredients: • 4 tsp chili powder • 1 tsp cumin

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Teriyaki Chicken

Aldi Ingredients: • 5 lbs. Jumbo Chicken

Leg Quarters – thawed and trimmed of excess skin & fat.

• 1 can of sliced pineapple

• 1 cup soy sauce • 4 cloves minced garlic

Pantry Ingredients:

• ¾ cup brown sugar • 1 ½ tsp ground ginger

Instructions (freeze as needed):

1. Rinse chicken, and pat dry with paper

towels. Place chicken skin side up in 2 8x8 inch baking dishes.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and juice from the can of pineapples. Mix well, and pour mixture over chicken. Place pineapple slices on top of chicken.

3. Cover and freeze. Write “Bake at 350 for 1 hour” on the foil.

To Cook: 1. Take out of freezer the night before or

the morning of the day you plan to cook.

2. Preheat oven to 350 3. Bake chicken uncovered for 1 hour,

basting frequently. Test to make sure there is no pink left in the meat before serving.

Served with: • Rice

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Easy Alfredo Sauce (this is a double recipe, divide and freeze)

Aldi Ingredients: • 4 cups whole milk • 1 ½ cup parmesan cheese • 6-8 oz. cream cheese • 1 stick of butter • 2 cloves garlic, minced or

pressed

Pantry Ingredients: • 2 tsp dried basil (or some

fresh basil) • 1/2 tsp black pepper • 1 pinch of nutmeg • 2 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions: 1. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and oil over medium heat and add

the garlic. 2. Sauté garlic for 1 or 2 minutes, then add the milk and all other

ingredients. 3. Heat over medium heat - stirring often with a wire whisk until well

blended and sauce starts to bubble. Simmer for 5 more minutes. 4. Divide evenly and freeze in freezer bags.

To Cook:

1. Take out of freezer a couple hours before you plan to cook. 2. Heat slowly over low-medium heat in a sauce pan, stirring frequently so

it doesn’t burn. Served with:

• Pasta • Broccoli • ½ loaf of Italian bread

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Pulled Pork Sandwiches (this is a single recipe, prepare twice and freeze)

Aldi Ingredients:

• 2 lb. pork loin roast • 1 Bottle of BBQ Sauce • ½ cup of Italian Dressing

Pantry Ingredients: • Salt and pepper • 2 Tbsp brown sugar • A few shakes of

Worcestershire

Instructions (do this twice):

1. Cut roast in half, then into smaller chunks.

2. Salt and pepper the meat. 3. In freezer bags, combine all

ingredients. To Cook:

Take out of freezer the night before you plan to cook.

1. Cook in the slow-cooker for 6-8 hours on medium or low.

2. Pull apart meat when it will easily tear with a fork.

Served with: • Hamburger buns • Broccoli

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Mac n Cheese (this is a double recipe, divide and freeze)

Aldi Ingredients: • 2 lbs. elbow macaroni

pasta, cooked al dente • 24 oz. cheddar cheese,

grated • 3 cups of whole milk • 6 Tbsp butter

Pantry Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp all purpose flour • 2 tsp dry mustard • 1 1/2 tsp salt • 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. 2. In a medium sauce pan, melt the

butter over medium heat. 3. Once the butter has melted and

started to bubble, add the flour. 4. Over medium heat, whisk the butter

and flour constantly for about 5 minutes.

5. Add the cold milk and dry mustard to the pan.

6. Heat, stirring occasionally until milk starts to bubble and thicken.

7. Add all cheese, setting 1 cup of cheese aside, and stir until cheese is totally melted in the sauce.

8. Add salt, pepper and stir. 9. Combine cheese sauce and macaroni

evenly into 2 large baking dishes and sprinkle with 1 cup of set aside cheese (1/2 cup for each baking dish). Cover and freeze.

10. Write “Bake @350 for 25 minutes uncovered” on foil.

To Cook: 1. Take out of freezer the morning of the

day you plan to cook. 2. Preheat oven to 350 3. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes.

Served with:

• Green Beans

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Chicken Souvlaki (this is a single recipe, make twice and freeze in freezer bags)

Aldi Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

• 1 chopped green pepper • ½ chopped onion • 2 cloves of garlic, minced

or pressed

Pantry Ingredients: • ½ cup olive oil (or

vegetable oil) • ¼ teaspoon lemon juice • 2 Tablespoons oregano • 2 teaspoons salt • 1 tsp pepper

Instructions (do this twice):

1. Mix all of the ingredients and place in a freezer bag.

To Cook: 1. Take out of freezer the morning you

plan to cook. 2. Pour all ingredients into a large skillet

and cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked through.

Serve in a pita or flour tortilla with feta cheese and lettuce (optional) and couscous on the side.