This slow cooker pot roast and veggies post is sponsored by Harris Teeter. As always, opinions are my own.
Other than the mortgage, food is far and away the biggest ongoing expense in my home (and probably yours too). Since feeding the family is non-negotiable, I have to find ways to save money when grocery shopping (without using coupons because I’m far too lazy for that. Sad, but true.) So without the use of coupons, I took on the challenge of shopping at Harris Teeter to create a five-day meal plan for a family of four for $50, and I nailed it! I came in under $50 – boo-yah! ($45.61, to be exact.)
I’ve never challenged myself to spend a total of less than $50 for five meals before; I honestly didn’t know it was possible. And here’s the thing: all five meals are complete dinners with at least one side dish. I’m so excited about this!
And look how well we ate, y’all. Good stuff, good stuff. Thanks, Harris Teeter!
Slow Cooker Pot Roast + Five-Day Meal Plan for Less than $50
The key is to shop the square. Harris Teeter’s private label products (HT Traders and HT Organics) have a red square logo, so keep your eye out for those when you’re shopping. They will save you so much money compared to the brand name products they sit next to on the shelf. Plus, they are just as good!
So, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of this five-day meal plan so you can see what I made and what I bought at Harris Teeter to make it happen.
Oh, and since most of us have an arsenal of spices and seasonings on hand all the time, I didn’t include them in the items I purchased. Since I came in under budget, there’s a little wiggle room there to account for individual pantry differences.
Day 1 – BBQ Chicken Stir Fry with Rice and Corn
Shop at Harris Teeter for: 2 chicken breasts, HT Traders BBQ sauce, optional 1-2 jalapenos, HT Traders frozen cut corn, HT Traders instant rice
Day 2 – Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwiches & Tomato Basil Soup
Shop at Harris Teeter for: HT Traders tomato and basil soup, french bread loaf from bakery, HT Traders mozzarella slices, fresh basil, 2 Roma tomatoes
Day 3 – Slow Cooker Pot Roast and Veggies
(recipe below)
Day 4 – Penne Pasta with Pepperoni-Marinara Sauce and Garlic Bread
Shop at Harris Teeter for: HT Traders tomato sauce, HT Traders Arrabbiata sauce, 1 box HT Traders penne rigate, HT Traders thin pepperoni
Day 5 – Pancakes with Bacon
Shop at Harris Teeter for: HT Traders shake & pour pancake mix, HT Traders bacon, HT Traders pancake syrup (if you don’t already have some)
To make the slow cooker pot roast with veggies, combine the two soups and all seasonings in the slow cooker.
Add the Harris Teeter Angus Beef Chuck Roast, onions, potatoes, celery and baby carrots.
Cover and simmer on low about 8 hours. Vegetables and pot roast will be fork tender when it’s ready.
Slow Cooker Pot Roast and Veggies
Ingredients
- 2 lb HT Reserve Angus beef chuck roast
- 1 14 oz can HT Traders beef broth
- 1 10.5 oz can HT Traders cream of mushroom soup
- 3 tbsp HT Traders Worchestershire sauce
- 3 garlic cloves diced
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp ground red pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp sage
- 1/2 sweet onion chopped
- 2.5 lbs russet potatoes peeled and chopped
- 1 lb baby carrots
- 4 stalks celery sliced
Instructions
- In slow cooker, combine the two soups and all seasonings.
- Add chuck roast and vegetables. Cover and simmer on low about 8 hours.
Nutrition
To plan the meals, I started by choosing meat that was on sale and built a menu around that. (Harris Teeter’s meat is top-notch.) Also, their chicken breasts are always on sale for a great price. But where I really cut costs was in using the Harris Teeter private label products. I’m shocked at how many products I use on a daily basis that are available under the HT Traders line, and I’m floored at how much of a difference that made in saving me money.
As you can see, we didn’t have to eat skimpy meals in order to stay under budget. Our meals were hearty, filling and deliciously satisfying, and I’m so happy with the savings that I’m going to repeat this dinner plan on a regular basis.
Harris Teeter rocks!
