This post contains a 15 Day Meal Plan that’s based around recipes with common ingredients that have a long shelf life, and delivers big flavours with crowd pleasing food! There’s a consolidated grocery list, all the recipes are easy to make and it’s based around a family of 4 to 5.
If we’re housebound, let’s make sure that life is extra delicious!! {Also – Meal Plan #2 now available!)
Coronavirus Quarantine Menu Plan
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:
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15 dinner recipes – most will have some leftovers
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Long shelf life ingredients – all ingredients are freezable or kept in the pantry
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Family friendly – I’ve parked the more exotic / spicy dishes for another day!
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Common ingredients across recipes – for efficiency (cost and number of items)
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Highly versatile – substitute away!
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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!
IMPORTANT: Read this first
Here are universal changes I’ve made to the recipes that is reflected in the grocery list, aimed at space and cost efficiency, and shelf life of ingredients. I’ve also listed some useful substitutions.
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Stock cubes / powder instead of liquid broth/stock – use stock cubes / powder instead (bouillon cubes) instead of liquid stock sold in cartons. Dissolve 1 cube or 1 tsp of powder in 1 cup boiling water = 1 cup liquid stock. Much more space efficient than storing gallons of liquid stock;
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Can’t find canned tomato? (It’s hot property here in Sydney!) Here’s a substitute using tomato paste: Whisk 1.5 tbsp flour with 1/4 cup water until lump free. Then mix in another 1 1/4 cups water, 4 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tsp sugar. Bring to simmer on stove until it thickens to gravy consistency. Use in place of 1 can of crushed tomato;
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Switched short shelf life fresh ingredients for longer shelf life ingredients. For example, bean sprouts (lasts several days) switched for shredded cabbage (lasts 4+ weeks). These switches are specified in the list below;
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Skip insignificant garnishes; and
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Be prepared to substitute depending on what you can get your hands on. Don’t get hung up on using the right beans or right pasta, or exact herbs. Be flexible!
Also see my GOLD TIPS on smart food stocking(don’t hoard!)
15 Day Coronavirus Quarantine Menu Plan
Here’s an overview of the meal plan. Notes on long shelf life adjustments and substitutions for each are listed in each recipe below.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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….)
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!
7. Chicken Nachos
Imagine Friday nights in with THIS in front of Netflix……
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.
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!)
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!
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 😇)
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).
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.
14. Baked Spaghetti
A vision that makes me weak in the knees…
Subs: Make this with any pasta, and any ground/mince meat.
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 😉
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
Watch how to make it
Life of Dozer
Rest assured the Baked Spaghetti above was subjected to a thorough quality control:
I have yet to try one of your recipes I haven’t LOVED. Great job, and GREAT IDEA on the Covid meal plan! More! More! More!
Thanks so much Amber!! N x
This is fantastic Nagi! Some of my fave recipes in there 🙂 would love to see more of these meal plans as they make life so much easier x
I’ll have to add it to my to do list Lis! (The looong list 😂)
I really love your happy approach to food. It is wonderful to see such humble ingredients being transformed into amazing meals. I am almost spoilt for choice! Thank you for your enthusiasm xxx
You’re so welcome Karen, thank you so much for the feedback 🙂 N x
This is awesome!! Thank you so much. This was so helpful in this trouble time. It takes a lot of stress off of me trying to figure out dinner. I love love love the shopping list. Truly, thank you!!!!
You’re so welcome Amber, I LOVE hearing this! N x
This list was so helpful, and everything we have made so far has been delicious! Thank you so much for putting this together 🙂
That’s awesome to hear Meg, stay safe! N x
Just discovered you, and made 4 recipes. You are amazing! Thanks so much for all you post. We moved to the countryside in France, and are missing our fab takeout food, but now, we’ve found you! Bliss!
Wahoo, that’s great Suzanna! N x
Thanks a lot very interesting food
Thanks Sylvia! N x
Also, I noticed a ham hock on the shopping list, but can’t seem to see which one of these recipes includes a ham hock? Help, thanks!
Hi Catherine, if you click through to the menu overview, you’ll notice pea and ham soup 🙂 N x
I’m not sure where I’m going wrong but I couldn’t see that. Only creamy corn chowder and beef veg soup in the photos and recipes on this post. However, I have searched for pea and ham soup and found the recipe, thanks Nagi! 🙂
Wonderful idea, Nagi! Have you done the more adult-focussed one yet? Keen to see it, thanks!
Hi Catherine, all my meals are perfect for adults and kids! N x
Absolutely, and the whole family loves them all! I was referring to your comment you made in your post that depending on demand you may look at doing a menu with more sophisticated flavors etc ie more adult-focussed, so was just wondering if there had been any requests and if you were still considering this idea 🙂
Your recipes are fantastic! I love them – my partner and I have been using your recipes pretty frequently over the past 6 months at least. I love and really appreciate the meal plan and grocery list. Its a fantastic idea! Thank you Nagi 🙂
You’re so welcome Andrea, thanks so much! N x
Thank you so much! This is so helpful. It’s a blessing to have you share this with us. Takes a huge load off my shoulders. Please share your more adult focused Menu Plan too!
Thanks!
That makes it all worth while Natasha, I’m so glad it’s helpful ❤️
Some of these ingredients are way over the top price wise at the moment A cabbage at my Coles this morning was ($9.50) Cauliflower if you can get one were $10.00 Love the recipes we are pensioners so we have to be careful with our budget and cant afford some of these prices so we tried to get frozen. Cabinets were empty. But we are plodding along
That’s no good to hear Wendy, the prices are starting to stabilise here – hopefully back to normal in a week or so for you! N x
Thank you for this and your “Sanitise Food” and “Food Stock Up” collections. This is perfect for getting through a couple of weeks without hoarding a whole bunch of veggies and other foods that spoil before we can eat it all. You’re bringing our family closer as we’re cooking together. You’re the best!
Just doing what I can to help Tessa!! N x
Thank you so much Nagi. You’re an absolute gem at the best of times and an inspiration now. Such a great choice of recipes.
Thinking I’ll also be making your corn fritters.
Cheers xxx
Thanks so much Jenny, that truly means a lot!! N x
Very much appreciated Nagi I am hoping to try most of these
I hope you love them Gloria!! N x
Thank you for your wonderful suggestions curing this very frightening time in our world. You are indeed a heroine!!
Aww not at all. Just trying to do what I can do to help 🙂 N x
You’re the best! Thanks for this!
Oh Nagi, you are a hero! You’ve done all the hard work for us and we only need to shop a d cook! ❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️
I’m so glad you found it helpful Lizzie! I tend to overthink things, I was concerned it was too restrictive, not being able to easily switch recipes out 🙂 N xx
Restrictive is not the word I would use! You give so many swaps it gives us free license to use what we have on hand and still make an amazing meal with your blessing! Having Dozer as comedic relief is the icing in the cake! Thanks sweetheart! 💜🦠
In the meal plan, under booze (red and white wine), you indicate: “Plus lots lots more for personal consumption!”
You’re a treasure! We all need more laughter at this time.
Really great collection from Tin Eats, and the shopping list will be helpful to so many folks.
Goes without saying, right?? Most Aussies went STRAIGHT for the toilet paper when the lockdowns were announced today. I went straight to the booze shop!!
Thanks so much for posing, this, Nagi. It’s so helpful to have several ideas for shopping and menu planning when we’re trying to shop infequently.
I’m so glad you found this helpful Jeffery. That’s exactly my thinking too 🙂 N x