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:
Awesome and timely. I thought about some type of emergency meal planning and was a bit overwhelmed. Now, with your guidance, I know what to do! Well done!!!!!
Thanks so much Nagi you have put a lot of work into this and I for 1 will find it very useful x
Thank you for these recipes and the 15-day plan! I would love another one for adults too as we are kid less. Also – do you have a recipe for Almond Chicken with a white gravy? My husband loves that but I can’t find a recipe. Thank you!!
A big thank you for compiling this info and recipes. This is a great help to me and to many others.
Carol x
Here is how I am Fighting Coronavirus…
I must say I have a weak immune system. I don’t know why, it has always been this way. My functional doctor thinks it is gut related, so we are running stool tests and etc.
The fact is, when someone gets sick around me (at home or at the office) there is no protecting myself from the flu and I often get sick as a result. And the speed in which it happens is mind-blowing. It is like… someone sneezes, and then I start feeling sick and rundown ride-away.
I have grown tired of being sick, and sick of being tired… if you know what I mean. Can you relate?
Being that this is a constant in my life, I have been in search for help. Recently, I started boosting my immunity with IV nutrition. I started vitamin infusions at the Liquivida Lounge ( https://www.liquividalounge.com/iv-therapy-vitamin-infusion ) by me 6 months ago, and since then I haven’t gotten sick – not even once.
To me, the high dose vitamin C and vitamin D delivered intravenously works like a charm, along with the other nutrients the staff ads to it. I feel strong and I feel vibrant, as if a shield has been placed around me.
Now, can intravenous vitamin infusion therapy prevent COVID-19 / Coronavirus? I honestly could not tell you for sure, but this I know to be true… people that are in the danger category, at about 18% death rate, have problems with their immunity. As in young children and the elderly as I am sure you have heard.
My recommendation is for everyone to try it out at this time. There are usually discounts for it when you ask. I will be doubling my weekly IV Infusions starting ASAP.
Sincerely,
Hi Matt! Thank you so much for sharing your tips. I’m sorry to hear you are not well, but I am glad you have found something that is helping you!! N xx
Thank you Nagi for this much appreciated.. ❤️😍
Be doing batch cooking tomorrow.
Stay safe
Mandy xx
Right back at you Mandy! N xx
I love your recipes and your cheerful, generous attitude!
“A girl and her dog can only do so much”..
You are doing A LOT to help with our spirits and our stomachs! Thank you from Chicago!
Absolutely brilliant… I’ve long been a follower of your site but sorry to say I have never left a comment before (despite all the delicious food!) BUT I wanted to say a sincere thank you for all the hard work you do. The quarantine menu and shopping list is great. At a time like this it’s nice to feel the community, online or physical, support each other. So thank you! xxx
Just wanted to say hello from North Dakota. And thank you so much for coming up with all these menus and grocery lists and helpful ideas for keeping our food safe. I love your recipes and I know that if they are coming from you, they will taste good. I also love your sense of humor, even during times like this. Keep safe!
Thank you for all of this wonderful information and recipes. I love your site and you remain a loyal favorite of mine. I love your positive energy that comes through in everything you do!
Thank you this is a great idea. Keep up the good work I love your recipes xx
Thank you so much! This is greatly appreciated.
Amazing! This is so useful, Nagi! Thank you for making it easier for us 🙂
Stay healthy
What a fantastic post! Thanks so much for putting this together. I feel panicked every time I’m at the shops with all the shortages and with this I feel like I have a plan on what foods I could prepare for my family if we had to self isolate. Thanks
What an absolute legend, thank you! x
Thank you so much Nagi for all your fantastic tips and ideas. I have used your recipes all week cooking up batches of food to freeze. Your a lifesaver.
Yes please for menu plan number 2!!! You are amazing Nagi x
Seriously Lady. You are, without a doubt, an absolute treasure!!
I loathe the idea of stocking up, but I’m so grateful that you’ve taken most of the thinking off my hands.
Please stay safe & well and look after your loved ones Nagi & everyone.
I’m sure we can all look out for each other thru this.
You’re a good egg.
Some veggie options would be good please
Hi Claire! do you mean side dishes, or vegetarian meals? 🙂 N x
Would love some vegetarian main dishes and some with with fish if possible. I love your site and recipes, you’re the best😍🙏
Thank you, this was great. I have made many of these and they are all good!! I found the grocery list very helpful! Julie from Vancouver Island BC.
I just love how you share your delicious, no-fail recipes so selflessly. All the work you do for your website is amazing. Your suggestions on what to stock up on at the moment and associated recipes are much appreciated.