Make lunches for the week with $20

We challenged YouTuber Rosalie Lessard to make a five-day meal plan that costs $20 or less. Slip a crisp twenty in your pocket and head to the grocery store, because her recipes are sure to hit the spot!

Did your New Year’s resolutions include improving your spending habits? There are so many ways to save, from finding thrifty ways to update your wardrobe to honing your culinary skills.

To prove it, we challenged YouTuber Rosalie LessardAttention, this link will open a new tab.Attention, this link will open a new tab.Attention, this link will open a new tab.Attention, this link will open a new tab. to make five weekday lunches with only $20. Read on to get in touch with your inner Julia Child!

Rosalie's grocery list:

• Fresh basil
• Shallots
• Baby spinach
• Cucumber
• Tomatoes
• Sundried tomatoes
• Feta
• Pita bread
• Tramezzini bread
• Your choice of pasta
• Sliced ham
• Canned tuna
• Red kidney beans

Rosalie’s recipes

Monday: Pesto, feta, and sundried tomato pasta

Ingredients:

• Fresh basil
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Feta
• Shallots
• Maple syrup
• Your choice of pasta
• Sundried tomatoes

Directions:

Blend the fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and feta in a food processor to obtain a creamy pesto. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sauté the shallots in a skillet with olive oil, maple syrup, and a splash of water. Fry until the shallots are golden and caramelized.

Combine the pesto, shallots, and cooked pasta. Toss in a few sundried tomatoes and crumbled feta.

Tuesday: Pita bread pizza

Ingredients:

• Pita bread
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Dried thyme
• Tomatoes
• Shallots
• Baby spinach
• Feta

Directions:

To make the pizza crust, baste the pita with olive oil. Top with minced garlic, dried thyme, chopped tomatoes, shallots, baby spinach, and feta. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place your pizza on a baking sheet and broil in the oven on low heat until fully cooked.

Wednesday: Grilled ham sandwich

Ingredients:

• Tramezzini bread
• Meaux mustard, onion jam, and any other condiments of your choice
• Sliced ham
• Tomatoes
• Feta
• Dried oregano
• Baby spinach

Directions:

Take two slices of bread. Spread Meaux mustard and onion jam on the bottom slice. Top with ham, tomatoes, spinach, and feta. Sprinkle with dried oregano, salt, and pepper.

Close the sandwich and baste the outside with olive oil.

Brown both sides in a skillet. Warm the sandwich in a 350 °F oven for four to five minutes. Enjoy!

Thursday: Tuna roll-ups

Ingredients:

• Tramezzini bread
• Canned tuna
• Mayonnaise
• Sriracha sauce
• Dijon mustard
• Cucumber
• Baby spinach

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the tuna, mayonnaise, sriracha sauce, and Dijon mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Peel the cucumber, then slice into sticks as long as the width of your bread.

Flatten the bread with a rolling pin to make it easier to roll. Top the bread with baby spinach, the cucumber sticks, and the tuna mixture.

Roll up, halve, and enjoy!

Friday: Bean salad with croutons

Ingredients:

• Tramezzini bread
• Olive oil
• Red kidney bea ns
• Tomatoes
• Shallots
• Cucumber
• Feta
• Dried ore gano
• Dried thyme
• Dried basil
• Lemon juice

Directions:

To make the croutons, chop the bread into small cubes and place in a bowl. Add minced garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Brown the croutons in a skillet and set aside.

For the vinaigrette, pour olive oil in a bowl. Add lemon juice and the dried oregano, thyme, and basil. Whisk the ingredients vigorously.

In another bowl, stir together the beans, tomatoes, shallots, cucumbers, and baby spinach. Mix in crumbled feta. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the salad with your vinaigrette. Top with croutons.

The best part of this week-long experiment? Not only do you have five delicious recipes to try, you also have a great excuse to fill your Instagram with mouth-watering food pics.

Have fun cooking (and searching for the perfect hashtags)!