Master Shopping List
One consolidated list for the week, built from every family’s idea-book favorites.
Table of Contents
- How to Use This List
- Proteins & Meat
- Bread, Buns & Grains
- Cereal & Breakfast
- Fruit & Vegetables
- Pantry, Condiments & Sauces
- Snacks
- Drinks
- Non-Food (don’t forget!)
- Suggested Split
How to Use This List
- Quantities assume ~12 people (7 adults, 5 kids) for 6 days. Adjust to taste.
- Split it up: assign each category (or each dinner) to a family so no one shops for everything. The meal-prep page shows who’s cooking what.
- Buy shelf-stable & frozen items at home; buy fresh/cold and ice near the end of the drive (Wentzville or Troy) so it spends the least time warm. See The Drive.
- ✅ Print this page and check items off.
Proteins & Meat
- Hot dogs — 3–4 packs ⭐
- Brats — 2–3 packs ⭐
- Hamburger (pre-formed patties) — ~4 lbs ⭐
- Bacon — 2–3 lbs ⭐ (par-cook ahead)
- Chicken thighs — ~5 lbs (BBQ Sat + grill Mon)
- Pork for pulled pork — ~5–6 lb shoulder/butt ⭐ (cook & freeze)
- Taco meat (chicken/pork/steak, pre-seasoned) ⭐ (Younger Smiths prep)
- Ground beef for spaghetti sauce — ~2 lbs ⭐ (or make full sauce ahead)
- Lunch meat: turkey, ham, corned beef — 1–2 lbs each
- Tuna — a few cans (egg/tuna sandwiches)
- Spam — 1–2 cans (Younger Smiths)
- String cheese (mozzarella) — 2 big bags
- Shredded cheese (cheddar/Mexican) — 2–3 bags
- Sliced cheese (for burgers/grilled cheese) — 2 packs
- Eggs — 4–5 dozen
- Cream cheese (strawberry) — 2 tubs
Bread, Buns & Grains
- Hot dog buns — 4 packs
- Hamburger buns — 3 packs
- Brat buns — 2 packs (or use hot dog buns)
- Sandwich bread — 3–4 loaves
- Hawaiian rolls/bread — 2 packs
- Cinnamon-swirl bagels — 2 packs
- Tortillas (flour) — 2–3 packs
- Tortilla/Fritos & Doritos single bags (walking tacos) — 1 box each
- Rice — large bag (Younger Smiths use it “almost every meal”)
- Spaghetti / pasta — 2–3 boxes
- Mac & cheese — 6+ boxes (or family-size)
- Ramen — a few packs
- Dehydrated mashed potato flakes — 1 large box
- Pancake mix — 1 box (or pre-mix dry ⭐)
- Biscuits (canned) + gravy mix — for Sun ⭐
- Pillsbury cinnamon rolls — 2 tubes
Cereal & Breakfast
- Fruity Pebbles — 1 box
- Honey Nut Cheerios — 1 box
- Cheerios (plain) — 1 box
- Malt-O-Meal (bag) — 1
- Vanilla yogurt cups — 1–2 big packs
- Frozen hashbrowns — 2 bags
- Syrup, butter/margarine
Fruit & Vegetables
- Watermelon — 2 (Wed + July 4 + Mon)
- Honeycrisp apples — 1 bag
- Bananas — 2 bunches
- Grapes — 2–3 lbs
- Cinnamon applesauce / pouches — 2 boxes
- Sweet corn on the cob — 18–24 ears
- Baby carrots — 2 bags
- Celery — 1–2 bunches
- Broccoli — 1–2 heads (Harris)
- Green beans — 2–3 cans or fresh
- Peas — 1 bag frozen (Harris kids)
- Salad greens / bagged salad — 2–3 bags
- Salad toppings: tomato, cucumber, dressing
- Taco veg: lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeño
- Potatoes (foil packets, optional)
Pantry, Condiments & Sauces
- Peanut butter — creamy/smooth, 2 jars (no chunks!)
- Jelly — grape AND strawberry
- Nutella — 1 jar
- Ketchup, mustard, relish, mayo
- BBQ sauce — 2 bottles
- Pasta/spaghetti sauce — 3 jars (if not made ahead)
- Salsa, sour cream
- Baked beans — 3–4 large cans
- Taco seasoning, BBQ rub, salt/pepper, garlic, oil
- Parmesan cheese
- Coffee + filters; creamer/sugar
- Cooking spray / butter
Snacks
- Variety chip pack (the Zuelke + Harris staple)
- Baked Lays
- Cheetos
- Doritos (nacho cheese)
- Goldfish
- Cheez-Its
- Trail mix / granola bars
- Marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate bars (s’mores — buy extra!)
Drinks
- Water — several cases + jugs for the dispenser
- 2% milk — 3–4 gallons (use early; goes fast)
- Sprite — 1–2 12-packs
- Dr Pepper — 1–2 12-packs
- Other soda to taste
- Beer (adults) — bring your own preference
- Juice boxes / kids’ drinks (optional)
- Bagged ice — buy near the park + a mid-week refill
Non-Food (don’t forget!)
- Paper plates, bowls, cups, napkins
- Plastic utensils (or bring reusable)
- Heavy-duty foil (packets, grilling) + plastic wrap + zip bags
- Paper towels (lots) + trash bags
- Biodegradable dish soap + sponges
- Hand sanitizer + baby wipes
- Aluminum trays / foil pans (serving, baked beans)
- Charcoal/propane for grills; fire starters
- Tablecloths + clips (windy picnic tables)
Suggested Split
| Family | Owns shopping for |
|---|---|
| Zuelke | Wed cookout (dogs/brats/buns), breakfast meats, corn, drinks |
| Harris | Burger night, cereal/breakfast, kid snacks, fruit |
| Younger Smiths | Taco night, rice/tortillas, mashed-potato night, coffee |
| Older Smiths | Pulled pork + BBQ + sides (July 4), spaghetti night, salad |
| Shared/split | Water, ice, paper goods, foil, condiments, s’mores |
Settle up costs however the group prefers (split evenly, or each owns their categories).