~$5 Meal Ideas~

[stopka7224]

OK I wanted to start this thread to get some new cheap meal ideas. I see that there are several mamas on this board trying to cut costs in the grocery dept. So if you have a family fav that is inexpensive please share! It can be a twist on plain on hamburger helper! Doesn't matter, just share a cheap dinner your family loves!

I'll start....


Chicken and yellow rice

Boil 2 chicken quarters (maybe $2 tops) in about 6-8 cups of water. Until meat is cooked through, about 30-45 minutes. Remove meat from bone in small pieces. Add 1 family size package of yellow/saffron rice($2) into the same water that you cooked the chicken in. Simmer till rice is tender. I usually serve with Sweet corn muffins (.25 a box plus 1 egg and milk) And a can of baby peas. Feeds 4 or more!! MY DH will eat 2 or 3 bowls! It is his fav dinner.

[beckers1111]

tofu stir fry

1/2 package firm tofu cubed ($1)
1/2 bag broccoli, carrots, califlower cooked(.50)
3 packages ramen noodles cooked without flavoring packet (.30)
1/4 c. teryaki sauce (.50)?
2Tbs. oil (.10)?
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch (.05)?
2 Tbs water (.00)
dash garlic, onion powders (.02)
2Tbs honey (.20)?
1tsp soy sauce (.10)?

in saute pan over low heat cook teryaki sauce, oil, cornstarch, water, onion and garlic powder, and honey until thickens. Add and stir in tofu veggies and noodles until warmed and covered with sauce......

$2.77!!! If I know anything about what stuff costs....lol!

serves 2 (little) kids and 2 adults

BTW---Lentil burgers are REALLY cheap too!!! recipe is around here somewhere on DS.

[Luv2bemommy]

WOW.. Can't beat meals under 5 bucks!! LOL I'll have to look into these..

I wonder what else I could use instead of tofu? We never tried it and I know dh will be at the thought of it.

[SheilaJoy]

Here's a quick and easy recipe that my kids and dh love:
Brown a pound of ground beef
In another large pan or pot, make 1 box of Rice A Roni Mexican flavor
When rice has about 10 minutes left, add in a can of corn (drained) and a can of stewed tomatoes (drained).
After the rice is done, add the meat, so it's all mixed together. Num Num.

There are six of us that eat, so I double the recipe.

[LittleHobbitsMomma]

[Merolu]

Especially in summer, my family loves this one-

1 package uncooked pasta
1 pound chicken breast (or seafood like shrimp and crab, but that costs more $)
a small head of broccoli
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbonzo beans
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1/2 cucumber
italian dressing to taste

Cook the pasta, cool and drain, cook the chicken (i prefer to grill it) and cool that as well. Chop the veggies and drain and rise the canned beans, mix it all into a big bowl and pour the dressing over the top. This is the way we make it, you can subsitute any meat or veggie to suit your family. Fast, easy, cool for the hot weather and CHEAP. When I make it with seafood, I use a dijon dressing instead, or olive oil and a touch of vinegar and salt and pepper. When it's in a sealed container, I make a really big batch and use it for a few days... it tends to taste better when it's been allowed to sit for a couple of hours anyway, the next day it's still really good.

I will be checking back here to see more, I love getting fast and cheap cooking ideas.

[stopka7224]

Originally Posted by LittleHobbitsMomma

popcorn is cheap but I don't know if it's a good meal idea

[dvrgrl38]

Originally Posted by Fiveblessings Here's a quick and easy recipe that my kids and dh love: Brown a pound of ground beef In another large pan or pot, make 1 box of Rice A Roni Mexican flavor When rice has about 10 minutes left, add in a can of corn (drained) and a can of stewed tomatoes (drained). After the rice is done, add the meat, so it's all mixed together. Num Num. There are six of us that eat, so I double the recipe.

I made this last night but i didn't drain the tomatoes and it was GREAT! I will be adding this recipe to my collection, Thanks!!

[princemelissas]

Originally Posted by SheilaJoy Here's a quick and easy recipe that my kids and dh love: Brown a pound of ground beef In another large pan or pot, make 1 box of Rice A Roni Mexican flavor When rice has about 10 minutes left, add in a can of corn (drained) and a can of stewed tomatoes (drained). After the rice is done, add the meat, so it's all mixed together. Num Num. There are six of us that eat, so I double the recipe.

I did a twist on this tonight and it was super yummy. DH and DS had 3 helpings
I used Whole Grain Roasted Garlic Italiano Rice A Roni with canned diced toms and corn and ground beef. It was sooooo good.

[amberpayne27]

Originally Posted by princemelissas I did a twist on this tonight and it was super yummy. DH and DS had 3 helpings I used Whole Grain Roasted Garlic Italiano Rice A Roni with canned diced toms and corn and ground beef. It was sooooo good.

I made this tonight and it was a big hit! It's wonderful on a cold night...there was a bunch left over, so my dh is taking for lunch tomorrow He doesn't usually like leftovers, but he liked this. So easy to make, and even my 18 month old liked it! Adding to my recipe collection, definitely.