~$5 Meal Ideas~
 

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. :goodvibes:

Re: ~$5 Meal Ideas~
 

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) :giggle:
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!!! :lostit: 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.

Re: ~$5 Meal Ideas~
 

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 :yuck: at the thought of it.

Re: ~$5 Meal Ideas~
 

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.

Re: ~$5 Meal Ideas~
 

:popcorn:

Re: ~$5 Meal Ideas~
 

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.

Re: ~$5 Meal Ideas~
 

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

Re: ~$5 Meal Ideas~
 

:laugh:

So I guess cereal and pb&j are out too.

Re: ~$5 Meal Ideas~
 

i haven't mapped out the cost of this, but i'm pretty sure it's darn close to the $5 mark.

Crockpot Chicken "Curry"

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (could use breasts or bone-in thighs...whatever) - I use about 6-8
1 large can of crushed tomatos
1-2 chopped onions
3-4 chopped carrots & celery stalks
3 T curry powder
1 t cumin
1/4 - 1/2 c raisins (golden or regular)
chopped cilantro (optional)
plain yogurt (couple of TBS probably)

Cook on low in crockpot for 6-8 hours. The chicken will essentially disintegrate into the sauce. (If it's breasts or bone-in I usually will take it out and shred it and then add it back in, but that's personal preference.)
About 30 minutes before serving add in some chopped cilantro and some plain yogurt (to taste). You could also toss in some cashews or almonds if you like as a topping.
We serve it over brown rice.

You can of course add in pretty much any type of veggie you like (peas, broccoli, potatoes, etc.)

Re: ~$5 Meal Ideas~
 

Ok, another for the popcorn here..

Awsome thread:thumbsup: