Gentlemommy Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I love these threads, it really helps me when I'm in a cooking rut. It can be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If its a bit more than $5, post it anyway! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 We're about to be paying rent and our mortgage so I'm :bigear: for money saving meals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 We're about to be paying rent and our mortgage so I'm :bigear: for money saving meals. I'm thinking of things like a pot of beans and cornbread or chicken noodle soup, cheap but healthy and filling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Quiche? We do crustless because we don't do grains. Frittata? Both are easy ways to use up small amounts of random leftovers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 (edited) Hash? I sometimes do smoked sausage/potatoes/eggs Edited March 27, 2012 by Sis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Tonight we are having sloppy Joe's. Nothing spectacular, but it is under $5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Hmmmm.... it is rare for a meal to go over $5 here! Dinner tonight will be baked chicken drumsticks, fresh pineapple, red potatoes in a dijon vinaigrette, homemade coleslaw, a big green salad, and sugar cookies for dessert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Hmmmm.... it is rare for a meal to go over $5 here! Dinner tonight will be baked chicken drumsticks, fresh pineapple, red potatoes in a dijon vinaigrette, homemade coleslaw, a big green salad, and sugar cookies for dessert. Details on how you do that, please. I don't think I live in an area that has high food costs but I'm sure your meal would run about $10 for my four, and we're not big meat eaters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 The majority of our meals are under $5 each. For lunch today, we are having fried rice with chicken using leftover chicken, rice, and veggies from Sunday. If I just make those two meals with the chicken, the cost is about $5/ meal, but I will be using the bones to make soup stock, so the price per meal will actually be a little less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I'm not sure about US prices but this is pretty cheap. One of my favourite one-pot meals is chopped onions, chorizo, potato and some kind of (cheap) greens cooked in the crockpot and roughly pureed. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Ok, the package of chicken was $2.87 -- 10 drumsticks, so enough for the family tonight, plus DH will have some for lunch. The red potatoes were 99 cents for 3 lbs, I used about a pound for tonight. Salad greens plus tomatoes/green onions/ radishes/homemade olive oil and vinegar dressing will cover half a plate for each of us and cost around 75 cents total, Aldi veg prices). We will eat about half a large pineapple, and those were 99 cents this week. I used half a head of cabbage, half a carrot, and a bit of vinegar, sugar, and mayo to make the coleslaw-- calling it a whole dollar will overstate the cost, and we'll use half of it tonight. Adding in cookies (homemade), milk, iced tea (unsweetened), and black coffee for the adults, we cover beverages and dessert, and we just hit the $5 mark (plus Dh has a nice lunch tomorrow). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I think some days my main dish is under $5. But, then when I add steamed or roasted veggies and a salad, I'm WAY over that. Main dishes that are under $5: Split Pea soup. I usually make homemade rolls to go with it and make it really thick and serve it over rice. Pinto beans (flavored with onions and bacon (three pieces for the entire pot)), rice, corn bread. I think that might just be it! Maybe homemade pizza. But, that's everything from scratch (crusts and sauce) and I don't do that very often anymore! Takes too much time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Ok, the package of chicken was $2.87 -- 10 drumsticks, so enough for the family tonight, plus DH will have some for lunch. The red potatoes were 99 cents for 3 lbs, I used about a pound for tonight. Salad greens plus tomatoes/green onions/ radishes/homemade olive oil and vinegar dressing will cover half a plate for each of us and cost around 75 cents total, Aldi veg prices). We will eat about half a large pineapple, and those were 99 cents this week. I used half a head of cabbage, half a carrot, and a bit of vinegar, sugar, and mayo to make the coleslaw-- calling it a whole dollar will overstate the cost, and we'll use half of it tonight. Adding in cookies (homemade), milk, iced tea (unsweetened), and black coffee for the adults, we cover beverages and dessert, and we just hit the $5 mark (plus Dh has a nice lunch tomorrow). I guess food costs where I live are higher than I realized. I have a pack of 5 drumsticks in my freezer and they were $2.79. I bought red potatoes last night and they were .70 per pound. I passed up buying the fresh pineapple last night- it was $4.79. The salad fixings you listed would be about $2 for our family of four, but the price for the coleslaw was about right for here. My family would stage a revolt if I served salad and coleslaw side by side.g Good for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Pasta with a veggie sauce, salad and garlic bread. Baked ziti with cottage cheese and parmesan is quick, easy and cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Homemade soup - lentil, tomato and cream of X (any veggie) are faves here. Add in homemade bread or salad. Bean and rice with sausage in it. Eggs! Scrambled eggs with cheese, veggies and bread. Frittata with leftover meat and veggies. Fried egg sandwiches. BLTs with cheese. Homemade bread. We do better in the summer and fall with lots of veggies from our garden and a CSA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3browneyedboys4me Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Potato soup! I just bought two bags- buy one get one free! :) It requires 3 1/2 c potatoes, celery, onion, flour, milk, butter and you can add ham if you want. It was really good and pretty cheap! serve it with either bread or crackers. Viola! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 check out the book 5$ Dinner Mom . I was about to re-check it out from the library and review it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I guess food costs where I live are higher than I realized. I have a pack of 5 drumsticks in my freezer and they were $2.79. I bought red potatoes last night and they were .70 per pound. I passed up buying the fresh pineapple last night- it was $4.79. The salad fixings you listed would be about $2 for our family of four, but the price for the coleslaw was about right for here. My family would stage a revolt if I served salad and coleslaw side by side.g Good for you! I'll be honest -- the chicken was marked down a dollar because it had today as a sell-by date ( I bought it yesterday). DH has commented when I serve both coleslaw and green salad, but I like having lots of veggie options on any plate, and my Hungarian roots insist that coleslaw and lettuce are different enough to be served together. He also has problems when I serve rice as the starch and salad on the side -- he's Asian, so that's just odd to him, I'm Hungarian, so I think they are great together! I'm not cutting the pineapple today, since DS asked for grapes, and I have plenty of those (79 cents/lb). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I don't always make a cheap dinner, sometimes I save money by spreading something out over multiple meals. Let's say I make a pot of chili. My chili isn't cheap, I use a lot of veggies. But...I usually serve it for two or three meals. Maybe in a cornbread casserole type dish, over enchiladas, over a baked potato or whatever. I might make some pork shoulder in the crockpot, serve it with hamburger buns and bbq sauce one night and then as tacos another night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 1 package of 15 bean soup. Throw out the flavor packet. Rinse, soak overnight, and then toss in the crockpot (I use the water I soaked them in, I don't put in fresh) w/ an onion, a couple of sliced carrots, 1 package eckrich (or your fave) skinless sausage, cut into slices and halved or quartered. Add a tbs of brown sugar, a small can of tomato sauce, and about a tbs of prepared mustard. Cook on low all day. Serve w/ a salad and some cornbread, or all by itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I'm not cutting the pineapple today, since DS asked for grapes, and I have plenty of those (79 cents/lb). You're killing me here! Grapes for 79 cents a pound? They're about THREE TIMES that price in my neck of the woods! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
********* Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 You're killing me here! Grapes for 79 cents a pound? They're about THREE TIMES that price in my neck of the woods! I always am so grateful whenever we get going about food prices on this board. The prices the OP quoted are what I can find around here, too. Now, grapes are going for 99 cents a pound right now, but yeah, food's pretty cheap here, compared to lots of the rest of the country. Of course, unemployment and poverty are rampant where I live, too. So, you know, there's that. :tongue_smilie: I almost CROAKED when we stayed in the Florida Keys for a week last September. Dh's folks have a condo there, and it was my first time in Florida. I went shopping for groceries, and OH MY GOODNESS! You all pay a LOT for food! I spent probably close to TWICE what I would have to buy the exact same things here in Michigan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Spaghetti and garlic bread, salad Sloppy Joes, sliced fruit, salad Tacos Baked Potatoes w/Toppings, Salad (good use for leftovers) Chili w/cornbread Grilled Cheese and soup Quesadillas Quiche (good use of leftovers) Stir Fry French Toast Pancakes We have become quite good at this over the past two years! Check out Hillbilly Housewife's website. Some good low-cost meal plans and recipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I like to do egg dishes, too. I recently made these and everyone liked them. Sliced up a cantaloupe on the side and we've got a meal. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Moms-Baked-Egg-Muffins/Detail.aspx Hints: You can adjust this to make as many as you want, with any finely diced additions you like. I scramble the raw eggs rather than just crack them into the bread "cups". I don't use the maple syrup and just pour in a bit of milk rather than cream. And I keep a pan on a rack under the muffin pan because sometimes the filling overflows. We aren't big bean eaters, but I love this bean and burger bake with cornbread on the side: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Three-Bean-Baked-Beans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I like some of the recipes on this site http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/ She is single so that is a bit cheaper, but she does have some good ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I think in some degrees, though, the price is indicative of Aldi. For instance, if I shop at Aldi I can find prices like they're quoting, but if I go down the street to my regular grocery store, I find prices like others have mentioned. Frozen pizza, for instance is $1.99 each at Aldi - at any other grocery store around here it's easily 2-3x that. I can add salad using veggies from Aldi and my own homemade dressing and easily feed my family of 5 for $5. Outlet type stores like the bread outlet and places like Aldi, Grocery Outlet (wish we had one of those here), and Save-a-lot are the key for me. Oh, and the local Asian or Mexican grocery stores (you can get great prices on rice, veggies, herbs, and other specialty stuff for really good prices). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeBeaks Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Some of ours for dinner are: Breakfast for dinner (German pancakes and sausages, seasonal fruit) Bean and cheese burritos (dry beans in crockpot, light on the cheese), Spanish rice or Spanish quinoa Veggie based soups of all types, homemade bread, fruit Yakisoba, veggie, tofu or leftover meat from another meal Fried rice with veggies and sometimes meat or without meat Eggplant dishes in the summer (I grow those). My favorite is eggplant, tomato and bell pepper over rice as those veggies are usually ripe at the same time Pasta with veggie/tomato sauce, sometimes a little meat or lentils in the sauce, homemade bread 15 bean soup, sometimes with ham Chicken and matzo ball soup, made with leftover chicken bones HUGE salad with hardboiled eggs for some protein, all the veggies (summer it is cheap), homemade bread and fruit Breakfasts we eat a lot of oatmeal. My blood sugar can dip too low so I crack an egg into it while it is cooking and mix it around. I can't really taste the egg after it is done, but it ups the protein for me. Or sometimes I add ground flax or nuts. Breakfast or lunch green smoothies are cheap here - I grow the greens and use fruits in season. Bananas at Costco are usually cheap, as are oranges. I splurge then on a few berries in season if I don't have any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) I guess food costs where I live are higher than I realized. I have a pack of 5 drumsticks in my freezer and they were $2.79. I bought red potatoes last night and they were .70 per pound. I passed up buying the fresh pineapple last night- it was $4.79. The salad fixings you listed would be about $2 for our family of four, but the price for the coleslaw was about right for here. My family would stage a revolt if I served salad and coleslaw side by side.g Good for you! Do you have Aldi's? I don't shop there, but all the stores around me will match Aldi's prices. Her prices were their specials this week. Large cantaloup .99, whole pineapple .99, green grapes .89/lb, strawberries .99/lb. I bought all of those things. By using their fruit & veggie specials it really helps us have a variety of fresh foods at very low prices. Can one of you that makes fried rice give me a recipe. I've tried a few times with a few recipes and it never comes out well, but everyone here will eat it in a restaurant. Edited March 28, 2012 by Momto2Ns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Disclaimer: We're a vegetarian/vegan household. So, none of my suggestions will be especially helpful for meat-eaters. Last night, we had black bean soup and home-made rolls. I started with a bag of dried black beans, .89. I used a couple of big onions, .50; some carrots, .25; celery, .25; and a bell pepper, .75; and a few spices, for which I can't even begin to guestimate a cost. The rolls were just flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water and a little bit of margarine. The whole batch couldn't have cost more than $2. That's a total of $4.60-ish and gives us a bunch of left-over rolls and two lunch-sized servings of soup. I might use some of those rolls for lentil sloppy joes this week. To do that, I would use a bag of dried lentils, .89; a large onion, .50; a can of tomato paste, .30; bell pepper if I have it, .75; and spices. I might serve baked potato wedges or mashed sweet potatoes or maybe just carrot sticks if I'm feeling lazy. This one easily comes in under $5, too. I make black bean burritos at least once a week. Again, I start with a bag of dried black beans, .89. I usually make my own tortillas when I'm feeling especially budget conscious, which are just flour, salt, a little bit of oil and water. Let's assume $1 of ingredients makes enough for one meal. I use onion and a little bit of salsa to flavor the beans, so maybe another .75. I stuff the burritos with the seasoned beans, some rice, corn niblets and/or diced bell pepper. Sometimes, when I've got it on hand, I'll toss in some cilantro. There are, of course, simple things like pasta with marinara sauce, served with a salad and home-made bread. We're on a kick these days for veggie subs, made with home-made rolls and whatever fresh veggies we have on hand. I serve these with baked potato wedges, too. Sometimes, I make a pot of baked beans and serve those with mashed potatoes and cornbread and sliced tomatoes. Curried lentils with basmati rice and some kind of home-made flat bread are popular here, too. A current favorite is twice-baked potatoes with a salad and home-made bread. I'd guess most of our meals come in right around the $5 mark, actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Hmmm. Does $5 include all the little extras like olive oil, vinegar, sugar, mayo, etc. that you already had on hand? I always wonder what happens to a budget that sounds so cheap when you run out of staples. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Hmmm. Does $5 include all the little extras like olive oil, vinegar, sugar, mayo, etc. that you already had on hand? I always wonder what happens to a budget that sounds so cheap when you run out of staples. lol I did not tease out those tiny costs in my calculations. However, I tried to round up on all of the ingredients I did count in order to leave a little wiggle room for those kinds of things. I try to stock up on things like olive oil when they go on sale buy one, get one free. So, I always have plenty of bottles sitting in the pantry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Can one of you that makes fried rice give me a recipe. I've tried a few times with a few recipes and it never comes out well, but everyone here will eat it in a restaurant. It came up with a few different recipes that people make. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starwarsmomma Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 bumping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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