What about a $5 meal idea?

[mommy2abigail]

So, in reading through the $2 meal idea thread, I found that for a lot of the stuff, I couldn't gather the ingredients for $2...more like $4-$5. Still a great deal for a meal for 4! So anyway, I thought maybe a $5 meal idea thread would give people a bit more flexibility? Here is one we did tonight. It's healthy, organic, and WAY easy...almost convenience food easy!

2 cans organic beans (Publix greenwise brand) $1.25 each so $2.50
*we use kidney and pinto, but you can use any variety you want

1 big can (don't know the oz, sorry! but it's twice the size of a normal can) organic crushed tomatoes (again, publix brand) $1.99

1 cup organic rice (the bag I buy is $1.50 and has 3 cups) $.50


Make rice according to directions, seasoning with a touch of salt and pepper and garlic.

Throw the beans and the tomatoes in a shallow pan together and add spices...I use cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I also add in any extra veggies we have cooked and not eaten. This week it was yellow squash, zucchini, red peppers, and onion. If I don't have any, I can add in a bag of frozen veggies, but that's optional.


Put the beans over the rice...yummy! Cheap AND organic....don't say those two words in the same sentence much!

[Usually Curious]

That sounds good. My dh is making something similar tonight, but he is using elbow macaroni. He also insisted on throwing in some cut-up hotdogs???!!! Whatever, I've been down with a back injury for FOUR DAYS and I am totally at their mercy come mealtime. Let me tell you, I've eaten some interesting things over the past few days.

[Whistler]

You can use orgaics/substitutes for this if you wish. Cheap and SUPER easy, and really unusual but yummy!

Put 2c. dry rice in a baking pan and two large frozen chicken breasts. Add 2 c. water and sprinkle well with garlic salt. Dump 1 large can of mandarin oranges and juice over all. Cover and bake at 350 for 75 minutes.

Topping: thinly slice one small onion. Sprinkle well with sugar and salt. Fry in butter until sugar caramelizes and onion is brown.

[Mirta]

the caveat I should have put in the Under $2 meal thread (I did mention it when I emailed it to friends and family) is that what Under $2 was read differently by the various people that posted their recipes.. some people meant it for the WHOLE meal, while others meant it per person. Also the original thread began in 2006 and has been added to through last month, so a lot of the recipes were based on costs from 2006, 2007, & 2008, rather than today's higher prices..

So, some of those meals may be $5 meals now.. while some are still around $2.. it all depends on inflation and how the original poster read the intent on Under $2.

Kym

[Leta]

Lasagna

If this is for four people, it's more like $5 for two meals, because this will get you a whole pan's worth.

Ricotta cheese- made via this recipe. (~$0.25)

Two cups shredded mozzarella (~$1.00; free if you get WIC)

One egg (~$0.20; free if you get WIC)

A pound of lasagna noodles (~$1.00)

Veggies- onions, garlic, spinach/chard (fresh or frozen), eggplant, mushrooms, peppers (fresh or frozen)... whatever is available, inexpensive, in season, etc. You'll need about 3 cups chopped raw veggies, less if using frozen/canned.

A medium size (12 oz) can of whatever tomato product you prefer- smooth sauce, stewed, with basil, plain, whatever (~$0.50-$1.00, depending on your preferences- homemade marinara is great, too)

Fill your lasagna pan with hot water, and lay your noodles in there (no need to boil them). Chop and sautee everything in the fat of your choice- onion first, then garlic, whatever you have, saving your greens for last.
Season with salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, marjoram, parmesan cheese, again, whatever you like.

Mix the ricotta, the sauteed veggies, and the egg together in a bowl. Drain the noodles, and set aside on a plate. Grease your lasagna pan. Pour a tiny bit of tomatoeyness in the bottom. Layer noodles, then filling, noodles, then filling. Top with the rest of the tomatoeyness and the mozzarella cheese.

I can make this for well under $5 because we get WIC and get tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, garlic, onions, etc from our garden. Even if we didn't, though, it makes so much food that really it's two meals worth. If I had to buy everything, it would still be under $7 worth of ingredients. Even if you splashed out all fancy-like and used $10 worth of ingredients, that's still two meals- so $5/meal for a family of four.

[~Megan~]

Originally Posted by mommy2abigail

So, in reading through the $2 meal idea thread, I found that for a lot of the stuff, I couldn't gather the ingredients for $2...more like $4-$5. Still a great deal for a meal for 4! So anyway, I thought maybe a $5 meal idea thread would give people a bit more flexibility? Here is one we did tonight. It's healthy, organic, and WAY easy...almost convenience food easy!

2 cans organic beans (Publix greenwise brand) $1.25 each so $2.50
*we use kidney and pinto, but you can use any variety you want

1 big can (don't know the oz, sorry! but it's twice the size of a normal can) organic crushed tomatoes (again, publix brand) $1.99

1 cup organic rice (the bag I buy is $1.50 and has 3 cups) $.50


Make rice according to directions, seasoning with a touch of salt and pepper and garlic.

Throw the beans and the tomatoes in a shallow pan together and add spices...I use cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I also add in any extra veggies we have cooked and not eaten. This week it was yellow squash, zucchini, red peppers, and onion. If I don't have any, I can add in a bag of frozen veggies, but that's optional.


Put the beans over the rice...yummy! Cheap AND organic....don't say those two words in the same sentence much!

Use dried beans and save $2 on this meal.

[sunanthem]

Sometimes I can find the small packages of fresh chicken breasts cut into stips on sale for like $2. Cut them up, take one bag of brown instant rice, or maybe 2, which is only using some that are in the box, a green pepper and onion, and some tamari sauce, and make a stir fry.

With another package of the chicken and a can of enchilada sauce, I can use a few of a package of corn tortillas and half a small block of cheese and make enchiladas.

These may be more then $5 to buy the ingredients new, but you can make more then one meal with these ingredients, so it winds up being less.

Also, in the same vein of using some items in multiple meals;
spaghetti and meatballs (big bag of frozen meatballs last us awhile)
butternut squash soup
meatloaf, mashed potatos and green bean casserole (buy big roll of ground beef, last us 2-3 meals, bag of potatos same thing)
cheesburgers and frozen fries (usually when we have this the next night I'll use the rest of the beef and buns and make sloppy joes instead)
chicken fajitas
quesadillas
beef tacos.. again all the salsa cheese, lettuce, ect.. spread out over a few meals
eggplant parmesan; takes awhile to make, but soo yummy
meatball sandwiches
cheesesteak sandwiches
Breakfast for dinner; pancakes, egg sandwiches, french toast, occasionally bacon added, some quiches.
Also there are lots of casserole ideas that don't cost too much.

To add veggies and fruits to dinner, we have simple salads, cut up apples, carrots and ranch, even a few strawberries. I also add rice to meals to bulk it up.

Affordable desserts;
pudding
jello
homemade cookies
homemade cupcakes

[karne]

Originally Posted by Whistler

You can use orgaics/substitutes for this if you wish. Cheap and SUPER easy, and really unusual but yummy!

Put 2c. dry rice in a baking pan and two large frozen chicken breasts. Add 2 c. water and sprinkle well with garlic salt. Dump 1 large can of mandarin oranges and juice over all. Cover and bake at 350 for 75 minutes.

Topping: thinly slice one small onion. Sprinkle well with sugar and salt. Fry in butter until sugar caramelizes and onion is brown.

Yum! My kids think mandarin oranges are the food of the gods, so I'll be trying this soon!

[EviesMom]

DH was out tonight, so we had a "5 minutes or less, $5 or less dinner." (with DH out there's just DD and me really, DS picks off my plate; but I tend to categorize meal ideas price-wise as the cost for 4 people eating this and the prices for the stuff we buy, so TJs no-added sugar apple sauce, cage free $$ eggs. And it's 5 minutes of prep time, even though some take a little longer to actually cook, like mac and cheese.) .

We had scrambled eggs with oregano and chives from our window sill, toast with honey and butter, and apple sauce.

Boy was it good! :

A few others from that list:
Frozen gnocchi with parmesan, olive oil, and fresh herbs

Tomato soup (canned or homemade and frozen) and grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches

Box mac n' cheese with cut up veggie hotdogs and frozen veggies mixed in

Ginger Chickpeas and Apricots: Chickpeas, olive oil, almond slices, ginger, dried apricot diced up, and raisins over couscous. If we have dried cranberries, I toss in a few of those too. The key with all those though is that if you have to buy them for the receipe, they're $$$, but you only use a bit and I have them in the house for oatmeal toppings already.

Shortcut veggie chili: 2 cans your choice of beans, 1 cup of cooked quinoa, 1 jar of your choice salsa; top with any combo of sour cream, avocado, and cheese you like

the standard Penne with jarred tomato sauce and mock ground meat/sausage added

Any of those I do with apple sauce, carrot sticks, or something requiring no slicing like grapes so they can be on the table fast fast! And I don't usually chop the herbs. I tear the chives and run my fingers along the stem of the oregano, mint, or rosemary which pulls the leaves off and I just use those.

[Crafty]

How funny, I was just looking at this website yesterday!

http://www.5dollardinners.com/recipe-index

We had the Chicken and Red Bean Burritos for dinner tonight, and they have become an instant family favorite!

[fullofgrace]

Per Guidelines, moving to Nutrition & Good Eating where meal threads (and the other challenge thread) live!