1 Week of Dinners for $40

If you live on your own, you might eat fast food a lot, or you might dine on frozen dinners. Well, I have a solution to this problem. I came up with 5 easy dinner recipes for one person, using only a few ingredients. I tried this myself, and my total comes up to be around $40 at my grocery store. The price may vary a few dollars, but it shouldn't by much. It's even better if you can buy these items on sale. $40 isn't bad for a week's worth of dinner. Plus, any of these recipes can be made to feed the entire family.

What You Will Need:

1 small package fresh broccoli florets, found in the produce section (2.00)

2 large baking potatoes (1.50)

1 small bunch of Bib or Romaine lettuce (you don't need much at all - 1.50)

1 bag Fresh Express Caesar Salad mix (2.50)

1 loaf Italian bread (I like to use Cellone's - 2.29)

Jar of tomato sauce (2.00)

1 can or jar of beef gravy (2.00)

1 small can of sliced mushrooms (.60)

Italian seasoned bread crumbs (1.99)

1 box elbow macaroni; or other shaped pasta of your choice (1.00)

1 bag of egg noodles (1.25)

1 small box Instant rice (1.99)

1 small package Velveeta cheese (2.50)

½ dozen eggs (.75)

2 small steaks (they can be cheaper cuts, such as top round or chuck - 4.00)

1 package of fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts (try to find one with 2 chicken breasts in one pack - 6.00)

1 bag frozen stir fry vegetable mix (2.00)

1 small package of bacon (the kind that's pre-cooked works well - 2.50)

¼ lb mozzarella cheese from the deli (about 3-4 slices - 1.50)

¼ lb roasted turkey breast (about 3-4 slices - 1.50)

TOTAL = $41.37

Sunday Night: Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli

Boil ½ - 1 cups (depending on how much you like to eat) elbow macaroni, along with the broccoli. Drain, return to pot, and add Velveeta cheese. Stir the cheese, broccoli and noodles until the cheese is completely melted.

Monday Night: Beef Stir Fry

Slice 1 steak into strips. (Save the other steak for Friday's dinner.) Saute in a skillet with a little oil if you have it on hand. In the meantime, prepare the Instant rice and boil the stir fry vegetables. When all of the ingredients are finished, mix them together. Top with soy sauce, if desired.

Tuesday Night: Chicken Parmesan and Pasta with Italian bread

Beat an egg in one bowl, and pour about 1/3 cup of bread crumbs into another bowl. Dredge 1 chicken breast into the egg, then into the bread crumbs. (Save the other chicken breast for Wednesday's dinner.) Saute the chicken in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through. In the meantime, boil egg noodles and drain. Toss the noodles with the pasta sauce. Melt the mozzarella cheese over the cooked chicken, and then serve the chicken over pasta with Italian bread, if desired.

Wednesday Night: Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken

You'll be using the other chicken breast for this recipe, along with your grill or George Forman indoor grill, or even just your skillet if you don't have a grill. Cook the chicken, and once it's cooked, slice into strips. Prepare the Caesar Salad mix into a bowl, then toss the chicken into it.

Thursday Night: Breakfast for Dinner

You'll need 2 eggs, ½ bacon from the package (save the other half for Saturday's dinner), 1 potato, and 2 slices of Italian bread. Before anything, peel and dice the potato. Cook the diced potatoes in a little oil in a skillet. Season with salt. Next, cook the eggs however you like (scrambled, fried, etc). Prepare the bacon, and toast the bread. Once everything is cooked, it's ready to eat.

Friday Night: Beef Stroganoff

Using the other steak, cut it into strips or into cubes. Saute the steak, along with the canned mushrooms, over medium heat in a skillet. In the meantime, boil the egg noodles and drain. Toss the cooked steak and mushrooms with the noodles, and beef gravy. Serve with Italian bread.

Saturday Night: Turkey Club Sandwich with Homemade French Fries

To prepare French fries, peel the other baking potato and cut into strips, shaped like French fries. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes. If you have a fryer, feel free to use it instead, frying the potatoes for about 6-7 minutes. On 2 slices of Italian bread, layer turkey slices, mozzarella cheese, cooked bacon and lettuce leaves. Place under the broil for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bread is crusty.