Cheap Dinner Meals Fourteen Day Menu Plan

One of the best ways to reduce your grocery bill is by adding cheap dinner meals to your menu plan. Menu planning is important to get the most benefit of what you are buying. Meals can still be made for under $5 but you must plan ahead to buy what is needed for these cheap dinners meals. The following menu plan covers fourteen dinner meals for less than $50 total with one meal as a backup. Each of these meals is designed to feed four for dinner and is based on cost in northern Florida in 2008. While you may have to adjust the costs upward for a larger family or because of a higher cost of living in your area, you should still find these meals to be lower in cost than other possible dinner meals.

Meals under $5 #1 Chicken salad wraps:

To make this cheap dinner meal, take one can of the chicken, drain and mix it with a boiled egg or two, some pickle relish, salt pepper, mayo. You can add a few raisins for sweetness if you like. Roll up in tortillas. Serve with soup, applesauce, chips etc making do with whatever you have in your cabinets. You may choose to sprinkle some cheese on before wrapping. Using the large can of chicken you can do 8 wraps from it so that is two wraps per person. Cost: 1.63 for the chicken, .32 for the eggs, .99 for the lettuce or tortillas. Cheap Dinner Meal Cost: $3 meal

Meals under $5 #2 Chicken Quesadillas

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Cream of Chicken Soup

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1 can (9.75 oz.) Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

8 flour tortillas (8-inch)

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Mix soup, chili powder, cheese and chicken. Spread about 1/4 cup soup mixture on half of each tortilla to within 1/2" of edge. Moisten edge with water. Fold over and seal. Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake 10 min. or until hot. This meal under $5 makes 8 quesadillas. Cost: 1.63 for the chicken, .63 for the cheese. Soup $1 and tortillas $1. Look for something from your existing pantry stock as a side dish. If you do not have anything, you will still have a cheap dinner meal if you add boxed flavored rice to the grocery list.

Cheap Dinner Meal Cost: $4.26 unless you have to buy the rice side dish

Meals under $5 #3 Chicken casserole

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1/4 cup milk (can substitute water or chick broth)

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 bag (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetable or frozen green peas

1 large can Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

1 package refrigerated biscuit or substitute 2 cups instant potatoes

This is an easy to make meal under $5. Stir the soup, milk, cheese and black pepper in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Stir in the vegetables and chicken. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the chicken mixture.

Top the chicken mixture with the biscuits or potatoes. Bake for 15 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. Bake less if using potatoes since potatoes are already done) Cost: 1.63 for chicken, .63 for the cheese, $2 for veggies but you can buy a bag of frozen veggies for about $1.60 normally, potatoes .40. Cheap Dinner Meal Cost : $4.66

Meals under $5 #4 Chicken Primavera

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 3/4 cups Chicken Broth

1/4 tsp. garlic powder OR 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bag of vegetable medley

1/2 cup green or red pepper cut into 2-inch-long strips

1 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

1 large can Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

4 cups hot cooked spaghetti

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

This cheap dinner meal preparation starts by stirring the cornstarch and 1/4 cup broth in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Heat the remaining broth, garlic powder, broccoli, carrots, pepper and onion in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir the cornstarch mixture in the saucepan. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the chicken and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Toss the chicken mixture with the spaghetti and cheese. Cost: 1.63 for the chicken, .80 for the spaghetti, $2 for the veggies. Cheap Dinner Meal Total cost $3.43

Meals under $5 #5 Tuna Dogs

2 Hard cooked Eggs, Chopped

2 6 1/2 oz can Tuna, Drained

4 oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/4 c Chopped Green Pepper

2 tbsp Finely Chopped Onion

1/2 teaspoons Prepared Mustard

1/2 c Mayo or Salad Dressing

8 Hot dog buns

Mix eggs, tuna, cheese, green pepper, onion, mustard and mayonnaise. Fill buns with tuna mixture. Wrap in foil and stick in oven for about 15 min until heated throughout. Cost: $1.60 for the tuna, .32 for the eggs, 1.19 for the buns, .63 for the cheese. You can add relish or olives if you like. Cheap Dinner Meal Cost $3.74

Meals under $5 #6 Tuna Fritters

1 (6 ounce) can light tuna in water, drained

1 egg

2/3 cup quick-cooking oats

3 tablespoons barbeque sauce

3 tablespoons chopped green onion

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

1 pinch salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a medium bowl, stir together the tuna, egg and oats until blended. Mix in the barbeque sauce, green onion, hot pepper sauce, savory, and salt.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Spoon tablespoonfuls of the tuna mixture into the pan, and flatten slightly. Smaller patties hold together better. Cook until browned about 3 minutes per side. Either make sandwiches from tuna fritters, or eat them in a tortilla with some lettuce or tomatoes. You canalso have tuna fritters and a veggie or some macaroni and cheese. I double the tuna for an extra meaty version with the cost of the meal still being under $5.

Cost: Tuna 1.60, 2 eggs, .32, if you don't have oats, use cracker or bread crumbs. If you have to buy something, buy whatever is cheapest cracker wise which can usually be bought for $1 at Family dollar. Serve on bread for an extra .50 or so, or with macaroni and cheese (cheap kind for .50) Cheap Dinner Meal cost is about $3.45

Meals under $5 #7 Tuna Potato cakes

1 1/2 c. mashed potatoes

1 (6 1/2 oz.) can tuna

1 tbsp. chopped onion

1 egg

1 tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper

This is an easy cheap dinner meal to make. Mix all ingredients together. Form into 8 patties. Brown in hot fat. This is a good way to use leftover mashed potatoes. Either make a sandwich from these or serve with veggies. Cost: tuna: 80 cents, potatoes .30, egg .16 bread or veggies .50

Cheap Dinner Meal Total cost $1.76

Meals under $5 # 8 and 9 Chicken Thighs for 2 meals

Split the package of thighs into two freezer bags. Marinade one bag in salsa, the other in grape jam, ketchup and Worcestershire mix. Serve the two chicken meals in two separate weeks. One meal will have a can of the green peas and mashed potatoes. The other meal will have one of the bags of frozen peas and some corn muffins.

Cost of meal 7: chicken $2, marinade made from on hand ingredients, green peas 50 cents, mashed potatoes .60 Cheap Dinner Meal Total cost $3.10

Cost of meal 8: chicken $2, frozen peas, .90, corn muffin mix can be bought for 50 cents if you don't have any on hand.. Cheap Dinner Meal Total cost $3.40

Meals under $5 #10 and 11 Shepherds Pie meals for two nights

My kids love Shepherds pie so I can serve this on back to back nights. It is the most popular meal under $5 at our house. If you don't want it two days in a row, make the meat base split in half, add the peas to the top and freeze one of them for another week. Make your potatoes when you thaw it as they don't freeze well.

Brown the 1 lb pack of ground beef. Add in some beef broth for flavor. I usually add about a quarter cup. Then take a little corn starch dissolved in cold water and when the broth is boiling add it as a thickener. Put in a 9X13 dish. Top with the can of green peas, and then add 2 ½ cups mashed potatoes. Bake for about 15 min to heat it through, you can add cheese to the top if you want. Cost: beef $2, peas 50 cents, potatoes 50 cents, cheese, 30 cents. Cheap Dinner Meal Total cost $3.30 for the two meals.

Meals under $5 #12 Spaghetti

This is a simple meal under $5. Cook the noodles, brown a pack of the beef, add a can of pasta sauce and serve over the noodles. Cost: .80 for noodles, 1.25 for sauce, 1.33 for beef. Cheap Dinner Meal Total cost $3.38

Meals under $5 #13 Black-eyed Pea soup

ground beef

1 cup finely chopped onions

One bag frozen black-eyed peas

2 cups beef broth

Two cans diced tomatoes

1/8 teaspoon salt

Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onions and cook until the beef is browned, stirring frequently. Add the black-eyed peas, broth, tomatoes, and salt; mix well. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and cover tightly. Simmer for 45 minutes. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. Reheat before serving.

Serve over rice or with corn bread, or toast.

Cost: Ground Beef 1.33, onion on hand but if you buy add .50, peas .90, tomatoes $1 Cheap Dinner Meal Total cost $3.73.

Meals under $5 #14 Hamburger Pie

Use the last pack of Hamburger to make this:

2 cups mashed potatoes

ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup

1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained

shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Make potatoes according to directions; Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and onion until beef is brown. Drain. Stir in tomato soup and green beans. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Mound mashed potatoes in a ring around the meat mixture (do not cover meat). Sprinkle potatoes with shredded cheese.

Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes, until potatoes are golden.

Cost: beef 1.33, onion on hand or add 50 cents if you need to by, soup $1.50 to buy, green beans .50, cheese .63, potatoes .40

Cheap Dinner Meal Total cost, $4.86

Meals under $5 #15 Egg salad or French toast.

Even with the other sandwiches you have had, you should have part of a loaf of bread and 5 eggs left over, and you can either make egg salad or French toast.

Cost: half loaf bread 60 cents, 5 eggs .80

Cheap Dinner Meal Total cost $1.40

Grocery List

Canned Chicken, 4 large cans 4 $6.50 (1.63 per can)

Spaghetti 2 packs 1.59 (.80 each)

Tuna 5 cans $4.00 (.80 each)

Ground Beef 3 lbs ground beef $6.00 (repackage as a 1 lb pack and 2 2/3 lb packs, $2.00/1.33 each)

Frozen Peas 2 bags $1.80 (.90 each)

Hot dog Bugs 1.19

Bread 1.19

Cheese 2.50 (16 oz bag so 63 cents per half cup)

Frozen green peas $1.00 per box, bought 2

Eggs 1.89 (.16 per egg)

Chicken thighs $4

Spaghetti sauce 2 cans $2.50 ($1.25 each)

Canned peas for .50 a can bought 2

Green Beans .50

Fresh veggies 1.99 a bag

instant potatoes $1.69 (about 10 cents per ½ cup)

Tortillas Buy 2 packs $2

Cream of Chicken soup buy 2 for $2

Tomato soup 2 cans $1.50

Tomatoes, 2 cans $1