Cheap Dinner: Meals Under $5.00

Ramen noodles and Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches may be a cheap dinner to eat but they certainly are not a meal you want many nights in a row. With a little pre-planning, you can serve a variety of cheap dinner meals for your family and use the extra grocery store savings to cover the increase in food items. Planning ahead can allow you to prepare cheap dinner meals to serve a family of four for less than five dollars per meal. The following five Cheap Dinners are examples which should start you thinking in the right direction toward cutting your dinner costs.

Cheap Dinner 1: Tuna Dogs

2 to 4Hardcooked Eggs, Chopped

2 small cans Tuna, Drained

Cheese of your choice

1/4 c Chopped Green Pepper

2 tbsp Finely Chopped Onion

1/2 ts Prepared Mustard

1/2 c Mayo or Salad Dressing

8 Hot dog buns

Mix eggs, tuna, onion, mustard and mayonnaise. Fill buns with tuna mixture. Top with cheese of your choice Wrap in foil and stick in oven for about 15 min until heated throughout. Serve with a can of peas or corn or some French fries.

Costs: 1.60 for the tuna, .40 for the eggs, 1.20 for the buns, .63 for the cheese. You can toss in relish or olives if you like also. Makes it more filling. Total costs $3.83

Cheap Dinner 2: Black-eyed Pea Soup

¾ pound 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

Instructions

1. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onions and cook until the beef is browned, stirring frequently.

2. Add the black-eyed peas, broth, tomatoes, and salt; mix well.

3. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and cover tightly. Simmer for 45 minutes.

4. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. Reheat before serving.

Ideas to make this cheap dinner more appealing or add variety: You can add rotel to this recipe, or green chilies, or substitute salsa for one can of tomatoes. You can add any type of sausage you have or even some ham chunks instead of the ground beef. Serve over rice or with corn bread, or toast.

Cost: Ground Beef 1.40, onion.50, peas .90, tomatoes buy add $1, beef broth .50, Rice or cornbread .50 Total Cost: $4.80

Cheap Dinner 3: Hamburger Sandwich

Place 6 slices bread, buttered with butter in shallow oblong casserole, in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes to toast lightly.

Combine the following in skillet and saute until lightly brown:

1/2 to 3/4 lb. ground beef

1/3 c. chopped onion

Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper and 2 tsp mustard

Spoon meat mixture over bread slices in casserole. Top with some shredded cheese and 6 untoasted slices of bread

Beat and pour over sandwiches:

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until milk is absorbed and sandwiches are browned.

Cut apart and serve. Serves 6.

Costs: Ground Beef: $1.40; Onion, .50; Bread, .50; eggs, .30; milk, .70 Total Costs: $3.40

Cheap Dinner 4: Pasta and veggies

This meatless cheap dinner is a favorite in my house. If you have a family of meat eaters you can add canned chicken or chunky ham to this recipe.

Cook one bag of spaghetti, cook one bag of frozen veggies.

Make a white sauce for the veggies.

White Sauce

1 c. milk or Half and Half

2 tbsp. butter, softened

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

Bring the milk to a simmer in a 2-quart saucepan over moderate heat. In a small bowl, blend the butter and flour together with a spoon to form a smooth paste.

Using a wire whisk vigorously beat the butter-flour mixture, 1 rounded teaspoonful at a time, into the hot milk. Cook, stirring constantly, over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce is smooth and thick. Season with the salt and pepper. Makes 1 cup.

Add Parmesan cheese or substitute chicken broth for half of the milk to add more flavor

Add to veggies, and toss in spaghetti.

Costs: Veggies, $1.00; Spaghetti, .80; milk, .50; other ingredients assumed to be on hand. Total Costs: $2.30

Cheap Dinner 5: Penne Pasta Casserole

Pasta is a key resource in the battle to provide cheap dinners. This recipe is a nice change of pace from standard spaghetti.

1 26oz can spaghetti sauce (Hunt's, etc.)

1/2 med. yellow onion

1 tbsp e.v. olive oil

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1/2 box dry penne or other pasta

1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped

1 cup grated cheddar

1/3 lb ground beef or Italian sausage

salt, pepper, sugar

Heat oil and add onion, garlic and salt, cook until onion is clear. Remove to a plate. Add beef or sausage and cook until browned. Drain and put back in pan with onion mix. Add spaghetti sauce, and cook on low for about 10 min. Add other seasonings.

Cook the penne pasta in boiling water but do not overcook because it will be going in the oven to bake more.

Combine spaghetti sauce mixture and noodles together in the pot. Pour into a flat baking dish. Top with cheese, bake at 350F for about 30-45 minutes. Cover with foil if cheese starts to brown to much.

Costs: Spaghetti sauce, $1; onion, .20; pasta, .50; cheese, .70; ground beef $1

Total: $3.40

Keep these meals in mind when you head to the grocery store for next week's meals. Adding one or more cheap dinner meals to the menu can help you combat the rising cost of food.