$10 Dinners for 4?

sophie206 · March 2012

I remember seeing a $10 dinner thread on another board once. We had a big CC bill this month from our trip so I'm thinking we'll have some budget-friendly dinners this week to offset that! One meal will be corn beef and cabbage, on Saturday of course - which is actually pretty budget-friendly. What are some of your budget-friendly dinner ideas - say, keeping it at around $10?

Mrs.Hizzo · March 2012

This one is really cheap and easy, and it makes enough to feed you all for about three nights if you don't mind freezing it. My mom used to make it all the time, and I make it on the nights I need something quick and haven't been to the store, because I always have the ingredients on hand. It's basically just a goulash, but it's tasty with bread and a salad.

Half package (8 oz.) of penne, cooked.

1 pound ground beef.

1 chopped onion

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can tomato sauce

1 tsp. oregano

salt and pepper

2 cups grated cheddar

Saute ground beef with onion and garlic until brown. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and oregano. simmer for a few minutes. Add cooked pasta and mix. Put half of it in a 9X11 baking dish, cover with one cup of cheese. Layer the rest of the pasta/meat mixture, top with the second cup of cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly.

sophie206 · March 2012

Mrs.Hizzo:
This one is really cheap and easy, and it makes enough to feed you all for about three nights if you don't mind freezing it. My mom used to make it all the time, and I make it on the nights I need something quick and haven't been to the store, because I always have the ingredients on hand. It's basically just a goulash, but it's tasty with bread and a salad.
Half package (8 oz.) of penne, cooked.
1 pound ground beef.
1 chopped onion
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can tomato sauce
1 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper
2 cups grated cheddar
Saute ground beef with onion and garlic until brown. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and oregano. simmer for a few minutes. Add cooked pasta and mix. Put half of it in a 9X11 baking dish, cover with one cup of cheese. Layer the rest of the pasta/meat mixture, top with the second cup of cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly.

Thanks! DD loves pasta and I think I have all but the ground beef on hand.

bim38106 · March 2012

vegetarian meals really help keep costs down..

what about vegetable risotto. Just throw in whatever veggies you have lying around.

pasta w/ veggies

my girls love couscous w/ beans and zucchini, and salt & butter

I have a vegetarian meal tag in my blog if you want more ideas.

Also, you could buy a whole chicken and use all the parts. Should last you for at least 3 meals. Think chicken as an addition to the dish rather then the main portion.

ESD_0707 · March 2012

I have been following the menus from this blogger since January- and the meals work about to around $10 usually. She'll send you a free sample menu if you request on on her blog, and after that, she can email you menus every month for $5. It has been a life-changer for me!

1. I normally do not like cooking - she plans it so that you prep everything for the week in one day. Then, you just pop it in the oven each day instead of having to dirty the kitchen and take all kinds of time.

2. Saves money that I would've spent eating out/ ordering in. Nothing I buy goes to waste since I use each item to prepare the meals right away instead of letting them rot in the fridge before I get around to using them.

3. I finally have a variety of meals for my family. I was stuck in a rut, cooking the same few meals over and over.

5dinners1hour.blogspot.com

Good luck!

CoffeeLovinMomma · March 2012

We usually buy a whole chicken (around $6) and can get at least 3 meals with it.

I am going to roast my chicken on Wednesday, and then make chicken and rice, chicken enchiladas, and chicken soup.

Geek_Girl · March 2012

This is a good site, too - https://www.5dollardinners.com/

Mrs.Hizzo · March 2012

Here's another good one that makes a lot. The lentils make up the bulk of it, the sausage is mostly just for flavor. If you use dried rosemary instead of fresh, you can do it for well under $10, and it tastes just as good.

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/rosemary-scented-lentils-sausage-10000001571429/

Sharon21 · March 2012

A cheap and easy meal that I make when I don't know what else to make is spaghetti with meatballs. I buy the ingredients from Sam's Club and always have them on hand and it is super cheap and easy. I buy the big bag of frozen meatballs, the box of angel hair pasta, and the case of Hunts tomato sauce, and the spaghetti sauce seasoning. I figured it out one time and it probably costs about $2 for the whole meal each time I make it because I get so many meals out of the ingredients.

ETA: You can also buy the big bags of frozen ravioli and keep it in the freezer for a cheap easy dinner too.