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This guest post is from Erin of $5 Dinners. Just the names of these dishes would convince my picky preschooler to eat them. I can't wait to try some of Erin's recipes!
Ever have one of those afternoons when you walk up to the fridge and wonder what in the world you're going to make for your family for dinner? A healthy AND inexpensive dinner? I'm here to help! At $5 Dinners, I am making dinner for my family every night for $5 or less. I've got 2 little boys and a husband to feed every night, and I don't break the bank doing it! I'd like to offer you a week's worth of toddler and kid friendly meals!
Monday: Provolone Wrapped Chicken
Bake some chicken tenderloin or breasts. Right as they come out of the oven, wrap them with a slice or half slice of provolone cheese. The cheese will melt around the chicken. What kid doesn't like chicken and cheese?
Tuesday: Homemade Mac and Cheese
I love to make homemade macaroni and cheese for my guys. It's an easy way to sneak in some vegetables without altering the taste or color! Butternut or acorn squash can be easily hidden into homemade cheese sauce. To make the cheese sauce, I use butter, a little flour, evaporated milk, and a cup of shredded cheese. I sneak in some mashed squash and whip it all together. Add to your favorite pasta and feed to your hungry brood!
Wednesday: Pizza Boats
Need a pizza…quick!?! Faster than Domino's! Grab some hamburger buns or homemade buns, set them out on a baking sheet open faced. Add some pizza or spaghetti sauce, cheese and favorite toppings. Everyone gets their own little pizza and you can "custom make" with different toppings for you each kid!
Thursday: TX Cowboy's Pie
A great way to use up some leftover beef roast! This is a twist on the traditional "shepherd's pie", using beef roast, potatoes and cheese. Yum!
Friday: Bacon and Egg Quesadillas
This one is pretty self explanatory and a great alternative to "breakfast tacos"! Whip up some bacon and eggs, add to an open tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, place another tortilla on top. Bake 10 minutes so cheese can melt. Serve with sour cream or salsa! A delicious "breakfast for dinner"!
Saturday: Mexican Chicken Casserole
Toss together some ground beef, taco seasoning, rice, tomato sauce and top with cheese. Easy and delicious!
Sunday: Tuna Melts
Add some cheese to the traditional tuna sandwich and toast them on the griddle. Serve with some carrots and fruit for a well balanced meal!
Treats: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins and Zucchini Pineapple Bread
For the complete cost breakdown and more extensive directions for each dinner, click on the link to the meal you think your family would enjoy. And for many more frugal dinner ideas, be sure to come by $5 Dinners!
Nov 20, 2008
A Week's Worth of Kid-Friendly Meals for $35
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13 comments:
Ive actually done the pizza boats a few times to get rid og extra buns after bbqs.... I thought i was being a creative genius-- but i guess its been done before lol... either way.. my son (and my husband) ate them and loved them.
Super ideas! My food is rarely ever this cheap even on sale at SuperTarget, but I definitely can save money with these ideas. I especially like the homemade macaroni and cheese and the pizza boats. Note: Trader Joe's has already made pizza dough for 99 cents if you prefer the traditional pizza pie. They even have flavors like garlic-herb and a whole wheat one.
These are great ideas,
My friend uses cauliflour in her mac and cheese sauce, her autistic daughter wont eat anything that may be a veggie including pizza with basil or oregano (the green may be a veggie hidden) she has been doing this for years now and gets her veggies in this way. also there is a great recipe for zucchini chocolate muffins. She loves those too.
to many have cheese as a main ingredient - need more cheese-less options :(
I struggle to feed my family economically. But many of the dishes that people post tend to use lots cheese, eggs, or mayo. There are not enough lean protein dishes, let alone fish dishes that are not fish sticks or tuna cans. More of those would be much appreciated. Also, how can anyone do provolone wrapped chicken with side veggies and side starch for $5 for a family? Where do you shop?
Great ideas.
I think with frugal cooking that attaches costs, people need to realize that its a YMMV type thing. I live in the SF Bay Area, and food is MUCH more expensive here, and doubling coupons is unheard of in my city. My monthly food budget is $400, (aiming to bring it down to $300).
Great idea, though I also wish there were cheese-free options, since we don't eat cheese.
Who doesn't love cheese? If you don't then don't make them! This isn't the food network website, Angie's just trying to help us out. And I say thank-you Angie.
Ad match at Walmart has SAVED my grocery bill! I haven't had to compromise my menu at all. I just look for when chicken or lean meat goes on super sale somewhere and stock up. I never pay more than $1.88 for a gallon of milk. Again, when it's on sale somewhere I add match and buy 2 gallons instead of 1. Then if it's not on sale next week I'm stocked up. Walmart doesn't double coupons either, but I don't need it. (would it be nice though, YES!) I think since I've been ad matching, our meals have been better than before and I've been paying less. WIN, WIN!
I can definately do fish sticks with cheese and a side veggie for way under $5. Last week I got 16 oz bag of frozen peas & carrots for $.88. I can get at least 2 servings out of that, so $.44 for veggies. Fish sticks were 2.98 for a box. (Walmart brand. If you want to save $$$ this is the way you HAVE to go-store brand items.) I won't use the whole box for my fam, but lets say that I do. Shredded cheese was on sale for $1.98 for a 2 cup bag.(and it was low fat, BONUS!) I figure I'd use 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top-$.50 for cheese. $3.92, dinner is served! If you're looking to feed your kids in a TIGHT budget you can't always be picky! You also don't have to just eat like a kid. I got chicken breast for $.77/lb. Store brand salsa jar for under a buck. I put the chicken in the crock pot, salsa on top. Add the left over veggies (not to the crock pot, but on the side). If you're not one of these cheesaphobes sprinkle w/ that cheese you still have in the fridge before serving. If you are, leave it off. Still lots of good flavor. Viola, good dinner (again, low fat, BONUS!). Again way under $1!
Where'd I learn to do math? The cheese for the fish sticks would be 25 cents, not 50. Even better $3.42 for dinner!
OOO, I forgot the starch for ANON. A 5lb bag of potatoes is $.97 this week. I figure to make mashed potatoes for my fam 2 or 3 potatoes. Maybe 30-40 cents for mashed potatoes? I promise I'll stop posting now Angie! My son has chicken pox, so I'm stuck at home and bored out of my mind!:)
I have 3 boys and a very very hungry husband. I try and keep my meals under $10.00 and this includes my husbands lunch for the next day. These ideas are great and I could just double some of these and still have it under $10.00. I do pretty good I think...Family of 5 (soon to be 6)and we keep our weekly bill under 100 bucks and we go thru 5-6 gallons of milk a week also! I shop at our local Save A Lot.
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