What is the cheapest dinner you prepare?

[disneydreamersx4]

We had it last night, lentils with pasta and even the kids eat it! $0.89 for the bag of lentils, $0.70 pasta, one can of chicken broth $0.75, water, a small onion and a few cloves of garlic

 

[simonsmom]

meatless pasta with tomato sauce

 

[momejay]

I had a coupon for free lb of ground turkey. (I had to buy a sauce to get it.) I sauted it with onion & garlic. I added a can of tomatoes. I got on sale for 4 cans for a dollar. I added some Italian spices & threw it over pasta. The pasta was 2 for $1 on sale with coupon.
If you don't include the sauce ($2.29), the meal cost 75 cents to feed a family of 5.

Yesterday, was a leftovers night. I had salad that was a few days old. It was mixed spring greens, spinach, carrots, red bell pepper, celery, radishes...I threw it in a pot with some leftover beef gravy, onion, garlic & a handful of pasta. No one wanted it as salad but gobbled it as soup.

 

[Kitikat]

1lb box of pasta $.88
1 jar pasta sauce $1.00
Feeds 6 of us for $1.88. For garlic bread I use a loaf (a huge stack at bread store for $5) so it was pennies. Butter and garic powder.
Or could be the 4 boxes of raisin bran for $.15 yesterday and $1.00 soy milk at dollar tree.
My kids can't believe how much better we eat since i've become frugal.

 

[palavra]

Pancakes made with a boxed mix, generic brand-$1.88 for the box (I usually get 2-3 meals per box). Sometimes we add turkey bacon ($2.50 for 2-3 meals) and/or eggs (.99 for 2-3 meals).

 

[HM]

A casserole made with a can of tuna,cooked egg noodles, and a can of mushroom soup (salt and pepper to taste). Bake for about 30 minutes or microwave for about 10. Add a lettuce salad from the garden. Cheap.

 

[krcit]

I would say either pasta and broccoli or pasta fagiole. The pasta w/broccoli is probably about $3.50 and the pasta fagiole about $4.00

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Omelettes or frittatas. Farm fresh eggs, a dozen for $2. Homemade salsa or garden veggies, negligible cost. Toast from WW homemade bread, $1 a loaf. This feeds the crew pretty well.

 

[PinkRhombus]

Pancakes made with a boxed mix, generic brand-$1.88 for the box (I usually get 2-3 meals per box). Sometimes we add turkey bacon ($2.50 for 2-3 meals) and/or eggs (.99 for 2-3 meals).

The big bag of Krusteez pancake mix at Sams is $5 or $6 and would yield more per dollar...if you're looking for that type of info.



I like to heat olive oil in a big skillet...throw in some chopped onion...add a little minced garlic....thawed frozen spinanch...add cooked spaghetti and toss with a little more olive oil. MMMMMmmmm

 

[Minnesota!]

We had it last night, lentils with pasta and even the kids eat it! $0.89 for the bag of lentils, $0.70 pasta, one can of chicken broth $0.75, water, a small onion and a few cloves of garlic

Recipe please?

We do hamburger, rice, and stewed tomatoes. A family fave.

Rice - (brown or white)
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1/2 # ground beef

Brown meat, cook rice, heat tomatoes.

Layer on your plate: rice, tomatoes, meat. SPrinkle on lemon pepper. So good. And cheap.

Sautee chopped onion, broccoli, and garlic in EVOO. Add some water and a chicken boullion cube and red pepper flakes. Throw in some cooked, no shell, no tail shrimp. Heat through. Toss over brown rice, top with some plain yogurt or sour cream. Voila!

 

[kristenrice]

Hamburger Helper ($0.75 w/ coupon) and a pound of ground venison that DH shot last year! I fed our family of 4 for $0.75. Even if I'd made two boxes it would have only been $1.50. Love that venison! We haven't bought ground beef in years. Last fall, DH got two deer so we had 130 pounds of ground venison. Perfect for burgers, chili, hamburger helper, meatloaf...anything, really.

 

[HunnyPots]

Beans and cornbread!
A pound of dry pinto beans is about .77 and a ham hock for seasoning is about .50. I make my cornbread from scratch so it is very cheap. I can feed six for under $2!

 

[gigi1313]

i almost feel extravagant w/my hot dogs cut up and boiled w/ramaan noodles... my dh/ds' fave!

 

[luvmy3]

The big bag of Krusteez pancake mix at Sams is $5 or $6 and would yield more per dollar...if you're looking for that type of info.



I like to heat olive oil in a big skillet...throw in some chopped onion...add a little minced garlic....thawed frozen spinanch...add cooked spaghetti and toss with a little more olive oil. MMMMMmmmm

That sounds so good I think I'm going to try it. Dh hates pasta night so I need a way to jazz it up, thanks!


My cheapest meal is also pasta, $1 for a box, $1.25 for sauce and $2 for a loaf of garlic bread for a family of 5.

Chili mac is another cheap meal because I split the chili into two dinners and use 1 box of elbows between the two.
Another is BBQ chicken legs and salad.

 

[deerhart]

pancakes (home made) and scrambled eggs

eggs $0.88 or less for the eggs I use, flour is like $0.10 for the amount used, and milk is lik $0.20 for the amount used.

other then that, $2 or less for spaghetti and spaghetti sauce. Sometimes that is as low as $1.50 if I have coupons for the spaghetti. I also don't use all the sauce (2/3rds) or the spaghetti (about half the box) so I do have some left over (like to make pizza the next day). So it could be even less.

Peanut butter and jelly is a kids favorite as well with fresh banana as the side. Bread is $0.14 for two slices, peanut butter is about $0.03 per serving, jelly is about $0.02 per serving, and bananas are $0.20 per serving, for a total of $0.39 per kid!

 

[DisneyPolve]

A frozen bag of El Monterey cheese and beef chimichangas $1.99, one onion 0.50 and one can of hot dog chili sauce 0.50. half bag of mexican shredded cheese (1.25)
Place chimichangas in a glass pan,cover with can of hot dog chili sauce dice onions for top the smoother with cheese place in oven for 35 minutes. Quick, cheap and yummy!

 

[Justsyd2]

I really don't do "cheap" dinners, but I guess the least expensive I do is nachos:

ground turkey
refried beans
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
shredded cheese
sour cream
salsa or pico
tortilla chips

 

[Evi]

Hrm it would only be when I'm alone I make a wonton soup. I use premade frozen chicken broth, trader joes wontons, I add to this some dried shallot slices, bean sprouts, peas or pea tendrils, sliced boston lettuce and top it with sliced scallions and cilantro. If you calculated this down to a portion it truly would be in the 1-2 $ range.

 

[disneydreamersx4]

Love all the ideas, keep 'em coming please!

Minnesota - here's the recipe for the lentils with pasta (taken right from the bag of dry lentils

Serves 4
1/2 lb. dry lentils
1/4 lb. smoked ham or sausage (I don't usually add this but you could also use deli ham sliced thick and then cut up or bacon)
2 tbsp olive oil (or any kind you have)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stalk celery chopped (I didn't have it)
one can of chicken broth or bouillon cube
4 cups water
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 pound thin spaghetti

In a medium saucepan, heat oil. Stir in ham, onion, celery and garlic until tender. Add lentils and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender (usually 45 minutes) and soup gets thick. I usually add another cup of water near the end of cooking. Break pasta into 4 pieces then cook that to add to the cooked lentils.
Enjoy!

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Hrm it would only be when I'm alone I make a wonton soup. I use premade frozen chicken broth, trader joes wontons, I add to this some dried shallot slices, bean sprouts, peas or pea tendrils, sliced boston lettuce and top it with sliced scallions and cilantro. If you calculated this down to a portion it truly would be in the 1-2 $ range.

Are their wontons frozen? That sounds yummy.