What is the cheapest meal you make that isn't breakfast food?

[kymom99]

This wasn't even the cheapest way to go, but yesterday I had a tray of pork loin chops that I bought for $7.00 and some change for 9 pieces. You can get the whole loin cheaper than that when they are on sale, but really, less than $1.00 for a protein like that is fine by me. There are 3 of us, so that is 3 meals. I baked 3 potatoes and had a jar of our green beans canned from the garden. So I would say about $2.00 per person.

 

[BLAZEY]

Chili on rice or a baked potato. I buy canned beans and tomatoes on sale and stock up, so usually $0.60-$0.75 per can. A package of ground beef, or sometimes I will collect all the leftover bits of ground beef that I have cooked & frozen from other meal like tacos etc and use them. Then I put them in the crockpot with spices and voila Chili!. Make some rice, and I have dinner and lunch for the next day.

 

[andiraye]

Probably pasta with sauce (made from two cans of tomatoes, onion and garlic) and mozzarella.

I agree with the PP about chili. I make chili with 1lb turkey meat, half a head of broccoli, half a head of cauliflower and a few carrots and it feeds 4 of us for two nights.

 

[Minnesota!]

Boil spaghetti noodles

In skillet, throw in some balsamic (or Italian dressing, if you don't have balsamic) dressing and some butter. When butter is melted, toss in 1 large chopped onion and carmelize.

When noodles are almost done, toss a package of frozen spinach in.

Drain noodles/spinach.

Toss onion/balsamic/butter mix into noodles/spinach.

Top with any cheese you have.

Noodles - $1 or less
Spinach - $1 or less
Onion - .50, maybe
Italian dressing - probably have on hand, otherwise, less than $2
cheese - negligible

It would be good with leftover meat/other veggies tossed in, too.

 

[Mickfarland4]

That's a really hard question. I don't usually break my meals down by cost but I think I will start. I know tomorrow's meal will be cheap. I'm making perogies. A bag of russet potatoes was $1.99 for 5 pounds. I'll flavor them with with bacon, sour cream, white cheddar (an amazing deal at $3.50 a pound!) and green onions. Pasta sheets are just eggs, olive oil, and flour bought in bulk at Sam's. Toss in some kielbasa and sauteed onions and salad. This batch of perogies should make at least 3 meals for my family of 5. I plan to freeze them in meal portions.

would you mind sharing the exact recipe? everyone in my family will actually eat them!

 

[Mickfarland4]

Chicken Tacos! Once a month I throw about 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot with 2 packs of taco seasoning then fill with water. Once cooked I shred the chicken and use it for chicken tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, burritos, etc. One pot usually makes us 3-4 meals depending on how I break it down, I freeze it in 3-4 bags and takes no time to thaw in the microwave when needed.

I buy most mexican meal ingredients in bulk and I can throw something together all the time. I always keep refried beans, salsa, sour cream, tortillas, taco shells, shredded cheese, enchilada sauce, green chilis, etc. in the house.

I also love these, but, we add a jar of salsa to the crockpot. YUM! And my favorite is Chicken fajitas made in the oven.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

15 bean soup. $1.00 for the bag of beans ( on sale) add ham scraps and an sautéed onion. Feeds us at least 2 meals on probably $3 worth of ingredients.

 

[neatokimmo]

The cheapest meal I make is lentils and rice. Our grocery outlet has red lentils for 33 cents a bag. I get rice in huge sacks from SAMs. You cut up an onion, fresh garlic, and dice carrots super fine. I cook that with a couple of pieces of bacon, then mix in cooked lentils and cooked rice. I add in Tabasco to taste.

 

[neatokimmo]

We do home made pizza too. I use this crust recipe http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20171/quick-and-easy-pizza-crust/

I do all sorts of variations. Sun dried tomato pesto (aldi under $2) and grilled chicken (I grill it in bulk, dice it and freeze it) less than $2 pp.

Once a year we can get del monte garlic and basil diced canned tomatoes for 50 cents. A can of that drained really well instead of sauce with spinach and pepperoni is super cheap (get the pepperoni at SAMs, divide it and freeze it).

No sauce ham and fresh spinach is good too. I am not sure it is legally pizza anymore but you can use a seasoned mustard sparingly as the "sauce" next to the crust.

 

[worm761]

I rarely cook from an actual recipe. Pasta sheets are 1 cup flour, 1 egg, 1 Tbsp oil. The filler is just mashed potatoes. I loaded mine. I had some bacon in the fridge, sour cream, cheddar, and green onions from the pot outside. Roll your pasta sheets thin, put a dab of potatoes (like a tablespoon), then either fold your pasta in half or lay another sheet over it. Use a cookie cutter or a cup to press, seal, and cut the perogies. I blanch mine and then fry them in a pan until crispy. Ravioli is pretty much the same thing with different filler but I don't fry them. I boil until the pasta is done and serve with tomato sauce and a salad.

 

[worm761]

would you mind sharing the exact recipe? everyone in my family will actually eat them!

See above. I forgot to add the quote to it.

 

[frannn]

I made a soup the other day that was cheap & delicious- 4 cups of beef broth, 1 can of tomato paste, 1 can of corn, 1 zucchini, 1 lb chopped sausage, 1 onion, green beans or any other veggie on sale. This cost about $10, and 4 of us ate for dinner, plus I took for lunch twice. I could've added potatoes or rice and stretched it more. Also inexpensive is curry chicken. I use a large package of chicken breasts (on sale 1.99/lb), a package of Taste of India Butter Chicken Curry paste, 1 can of peas, 1 can of potatoes, sour cream. This costs about $11 for dinner for 4 and a lunch for 2 people.

 

[Brancaneve]

Red beans & rice. Delicious, filling, nutritious (add canned tomatoes and whatever leftover veggies you have around), flavorful.

Do you mind sharing your recipe? Thank you!


NEVER MIND........scrolled down and found it!

 

[Jankam]

Sorry I missed your message! I use the Goya pink beans recipe on the can!!

Do you mind sharing your recipe? Thank you!


NEVER MIND........scrolled down and found it!

 

[mrsheppo]

I went to Sam's Club yesterday to pick up a few things and I found some pub style hamburger patties. They are 1/3 lb each and 10 per box. I paid $.51 a box and $2.50 for buns and served with fries for dinner. It cost less than $1.00 per person for dinner last night. I bought a whole case of those burgers yesterday. Cost me $4.08.

 

[pjlla]

I went to Sam's Club yesterday to pick up a few things and I found some pub style hamburger patties. They are 1/3 lb each and 10 per box. I paid $.51 a box and $2.50 for buns and served with fries for dinner. It cost less than $1.00 per person for dinner last night. I bought a whole case of those burgers yesterday. Cost me $4.08.

How did you manage that?? 10 burgers for 51 cents???!! That must have been some crazy sale/coupon combo! I'm impressed! .......P

 

[smiths02]

Chili, Taco Soup, Spaghetti with meat sauce...I use ground venison which my FIL gives to us. Now, by the time he pays for all his hunting stuff and meat processing, it is REALLY expensive meat, but it's free for us!
I also make venison cube steak with onion gravy and my MILs canned green beans (and some mashed potatoes). Again, since I don't have to buy the venison or green beans, I'm just buying mashed potatoes, onion, flour, and a little bit of bacon, it is a cheap meal! In the fall, we can add some apples from my ILs apple tree---and the meal is actually pretty balanced and nutritious.

 

[mrsheppo]

How did you manage that?? 10 burgers for 51 cents???!! That must have been some crazy sale/coupon combo! I'm impressed! .......P

I didn't even see the price at the time I bought them. It wasn't posted. The clerk said something about what a great buy I was getting on the burgers. When I saw what the price was, I sent my DH back to get the remainder of the case. I shared some with my DD's family.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I'm Puerto Rican so rice and beans in many different variations is on our menu 2-3 times a week. We do add veggies and some kind of meat too. The meat can be stewed, fried, baked or broiled. Also plantains or pasteles or empanadas.

I don't do this regularly but it is a craving I get. Rice and beans with a fried egg. It's what we ate as kids when times were rough. And every once in a while it just hits the spot.

Another cheap meal I do for dinner is grilled cheese and tomato soup.