$5.00 Dinners Week of 11/15 Average Cost $4.24 including DQ!

My goal is to provide dinner for my family for an average of $5 except on special occasions. We don’t have to eat beans and rice to accomplish this goal! We typically only cook a main dish 4 or 5 times a week, so each main dish cooked will be for 4-6 servings, and the leftovers will be for easy dinners on the weekend, or to freeze for another week. This cuts down on cleaning, cooking, and meal planning- saving us lots of time!

Tortilla Soup (variation from a recipe by my friend who blogs at Simple Purpose) 
1 lb. chicken pulled @ 1.68
1 can rotel @ $.77
1 cup mild salsa @ $.94
3/4 can black beans @ .46
garlic & cumin
1 cup sour cream@ .58
1/2 cup shredded cheddar @ .25
1 small sweet onion diced @ .30?
1/2 red onion diced@ .20?
Total Cost $5.18


T.G.I. Friday’s Creamy Chicken Pasta Carbonara Skillet Sensations, sweet peas, apples, toast with cinnamon & sugar
Chicken Pasta in a bag @ .66 this was a recent super deal at Target 
1 apples @ .44
1 can sweet peas @ .25 (did you stock up on Del Monte at Target using your Qs too?)
3 slices of toast @ .18
Total Cost: $1.53

Digiorno Pizza, bananas and fruit cocktail
Pizza @ $3.50 (use $1/1 Q with RR promotion at Walgreens this week)
2 bananas @ .40
1/2 can fruit cocktail @ $.39
Total Cost: $4.39

Seasoned Baked Chicken, Fried Potato slices, green beans, fruit cocktail, toast
3/4 lb. chicken with montreal steak seasoning @ 1.26
2 medium potatoes sliced and pan fried @ .40
1 can green beans @ .25
1/2 can fruit cocktail @ .39
2 slices of toast @ .12
Total Cost: $2.42

Dairy Queen Carry Out
2 kids meals (chicken strips, fries, soda, dilly bar) @ 6.38
1 jr. buster @ 1.29
Total Cost: $7.67

Average Cost of the Meals we’re cooking this week (including DQ): $4.24

If you wonder how I get food items for free or for next to nothing, keep reading my blog. Every week I post the best grocery deals in the East Texas area so you’ll know when and where to buy food products, what coupons to use and where to find them. I’m always looking for new $5 dinners to try. If you have any recipes, please send me an e-mail (link on my sidebar)