$5 Dinners Week of 10/24 $4.74 Average Cost

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! I shop the grocery sales each week. Then I plan my menu based on the foods I have already at home (at a great price). I balance more expensive meals with less expensive ones. We typically only cook a main dish 4 or 5 times a week. Each main dish cooked will serve 4-6, 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!

Our freezer has been full, so we haven’t been able to freeze leftovers like we usually do. Needless to say that’s left us eating the same meals 2 or 3 times each week and we haven’t gotten to several things on our menus recently. I’m reposting them this week.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup (eaten like a dip)
1 lb. chicken pulled @ 1.29
1 can generic rotel @ $.50
1 cup mild salsa @ $.94
1/2 cup dry black beans (prepared in advance) @ .14
garlic & cumin
1 cup sour cream @ .83
1/2 cup shredded cheddar @ .25
1 small sweet onion diced @ .30
1/2 red onion diced@ .24
Tortilla Chips @ .50
Total Cost $4.99

Garlic Pork Chops, Baked Potatoes, Sweet Peas and Corn, toast
1 lb. pork chops @ 1.47
3 large potatoes @ .80
butter, cheese and bacon bits for the potatoes @ .20
1 can sweet peas @ .58
1 can corn @ .58

4 slices of bread for toast @ .16
total cost: $3.78

Salmon, broccoli w/cheese, pineapple, mashed potatoes
1 lb salmon @ 4.99
1 cup broccoli @ .64
mashed potatoes @ .50

butter, milk, garlic salt for potatoes @ .05
1 can pineapple @ .76
Total Cost $6.94

Grilled Pork Ribs, Seasoned Potato Slices, Green Beans and Apples Slices
1 lb. country style pork ribs @ 1.67
4 small potatoes @ .50
1 can green beans @ .25
2 apples @ .80
Total Cost: $3.24

Taco Salad, Corn, Apples, Chips and Cheese Dips
1 lb. ground turkey @ 1.67
taco seasoning @ free
tomato @ .60
tortilla chips @ .25
cheese and rotel for dip @ 1.31
lettuce @ .11
leftover corn @ free
2 sliced apples @ .80
Total Cost $4.74

Average cost of the meals we’re cooking this week: $4.74

This post is part of Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.