$5 Dinners Week of 12/12 $4.90 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!

BBQ Sandwiches, Baked beans, Apples
1 lb. pulled pork @ 1.99
2 cans pork and beans @ 1
brown sugar and BBQ sauce @ .20
bread (for buns) @ .32
2 apples @ .80
Total Cost: $4.31

Lemon Pepper Pork Chops, Baked Potatoes, Sweet Peas and toast
1 lb. pork chops @ 1.47
3 potatoes @ .80
butter, sour cream, cheese and bacon bits for the potatoes @ .40
1 can sweet peas @ .58

4 slices of bread for toast @ .16
total cost: $3.40

Chicken Quesadillas, pineapples, cheese dip and chips
8 tortillas @ .40
1 can rotel @ .77
velveeta for dip @ 1.00
chips @ .25
3/4 lb. chicken pulled @ .97
shredded cheeses (fiesta blend) @ 3.00
1 can pineapples @ .83
Total Cost: $7.24

Rainbow Pasta and Garlic Chicken
3/4 lb. garlic chicken @ .97
8 oz shredded mozzarella @ 1.50
minced garlic, pepper, basil, garlic salt @ .10
8 oz. softened cream of cheese @ 2 (complete guess at store brand price)
1 cup chicken broth (made from a bullion cube) @ .05
1 bag rainbow pasta @ 1.29
Total Cost: $5.90

Pigs in a Blanket (smoked sausage), Fruit Cocktail, Green Beans
1 can crescent rolls @ 1.43
1 smoked sausage @ 1.00
1 can fruit cocktail @ .78
1 can green beans @ .45
Total Cost: $3.66

Average cost of the meals we’re cooking this week: $4.90.

This post is part of Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.