does anyone know of any cheap dinners to plan for a family of 5 on a budget, besides hot dogs?

Question

i'm triing to save money on groceries since things are sort of tight at the moment but need to feed the kids something good but cheap for an entire week

Answer 1

Pasta

Answer 2

we called this rissoto-ish Take about a 1/2 cup of rice per person. stir fry it around in some butter or margerine with onion if you have it . Now look in the fridge for the odd bit of meat. Grate lunch meat so it is unrecognisable. This is the time to use up those dried up bits that are good but not really up to standing alone. Get out the carrots, bit ofcanned peas from night before last and any leftover cheese. Look in drawers for the parmasan that might have come with the take out pizza. Find some bullion cubes usually about one per cup of rice. add water a cup at a time and start with the most dried out of food and toss in the canned stuff last. Serve it on the fancy plates. It will feed an army and is not too bad for them, plus you get a clean fridge. good luck, you will look back on these times and smile ten years from now.

Answer 3

I grew up in a house on a budget too and here is some of what we did and it was all tasty and we didn't go hungry.The amounts are not exact and we always did it on the fly so to speak and of course do it to your taste.

You can make a great meatloaf and/or a supply of hamburger pattys doing the following.

Enough chopped chuck (the cheapest) for your family, probably about 2 or 3 pounds or more.. Add two or three raw eggs (acts as a nutritious binder), 2 cups milk to maintain moisture, leftover or stale bread such as white bread (used as an extender), salt, black pepper to taste, one chopped onion and a dash or two of A1 or Worcestershire sauce. Also add in some chopped celery if you have it.Mix thoroughly and form into a loaf for baking and bake at recommended temperature until done.

Any leftover meatloaf can be refrigerated and made into sandwiches the next day and tastes even better. So get enough chopped beef chuck as possible to do not only the meatloaf and hamburger pattys but have enough metloaf leftover for cold meatloaf sandwiches the next day.

Note; When you make enough of this meatloaf mixture, it is really easy and convenient seperate a portion of it and form into hamburger pattys for freezing and frying for another meal. You can add and/or substitute whatever other spices you may have handy.

For either the meatloaf or hamburger dinners boil a bunch of small hard red or white potatoes with skin on and pick another frozen or canned veggie, make a salad on the side. This is very tasty and cheap to make.

Also consider spaghetti with a prepared spaghetti sauce like Ragu and meatballs using any variation of the above for the meatballs.You may want to add some fresh garlic or garlic powder and dried basil to the sauce to punch it up and make it tastier.

Chicken is always quite cheap and nutritous. Cook the varioua cuts any way you like and serve with a side of stovetop stuffing and a favorite veggie or/or rice. You can vary flavors by using the cheaper house brands of vinegar based salad dressing such as Italian. Use it as a marinade prior to cooking. Works great!

Get a couple of pounds of cubed beef chuck and saute in butter, margarine, or canola oil in a deep pot. When beef cubes are seared and brown add sufficient water and all of your favorite veggies such as carrots, potatoes, stringbeans, onions, peas etc. and your favorite seasonings. Simmer for a few hours and when done you will have a stew good to feed the family and probably have enough leftover to refrigerate or freeze for another meal or two.. Add some egg noodles too to make it go even further.

Hope this helps. It worked in our house.

Answer 4

Shepherd's Pie.

Brown some ground beef, put in in a casserole dish.
Then layer some veggies (frozen or fresh are best, you could used canned veggies) I like green beans, peas, corn, carrots, etc.
Then add a layer of cheese.
Top it off with a thick layer of mashed potatoes.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through. It's a hearty meal that doesn't have to cost a lot. The leftovers are good too.

Answer 5

I plan my budgets around the meat that is on sale that week.
The necessities to buy 20 pounds of potatoes(this is a great filler and can be used 100's of ways for each meal), 2 pounds onions, 4 loafs of bread, what ever else is on sale in the store such as pasta and veggies
If its hamburger..
Hamburger Gravy and Mashed Potatoes, Burritos (buy them in the dairy aisle under 2.00 for about 15 of them) Meatballs and Baked potatoes, Meatloaf, Hamburger Shepherds pie, Pizza burgers with home fries

A large ham on sale will easily give you 3 meals, Baked ham the first night, Ham and scalped potatoes, Ham and Bean Soup, Cold pasta salad with ham,Chop the rest of the ham for ham salad.

Just a couple ideas, I use to feed my family of 4 on 40.00 a week and learned to be creative

Answer 6

Ok I am very good at budgeting since I have a family of 5 also. Here are a few things we eat on a regualar basis. Sloppy joes, bean burriots, tacos, spaghetti, grilled cheese and tomato soup, baked or broiled chicken breasts, wiener wraps, lean pork chops, kelbolka sausage with fried potatos, french dips. I hope this helps you some. Good luck.

Answer 7

tuna/noodle bake
12oz bag noodles cooked by pkg directions
2 cans tuns in water drained well
2 ribs celery chopped well
1 med onion chopped well
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 soup can of milk
pkg frozen peas thawed
1 1/2 c yur fav cheese divided
mis all together in 2 qt bakin dish ecxept fer the cheese put 1/2 c on top bake fer 35-45 min in 350 oven serve with garlic bread an strawberry jello with lots of berries added an cool whip..

Answer 8

Here's one of my good ones!
Cinch-a-ladas!
Ground beef with enchalada sauce simmered.
Layer Dorito's Spiceier Nacho chips, the prepared meat, & cheese in a baking dish.
Put into oven for about 10 minutes or until the chips soften up.
Serve with chips & salsa!
OLE!
takes about 35 minutes from start to finish & in my area,feeds a family of 4 for about $17

Answer 9

Pasta, Tacos, Mac and Cheese, Ramen Noodles
Just buy everything in the generic, and get the Sunday Paper for Coupons

Answer 10

Chicken pot pie made with Bisquick and left over chicken.
I buy what is on sale and make a menu around that. Coupons help too, but I mostly make the menu around the sales.
Spaghetti without meat only marina sauce
Hamburger gravy over toast (or mashed potatoes)
Tuna patties (like salmon patties but tuna)
Taco salad ( more chips and salad than meat.)
Hope this helps.