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This is WAY too much meat for one meal for our family! Lucky for me…I’ve got Skillet Taco Mac on the menu for next week…so I used half tonight and froze the other half for later next week! Saves $$$ and makes next week’s meal easier to prepare and with LESS DISHES!
Can you see the butter melting as it falls off the sides??? This is the BEST time of year for corn! Tonight I substituted lettuce for a orange bell pepper ($.75 at a farmer’s market, used half of it!).
Ingredients
3/4 lb Ground beef, shredded chicken or ground turkey ($1.26)
Taco Seasoning Packet (free or $.45)
Taco Shells or Corn Tortillas ($.50)**
1/2 – 1 cup lettuce, shredded ($.25)
1/2 tomato, chopped ($.50 or free from garden!)
1/2 onion, chopped ($.30)
Salsa ($.40)
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese ($.42)
3-4 Corn Cobs ($.75-$1)
**Recent deal on Old El Paso makes this meal cheaper than normal!
3/4 lb Ground beef, shredded chicken or ground turkey ($1.26)
Taco Seasoning Packet (free or $.45)
Taco Shells or Corn Tortillas ($.50)**
1/2 – 1 cup lettuce, shredded ($.25)
1/2 tomato, chopped ($.50 or free from garden!)
1/2 onion, chopped ($.30)
Salsa ($.40)
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese ($.42)
3-4 Corn Cobs ($.75-$1)
**Recent deal on Old El Paso makes this meal cheaper than normal!
Directions
1. Cook meat. Add taco seasoning. Place meat into taco shells/tortillas. Top with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, salsa and cheese.
2. Boil corn cobs 5-7 minutes.
Cost $4.83
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Like your site. I have been reading some of your good recipes. I do wonder why you would boil your corn so very long? You are boiling all the flavor out. Try this: bring your water to a boil, add your corn, as soon as it returns to a rapid boil remove. Give it a try!! Most people don’t know you can also eat corn raw!!! Try it one night, but make sure it is fresh….3 day old corn from a chain store is not good raw it is starchy. But either way try not to over boil it. Thanks for the great recipies. Sorry I don’t have a blog to share with you
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Thanks for your tip! I had NO idea it could be eaten raw! I just got some from a farmer’s market this afternoon. We shall try it tomorrow! Hopefully it will still be fresh. I will also try not boiling it so long. I guess I usually turn it on, forget about it as I go tend to the little ones and come back and turn it off when I think about it! I will have to pay more attention!
Thanks!
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I found a great recipe for Lentil tacos, made very similarly to your recipe above – they are fantastic, and it really doesn’t taste that different than beef. Half a package of lentils will make a huge amount of taco “meat”, and it is a great cost savings too.
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Another great healthy and money-saving tip for tacos is to mix in a can or two of beans (kidney or black). The taco seasoning seasons the beans the same as the meat, you get more protein, less fat, and lower price! As an added bonus, my kids and husband don’t really notice or care!
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Excited to try this one tonight!
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I live in Indiana, so I feel the need to share another tip for corn.
Leave it in the husk and put the husks on a baking sheet. Roast them in the oven at 350 for about a half hour. Then take the husks off and voila, perfect corn every time with very little fuss, and tons of nutrients. Plus it gets a special flavor from the roasting and all the sweet corn juice being locked inside the husk to steam.
In the fall, when we are REPLETE with corn, I make about 30 or 40 ears this way and freeze them to use all winter long. They never last that long, though!!
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HI I WAS WONDERING IF THE 5 DOLLARS WAS WITH ALL OF THE COUPONS AND WHERE DO YOU SHOP AT ALSO? I AM ONLY COOKING FOR A FAMILY OF 2 BUT WE STILL ARE HAVING TIGHT MONEY PROBLEMS AND EVERYTHING. SO THIS IDEA IS ALSO GREAT FOR A FAMILY LIKE US. THANKS SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS FOR FAMILIES OUT THERE EVERYWHERE…
THANKS AMBER
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Is there by any chance a website online that you can also get coupons from other then the newspaper?
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I haven’t found a single site that offers all of the same coupons. However, you can google an item your looking for with coupon to find some. You can also find some on http://www.eversave.com or just buy the Sunday paper for about $1.50 at a gas station or supermarket. You make more than that back in savings.
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moneysavingmom.com and hip2save are also good places to get coupons.
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Good recipe. I can’t get any type of ground meat for that price up here. The cheapest I have ever seen ground meat is $1.88 a pound.
I make corn by filling a pot full of cold water and adding a tablespoon each of sugar and lemon juice (I just estimate though and throw in extra if it is early in the corn season), then put the corn cobs in. Bring to boil and let boil for about 5-6 minutes. This makes the best corn on the cob and even makes early corn taste good.
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hi i really wanna know how you find food so cheap and were do you find coupons i go to the coupon sites and they all have the same thing i get coupons from the paper but really is it just more expensive were i live. please if anyone can give me advice.
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For Corn I cook in a skillet with a lid and about 3″ of water turning the corn after the water comes to a boil and then turning it off and covering it. Then I drain the water.
I butter and salt the corn in the pan turning the corn so the butter covers. I find I can butter all the ears with about 1/3 or less the amount that would be used at the table. I can also control the salt this way. If we are short on butter I do 1/2 butter and 1/2 olive oil. If I have fresh dill in the garden I use that and cut the salt in half.
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Where are you getting meat for $1.68 a lb? The cheapest I can get ground beef in New England is $1.99 a lb and that’s for 75/25 meat. When it cooks down there is almost no meat in the pan.
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Erin Reply:
July 21st, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I live in Ohio…prices are definitely lower than other parts of the country. It’s actually on sale this week for $1.28/lb! It is the 75/25, but I rinse it well after draining!
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we LOVE fresh corn and just a month ago it was .20 an ear. the way we cook it at our home is to pull off the hair but leave the husk on. put the entire ear in the microwave for 3 minutes. we only do 1 at a time and there are 4 of us, so i put the corn in a warm oven while I microwave the other 3 ears one at a time. when you pull off the husk, the corn is warm, juicy, sweet and very nutritious….yummy!
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For our corn I add it to a pot of cold water seasoned with some salt & some garlic & herb then bring it to a boil. After the soft boil starts remove from the heat & cover. let set for 15 or 20 mins while you finish the rest of the meal. You will have the best corn every time. No fuss! You can get good beef for $1.50 a lb if you buy from the farmer then get it processed. By the time everything is added up it is like $2.00 lbs but that is for everything even your T-Bone steaks or Prime ribs which can be over $6.00 in a store. Dont buy through the Butcher! Go to the farmer! Then have Butcher process it!
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I realize the taco seasoning costs very little, if any, but if you want great taco flavor with absolutely no additives, here’s a recipe:
1 T chili powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp each:
ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, powdered oregano, sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Makes 3 T of seasoning mix which is equal in strength to a 1/4 ounce pkg of commercial seasoning mix.
I add 2/3 cups water with this mix and ground beef and cook to desired consistency.
Delicious!
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Hi,
where does everyone find this cheap meat and free taco seasoning>? On sale I am lucky to find ground beef on sale for less than two bucks, average price is about 2.50. I’m in ND which is where a lot of cows come from so don’t know why the meat is so pricey. And free taco seasoning? Again, I’m lucky if I can find a packet for less than a dollar. Just wondering where all these deals can be found.
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@steve,
Ground beef and chuck are regularly on sale for $1.29 -1.79/lb around here. I only buy it when its on sale. As for free taco seasoning, when you match a $1 sale price with a coupon that doubles to $1, then the taco seasoning is free!
Erin
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You all are lucky to get ground beef (or any groceries) so cheap … it’s 5.50-5.79/lb for ground beef up here in Alaska… We’re having tacos for dinner tonight and it was a 25.00 purchase for everything needed in one meal. Although I don’t think we’ll ever get a 5.00 meal up here – I still love the site! Great tips and very enjoyable to read.
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Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
@Kristina,
WOW! That’s crazy expensive! We have good friends who just moved to Alaska and she’s told me how expensive most things are up there! Just do the best you can and save whenever possible!!!
Erin
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Kristina Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
@Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom,
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Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
@Kristina,
I would LOVE all the fresh seafood up there! Enjoy it! And I’d love to visit Alaska sometime!!!
I make this recipe with ground turkey instead. I pay $1 for a 1lb roll. It sound weird buying turkey from a tube, but it’s healthier and tastes just as good.
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Have you ever made taco meat in the crock pot? A couple of weeks ago I tried it. The point was to save time and a make a big batch, but the surprise was how tender the meat turned out! I was at home, so I “browned” it in the crock pot. After 30-45 minutes I drained the fat. Then added the seasonings and water. Use less liquid than you would on the stove! I cooked it on High for several hours. If there is too much liquid, crack the lid for 30 minutes or so on High. Enjoy
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Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom Reply:
October 16th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
@Wendy,
I haven’t Wendy, but sounds delish! I usually brown ground beef before using it in the crockpot, but put other cuts of beef straight in.
I’ll remember this next time I make taco meat. Would work great for making a large batch of taco meat, I imagine!
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