I have been making this stew ever since my children were very young. It is savory and delicious, and it is quite healthy. One time, I remember having relatives over one day for supper, and I served this with crackers. Their young children wouldn’t even taste it. They were used to consuming pretty, processed foods and eating at fast food restaurants. I had to make them peanut butter sandwiches instead! Sad.

My own children still enjoy it very much. For us, it is a staple dinner that is both healthy and delicious. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Splurge Alert!

Over the summer I’d stop at the local traveling farmer’s market in my town.  It comes through every Thursday through the summer, and I look for the sign every week (as I can’t remember when it starts back up.  May, likely?!) on Thursdays when I take Charlie to school.

There are many days when I just which we had more grocery budget money to spend on the grass-feds and the all-naturals and the free-ranges, etc.  We do get farm fresh eggs, and I do buy as many packages of all-natural meats/poultry as I can squeeze into our $75/week budget.  This chorizo being one of the all-natural, homemade sausage that I bought from the Amish farmer that come to the traveling farmer’s market in our town. (You can see that it’s $4.95/lb!)

My hope is that this summer the garden harvest is plentiful and I don’t have to buy as much produce from the market or store…leaving more wiggle room for these more expensive meats.

But even with the more expensive meats, I will still apply the overall concept of $5 Dinners!

Pair the expensive ingredients with inexpensive ingredients to keep the overall cost of the meal as low as possible.  Like this…

If you are ever in need of an UBER frugal meal, here you go!

Not only was this quite tasty, dinner really doesn’t get much cheaper than this. 

And we had leftovers.  Which will probably end up in a tortilla with some salsa!

Again, thanks to Gayle at the Grocery Cart Challenge for leading me to this great recipe!

Note: When I pulled this from the oven, before adding the cheese, it occurred to me that this would be a fantastic and healthful baby food recipe.  Puree the cooked lentils and rice for younger babies, or mush with fork for older babies, or feed as is for “table food” babies!

Ingredients
3 cups broth (chicken or vegetable) (free if homemade)
3/4 cups green lentils, although any color will do ($.30)
1/2 cup brown rice ($.20)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped ($.15)
2 tsp Italian seasoning ($.10)
1 tsp garlic powder ($.05)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese ($.85) Bought last week when on sale for $1.25 and had a $.45 coupon! Of course, omit if dairy-free.
2 large broccoli heads ($.40) HUGE sale this week!

Variations: This could be jazzed up with spaghetti sauce, salsa, BBQ sauce, parmesan cheese.  Whatever suits you!

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300.
2. Add broth, lentils, brown rice, chopped onion, and spices to 9×13-inch glass baking dish. Stir together and cover tightly with foil.
3. Bake at 300 for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
4. Remove foil and sprinkle shredded cheese over the top and return to oven and bake uncovered for 20 more minutes, or until cheese is completely melted.
5. Steam broccoli in stovetop steamer or in a microwavable dish covered with plastic wrap for 4-5 mintues.
6. Serve Lentil and Brown Rice Casserole with Steamed Broccoli.

Cost $2.05

P.S. I do believe this meal is now the CHEAPEST meal I’ve ever made!

Ingredients
1 cup white or brown rice ($.20-$.40)
1 cup lentils, any color ($.30)
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles ($.37) Purchased on sale with coupon!
1 tsp garlic powder ($.05)
1 tsp ground cumin ($.10)
Salt/pepper
6-8 tortillas ($.69-$1) Use corn to stay GF!
1 cup shredded cheese ($.83)
2 boxes frozen spinach ($1.50) On sale this week, plus coupon!

Directions
1. Cook rice. In saucepan, bring 2.5 cups of water or chicken broth to boil.  Add 1 cup of white or brown rice.  Return to boil.  Cover and reduce heat to simmer.  For white rice, cook for 20 minutes.  For brown rice, cook for 50 minutes.
2. Cook lentils.  In saucepan, add 1 cup of lentils plus water to cover lentils by an inch.  Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until lentils are soft.  Drain any excess water.
3. Combine rice, lentils and can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles. Stir in garlic powder, ground cumin, salt and pepper.

4. Lay tortillas (corn or flour…whichever you prefer!) out and spoon rice/lentil mixture into the tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese and roll up. Place burritos in 8×8 baking dish.
5. Place lentil burritos in a warm oven (250) for about 20 minutes, giving cheese time to melt. Don’t leave in too long or the tortillas will get crispy!
6. Cook spinach according to package instructions. Jazz up the spinach with a little parmesan cheese or hard boiled egg!
7. Serve Lentil Burritos with Spinach!

Cost $4.04

Print the Recipe

So I totally wasn’t thinking that yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday when I made my menu plan last week! We were set to have lentils and rice. I jazzed it up as best I could!

Spicy Lentil Chili

Ingredients
1 cup green lentils ($.25)
1/2 cup split peas ($.15)
4 cups water
3 cloves garlic, crushed ($.10)
5 green onions ($.40)
1 can Rotel ($.37)
Salt/Pepper
1 cup uncooked brown rice ($.40)
Guacamole ($2-3) (optional garnish)

Directions
1. In large saucepan, bring water to boil. Add lentils and split peas. Return to boil and reduce to medium high heat and cook for 30 minutes, until lentils and split peas are soft. As the lentils are cooking, add Rotel, crushed garlic, diced green onions and some salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cook 1 cup brown rice with 2.5 cups of water. Bring water to boil. Add rice and return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 50 minutes.
3. Serve spicy lentil chili over brown rice. Top with homemade guacamole.

Cost $3.67

We really liked this spicy lentil chili!

This recipe can now be found exclusively in The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook.

Thank you Gayle for pointing me to this recipe! Rice + Lentils = Complete Protein, and a cheap one too!

Ingredients
1 cup rice, uncooked ($.20)
1 cup green lentils, uncooked ($.50)
1/2 of an onion, finely chopped ($.20)
1 small can Muir Glen tomato paste (free!) Watch for Muir Glen tomato paste to go on sale for less than a $1 and then use $1 coupon.
1 packet Taco Seasoning, or The Frugal Mom’s Taco Seasoning ($.50) I omitted the flour in Donna’s recipe!
1 bag corn or flour tortillas ($.69-$1.29) I used corn to keep it gluten free.
1 cup shredded cheese ($.75) Omit if GFCF!
Salsa or sour cream or other favorite Mexican garnish ($.50)
1/2 bag Cascadian Farm frozen corn ($.75)
GF Chocolate Chip Cookies ($.32)

Directions
1. Bring 2 1/4 of water to a boil. Add 1 cup of rice. Return to boil. Then reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes until rice is done.
2. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 cup lentils. Cook lentils in 4 cups of water for 20-30 minutes until tender. Drain off excess water.
3. Combine cooked rice and lentils in large saucepan. Add tomato paste + 2 tomato paste cans worth of water. Stir through. Add onions, seasoning packet or spices. Let simmer about 10 minutes. Check on it to make sure it doesn’t get too “dry”.
4. Spoon lentil-rice mixture into tortilla. Add shredded cheese. Wrap up burrito style!
4. Cook frozen corn as directed. Serve as side dish or inside the burrito.
5. Have cookies for dessert!

Cost $4.41

Ingredients
1 cup lentils ($.50)
2.5 cups water
1 t salt
1/4 cup apple juice ($.15)
1/4 cup cider vinegar ($.15)
1/4 cup brown sugar ($.15)
1 clove garlic ($.05)
1/2 onion, chopped, sauteed ($.30)
1 cup rice ($.20)
1 Zucchini ($.79)
1-2 T EVOO ($.10)

Directions
1. Cook lentils in water with salt. Bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes, until soft.
2. When lentils are cooked, add apple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic and onion. Mix well and heat through until bubbly.
3. Cook 1 cup rice with 2.5 cups water.
4. Slice zucchini and saute in EVOO until tender.
5. Serve lentils over rice. (Rice + Lentils = Complete Protein! Gotta love cheap protein!)

Cost $2.39
This is a CHEAP as it gets!!! Enjoy the meal and the bargain!