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    $5 Dinners | Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals

    Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals and Cooking Tutorials for the Busy Home Chef

    Join Erin's 5-Ingredient Challenge in 2023

    31 Days of….

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    Sign up to receive FREE weekly emails with recipes, coupons and other money saving tips right into your inbox. Become a friend on Facebook too AND/OR join the $5 Meal Plan Family and get meal plans delivered to you each week!

    Welcome to our highly popular “31 Days of” series page! Every other month, we highlight recipes from a particular category like freezer recipes, gluten-free recipes, slow cooker meals, etc. It’s a great way to get tips and tricks for different types of meals, plus you’ll have several dozen recipes in each series to add to your recipe stash!

    Check out all of our “31 Days of” series…

    • 31 Days of School Lunchbox Ideas
    • 31 Days of Slow Cooker Meals
    • 31 Days of Gluten Free Meals
    • 31 Days of Freezer Cooking Recipes
    • 31 Days of Skillet Dinner Recipes
    • 31 Days of Breakfast Recipes
    • 31 Days of Budget Friendly Paleo Recipes
    • 31 Days of Grilling Recipes
    • 31 Days of 31-Minute Dinners
    • 31 Days of Chili, Soups & Stews
    • 31 Days of Holiday Sweets & Treats
    • 31 Days of Rotisserie Chicken Recipes
    • 31 Days of Healthy Snack Recipes
    • 31 Days of Summer Slow Cooker Meals
    • 31 Days of 5-Ingredient Meals
    • 31 Days of FreezEasy Meals
    • 31 Days of Kid Friendly Recipes

    2015 Series

    31 Days of School Lunchbox Ideas

    31 Days of School Lunchbox Ideas | 5DollarDinners.com

    I know how busy and intense the transition from lazy summer days at the pool to adjusting back to the 6:30 am wake up calls can be…so I thought I’d help out by sharing a different lunchbox idea each day this month.  This series also includes TWO free printables for a Complete School Lunchbox Ideas List and a Weekly Lunchbox Planner.

    See all of the School Lunchbox ideas here.

    31 Days of Slow Cooker Meals

    31 Days of Slow Cooker Meals | 5DollarDinners.com

    Welcome to our 31 Days of Slow Cooker Meals! July is a HOT month for most of us and one of my favorite ways to keep the kitchen cool in the summer is by using my slow cooker. Each day for the next 31 days, we’ll be sharing tasty and easy slow cooker recipes with you.

    See all of the slow cooker recipes here.

    31 Days of Gluten Free Meals

    31 Days of Gluten Free Meals | 5DollarDinners.com

    Welcome to our 31 Days of Gluten Free Meals here on $5 Dinners. May is Celiac Awareness Month, so we thought it appropriate to recycle our old favorite gluten free recipes (and post some new ones too!). Each morning for the next 31 days, we’ll share meal ideas with you!

    See all of the gluten free recipes here.

    31 Days of Freezer Cooking Recipes

    31 Days of Freezer Cooking Recipes | 5DollarDinners.com

    While I love being in the kitchen, I need to make my time spent cooking as efficient as possible…and how I accomplish that is with batch cooking, freezer cooking and keeping easy and quick meals or ingredients ready to go in the freezer. This month, I’ll be sharing all my favorite freezer cooking recipes, tricks, hacks and how-tos.

    See all of the freezer cooking recipes here.

    31 Days of Skillet Dinner Recipes

    31 Days of Skillet Dinner Recipes | 5DollarDinners.com

    Skillet dinners are easy to prepare, dinner can be ready and on the table in 20-30 minutes, and they can almost all be one dish dinners that include the protein, starch, and veggie all in one dish.  Join us for a month-long series on Skillet Dinner Recipes!

    See all of the skillet dinner recipes here.

    31 Days of Breakfast Recipes

    31 Days of Breakfast Recipes | 5DollarDinners.com

    It’s time to bring a little more variety into your busy weekday mornings & your leisurely weekend mornings! We’re sharing a different breakfast recipe everyday – including 15 brand new breakfast recipes on the site! We’re bringing some of our oldies and goodies back up for you to get onto the meal plan.

    See all of the breakfast recipes here.

    31 Days of Budget Friendly Paleo Recipes

    31 Days of Budget Friendly Paleo Recipes from 5DollarDinners.com

    You don’t see too many recipes floating around that are deemed ‘Budget Friendly Paleo’ – and there’s a reason for that. Starches – breads, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, pasta, etc. – tend to be the most inexpensive part of a meal. So you lose the least expensive part of a meal, and add an extra veggie or fruit. The balance for a typical $5 meal is tipped off…BUT…BUT…BUT…you can still absolutely make budget friendly Paleo meals that hit below or just above the $5 mark!

    See all of the budget friendly Paleo recipes here.

    31 Days of Grilling Recipes

    31 Days of Grilling Recipes from 5DollarDinners.com

    One of my favorite things to do when grilling is to grill the entire meal. The meat, the bread or potatoes, the veggies and even dessert. This month I’m going to be sharing all kinds of different recipes for the grill – both past recipes and new recipes. You can mix and match to make your own complete meal on the grill.

    See all of the grilling recipes here.

    31 Days of 31-Minute Dinners

    31 Days of 31 Minute Dinners from 5DollarDinners.com

    Welcome to the 31 Days series for August 2015…this series is all about getting meals on the table in under 30 minutes…start to finish.

    • No precooked ingredients.
    • No time to waste.
    • 31-Minutes…start to finish.

    You’re a busy mom or dad. You have little time to get dinner on the table. And worse, by the time dinner prep time rolls around, you are out of energy and brain space. I’m here to help.

    This month, I’m planning to teach you how to be more efficient in the kitchen and how to get a complete and balanced meal on the table in under 31 minutes.

    See all of the 31-Minute Dinner recipes here!

    31 Days of Chili, Soups & Stews

    31 Days of Soups, Chili, and Stews from 5DollarDinners.com

    As fall and winter begins, now is the perfect time to make a giant pot of soup. Warm and nourishing, soup is the ultimate meal in a bowl, and can easily be a ‘one-pot’ meal. (And most of them freeze well, too!) The following recipes are affordable, easy to make, and can easily be adjusted to feed a crowd or a simple dinner for one or two. Try one this week — your wallet and your stomach are sure to thank you.

    See all of the 31 Chili, Soup & Stew recipes here!

    31 Days of Holiday Sweets & Treats

    31 Days of Holiday Sweets and Treats

    ‘Tis the season for pounds of butter, mounds of chocolate chips and making homemade treats for your family, friends, neighbors, teachers……and who are I am kidding, ourselves too! 😉

    This December, we’ll be sharing a different Holiday Sweets & Treats recipe every day of the month…both old recipes and brand new ones as well!

    I hope these ideas help you decide which treats to make this holiday season…be it for a Cookie Exchange, tasty treats for your boss or co-workers, or just a nice gesture for a new neighbor or friend!

    See all of the 31 Holiday Sweets & Treats recipes here!

    2016 Series

    31 Days of Rotisserie Chicken Recipes

    31 Days of Rotisserie Chicken Recipes from 5DollarDinners.com

    I’m super stoked about this next 31 Days series….all about Rotisserie Chicken recipes. Or shredded chicken recipes. I’m hoping that the new and old recipes we share this month will be added to your family favorites list, and help you feel more confident in getting a quick and easy dinner on the table.

    The great thing about rotisserie chicken is that you’re starting or basing your dinner around a simple and delicious ingredient: cooked & shredded chicken.

    You’re not dealing with any raw meat. You’ve got the “most tedious part” of most shredded chicken recipes done before you start…the cooking of the chicken. Simply knowing that the chicken is pre-cooked and ready to use in the recipe is such a relief!

    See all of the 31 Rotisserie Chicken recipes here!

    31 Days of Healthy Snack Recipes

    31 Days of Healthy Snack Recipes from 5DollarDinners.com

    If you’re looking to bring new life to your afternoon snacks, you’re in the right place!

    The ideas below are fun, different and vary in “prep-level.” I’m a busy mom and know that time can be limited…especially when you’re getting home late and need to satisfy grumpy little people tummies. We’ve shared some ideas that you can make in the moment, as well as others that need a little “advanced prep time” like freeze-ahead and make-ahead.

    These ideas are a lot more imaginative than apples and peanut butter or a handful of almonds. We’ve got a great comprehensive list of healthy snack ideas to help bridge the gap between lunch and dinner.

    See all of the 31 Healthy Snack recipes here!

    31 Days of Summer Slow Cooker Meals

    31 Days of Summer Slow Cooker Recipes

    The theme for May 2016 is Summer Slow Cooker Recipes! We have compiled an amazing list of recipes – both brand new to the website and some great ones that we’ve shared in the past.

    The reason I love to slow cook in the summer is the slow cooker doesn’t add much heat to your kitchen – like a skillet/stovetop meal or oven meal would.  And, we are often gone all day playing at the pool or other outdoor activities, so coming home to cook dinner is not something I want to do.

    See all of the 31 Days of Summer Slow Cooker Meals here.

    31 Days of 5-Ingredient Meals

    31 Days of 5 Ingredient Meals from 5DollarDinners.com

    This month, I’m featuring new and archived recipes that contain 5-Ingredients or less. (Not including salt, pepper or other really popular spices that I’d expect you to have in your spice cabinet.)

    Please note: I am a “from scratch” home chef…most of the time…but in this series, I’ll be using more prepared sauces and such. When there is a homemade version for a recipe, I’ll be sure to mention it for you!

    See all of the 31 Days of 5-Ingredients Meals here.

    31 Days of FreezEasy Meals

    31 Days of FreezEasy Meals

    This August, as we endure and work hard to survive the busy back to school season, I wanted to share simple, easy freezer meals that your family will love…all coming from my new FreezEasy freezer meal plans!!!

    See all of the 31 Days of FreezEasy Meals here.

    31 Days of Kid Friendly Recipes

    31 Days of Kid Friendly Recipes from 5DollarDinners.com

    I’m sharing “FUN FOOD” that most kids would enjoy eating and making. Yes, and making!!! (More on my friend Katie’s Kids Cook Real Food online class soon!)

    I hope that you’ll show these ideas to your kids and work with them to make them together – bring food and meal prep to life for them with fun and delicious foods!

    See all of the 31 Days of Kid Friendly Recipes here.

    Stay tuned for more to come!

    5DollarDinner Meal Plans Ebooks Printables

    Looking for Meal Plans, eBooks, Free Printables, and other helpful Resources?  Check out our $5 Dinners’ Store here!

    Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions on qualifying purchases. Reviews, opinions are my own.
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    Comments

    1. DIANA McGEE says

      March 23, 2016 at 12:34 am

      You had sent an email asking for my biggest challenge with meal prep. My biggest challenge is CARBS! My doctor has ordered that I cut down on them. Many of these recipes are a little carb-heavy or not high enough in fiber or veggies. I also have to watch out for my 22 year old daughter, who has Down Syndrome and concurrent thyroid disease. So we have to concentrate on getting fresh veggies and small portions of fruit and carbs into our diet.

      My doctor has recommended a diet that is high in cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower), to remove PCB’s from the gut. Also mushrooms to keep the fungus levels healthy. Berries for their seedy roughage. Onions are good too, and lots of red and yellow veggies. Nuts and seeds are very important. So I’m looking for a way to incorporate these more into the diet. They don’t have to be raw.

      So thank you for asking…that is my food challenge…my daughter and I need to lose weight and stay healthy! Thank you so much for all of the great tips! One of my favorites is to use spaghetti squash instead of pasta for meatballs and sauce!

      Reply

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    I’m Erin Chase…

    Also known as the
    $5 Dinner Mom.

    I have a little problem. I cannot make a meal that costs more than $5.
    It’s a fun challenge,
    and my pocketbook
    thanks me.
    Want to join me?

    Learn more here!

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