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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

Save on Groceries in 2025

What We Ate This Week – Budget Dinner Ideas for Your Meal Plan

June 21, 2025 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom Leave a Comment

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INTRODUCING – What We Ate This Week!!! Use this List of Ultra Budget Recipes that Our Family Enjoyed Last Week for Your Meal Plan Inspiration

In 2025, I want to share with you more of what happens in the Chase family kitchen, and how I think about food, feeding my boys healthy dinners that don’t break the bank…day in and day out. (Yes, it gets old sometimes…even for me!) 

At the end of each week, I’ll share the list of recipes along with any helpful tips and tricks with you. I will post the recipe links here on the blog, as well as share a short recap video with more details on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. 

The idea here is simple: give you ideas for dinners to feed your family…that won’t bust your budget. 

You probably have already figured this out, but I’m HYPERAWARE of how much I spend on groceries and on each meal (it’s a weird brain-numbers thing) and sharing with you helps us both stay accountable to our food budgets and grocery spending. If you’re new here, welcome…take a look around and find a new recipe to try with your family.

As we continue to sludge through higher than we are used to grocery prices, I think we could all use a little help and inspiration. And this is my way of doing that. 

I hope throughout this year, you find some new favorite budget recipes and ideas for your family meal plan. Happy planning and more importantly, happy saving on groceries this year! 

If you need more meal planning ideas, or want the meal plans done for you, please check out the 2 meal planning resources that we have developed to help you plan and cook budget meals for your family day in and day out… 

  • Tap to learn more about MyFreezEasy freezer cooking meal plans!
  • Tap to learn more about $5 Meal Plan and how to get a weekly meal plan emailed to you every Friday!

Now, tap the recipe link below to get the full detailed recipe. You can print, save, or pin each recipe for your future meal plan inspiration. 

This Week’s Budget Dinner Ideas for Your Meal Plan

What We Ate This Week - Week 28

Summer Spaghetti Pasta

Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole

Slow Cooker Baja Shredded Chicken Tacos

COPYCAT Chick-Fil-A Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich

Eggroll Skillet Dinner

Sausage Pancake Muffins

What We Ate This Week - Week 27

Slow Cooker Beef Ravioli

Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken

Breakfast Slider Bake

Slow Cooker Ratatouille

What We Ate This Week - Week 26

Patriotic Red, White & Blue Charcuterie Board

Fruit Flag Dessert Recipe

Greek Chicken Bake

Sweet n Sour Meatballs

One-Dish Penne & Ham Skillet

Amish Cinnamon Bread

What We Ate This Week - Week 25

Summer Spaghetti Pasta

Breakfast Nachos

Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos

The 3 + 3 Packet Beef Roast

Italian Meatball Slider Bake

ULTIMATE FUDGY BROWNIES

What We Ate This Week - Week 24

Pesto Chicken Bake

Eggroll Skillet Dinner

Stovetop Mac n Cheese

Mason Jar Salad

Beef & Bean Oven Tacos

Rhubarb Dump Cake Recipe

What We Ate This Week - Week 23

Sloppy Joe Mac n Cheese

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Chicken Nugget Slider Bake

Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese

Overnight Granola

Blackberry Dump Cake with Cream Cheese

What We Ate This Week - Week 22

Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken

Open-Faced Smoky Provolone Sloppy Joes

Beef Coconut Curry

100 Days of Summer Freezer Meals with MyFreezEasy

Slow Cooker Peach Chicken

Blueberry Lemon Baked Oatmeal

What We Ate This Week - Week 21

Tzatziki Chicken Salad Recipe

Slow Cooker Gold BBQ Shredded Beef

Instant Pot One-Pot Spaghetti Recipe

Dump & Bake Chicken and Rice

Cinnamon Roll French Toast with "Cream Cheese Syrup" Recipe

Apricot Dump Cake

What We Ate This Week - Week 20

Mississippi Beef Quesadillas

Best Ever Chicken Marinade for the Grill

$1 Loaf Dinner: Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Eggroll Skillet Dinner

Mango Raspberry Baked Oatmeal

Layered Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

What We Ate This Week - Week 19

Mississippi Meatballs

Mediterranean Beef Skillet

VIDEO: Everything You Need to Know about Dinners that Cook Themselves

Summer Spaghetti

Sheet Pan Meatloaf & Potatoes

What We Ate This Week - Week 18

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Pepperoni Pizza Bagels

Budget Beef Skillet with Sweet Potatoes and Zucchini

Layered Chicken Enchiladas

VIRAL: Beef Ravioli Bake Recipe

What We Ate This Week - Week 17

Greek Chicken Bake

COPYCAT Chick-Fil-A Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich

Instant Pot Cheesy Sausage Grits Recipe

Ham and Potatoes with Baked Eggs

Sheet Pan Carrot Cake

What We Ate This Week - Week 16

Macaroni & Cheeseburger Soup

Copycat Chicken Pineapple Curry

Slow Cooker Baja Shredded Chicken Tacos

Alfredo Tortellini Bake

Colorful Instant Pot Rice Pilaf

Mini Egg Easter Cookie Bars

What We Ate This Week - Week 15

Sloppy Joe Slider Bake

Stovetop Mac n Cheese

Dump & Bake Meatball Casserole

Skillet Italian Chicken with Tortellini

French Dip Slider Bake

What We Ate This Week - Week 14

Burger Quesadillas

Skillet Boursin Chicken

Sloppy Joe Mac n Cheese

Dump & Bake Chicken and Rice

Make Ahead Smoothie Packs

Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmeal

What We Ate This Week - Week 13

Cheesy Beef Garlic Loaf Bread

Slow Cooker Gold BBQ Beef Roast

Sheet Pan Chicken with Apples and Cabbage

Fettuccine with Ham and Peas

Slow Cooker Baja Shredded Chicken Tacos

Photo Credit: www.5dollardinners.com

What We Ate This Week - Week 12

Slow Cooker Taco Hashbrown Bake

Tuscan Chicken Fettuccine

Dump & Bake Meatball Casserole

Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

English-Style Pot Roast

What We Ate This Week - Week 11

Rainbow Chicken Curry

Pizza Tortellini Bake

Sheet Pan Salmon & Veggies

Instant Pot One-Pot Spaghetti Recipe

Beef Stirfry - Video!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins

What We Ate This Week - Week 10

Slow Cooker Ratatouille

Beef Pasta with Garlic Cream Sauce

Sheet Pan Greek Chicken

Sheet Pan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Loaded Hashbrown Bake

What We Ate This Week - Week 9

Slow Cooker Mustard Beef Roast

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Instant Oatmeal Mix

Tater Tot Egg Bites

Slow Cooker Root Beer Chicken

Ground Beef & Rice "Dump Casserole"

What We Ate This Week - Week 8

Valentine's Day: Family Charcuterie Board & Game Night

Sheet Pan Chicken Bites with Veggies

Shepherd's Pie Nachos

Dump and Bake Tuscan Chicken with Pasta

Rice & Beans Yellow Curry

What We Ate This Week - Week 7

Buffalo Ranch Mac n Cheese

Garlic Beef Bites with Baby Potatoes

BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza

Sheet Pan Hawaiian Chicken

Beef Taco Hashbrown Bake

Hawaiian Banana Bread

What We Ate This Week - Week 6

Slow Cooker Root Beer Chicken

Overnight Granola

Pumpkin Swirl Breakfast Casserole

Cajun Sloppy Janes

Slow Cooker Black Bean Fajita Bowls

Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole

What We Ate This Week - Week 5

Nashville Hot Chicken - Slow Cooker, Instant Pot & Grilled

Gluten Free Sausage Alfredo Pasta Bake

Ranch Mac n Cheese

COPYCAT Chick-Fil-A Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich

Sausage Pancake Muffins

What We Ate This Week - Week 4

Sausage and Zucchini Soup

Baked Mississippi Chicken

Open-Faced Smoky Provolone Sloppy Joes

Beef and Bean Oven Tacos

Tater Tot Egg Bites

What We Ate This Week - Week 3

French Onion Meatloaf

Slow Cooker Beef Ravioli

Breakfast Slider Bake

Eggroll Skillet Dinner

What We Ate This Week - Week 2

Breakfast Lasagna Bake

Sausage Tuscan Pasta Skillet

Slow Cooker Ratatouille

Instant Pot Beef Burgundy

Slow Cooker Baja Shredded Chicken Tacos

What We Ate This Week - Week 1

The BEST Egg-Free Chicken Salad

Ground Beef & Rice "Dump Casserole"

Nugget & Fries Nachos

Rosemary Salmon

Beef and Bean Oven Tacos

Eggnog Bread

 

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Filed Under: Budget Friendly Meal Plans, Budget Friendly Recipes, Freezer Recipes and Freezer Meal Plans, Grocery Savings, MyFreezEasy Freezer Meal Plans, The $5 Meal Plan

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