A little over 3 years ago my life changed for the better.
I was doing the dishes after having a meal similar to this one. And just like you’d see on a “ticker” on ESPN or FoxNews, the phrase “$5 Dinners” passed through my brain. Then it passed through again. And again.
And it wasn’t long before I was sitting at the computer to see if this concept had been launched in internet-land yet.
It was just before the word “recession” made its way into mainstream media. But it was while we were in our own little “personal recession,” if you will. My husband was working his “main job,” along with a pizza delivery
There are 2 things that I remember about the meal that we had on that fateful August night…it was pork chops that I’d bought on Manager’s Special, along with peaches that were also on sale…and probably some homemade rolls. And the total of the meal being $3.85.
I remember sharing that number with my husband, as if it were yesterday. And I remember the look on his face like…wow, that’s pretty cool that it’s so inexpensive…but a little creepy that my wife remembers how much all of it cost.
(I think he’s pretty grateful for my strange ability to remember prices on food, how much I paid for specific items after coupons, and how to total meal costs while wheeling the cart through the grocery store!)
We’ve had a similar pork chops with peach salsa since then. And now we can add the “grilled” version to the every growing list of meals that can be made for less than 5 bucks.
Here’s how it went down the other night…
Perfectly tender and smoky pork chops with melt in your mouth grilled peaches and a slightly crunchy bite from the red onions…
Grilled Pork Chops, Peaches and Red Onions
Ingredients
- 4 small pork chops ($2.25)
- Garlic powder, sprinkles ($.01)
- Onion powder, sprinkles ($.01)
- Salt and pepper
- 3 large peaches, halved and seeded ($1.50) From our peach picking trip
- 1 medium to large red onion, cut into circle bunches ($.89)
- Side of homemade rolls or store bought rolls/bread loaf ($.75)
Instructions
- Season the pork chops with garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper. Grill the pork chops for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the middle. Grilling time will vary depending on heat of the grill and thickness of the chop.
- Halve the peaches and lay them flesh side down on the grill...ideally over indirect heat. Lay the red onion circles slices over indirect heat as well. Grill each for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping the red onions once.
- Prepare homemade or store bought bread.
- Serve Grilled Pork Chops, Peaches and Red Onions with a side of bread.
[email protected] Mama says
What a great meal and great price! Love grilled red onions they add so much color to any dish. I wish I had your ability to keep track of how much I’m spending on food. For a family of 5 we are spending a gross amount of money each week on food. I need to start spending more time on this page for pocket friendly meals ideas!
Not Yet A Mommy says
Those peaches look so delicious! Grilled fruit is one of my favorite things – such a simple yet exciting idea! Looks like a great meal 🙂
Nicole says
That looks great! I don’t have an outdoor grill – which I prefer for flavor. But I could use my grill pan. 🙂
Shadow says
Amazing meal, perfect for a cheap little something to treat the spouce to. I do not own an outdoor grill but an electric grill such as the George Foreman (R) and i used a few drops of liquid smoke as soon as each item was added, gave them that grilled smoke flavor, the cooking times were lengthened to about doubble due to the lower heat, but turned out great none the less.
(note to system admins: If my use of George Foreman (R) voilates any copyright laws please alter my posting or remove it all together, no infringment was intended)
cdorsey says
what kind of pork chops did you use?
Mandy Cat says
Am I the last person in North America to have discovered onion powder? In all my years of cooking, I used it for the first time not long ago. It adds deep flavor to all sorts of dishes, from soups to meats to salads.