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

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Deck the Freezer in 2025!

Quarantine Virtual Recipe Swap and Recipe Ideas List

April 27, 2020 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 1 Comment

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Leave a Favorite – Find a New Favorite in This Quarantine Virtual Recipe Swap and Recipe Ideas List

Quarantine have you making the same thing over and over?!

Feel like you’ve cooked dinner about 413 times this month?!

Running out of ideas of what to cook?!

Seems like you’ve made the same meal 5 times this week already?!

Tired of all the pasta and meat sauce?!

Need a new way to jazz up rice and beans?!

Or just desperate for new ideas for fast and easy dinner?!?

WELLLLLL.

There is a real reason for this dinner hour tension.

quarantine recipe ideas

Quarantine Recipe Ideas

WE ARE ALL SO STRESSED AND EXHAUSTED and we default to meals that we don’t have to think about making. We don’t have much mental bandwidth to spare right now, so we fix meals that we can literally make without paying attention.

So we eat pasta and meat sauce…and just change up the pasta shell to make it feel like new. But then it’s not new and it’s just too old.

You feel me?!

Because I feel you in this too.

And that’s why I want to help organize and coordinate a Virtual Recipe Swap that will help you discover new, simple meals to cook during this season of quarantine and eating so.many.meals.at.home.

  • To inspire you with new meal ideas.
  • To quickly connect you with new recipes to try.
  • To re-discover the importance of having dinner together as a family. (Even in this stressful time! We have had SO MANY laughter moments together at the dinner table in the past month!)

Ok, onto the recipes…but first…

The Quarantine Virtual Recipe Swap CRITERIA

None of these recipes will call for exotic ingredients or a laundry list of ingredients. None of these recipes will require an elaborate cooking method or strategy. Here is the short list of requirements:

  • Budget friendly
  • Fast and easy to cook
  • Pantry staple ingredients
  • Freezer Friendly

I WANT TO KNOW YOUR FAVORITE QUARANTINE RECIPES AND FEATURE  SOME BELOW!!!

Please add a link to your favorite recipe in the comments below, or email the link to support (at) 5dollardinners.com, and we will consider featuring it below. 

(At this time, we can’t feature recipes that aren’t already posted on the internet in this virtual recipe swap post. You are welcome to type up/include your favorite family recipes into the comments below for others to cook.)

The goal: Leave a recipe, take a recipe. 

quarantine recipe ideas

THE QUARANTINE VIRTUAL RECIPE SWAP

And without further ado…some recipes that you could cook this next week…

Pantry Staples Recipes

Cheeseburger Pasta Skillet

The whole family will love this superb skillet meal!

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

All your favorite taco flavors, in a bowl!

Heat ‘N Sweet Chili

A little bit of spice and a little bit of sweet!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

The BEST kind of comfort food!

White Bean & Corn Chowder

A rich and filling bowl of yum!

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake

You are your people and going to go batty over this pasta meal.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Casserole

If you love buffalo chicken, you will love this pasta dish!

Twirly Taco Pasta Skillet

A fabulous tex-mex taco dish, made in just one skillet.

Black Bean & Corn Enchiladas

Cheesy, vegetarian goodness here!

Alfredo Tortellini Bake

A creamy and comforting five ingredient recipe!

Honey Mustard Lentils & Rice Casserole

A simple, budget friendly meal!

Doritos Taco Salad

The best taco salad you'll ever have.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Your favorite wing flavors...in a chili bowl!

Instant Pot Pizza Pasta

You need to try this one-pot Instant Pot pasta dish!

Burrito Cups

Less messy, but just as delicious as your traditional burrito!

One Dish Dinner Rice and Beans Recipes

Fiesta Beans and Rice Recipe

A great way to jazz up your next beans and rice dinner!

Spicy Quinoa with Kidney Beans, Corn and Lime

Familiar flavors that take quinoa up to the next level!

Four Bean Salad with Quinoa Recipe

Light. Easy. Summer. Salad.

Lentil Minestrone Soup

Photo Credit: www.onedishdinners.com

Filing, frugal and fabulous!

Best Freezer to Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow Cooker Chili Mac

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup 

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Nachos

Slow Cooker Cheesy Salsa Chicken 

Slow Cooker Best Shredded Chicken Tacos

$5 Dinner Fans Recipe Recommendations!

Creamy Chicken Quinoa and Broccoli Casserole

Photo Credit: pinchofyum.com

"I used homemade chicken broth from my freezer stash and substituted mozzarella for the Gruyere called for in the recipe (because who keeps Gruyere on hand?). The whole family loved it, even the super picky one that turned her nose up at the suggestion of quinoa." - Christy

Pork Chops with Mushroom Bourbon Cream Sauce Recipe

Photo Credit: www.simplyrecipes.com

"Made these last night, and even my picky eater loved it. The sauce makes the whole dish." - Martin

7 Can Chicken Taco Soup

Photo Credit: togetherasfamily.com

"We’re having this every 1-2 weeks! I throw it all into the crockpot on low for a few hours and serve over rice with lime juice and other taco fixins’!" - Emily

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole

Photo Credit: www.lemontreedwelling.com

"We had breakfast for dinner last night. Made this with scrambled eggs and bacon...delicious!" - Dawn

Korean Beef and Rice

Photo Credit: www.tasteofhome.com

"I’ve made this once a week during all of the madness. I add more brown sugar than it calls for and serve it with a fried egg. I’ll keep making it every week because we love it." - Megan

Egg Roll in a Bowl with Creamy Chili Sauce (Whole30, Low Carb, Keto, Paleo)

Photo Credit: 40aprons.com

"We make this without the chili sauce (or on the side) super easy." - Debbie

One Dish Queso Chicken Bake {Easy Dinner Recipe} • The Pinning Mama

Photo Credit: www.thepinningmama.com

"This was a new recipe and everyone loved it. We saved the rest of the “sauce” and added ground beef to it to make a queso for nachos the next day." - Lori

Oven Fried Chicken

Photo Credit: life-in-the-lofthouse.com

"This recipe is a family favorite. I have made it for years!" - Sara

Healthy Orange Chicken

Photo Credit: thecleaneatingcouple.com

"This is the best orange chicken and its paleo." - Rebecca

Easy Super Moist Banana Bread Recipe (just 3 ingredients!)

Photo Credit: www.instrupix.com

"I added walnuts and this was the best banana bread ever!" - Sandy

“OMG” Sour Cream Chicken

Photo Credit: triplechocolatekitchen.com

"These with a side of vegetables and some fried potatoes!" - Trinity

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

Photo Credit: iwashyoudry.com

"My family says they could eat it once a week." - Abbi

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Photo Credit: www.eatingonadime.com

"We tried this the other day." - Jessica

Easy Meatloaf

"Double the recipe and freeze one loaf. Make with mashed potatoes (or rice) and fry some frozen okra." - Kristin

Pasta with Meat Sauce

Photo Credit: www.foodnetwork.com

"I made this without the tomato paste.
Also, I added about 3 slices of chopped bacon to the ground meat." - Michelle

Easy Mongolian Beef

Photo Credit: dinnerthendessert.com

"It was a hit with everyone including kids." - Mylene

Cheesy Crockpot Chicken

Photo Credit: www.goodenessgracious.com

"Now bear with me, it doesn't sound like it, but this has been a family favorite for years. We always serve over noodles. Delicious!" - Traci

Homemade Amish Sweet Bread Recipe with Step by Step Instructions

Photo Credit: www.isavea2z.com

"This is an easy and very good homemade bread." - Sheila

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Photo Credit: www.southyourmouth.com

"Our favorite Cheesy Chicken Enchilada recipe. Last time I compiled it all in the Instant Pot before assembling in the tortilla shell to bake. They freeze great! We've taken them on vacation before." - Alena

Slow Cooker Easy Breakfast Casserole

Photo Credit: slowcookergourmet.net

Recommended by Beth!

Spicy Chicken Lazone Pasta

Photo Credit: whatsinthepan.com

"We love this one." - Melissa

Easy Baked Chicken Fajitas- Healthy and Delicious- Easy Family Recipes

Photo Credit: easyfamilyrecipes.com

Recommended by Leigh!

Creamy Broccoli Soup Makeover

Photo Credit: www.lizshealthytable.com

"This one was super easy and delicious my kids even liked it I substituted chick pease for canellini beans Because that’s what I had on hand and it worked great. (Can’t taste the beans it just thickens it)" - Kira

Turkey Chili Taco Soup Recipe | Easy Soup Recipe

Photo Credit: www.skinnytaste.com

"I use lean beef sometimes in place of ground turkey." - Jamie

Instant Pot Cajun Sausage, Potatoes and Green Beans

Photo Credit: www.365daysofcrockpot.com

Recommended by Lisette!

CROCK POT SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Photo Credit: www.thecountrycook.net

Recommeded by Brenda!

Thai Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Photo Credit: sweetpeasandsaffron.com

Recommended by Tina!

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Filed Under: Budget Friendly Meal Plans, Budget Friendly Recipes, Grocery Savings

Comments

  1. Melissa says

    May 13, 2020 at 12:23 pm

    THANK YOU!!!!! This list is awesome, lots of new ideas for dinner for the month.

    Reply

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