I know this is a popular one! Here’s how I do it and how much it costs me! This one can be stretched with more rice and 1 more can of tomatoes for lots of leftovers!
Ingredients
1/2 lb Ground Beef ($.90)
1-2 cans whole tomatoes ($.59)
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies ($.65)
1/2 cup rice, uncooked ($.10)
1 taco seasoning packet ($.33) (Or make your own taco seasoning here.)
1/2 cup red and black beans, uncooked ($.30)
1-2 corn cob ($.50)
water
4-6 slices watermelon ($.35)
Directions
- Soak beans in water overnight. Cook beans covered with at least 1″ water for 1.5 – 2 hours, until tender. Save a litte juice and drain off the rest.
- Boil/nuke corn and then cut off kernals.
- Brown beef, drain. Put back in pot. Add tomaotes, Rotel, rice, taco seasoning, beans and corn. Cover with water and simmer until rice is cooked and your house is filled with the tasty aroma of Taco Soup!
- Serve yummy spicy soup with sweet drippy watermelon!
Cost $3.72
I love it when it comes out way under! This is a great one to double, freeze and pull out on a busy afternoon!
Hearts And Home says
Taco Soup is my boys favorite meal meal.
Thanks for sharing all the great ideas.
Bobbie says
I love taco soup. I made it this week- had enough to bring to a sick friend and enough for my house too. It is so enocomical!! I just found your site and am loving looking around!
Martha A. says
Something else you can do to cut down the cost a bit more is make your own taco seasoning. It often has perservatives in it that I do not like too!
Anyhow, I use chili powder, garlic powder or fresh minced garlic, onion powder or really finely minced onion, cumin and a little flour or cornstarch. I have some recipes for real stuff if you want.
Also, for the canned tomatoes, I get a #10 can of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce and freeze it in smaller containers to use. It is under $2 or around that for the whole can. If you use diced green peppers or check at farmers market for chilies etc. and freeze them, you can use these in taco soup then all year with your tomatoes. I have also frozen tomatoes which I got free or cheap or grew myself.
I also was given tons of dry beans that people did not want, they last a long time and then that is free!
Just a couple more ideas to make this wonderful dinner cheaper! I have also done it with leftover chicken instead of beef! If you can make double the amount for the same price then freeze half of it for another dinner!
[email protected] says
I just found your site, and I’m loving it! I can already tell I’ll be printing off a lot of these… Thanks for sharing!
Angie W. says
We tried the soup today. We LOVE it – it is a hit! It cost us about $7.35 for the ingredients, without the .99 cents for Taco Seasoning or rice, and we added shreadded cheese on top. So – for $10.00 – it will feed us for a couple of days – splitting it back into 2 $5.00 meals. 😉
Aurora Montelongo says
I just love your ideas on how to make 5 dollar dinners. Being that I am on a fixed income and finding your ideas so refreshing. Also the way you break down every ingredient is so very new to me that I love it. Thank you for sharing your favorite recipes.