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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

Grilled Ratatouille

July 26, 2011 by Alea 12 Comments

Ratatouille is one of the most frugal dishes in my repertoire. When my garden is in full swing the only ingredient I have to buy to make this dish is olive oil. As much as I like ratatouille, I must confess it has a couple of downsides. First, if I turn on the oven on a hot July day and only have vegetables to show for it, I will have a mutiny on my hands. Which brings me to … [Read more...]

Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

October 16, 2010 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 4 Comments

Eggplants.  The purple gems of the garden. Also known as a tasty treat for pesky chipmunks.  I saw 3 eggplants fruit in my garden in the last month and a half or so. And every one of them ended up as a meal for my little critter friends. Enemies, really. It helps knowing that they didn't get to enjoy the eggplants like we get to enjoy eggplants.  They have to eat them … [Read more...]

Eggplant Pizza Bites

August 24, 2010 by Alea 32 Comments

Last year when I saw pictures of Erin's eggplant flowers, I resolved to grow them in my own garden. Not for the fruit, mind you, but for the flowers. I have never grown eggplant before because my husband has always professed that it is the one vegetable that he did not like. He insisted that they taste like rubber tires and had brainwashed convinced my children that eggplant … [Read more...]

Eggplant Rosemary Focaccia Bread

June 22, 2010 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 15 Comments

How to Cook Eggplant Rosemary Focaccia Bread Turned out to be quite good...a little tough on the edges...but what a yummy combination of flavors! Get your ingredients ready. Thinly slice the eggplant. Sprinkle with salt to draw out bitter juices. Then rinse and pat dry.  Chop the rosemary and crush the garlic. You'll use the garlic to … [Read more...]

Baked Chicken Spaghetti

September 25, 2009 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 18 Comments

This dish sorta turned into an experiment.  I started with a plan in mind. And it kept changing as I found new things in the fridge to add to the dish! I needed to use the eggplant and cubanelle peppers I picked from the garden this week.  And I had 2 green tomatoes in the fridge (more on the green tomato situation in the next garden update!).  Why not throw … [Read more...]

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce and Salsa

September 10, 2009 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 10 Comments

I had a surplus of about $25 from my August grocery budget.  I decided to go on a "tomato spree." The farmer's market just down the road from me offers a "You Pick" price for Roma tomatoes of $.69/lb.  Not too bad.  Plus we (yes, I took the kids for "the experience") got to have a little fun and learn about "good" and "bad" tomatoes! All that you see above (2 habanero … [Read more...]

Grilled Eggplant Panini with Rosemary-Garlic Aioli

August 28, 2009 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 23 Comments

So that has GOT TO BE the fanciest recipe title I've come up with yet! Because I used so much from the garden for this meal, I was able to be a little more creative and made up a delicious rosemary-garlic aioli sauce for these paninis! These were "UH-MAZING," according to the Hubs! So if you've got an eggplant in the garden, or come across a great deal on eggplants...I … [Read more...]

Eggplant Penne Pasta with How to Prepare Eggplant

July 21, 2009 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 16 Comments

This meal is sorta "2-n-1"...it could be vegetarian...or it could be done with meat or diced chicken! Here's the lowdown... Since I only used 1 cup of the crushed tomatoes, I ended up using the rest to make spaghetti sauce for the boys while I'm gone this weekend. Before stashing it in the fridge, I tossed about 1 cup with the eggplant and pasta for the boys...then tossed … [Read more...]

Steak and Potatoes

September 13, 2008 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom Leave a Comment

Can't beat this...2 steaks for $2.08! "Manager's Special" is the way to go! May not be the "best" cut of steak, but it was still delicious! Ingredients 2 cuts steak ($2.08) 1/4 cup marinade ($.50) 4 potatoes ($1.oo) 3 cloves garlic ($.10) 1/2 cup milk ($.10) 2 T butter ($.20) 1 small eggplant ($.79) 2 T EVOO ($.10) 1/2 cup corn ($.20) Directions 1. Marinate steak … [Read more...]

Peach Pork Skillet

September 7, 2008 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 10 Comments

My mom-in-law told us how she was cooking peaches in with her pork chops! Let me tell ya...YUM! Within an hour of her telling me her latest and GREATEST, I had 3 pork chops and 1 sliced peach in the frying pan! Peach Pork Skillet My mom-in-law told us how she was cooking peaches in with her pork chops! Let me tell ya...YUM! 4 boneless pork chops1 fresh … [Read more...]

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