20 More $5.00 Frugal Dinners

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Looking for cheap dinner ideas? Here are 20 more dinners that cost 5 dollar or less, with recipes and cost breakdown!

Welcome to my second edition of 20 Dinners That Cost 5 Dollars or Less! My first edition is the second most popular post on my blog: 20 Dinners That Cost 5 Dollars or Less. I totally revamped my list this time around to include more recipes!

In my last post, I tried to keep the entire cost of dinner under 5 dollars. Meaning, if you wanted tuna melts for dinner, I included the entire loaf of bread and a whole bag of cheese in the cost.

With this post, I only added up the cost of ingredients just for that recipe. So some of these will come out to more than $5.00 at first, but you can use what’s left over to create more dinners, saving more money! These prices are based on what I find at Aldi, so your mileage may vary.

Also, the list below only includes the main entree. Add a couple fresh vegetables for a more well-rounded meal! Take your time and hopefully you’ll come out with more meal ideas and motivation to keep it simple and cheap!

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20 More Dinners That Cost 5 Dollars or Less

Meatballs

• 1 pound ground beef: $2.59
• Parmesan cheese: $.30
• Bread crumbs: $.30
• Milk: $.10
• Seasonings: $.10
• Total: $3.39

Pepperoni pizza bites

• Flour: $.07
• Baking powder: $.02
• Milk: $.14
• Egg: $.13
• Parmesan cheese: $.60
• Mozzarella cheese: $.52
• Pizza sauce: $1.00
• Pepperoni: $2.29
• Seasonings: $.20
• Total: $4.97

Pizza quesadillas

• Tortillas: $1.79
• Pizza sauce: $1.00
• Pepperoni: $1.00 (Half the bag)
• Mozzarella cheese: $1.00 (2 cups)
• Total: $4.79

Biscuits and gravy

• Biscuits: $1.39 (or much less if you make your own!)
• Ground sausage: $1.99
• Flour: $.04
• Milk: $.28
• Total: $3.70

Red beans and rice

• Wild rice: $1.20
• Kidney beans: $.59
• Half an onion: $.20
• Chicken broth: $.50
• Diced tomatoes: $.55
• $3.04

Homemade chicken nuggets

• 1 pound chicken breast: $1.89
• Panko bread crumbs: $.35
• Parmesan cheese: $.41
• Oil: $.05
• Flour: $.05
• Eggs: $.26
• Total: $3.01

Garlic bread pizza

• Garlic toast: $1.79
• Pizza sauce: $1.00
• Pepperoni: $1.00 (Half the bag)
• Mozzarella cheese: $1.00
• Total: $4.79

Enchilada crescents

• Ground beef: $1.30 (Half pound)
• Green chiles: $1.00
• Enchilada sauce: $1.00
• Crescent rolls: $1.39
• Shredded cheese: $1.00
• Total: $5.69

Bean and cheese burritos

• Refried beans: $2.00 (Recipe for homemade beans is above)
• Tortilla shells: $2.78
• Cheese: $.50
• Total: $5.28

Ham and cheese foldovers

• Puff pastry: $2.00
• Ham: $2.00
• Cheese: $.50
• Egg: $.13
• Total: $4.63

Chicken and rice casserole

• Chicken: $3
• Rice: $.50
• Cream of mushroom soup: $.65
• Shredded cheese: $.50
• Total: $4.65

One Pot BBQ Chicken Pasta

• Bacon: $.75
• Chicken: $1.88
• Garlic: $.05
• Onion: $.25
• Chicken broth: $.50
• Diced tomatoes: $.55
• Milk: $.10
• Pasta: $1
• BBQ sauce: $.25
• Shredded cheese: $.50
• Total: $5.83

Sour Cream Enchiladas

• Sour cream: $.50
• Tortillas: $1.39
• Shredded cheese: $1.00
• Enchilada sauce: $1.00
• Total: $3.89

Chicken Noodle Soup Casserole

• Pasta: $.75
• Bay leaves: $.10
• Butter: $.33
• Celery: $.30
• Carrots: $.30
• Garlic: $.10
• Flour: $.05
• Milk: $.11
• Chicken: $1.88
• Shredded cheese: $.75
• Total: $4.67

Muffin Tin Cheeseburgers

• Butter: $.11
• Buns: $1.00
• Bacon: $.30
• Ground beef: $2.59
• Onion: $.20
• Cheese: $1
• Ketchup: $.05
• Relish: $.05
• Total: $5.30

“Poverty Meal”/Goulash

• Onion: $.30
• Garlic: $.05
• Olive oil: $.02
• Ground beef: $2.59
• Stewed tomatoes: $1.10
• Macaroni: $.50 (Half a box)
• Total: $4.56

Chili Dog Casserole

• Buns: $1.00
• Hot dogs: $1.00
• Chili: $1.00
• Shredded cheese: $1.00
• Total: $4.00

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

• Pork: $3.00
• Onion: $.20
• BBQ sauce: $.50
• Garlic: $.05
• Buns: $1.00
• Total: $4.75

Hawaiian Fried Rice

• Ham: $1.50
• Onion: $.30
• Bell pepper: $.60
• Oil: $.05
• Eggs: $.39
• Rice: $.40
• Pineapple: $1.00
• Total: $4.24

Broccoli, Ham, and Mozzarella baked with Eggs

• Broccoli: $1.79
• Ham: $1.50
• Mozzarella cheese: $.50
• Eggs: $1.04
• Total: $4.83

What are your favorite cheap dinners? Share in the comments below!

SaveWant more healthy meal ideas? Be sure to download my FREE Healthy Meal Plan!