Dinner Under $10 - Baked Chicken Chimichangas

1-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

1-1/2 cups picante sauce, divided

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2/3 cup chopped green onions, divided

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

6 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed

1 tablespoon butter, melted

In a small bowl, combine the chicken, 3/4 cup picante sauce, cheese, 1/4 cup onions, cumin and oregano. Spoon 1/2 cup mixture down the center of each tortilla. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up. Place seam side down in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Brush with butter.Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining picante sauce and onions
Serves 6

Serve with a side of Spanish rice

Dinner Under $10 - Smothered Chicken

2 

tablespoons butter or margarine

1

 medium onion, sliced (about 1 cup)

1

 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms (3 cups) OR 1 large can of Mushrooms (water drained)

2

 teaspoons sugar

1 

jar (12 oz) chicken gravy

1 

tablespoon dry sherry, if desired

1

 deli rotisserie chicken (2 to 2 1/2 lb), cut into serving pieces, skin removed if desired OR 4/5 cooked Chicken breast or tenderloins

1 tablespoon  parsley

 

1. In 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion and mushrooms in butter 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and beginning to brown. Stir in sugar. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very brown.
2. Stir gravy and sherry into vegetables. Add chicken to skillet; spoon sauce over chicken.
3. Cover; cook 5 to 10 minutes, turning chicken after half the cooking time, until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve over rice or egg noodles

Makes 6 servings

Dinner Under $10 - Sloppy Joes

1 pound   ground beef
  1/2    small onion, finely chopped
  1/2    small green pepper, finely chopped
  1  can (8 ounces)  no-salt-added tomato sauce
  2  tablespoons  ketchup
  1  tablespoon  distilled white vinegar
  1-1/2  teaspoons  Worcestershire sauce
  2  teaspoons  sugar
  6   hamburger buns

Cook ground beef; add onion and green pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes. Stir occasionally.Drain grease. Add tomato sauce, ketchup,vinegar, Worcestershire,and sugar. Mix well. Simmer on medium-low, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon equal portions of meat mixture onto buns.

Serve with a side of Mac & Cheese, Coleslaw, Chips, etc

Dinner Under $10 - Skillet Pasta Bake

1 pound rotini pasta or penne (prepared)
¾ pound Kelbasa sausage
2 sweet red peppers *
1 large onion *
1 jar (26 ounces) Speghette sauce
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

Halve and quarter the sausage and add to a large pan.  Add vegetables  and let simmer until the onion is transparent.  Drain any grease.  Add noodle and sauce, cook until slight boil.  Top with cheese.

* Most stores have a store brand bad of frozen onion and peppers.  Usually I can find them around $1 each.  I use 2 for a family of 6!  Saves on time and Money!

Dinner Under $5 - Chicken Pasta Salad

3 Chicken breasts - cooked and cubed ( $2.00)
8oz - cooked tri color pasta noodles ($1.00)
Small bottle of favorite balsamic or Italian dressing ($1)
1 Tomato - quartered ($.50)

$4.50

Mix together and serve cold

Great with 1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese and Garlic French Bread (found in WalMart for $1.50)

Dinner Under $5 - One Dish Meatball Meal

Meal number two from the meatloaf mix: 

• Create meatballs - I used my hands but I know others that have used an ice cream scoop -abt. 14 
• 2 cans of whole potatoes ( or slice potatoes into eighths)
• 2 cans of sliced carrots ( I have used leftovers)

Slice some onion to sprinkle on top

Cover the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan with aluminum foil.  add the meatballs leaving room on the sides for the vegetables   Add vegetables   Sprinkle a little salt,pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  Add about 1/2 c shredded cheese.  Bake about 1 hour or until done at 350 degrees.

Click here to see Meal #3 - great for lunches!  Check out Meal #1 for meat recipe
reposted with permission from www.HoosierHomesteader.com

Dinner Under $5 - Meatloaf

Just when I thought I had stretched the 2.25 pounds of ground beef to it's limits the creative juices started flowing!

First I made a big batch of meatloaf: 

mix 2-3 lbs of ground meat
chop 1 medium onion
2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tbs yellow mustard
4 tbs ketchup
3 eggs
2 packages Ritz crackers

Mix together

Separate out 1.5 lbs of meat mixture and place in a greased loaf pan. (I put a little water in the bottom to keep moist.  Spread ketchup on top.  Cook for 1 hour (or until done) at 350  degrees.

I served with mashed potatoes and cooked carrots.

reposted with permission from www.HoosierHomesteader.com

Dinner Under $5 - Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles

3 chicken breasts (I use frozen)  ($2.)

1 can cream of chicken soup (.79 cents)

sprinkling of dried onion soup mix (.10 cents)

1 can (small) of sliced mushrooms (drained) (.59 cents)

put everything in crock pot - cook on low all day.  Serve over noddles (40 cents) with side salad. (.99 cents)

$4.87

prices are from Aldi's.

Make your own Onion Soup Mix :: Click Here ::