30 Recipes To Feed The Entire Family For Five Bucks
By Nick Hadji
7 months ago
1. Pancakes
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Feeding a family can be a challenging at the best of times, especially if you're on a tight budget and/or trying to cut back of food cost and wastage. This list includes some filling, tasty meals that can feed your family for under five bucks! The first is a staple breakfast item, and that is pancakes. Pancakes only require a handful of ingredients to make, and there's great choices for toppings e.g. butter and syrup, chocolate spread, bacon, lemon and sugar and seasonal fruit.Original content sourced from Femanin.com2. Sloppy Joes
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Sloppy Joes are next up on the list. These are another great staple meal, and they don't take long to prepare or cook, which is perfect for anyone trying to make dinner on tight schedule. You will only need ground beef, seasoning and tinned tomatoes to make a base for the smoky barbecue sauce. You can either serve this in burger buns, or serve it alongside seasonal vegetables and potatoes (in whatever form you want e.g. mashed, boiled, fried).3. Grilled cheese and tomato soup
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This next meal is perfect for the winter season and/or when someone is feeling ill. A grilled cheese sandwich, paired with tomato soup, is bound to become a family favorite. It is so quick, easy and cheap to prepare and literally requires a handful of ingredients to make. For the tomato soup, you can either make this with fresh tomatoes, or buy it ready-made in a can e.g. Campbell's or Heinz. The only other ingredients you'll need are: a couple slices of whatever bread you have, and some cheese of your choice.4. Salad
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Moving on to the warmer months, you may find that it's difficult to prepare meals that are both filling, and complimentary to the heat. A great choice for a summertime meal, is a salad. Salad's can actually be extremely versatile, and can be made for the whole family. You can add a variety of topping to salads, including: meats, cheeses, nuts, fruit and dressings. You can also opt to prepare a pasta salad, if you want to include some carbs into the meal.5. Grilled ham and cheese sandwich
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Yet another lunchtime staple is the humble ham and cheese grilled sandwich. This is a great choice, if you're looking for a quick lunchtime choice for young children, or you want something you can take on-the-go. This isn probably one of the most affordable meals on this list, and it requires one of the smallest amounts of ingredients to make! A ham and cheese grilled sandwich is versatile, yet affordable and tasty.6. Spaghetti
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If you're struggling for dinner ideas, and you want something that is going to excite your tastebuds, spaghetti is a great choice. Spaghetti (specifically Spaghetti Bolognese) is a perfect option for dinner, as it can be prepped during the day and served up when everyone is ready to eat. If you end up making more than you need, you can leftovers for the following evening, or freeze them for another time!7. Macaroni cheese
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Another pasta-based dish is Macaroni Cheese (also known as Mac n' Cheese). This is probably one of the easiest dishes to prepare on this list, and it is definitely a family favorite. You literally only need two ingredients for this recipe as well (macaroni pasta and your choice of cheese). With this particular dish, you can make it yourself from scratch, or you can opt for the quicker option of boxed Mac n' cheese e.g. Kraft Mac n' cheese.8. Spanish rice
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This next dish is something a little different, and is great for spicing up your mid-week meals. The dish in question, is Spanish rice. Spanish rice is a tasty dish that you can have alone, or accompanied by other elements e.g. ground beef or turkey. This particular rice dish, usually consist of a tomato base, smoky spices/seasoning and lime juice (this is optional, but it adds a beautiful zesty flavor to the overall dish).9. Baked potatoes
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Another staple meal is baked potatoes. This is a perfect dish for when you have surplus ingredients to use, and you need to make space within your pantry. Baked potatoes can be cooked in an oven, microwave or on a barbecue, and don't take much time to prepare at all. Baked potatoes can be made to suit everyones' preferences as well, as they can be topped with a range of ingredients. Toppings can include: butter, cheese, bacon, baked beans, tuna, salad and sweetcorn.10. Egg noodles
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If you're looking for a different style of cuisine, egg noodles are a great introductory choice for the whole family. Egg noodles are a staple ingredient within many Asian dishes, due to their versatility and overall taste. A great budget-friendly dish you can recreate at home is stir-fry. Stir-fries take very little time to cook, and you can often find pre-prepared vegetables for this in the supermarket. You can also adapt this dish to also include meat e.g. chicken or beef if you like.11. BBQ pulled chicken
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Slow-cooking meat is one of the tastiest ways to prepare any kind of meat, but it can take a ridiculously long time, and may not even reach your expectations. However, there are ways you can recreate dishes at home, for a fraction of the price and timing! BBQ pulled chicken is a great example of an easy and tasty dish, and you will only need a handful of ingredients! You will need a slow-cooker, boneless/skinless chicken and ingredients to make a barbecue sauce (or you can opt for a bottle of pre-made sauce).12. Quesadillas
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The next dish on this list can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner so it is highly versatile. The dish in question, is quesadillas. This Mexican dish is so easy to prepare, and literally requires two ingredients (tortilla wraps and cheese). They're a great choice, if you have younger children (who may be picky with their food), or you're looking for a quick and easy option; when you have limited ingredients available to you.13. Tuna melts
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The next dish on this list is great for lunch in a rush/on-the-go, and will ensure that your family will feel full until dinner. That dish, is tuna melts. Tuna melts are a different take on the classic grilled cheese sandwich, as it includes tuna and sweetcorn. You can combine the tuna with other ingredients to make the sandwich filling, before spreading onto slices of bread and toasting them under a grill.14. Smoked sausage and potatoes
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Another great dish that only requires a handful of ingredients, is smoked sausage and potatoes. As you've probably already guessed, this dish requires a handful of ingredients, and is a great meal to use up any 'random' ingredients in your refrigerator. You can accompany this particular dish with additional vegetables, or have it by itself. Its such a versatile dish, that it can be eaten throughout the year and changing seasons!15. DiGiorno pizza
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There's nothing wrong about eating frozen, pre-made meals when you're on a tight budget, and need to feed a family. A great freezer staple to have is DiGiorno pizza. These pizzas come with a range of toppings, and are perfect for when you need dinner on the table quickly, and you need enough food to feed the whole family. You can always pair it with other frozen elements, for larger portions e.g. fries.16. Chicken and fries
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Fried chicken and fries can be a great weekend dinner treat, and if you have the time, can be prepared from scratch. However, if you're short for time and/or ingredients, you will be able to find both elements within the frozen section at the supermarket. Similarly to some of the other dishes on this list, you can have it by itself or with accompaniments e.g. salad, baked beans, coleslaw, gravy and dipping sauces.17. Beans and rice
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If you're looking for a dish that reduces the amount of washing-up, beans and rice is a fantastic option. This dish literally only needs red kidney beans, plain white rice (or whatever rice of your choice) and some form of seasoning. You can place all the ingredients within one pot (once the rice has been cooked through), and it can be served immediately after cooking; perfect for those nights when you need a quick dinner.18. Cheesy beef skillet
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Another great one-pot dish is a cheesy beef skillet. You will need a relatively large pan for this dish, to ensure the ingredients are cooked evenly (the pot can also be used for serving the dish). The basis of this meal is ground beef, but you can replace this for other meats/substitutes if you want. Other key ingredients, include: tomatoes, cheese, spring and/or normal onions and kale. Cheesy beef skillet is a great way to disguise vegetables into your children's dinner, so they are more likely to eat them.19. Bagel pizza
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The next dish is perfect for lunch, small dinners for children and parties. Pizza bagels are a great alternative to full-size pizzas, and are one of the easiest things to prepare. All you will need, is: bagels of your choice and toppings of your choice. The most common topping for this dish would be cheese and pepperoni, but you can have a range of toppings if you want. This makes them a great versatile and tasty snack.20. Two timin' pasta
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Moving on, we come to another pasta dish. This particular dish is called two timin' pasta. It is named this, as it includes two pasta sauces (usually marinara and Alfredo), which gives it a wonderfully unique flavor. So, if you have half-finished jars of sauce that you don't want to waste, this is the perfect dish to make for the whole family! Like many other dishes on this list, two timin' pasta doesn't take long to prepare at all.21. Chilli
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Yet another one-pot dish on this list, is chilli. Chilli is an amazing, heart-warming and flavorful dish, that is bound to be an instant hit with the whole family. Chilli is made from ground beef, red kidney beans (you can use a mixture of beans if you want), tinned tomatoes, chillis and other smoky seasoning. You can cook accompaniments for this dish e.g. steamed vegetables and fried potatoes, or enjoy it by itself.22. Scrambled eggs
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Do you have random eggs at home, and you're not sure how to use them up? Among the many ways of cooking an egg, you can scramble them. Scrambled eggs are a great addition to any breakfast and/or lunch. For example, you can put it on top of toast, alongside cooked meat (bacon/sausages) or as a filling snack. Scrambled eggs are a versatile basis for any meal, and will provide you with a hit of essential protein.23. Vegetable soup
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If you're struggling to find filling and nutritious meals during the cooler months, vegetable soup is a great meal idea, and can feed the whole family for at least a couple of days! This type of soup only needs two ingredients: your vegetables of choice (or whatever vegetables you have available) and stock. You can also decide whether or not to keep the vegetables whole, or blend it down for a smoother soup (suitable for younger children).24. Oatmeal
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Oatmeal is a great choice for breakfast, and will fuel you throughout the morning with its slow-release energy. It can be served warm or cold, and there are plenty of toppings you can add for extra flavor. For example, you can top it with: fruit, nuts, syrup, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and yogurt. Overnight oats is another great way to prepare oatmeal, and allows you to save time in the morning, when preparing breakfast.25. Frech toast
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French toast is a lovely breakfast option, especially for a weekend treat (or when you have some extra time in the morning). You only need bread, eggs, sugar and syrup (this is optional) to make French toast, and it doesn't take much time to prepare. It can also be prepared in advance, stored in the refrigerator and eaten at a more convenient time.26. Meatballs
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Another pasta dish that is great for a mid-week meal, is meatballs. Meatballs can be accompanied by any form of pasta (usually spaghetti), and these can either be made from scratch or store-bought. They are usually paired with marinara sauce, or another tomato-based sauce, which can also be made from scratch or store-bought. Meatballs also provide you with another great source of leftovers, which can be refrigerated or frozen!27. Homemade chicken nuggets
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Looking to treat the family to some fast-food, but don't want to spend upward of $50? Why not make some chicken nuggets and fries at home? It is actually a lot easier than you may think, and requires only a handful of ingredients. You will literally only need chicken breasts, flour, eggs and seasoning. You can make the fries from scratch, or opt for the frozen option (whatever works best for you).28. Bean and cheese burritos
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Bean and cheese burritos are a great way of using up any leftovers from other meals (mainly chilli), if you're looking for some variety with your leftovers. The only extra ingredients you will need, are: tortilla wraps and a blend of cheeses. The best way to serve this dish, is by reheating your chilli filling, placing that into your wrap and topping it with your cheese (you can also heat the wraps in a pan if you want a warm flour tortilla).29. Chicken and rice casserole
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Another great dish that requires very little washing-up, and gives you the opportunity to use up any lingering ingredients, is: chicken and rice casserole. You can use any vegetables on hand, whatever rice you prefer and chicken to make this dish. The great thing about this meal, is the fact that it can all be placed into a single casserole dish, cooked together and served immediately!30. Hawaiian fried rice
