One of the biggest expenses in a household budget is groceries. The cost of food can quickly add up, especially when it comes to meals. However, there is a way to save money on meals without sacrificing flavor or nutrition. In fact, you can create delicious, nutritious, and dirt cheap dinners for a fraction of the cost by shopping for generic or store brand ingredients.
I’m sharing a couple of dirt cheap recipes that are not only easy to make but also dirt cheap. In these cheap meal ideas, choosing store brand ingredients, can save a dollar or two per meal. While it may not seem like much, if you do the math, you could potentially save up to $364 a year on dinner alone. Imagine what you could do with that extra cash!
French Bread Pizza
One of my favorite dirt cheap meals is French Bread Pizza. The beauty of this recipe is that you can use whatever bread you have on hand. For instance, you can opt for Walmart’s store brand French bread, which is similar to Italian bread, and costs around a dollar. To make this pizza, you’ll also need mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, and your favorite toppings.
When shopping for ingredients, be sure to compare prices between store brands and name brands. You’ll be surprised at how much cheaper store brands can be. For example, I found that the store brand pizza sauce at Market Basket (my local New England supermarket) was way cheaper than the non-store brand. Similarly, I saved money on pepperoni by buying it from the deli counter instead of purchasing the more expensive name brand.
Another great option for dirt cheap dinners is to use whatever leftovers you have in your fridge. You can make cheap easy meals such as chicken bacon ranch pizza, a plain bacon pizza, or even a plain cheese pizza. This is a fantastic way to avoid wasting food and using up stale bread.
To go along with your pizza, you can make a salad with store brand lettuce. While it’s usually cheaper to purchase a larger package of lettuce, if you only need a small amount, it might be more cost-effective to purchase a pre-packaged salad on sale. This makes a delicious dirt cheap dinner or a delicious dirt cheap lunch.
7-Can Slow Cooker Soup
7-Can Soup, is the ultimate crockpot meal that requires only seven cans of ingredients and two hours of cooking time while saving money. This easy dirst cheap recipe is perfect for busy families who need a quick and easy dinner solution and is helpful while meal planning.
To make 7-Can Soup, you’ll need cans of no-bean chili, cheddar cheese soup, Rotel, mixed vegetables, chili beans, Italian style diced tomatoes, and whole kernel corn. Don’t worry if you can’t find generic brands of all these items. The key is swapping out the less expensive cans, when you can.
Simply open all the cans, dump them into your crockpot, and mix them together. Cook on high for two hours or on low for four. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired.
The best part of this recipe is that it’s customizable. You can add or remove ingredients as you like to make it your own for your family. Plus, it’s a great way to use up cans of food that have been sitting in your pantry for a while.
So next time you’re looking for a dirt cheap dinner recipe, give 7-Can Soup a try. It’s easy, affordable, and delicious. And if you need more slow cooker recipes check out the delicious slow cooker chicken piccata.
Get the full recipe here!
You Can Do It!
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make delicious and healthy meals. By opting for store brand ingredients, you can save money without sacrificing flavor or quality. So, next time you’re at the grocery store, be sure to compare prices and choose the most cost-effective options. You’ll be surprised at how much you can save with dirt cheap dinners. Click the video below to watch the entire video and, if you want more dirt cheap dinner ideas, be sure to check out Meals with Maria on YouTube.
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