Healthy Family Meals for Just $5

Erin Chase, also known as the $5 Dinner Mom and author of The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook, stopped by today to share some recipes for quick, tasty, nutritious meals that are easy on the budget! Check out the dishes featured on today's show below!

Cranberry Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• 4 pork chops, about 1.5 lbs. ($2.52)
• 1/2 bag fresh cranberries ($.50)
  OR 1 can whole cranberries ($.79)
• 1/2 cup apple juice ($.10)
• 1/4 cup sugar ($.02)
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar ($.01)
• 1 tsp ground cloves ($.05)
• 4 large white potatoes ($.60)
• 2 Tbsp butter ($.20)
• 1 tsp garlic powder ($.05)
• 1/4 cup milk ($.03)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups frozen green beans ($.89)

 

Directions:

1. Place pork chops in bottom of slow cooker with ½ cup of water.

2. In bowl, toss fresh or canned cranberries, apple juice, sugars and ground cloves. Pour over the pork chops in the slow cooker. Set slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours.

3. Scrub, peel and quarter the potatoes. Boil for 10 minutes in large saucepan. Once potato pieces have softened, drain off the liquid and return cooked potatoes to the saucepan. Add 1 cup of milk, butter and salt and pepper. Mash together with potato masher. Add more milk if you prefer creamier potatoes.

4. Cook green beans according to package directions.

5. Serve Cranberry Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes and green beans.

Cost: $4.96

Frugal Fact: Fresh cranberries can be frozen whole and used for future meals. Look for them for just $1/lb. around the Thanksgiving holiday. Grab an extra bag and toss it in the freezer to use in future meals.

 

Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 large red pepper ($1)

• 1 lb. thin angel hair pasta ($.97)

• 1 cup homemade vegetable or chicken stock ($.10)

• 3/4 lb. frozen bay scallops, thawed ($2.00)

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard ($.03)

• 4 Tbsp butter ($.40)

• Salt/Pepper

• 1 cup frozen broccoli pieces ($.50)

 

Directions:

1. Remove stem and seeds from red pepper. In 450 (degree sign) oven, roast red pepper on baking sheet for 8-10 minutes. Remove, let cool for 5-10 minutes, then cut into ½ square pieces.

2. Cook angel hair pasta according to package directions.

3. In large skillet, add 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock. Add thawed bay scallops and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove scallops with slotted spoon and place on plate near stovetop. Whisk in Dijon mustard and 4 Tbsp butter into the stock where the scallops were cooking. Reduce heat and let sauce simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add scallops back into sauce and simmer for 4-5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Cook 1 cup frozen broccoli as directed on package. Drain and squeeze dry.

5. Toss spaghetti, roasted red pepper pieces, broccoli with scallops and sauce.

6. Serve Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Pasta.

Cost: $5.00

Frugal Fact: Look for sale prices of $3 or less for 16 oz. bags of frozen fish fillets, scallops, shrimp and other seafood. Also, a great sale price for red, orange and yellow peppers is $1. Be sure to snag this great price on an otherwise more expensive vegetable.

 

Sweet Potato Beef Roast

Ingredients:

• 1.8 lb beef roast ($4.03/2=$2.02)

• 1 tsp garlic powder ($.05)

• Salt/Pepper

• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered ($1.49)

• ½ tsp ground ginger ($.05)

• 1 tsp cinnamon ($.05)

• 2 boxes of frozen spinach ($1)

 

Directions:

1. Place beef roast with 1 cup of water in the base of slow cooker. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

2. Peel and quarter sweet potatoes. Place in slow cooker around and on top of beef roast. Sprinkle ground ginger and cinnamon over the sweet potatoes. Set slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours.

3. When finished cooking, remove roast and sweet potatoes. Slice roast and strain juices from the roast.

4. Cook frozen spinach according to package instructions.

5. Serve Sliced Beef Roast with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach.

Cost: $4.66

Frugal Fact: Match coupons for brand name boxed frozen vegetables with a sale price and the brand name box vegetables will be cheaper than the store brand boxed vegetables.

 

Maple Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp pure maple syrup ($.50)

• 2 Tbsp butter, melted ($.20)

• 1 tsp paprika ($.05)

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon ($.05)

• Salt

• 2 large bone-in split breast chickens ($1.76)

• 1 cup brown rice ($.40)

• 1 lb. fresh green beans ($.89)

• 2 Tbsp olive oil ($.20)

 

Directions:

1. In small bowl, whisk maple syrup, melted butter, paprika, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

2. Place split breasts on broiler pan or on roasting rack in roasting pan. Brush with maple sauce. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes. After about 30 minutes into cooking, brush remaining maple sauce over chicken. Continue baking another 25 minutes, for a total of 55-60 minutes.

3. In medium saucepan, bring 2 ½ cups of water to boil, add 1 cup of brown rice and bring back to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 40-50 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving.

4. Rinse green beans and snap off ends. In small saucepan, add green beans, olive oil and 1 cup of water. Bring water to boil, and then remove from heat. Cover and let green beans finish cooking for 5 minutes.

5. Serve Maple Chicken with Brown Rice and Green Beans.

Cost: $4.25

Frugal Fact: Best sale prices for bone-in split chicken breast can be as low as $.99/lb. Be on the lookout for these great prices!

 

Skirt Steak and Pepper Kabobs

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. skirt steak ($1.99)

• 2 Tbsp olive oil ($.10)

• 1 tsp cumin ($.05)

• 2 tsp lime juice ($.05)

• 1 crushed garlic clove ($.05)

• 1 cup rice ($.20)

• 1 green pepper ($.68)

• 1 red pepper ($.99)

• 1/4 watermelon, sliced ($.75)

 

Directions:

1. Cut skirt steak into 1 inch strips.

2. In small bowl, whisk olive oil, cumin, lime juice and crushed garlic clove. Toss marinade with skirt steak strips in shallow dish. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

3. In medium saucepan, bring 2 ½ cups of water to boil, add 1 cup of rice and bring back to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving.

4. Cut tops/stems off the red and green pepper and remove seeds. Cut into 1 inch squares, in preparation for the skewers.

5. Once skirt steak has finished marinating, roll up the strips and put them on a skewer. Add red and green peppers on the skewers as well.

6. Grill skewers for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until skirt steak has cooked through. Rotate often to avoid "charring" of the peppers.

7. Cut watermelon into slices.

8. Serve Skirt Steak and Pepper Kabobs over Rice with Watermelon.

Cost: $4.86

Frugal Fact: Substitute the skirt steak for stew meat or stir-fry beef.