5 Meal Ideas under 10 Dollars

5 Meal Ideas under 10 Dollars

Life can be expensive, but especially food can be expensive. When you are on a tight budget, planning meals to eat for dinner can get bland and tedious. Try to spice up your dinner, and add new ideas to the menu is hard on a budget, especially a strict budget. Below are five breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas that all cost $10 or less to make!

 

1.    Chicken Pot Pie Turnovers

-Preparation time: 1 hr. 25 min.

-Yields: 4 people

-Ingredients:

·        2 tablespoons butter

·        1/2 onion, chopped

·        1 carrot, chopped

·        1 stalk celery, chopped

·        Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

·        2 cloves garlic minced

·        2 teaspoons dried thyme

·        1 tablespoon flour, plus more for dusting

·        1/2 cup white wine

·        1 cup chicken stock

·        1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

·        1/2 cup frozen peas

·        1 1/2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken

·        1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

·        1 egg

-Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook the onions, carrots, and celery with salt and pepper, to taste, until the carrots soften, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for an additional minute, stirring frequently. Add the flour and cook off the raw flavor, about 1 minute more. Turn up the heat to medium-high and deglaze the pan with the wine. Whisk in the stock and Dijon mustard. Add the peas and chicken and cook on a very low simmer until the sauce thickens up into a gravy, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry dough and cut into 4 even squares (cut once horizontally and once vertically). Gently roll out each square, increasing the size of the square by about 20 percent. Place the squares on a baking sheet and spoon the chicken mixture in the center. Fold the squares diagonally to create triangles. Pinch the edges together to create turnovers (use a little water if needed to bind). Press the edges with a fork to create a decorative border. Whisk the egg with a splash of water and brush the turnovers with the egg wash. Cut a small slit in the top to allow the steam to escape during baking. Bake the turnovers until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving as the insides will be very hot.

2.    Potato Cakes

-Preparation time: 30 min.

-Yields: 4 people

-Ingredients:

·        2 tablespoons vegetable oil

·        2 tablespoons butter

·        2 large russet potatoes, peeled and grated

·        Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

·        2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves

-Directions:

In a nonstick 10-inch saute pan, heat the vegetable oil and butter over medium heat. Press grated potato into pan. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook undisturbed until crisp on bottom, 8 to 10 minutes. Gently flip onto a plate and then slide other side into pan to cook. Salt and pepper second side. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes, until potato cake is cooked through and nicely browned. Cut into wedges, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

3.     Mixed Mushroom Pizza

-Preparation time: 41 min.

-Yields: 4 people

-Ingredients:

8 ounces mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced (recommended: button and crimini)
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 sprig fresh rosemary, needles picked and minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup prepared marinara sauce
2 tablespoons red wine
Flour, for rolling out dough
1 (13.8-ounces) prepared pizza crust

-Directions:

Preheat a grill on medium-high heat. In a large saute pan, cook the mushrooms in 3 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Cook until the mushrooms are nice and golden. Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic and rosemary; season with salt and pepper. Be careful not to burn. Cook another few minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant.

Meanwhile, prep each of the ingredients by placing them in a separate bowl, ready for quick access at the grill. Mix the parmesan and mozzarella in one small bowl and the marinara and wine in a second small bowl.

On a lightly-floured surface, unfold the dough and cut it into quarters. Brush the top side of the dough with some of the remaining olive oil and flip onto the nonstick foil. Brush the second side with olive oil. With all the ingredients within hand’s reach at the grill, slide the oiled crusts onto the grill and cook just until they begin to puff, 3 minutes. With 2 spatulas or tongs, carefully flip the crusts. Immediately spread the crusts with the marinara sauce, sprinkle with half the cheese, top with the cooked mushrooms, and the other half of the cheese. Close the lid of the grill and cook just until the cheese is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the crust. Cook’s Note: If you don’t have a grill cover, use a large metal bowl or aluminum foil.

4.     Cubano

-Preparation time: 30 min.

-Yields: 4 people

-Ingredients:

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 large wide loaf French bread (not baguette), halved lengthwise and quartered into 8 small slices
8 slices Swiss cheese
4 to 6 slices deli-style ham
5 to 6 ounces thinly sliced pork (roast, chop or pulled)
Garlic Pickles
4 tablespoons butter, softened

-Directions:

Mix the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl and spread evenly on the inside of the bread slices. Layer on half of the cheese, the ham, pork, garlic pickles and the remaining cheese. Cover with another slice of bread and butter the outside (top and bottom) of the sandwich.

Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat and place the sandwiches in the pan. Top with a second cast-iron skillet to weigh the sandwiches down. After 2 minutes, turn down the heat to medium low, flip the sandwiches and weigh down again with the second skillet. Check the sandwiches after 1 more minute, and remove when golden brown and the cheese has melted.

5.     Grilled Chicken Fajita Platter

-Preparation time: 2 hr. 40 min.

-Yields: 4 people

-Ingredients:

1/4 cup lime juice (about 3 limes)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling

4 boneless chicken breast halves, skinned (about 2 pounds)

4 scallions, tops removed

1 yellow onion, quartered

1 green bell pepper, halved, seeded

1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded

Shredded Cheddar, for serving

Sour cream, for serving

-Directions:

Whisk the lime, oil, garlic, salt and pepper until combined in a small bowl. Place the chicken in a 1-gallon plastic bag. Pour half of the lime mixture over the chicken; turn to coat. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

Arrange the scallions, onions, green peppers and red peppers on a large rimmed baking sheet. Pour the remaining lime mixture over the vegetables; turn to coat.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the lime mixture and bring to room temperature. Sprinkle each side of the chicken with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 7 minutes each side. Grill the vegetables until tender, turning frequently, about 10 minutes for the scallions and peppers and 15 minutes for the onions.

Transfer the chicken to a work surface and cover with aluminum foil. Set aside the chicken for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the onions and peppers and arrange them on a platter with the scallions. Slice the chicken crosswise into strips and transfer to the platter. Serve with the Cheddar and sour cream.

All recipe and photo credit goes to: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/grilled-chicken-fajitas-platter-recipe-2043277