Family Meals for $5

Whether you're looking to save some money or struggling to make ends meet, an inexpensive meal sounds like a great way to stretch your hard-earned dollars.
Here are four super easy, super delicious budget friendly meals for less than $1.50 per person*.
These fish tacos are filled with fresh ingredients that you may already have on hand.
This meal cost me $1.49 per person.
The most expensive ingredient for this recipe was the tilapia; however, if you can find it on sale or buy a less expensive mild white fish, that would save even more money.
This recipe is a copy cat lettuce wrap from a well know chain restaurant but tastes way better because you made it.
This meal cost me $1.20 per person.
Ground chicken, at $3.99 per pound, was the most expensive ingredient; water chestnuts were $1.50 but I had everything else on hand.
This rich tortellini with Alfredo sauce and peas is sure to fill all those hungry bellies.
This meal cost me $1.12 per person
The fresh tortellini was $3.99 and the alfredo sauce was on sale for $0.99. We always have peas in the freezer.
Guess what? A baked potato can be a meal! Add some fresh toppings, you've got a great dinner that everyone will love.
This meal cost me $1.16 with bacon or $0.66 without bacon.
Potatoes were $0.43 each and the crown of broccoli was $0.94. We already had shredded cheese and butter. The most expensive item was the prepackaged bacon pieces but you could make you're own bacon or skip it.
Family Meals for $5
Recipe details
Ingredients
Fish Tacos
- Fish Seasoning:
- 1 pound tilapia or white fish of your choice
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- Fish Taco Toppings:
- 1/2 small purple cabbage
- 2 medium avocado, sliced
- 2 cups picot
- 1 cup Cotija cheese, grated
- 1 lime cut into 8 wedges to serve
- Fish Taco Sauce:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp lime juice from 1 medium lime
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Sriracha sauce, or to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 white corn tortillas
Lettuce Wraps
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha, optional
- 1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 head lettuce
Alfredo Tortellini with Peas
- 9 oz package of tortellini
- 15 oz jar Alfredo sauce
- 16 oz bag of frozen peas
Baked Potatoes
- 2-4 Russet potatoes
- 1 crown of broccoli
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1 Tbsp butter
- sour cream or Ranch dressing
- bacon pieces - optional
Instructions
Fish Tacos
- Preheat oven at 375 degrees
- Line large baking sheet with parchment
- In a small dish, combine seasonings
- Sprinkle seasoning mix over both sides of tilapia
- Lightly drizzle fish with olive oil and dot each piece with butter.
- Bake for 20-25 min. To brown edges, broil for 3-5 minutes at the end if desired.
- Combine all taco sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended.
- To serve the tacos, toast quickly toast the corn tortillas on a large dry skillet or griddle over medium/high heat.
- Assemble and enjoy!
Lettuce Wraps
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat.
- Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger and Sriracha until onions have become translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style.
Alfredo Tortellini with Peas
- Make tortellini according to package
- Drain tortellini and place back into pan
- Add alfredo sauce and peas to pan with tortellini
- Heat thoroughly and enjoy
Baked Potatoes
- Wash and dry potatoes
- With a fork, poke holes into the potatoes
- Wrap potatoes in plastic wrap
- Microwave 5-6 minutes per potato
- Chop broccoli crown, place in a bowl and microwave 2-3 minutes
- Carefully unwrap potatoes (they will be hot)
- Cut the top of the potato then squeeze the sides of the potato to open it
- Add toppings and enjoy
Tips
- *prices for items will vary from state to state, store to store

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