Four plus One is FIVE.

One of the basis of Groceries on the cheap is the catch phrase:  Four plus one is FIVE.  Four people, one meal, five bucks.   It is based on the fact that SNAP money is based on a meal costing 1.40 a plate.  You can eat well on that if you shop wisely.   Wether or not you are on SNAP, you can eat well on half the national average for a food budget.   I’m not going to tell you that it takes no effort.   But, like anything worth doing, take reward is good.

Five dollar dinners are attainable because you can average the cost.   One really inexpensive dinner plus one more moderate dinner can cost the same as two average priced dinners.   An inexpensive pizza and a salmon cake can average to stay in budget.  

Fortunately, most children love a lot of inexpensive food.   You can have quality food if you shop right.  

The internet is full of recipes:  the Betty Crocker cookbook and pinterest is free.   Don’t overlook a recipe because it starts with a ready made product or an expensive ingredient.  There is almost always a viable substitutions .   There are recipes for about every mix you could need on the internet.   Google is a good resource.   Many substitutions are as good or better because they dont have preservatives or other chemicals that you don’t need . Eating food in season helps the budget a lot.   Fruits and veggies taste better and cost less—a winning combination .  

Look for recipes that use up leftovers, or have inexpensive ingredients and recipes that your family will eat.   No food will do your family good if you are feeding it to the garbage disposal.  

• Shredded beef sandwiches (sliders) are popular and there are roll recipes that are simple that bring the cost of the rolls down.   Anytime you can make bread, the cost will be remarkably cheaper.   A three dollar loaf of sour dough, can cost as little as .30 cents.   No misplaced decimal here.  A great recipe for leftover meat .  Leftovers won’t seem like leftovers.   
• Chicken tortilla soup is another recipe that uses leftovers that disguise the fact that they are leftovers.   
• Broccolli beer cheese soup is timely because of holiday food leftovers.   
• Turkey a la king with rice.   Rice cost .03 a serving when buying it in bulk.  
• Apple chicken quesadillas .  Another inexpensive food that takes in season food (apples) and leftover chicken or turkey and tortillas that can be had at the DT. 
• Meatloaf muffins.   Its all about portion control 
• Chicken enchiladas.  Another leftover chicken or turkey dish.   You can cook a chicken breast from frozen in the insta pot in minutes.   Adjust the time for really fat ones. 
• Burrito bake uses cresent rolls that are on sale this time of year and there are coupons out there too.  
• Pork roast with cranberry orange relish.   Another in season recipe .  Pork Loin was a dollar a pound last week and oranges are the lowest price in January.   
• Vanilla french toast 

All recipes are from Taste of Home annual recipes 2018.   Most of the time they can be found on the internet.   Like google “ Burrito Bake/Taste of Home” .