Inexpensive Dinners this week

We've had a pretty tight food budget this year as we've revised (and actually developed) our budget. I made three budget friendly dinners this week, so I present about what I made, not recipes (because I don't really remember exactly what I did...I'm good like that.)

Tuesday night, I made Spaghetti-spaghetti squash. I used a large spag. squash ($2.31), 12 oz. whole wheat thin spag ($1.45), a 24-oz can of sauce ($.99), and some spices. It fed our family of three (toothed-eaters) with extras for lunch or another night for $4.75.

Wednesday night, I cooked a crock-pot chicken with carrots and potatoes and served it with steamed spinach. Whole chicken was $5.31, carrots and potatoes cost maybe $1.00 for what I used and the spinach was about $2.00 for the amount I used. So, this dinner cost $8.31 for our family, but we had lots of chicken left over as well as four cups of carrots/potatoes left too. In addition, I used the bones, etc and made chicken broth for...

Thursday night, I made crock-pot split pea soup using chicken broth I made the night before, a pound of dried split peas ($1.09), garlic, two cups of left over carrots/potatoes, some hot sauce, 8 oz dried barley ($.49), and some shredded cheese ($1.00). We invited my parents over and I made some grilled cheese sandwiches as well, call it $2.50 for these and so for the dinner for five, it cost $5.08 and there's enough left over for one more meal. I did pick up a six pack of Big Boss Pumpkin Spiced Ale to go with it though, but I'm not counting that in the cost of the meal.

Tonight will be left-overs, as they are, or I may make quesadillas, using left over chicken.

Eating healthy on a budget is possible, I guess that's the takeaway...