A Month of Dinners - The Recipes


If you've landed here without reading the big picture post - Click HERE to start.

A month of Costco Dinners for under $200.00


Salad
A handful of Spring Mix and Spinach and a few diced/shredded vegetables (tomato, broccoli, onion, carrot) as a side dish.

Rice
For these recipes you may use more or less rice.  We love rice and eat it often.  You can also use pasta in most cases if you are not a fan.
Some are not familiar with traditional rice - my sister only makes 5 minute rice.  Read the basic directions and it will give you an idea how long to expect it to take (like simmer 25 minutes tells you it should take 25 minutes.)  It's so much easier than you may think.

Homemade Pizza x4
Costco Pizza Shells with Sauce - 4 pack
Shredded Cheese - 1 cup
Crumbled Bacon - 1/2 cup
Diced Onion, Peppers, Mushrooms (Whatever veggies you'd like)
Top pizza shell with sauce, cheese and additional toppings.  Bake as directed.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs x2
Balls:
1/5 Ground Beef Purchased
1 Egg
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs (Or crushed crackers)
Sauce:
3/4 cup White Sugar
3/4 cup Water
1/3 cup Ketchup
1/3 cup White Vinegar
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
3 Tbsp Cold Water
Recipe Here.

Mama's Spaghetti Sauce
4 cans Crushed Tomatoes
4 cans Diced Tomatoes
2/5 Ground Beef Purchased
2 Onions
1/2 Mushrooms Purchased
1/3 Peppers Purchased
Spices - such as Italian, Basil, Oregano, Garlic, etc...
Recipe Here.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken x2
4 Chicken Breasts (Or another boneless Chicken)
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
4 teaspoons Bread Crumbs (I usually skip this)
Recipe linked Here

Smothered Pork Chops over Rice x2
4 Pork Chops
1 cup Uncooked Rice
1 Tbsp Oil
2 tsp Garlic
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 envelope Onion Soup Prepared (I've used chicken broth with garlic & onion powder)
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
Recipe linked Here.

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry x2
1 Steak, cubed
1/4 bag of Broccoli (Or just 1 head)
2 Onions
4 Carrots
1 cup Uncooked Rice
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Cold Water
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
Recipe linked Here (Using rice instead of noodles)

Leftover Nachos x1
1 bag of Tostitos Chips
1/3 bottle Tostitos Salsa
2 cups Shredded Cheese
Top with any leftovers - Beef, Chicken, Onions, Tomatoes, even Broccoli
Layer chips, salsa, cheese and toppings on shallow baking sheet - bake at 350' until cheese melted and toppings hot.

Slow Cooked Roast Pork x1
Pork Roast Purchased (Cook Remaining Minus 8 Chops but only serve 1/2)
2lbs Potatoes
6 Carrots
1 Onion
Seasonings & Spices (Garlic, Onion, Rosemary, etc...)
Place roast in slow cooker, top with cubed / thick chopped carrots and potatoes.  Add enough water to fill 1/3 of slow cooker (to make gravy).  Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours until desired done-ness.

Roast Chicken with Stuffing x2
4 Chicken Breasts $10.08
1 box Stove Top Stuffing $0.77 (Homemade version HERE)
Make stuffing according to directions.  Pound chicken to 1/2" thickness. Place a layer of stuffing over inside of chicken, roll, and fasten with a toothpick.  Roast in the oven (I like to drizzle a little margarine with salt & pepper) until chicken has cooked through.

Soft Tacos x2
1/5 Ground Beef Package
8 Tortillas
2 Diced Tomatoes
1 Diced Onion
1 cup Shredded Cheese
1 cup Salsa
Taco Seasoning (MYO Here)
Any other toppings your family enjoys.
Brown ground beef and drain fat. Add seasoning and simmer to reduce liquids.  Serve with toppings over flour tortillas.

Slow Cooked Tortellini x2
Half of the bag of Frozen Tortellini
1 Portion of Mama's Spaghetti Sauce
Add any leftover diced peppers, tomatoes or onions
No need to add all the ingredients listed in recipe - it's already in the sauce.  You may want to thin the sauce with 1/2 cup water before adding.
Recipe linked Here.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches x2
Reserved Pork Loin Roast
1/2 cup ketchup (Or BBQ Sauce)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (I've used white vinegar in a pinch with good results)
1 tablespoon ground mustard
2 tablespoons of garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika (I've skipped before)
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke (Optional - I skip - but if you have it on hand...)
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 Onion, diced
Combine in slow cooker, simmer for 4 - 6 hours (Add water if too thick).  Shred pork with 2 forks and serve on buns.

Zesty Italian Chicken x1
4 Chicken Breasts
1/2 Bottle Italian Dressing (Vinaigrette Style) or MYO Here (Pantry)
Drizzle chicken with Italian Dressing and bake until done.  (Don't worry, the vinegar cooks off)

Bacon Fried Rice x1
2 cups Rice, Uncooked
1 cup Crumbled Bacon
3 Eggs
1/2 Onion, Diced
3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
Sprinkle Garlic Powder & Any other Spices to Suit
Add any leftover vegetables or meats - very versatile recipe.
Basic Recipe linked Here. (Skip frying bacon as using precooked crumbled)

Loaded Baked Potatoes x1
4 Large Potatoes
1 cup Shredded Cheese
1 cup Crumbled Bacon
1/2 Onion, Diced
Bake Potatoes and let cool. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out 3/4 of the potato flesh. Combine potato flesh with remaining ingredients and return to the skins.  Bake until cheese is bubbly and potatoes are hot.