10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5 - Easy Meals Your Family Will Love! (2024)

Here are 10 quick and easy crockpot recipes you can make for under $5! Crockpot recipes are great because you can just toss the ingredients into the crockpot in the morning and then, when it’s dinner time, your meal will be done!

10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5 - Easy Meals Your Family Will Love! (1)

Summer is the perfect time to break out the crockpots because most of us are busy running around and it’s not only convenient, but won’t heat up the house!

Most of these are in our Dining On A Dime Cookbook but if you want more ideas check out our100 Crockpot Recipes eBook Bundle!

10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5

Here are 10 quick and easy crockpot recipes you can make for under $5! Just toss the ingredients into the crockpot in the morning for an easy meal at dinner time!

2023 Update about the prices – YES YOU CAN STILL make these recipes for under $5 in 2023. I just bought chicken for .97/lb.-$1.40/lb. and hamburger (ground beef) for $2.87/lb. in Wyoming. We have also had viewers from all 48 contiguous states in the United States say they HAVE found those prices also AND viewers in Ireland, UK, Germany and Finland.

It’s all about shopping the sales and ONLY buying your meat on sale or on clearance. When meat is on sale, buy extra and freeze it so you don’t have to buy it when it is expensive. Then use what is in your freezer until the next sales comes along.

10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5 - Easy Meals Your Family Will Love! (2)

3 Ingredient Chicken Tacos

4 bonelessskinless chicken breasts
taco seasoning to taste (homemade or 1 packet)
1 can Rotel tomatoes*

Place all of the ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred and use in tacos, burritos, enchiladas or in a salad. You can also serveit hot or cold so it would be great as leftovers to take in a lunch.

*Rotel tomatoes are canned tomatoes with chopped green peppers or jalapeños.Any brand that is labeled “tomatoes and green chilies” should be OK or just used canned tomatoes and add the kind of peppers you would like.

10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5 - Easy Meals Your Family Will Love! (3)

This quick and easy crockpot bean goulash recipe is tasty, will get you in and out of the kitchen fast and is ideal for when you’re having a rough day!

Crockpot Bean Goulash Recipe

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. bacon
1 stalk celery
1 small onion
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans or 2 cups cooked beans
1 (15 oz.) can butter beans
1 (15 oz.) can pork and beans
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 cup barbecue sauce or ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

Brown ground beef, bacon, celery and onion. If using canned beans, drain them. Mix the remaining ingredients together with the beef mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or put in the crockpot on low for 1-2 hours. Serves 8-10.

Save Money On Groceries And Make Meals Easier! (Sale Up To 50% Off!)

You can make EASY and delicious meals at home in less time than eating out! You’ll save a ton of money on food and your family will thank you!

Click here to get our Dining On A Dime Cookbooks SALE Up To 50% Off NOW! They’re filled with tasty recipes and tips to make your life easier!

10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5 - Easy Meals Your Family Will Love! (5)

Garlic Roasted Chicken Recipe

3-5 lb. chicken
salt
pepper
paprika
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
about 1/4 lb. butter
1/2 cup chicken broth

Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, paprika. Rub the bird inside and out with garlic. Place in the crockpot. Lay a couple of pats of butter on top of the breast and pour in broth. Cook on Low 6-8 hours. Serve with the garlic butter sauce.

10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5 - Easy Meals Your Family Will Love! (6)

Barbecue Beef Stew Recipe

1-2 lbs. stew meat
1 cup onion, sliced
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups beef stock
1 can (8 oz.) tomatoes
1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms
1/3 cup barbecue sauce

Saute onion, pepper and garlic in oil. Add salt, pepper, beef stock, tomatoes, mushrooms and barbecue sauce. Cook meat and all of the other ingredients in a crockpot on low heat for 8-10 hours. To thicken, mix 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water and add to stew before serving.

10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5 - Easy Meals Your Family Will Love! (7)

Crockpot Stuffed Peppers Recipe

6 Large Bell Peppers
1/2 pound lean ground beef (cooked or uncooked – leftover works great)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 – 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup rice, cooked (any kind of rice will work)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup water
shredded cheese

Combine ground beef, onion, diced tomatoes, rice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper.Cut off each top of the peppers and scrape out the seeds and membranes. Stuff each bell pepper with mixture. Pour water on bottom of crock pot.Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours until peppers are tender and ground beef is cooked throughout.About 15 minutes before serving, sprinkle cheese and let it melt.

10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5 - Easy Meals Your Family Will Love! (8)

Sour Cream Chili Bake Recipe

1 lb. ground beef, cooked, drained
1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained
1 can (10 oz.) enchilada sauce
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 cup American cheese, grated
1 Tbsp. instant minced onion
1 cup water
3 cups corn chips, crushed

Place all of the ingredients in a crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Serve with sour cream, cheese and chips in summer or cornbread in the winter.

10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5 - Easy Meals Your Family Will Love! (9)

Crockpot Cajun Pork And Beans

5 (15 oz.) cans Pork-n-Beans
2 (6oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 onions (chopped)
6 hot links or 8 hot dogs (sliced)
1/4 bottle barbecue sauce (about 1/2 -1 cup)

Add in extras to taste:

Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce
Cajun seasonings
Liquid smoke
Mustard
Brown sugar

Mix all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low 4-8 hours.

10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5 - Easy Meals Your Family Will Love! (10)
If you are a chili connoisseur this recipe may not be for you but if you have picky eaters or children this chili recipe may be be a life saver. You can adjust the amounts of the ingredients to the size of your family without doing much harm. This is also a perfect recipe to make the day before and just warm up when you need it.Print

Quick And Easy Chili Recipe

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.5 from 2 reviews

Ingredients

Units

3 small cans tomato soup*
3 soup cans of water
1/2 to 1 lb. cooked hamburger
Chili powder, to taste
Garlic powder and onion powder, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Put everything into a large pan.
  2. Simmer at least 2 hours. It’s better to let it simmer all day if possible.

I usually use at least 2 teaspoons each of chili powder and garlic powder. You can also use onions.

You can add almost anything you want to this basic recipe. Beans work well or I like to crumble in some fried sausage for extra flavor.

*I have also replaced the soup with a large can (32-36 oz.) of tomato juice and it is good, too!

10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5 - Easy Meals Your Family Will Love! (11)

Potato Bacon Chowder Soup Recipe

8 slices bacon, cut
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup water
1 can cream of soup base (regular small can)
1 cup sour cream
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
2 Tbsp. parsley, optional

In a kettle, fry bacon until crisp. Add onion and saute 2-3 minutes. Drain. Add potatoes and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add soup and sour cream. Gradually add milk. Add salt, pepper and parsley. Heat until warm. Do not boil. Makes 4 servings.

10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5 - Easy Meals Your Family Will Love! (12)

Easy Baked Potatoes

Virtually everyone loves baked potatoes. With toppings, baked potatoes can be a meal all by themselves. Prepare your toppings the night or morning before and you can have a quick and easy dinner.

Check out these easy ways to bake potatoes:

  • When slowly cooked, baked potatoes have a much better flavor than when cooked quickly in the microwave.
  • Here’s a tip from one of our readers on perfect baked potatoes: Bake your potatoes in a crockpot. Scrub, pierce with a fork, rub some butter on the potatoes and cook on low all day. You will have perfectly baked potatoes when it’s time for dinner.
  • If you like the taste of oven baked potatoes but forgot to put them in the oven in time, nuke them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Then finish them in the oven. The centers will be cooked and they won’t take nearly as long to bake in the oven.
  • To prevent a dry hard skin, rub your potato in butter or margarine, sprinkle with salt and wrap in foil.
  • It is usually best to prick a potato with a fork when cooking it in the microwave because at times potatoes have been known to explode. Big Mess. :)

Baked Potato Toppings:

Tomatoes, chopped
Broccoli, chopped
Peppers, chopped
Cheese, grated
Bacon, crumbled
Ham, cubed
Chili
Onion
Olives
Mushrooms
Ranch dressing
Sour cream
Yogurt

Taco themed baked potato: everything you would put on a taco including hamburger with taco seasoning

Pizza themed baked potato: pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, sausage

For lots more cheap and easy crockpot recipes your family will love, check out our100 Crockpot Recipes eBook Bundle Here!

Save Money On Groceries And Make Meals Easier! (Sale Up To 50% Off!)

You can make EASY and delicious meals at home in less time than eating out! You’ll save a ton of money on food and your family will thank you!

Click here to get our Dining On A Dime Cookbooks SALE Up To 50% Off NOW! They’re filled with tasty recipes and tips to make your life easier!

This post contains affilate links. If you purchase using this link we will get a small commission. Thanks for supporting us!

10 Crockpot Recipes Under $5 - Easy Meals Your Family Will Love! (2024)

FAQs

How do you feed a family of 5 for $10? ›

Cheap Family Meals Under $10
  1. Spanish Rice Soup. ...
  2. Ramen Noodle Stir Fry with Vegetables. ...
  3. Crescent Roll Sausage Egg Casserole. ...
  4. Chicken and Rice Casserole with Broccoli. ...
  5. Creamy Tomato Bacon Pasta. ...
  6. Easy Cheese Manicotti. ...
  7. White Bean and Spinach Soup. ...
  8. Black Bean Enchilada Casserole.
Apr 2, 2023

What is the cheapest meal you can make? ›

65 Easy And Cheap Dinner Ideas That You'll Want To Make On Repeat
  • Sweet Potato And Black Bean Burritos. tasty.co. ...
  • Barbecue Beer Can Chicken. tasty.co. ...
  • Zucchini Noodles with Kale Pesto. ...
  • One-Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta. ...
  • Chicken Alfredo Penne. ...
  • Avocado Quinoa Power Salad. ...
  • Tofu Scramble. ...
  • Egg Pizza With Scallions.
Dec 21, 2023

What foods should be slow cooked? ›

Tough cuts of meat, offal, root veggies all benefit from long, slow cooking. So a dish like pho has pieces of meats with the cartilage cooked into a lovely chewy, melt in your mouth feel! Parsnips are lovely after they've been roasted and then cooked long and mashed.

How to feed 3 people cheaply? ›

Homemade meals, use the internet and find recipes that will fit your families taste and budget. Rice, beans, potatoes, and noodles are cheap and filling. Make your own bread, store bought bread costs between $1 for cheap junk on sale to over $5 per loaf. If you buy flour and yeast it's a lot cheaper and tastes better.

How can I feed my family on a very small budget? ›

How to feed your family for less - Experts tips for shopping and cooking on a budget
  1. Don't feel pressured to always buy fresh. ...
  2. Eat seasonally. ...
  3. Substitute pricey lettuce. ...
  4. Meal plan with the catalogue in hand. ...
  5. Top trick to find the lowest priced groceries. ...
  6. Learn how to stretch your food further. ...
  7. Shop the 'dodgy' bin.

How can I eat if I have no money? ›

Your local food bank can help you find food today, even if you need temporary help. They partner with food pantries, soup kitchens, and meal programs in your local community to give away free food. Enter your zip code to find the food bank partnering with Feeding America.

How do you cook on a low budget? ›

Top tips for cooking on a budget
  1. Plan a weekly menu with some budget dinner ideas. ...
  2. Put leftovers to good use. ...
  3. Start batch cooking on a budget. ...
  4. Use your kitchen space smartly. ...
  5. Cook seasonally. ...
  6. Don't be afraid to swap out ingredients. ...
  7. Pick imperfect vegetables. ...
  8. Pad recipes out with pulses and grains.

How to make a low cost meal? ›

Vegetables and fruit are less expensive when they're in season. Frozen and canned choices are also a good buy and can be just as nutritious. Plan to use leftovers. If you're cooking roast chicken with rice and vegetables for Sunday night's supper, then make chicken sandwiches for Monday's lunch.

Can you live off $10 a day for food? ›

If you try to do it all the time, you'll go insane (believe me, I almost did when I went a month without splurging at all), but if you can live with being boring most of the time (and get on a first-name basis with everyone who works at your local grocery store), you can eat a balanced and healthy daily diet for less ...

How can I make $20 last a week for food? ›

Here is an example of a grocery list that could last one person a week for around $20:
  1. Rice.
  2. Beans.
  3. Pasta.
  4. Canned tomatoes.
  5. Canned vegetables.
  6. Fresh vegetables (e.g., carrots, onions, potatoes)
  7. Fresh fruit (e.g., bananas, apples)
  8. Eggs.
Sep 11, 2023

How do you feed a family with $20? ›

Here are some tips to help you feed your family of five for under $20:
  1. Plan Your Meals. ...
  2. Shop Smart with a List. ...
  3. Buy in Bulk and Look for Affordable Proteins. ...
  4. Utilize Inexpensive Staples and Cook from Scratch. ...
  5. Minimize Food Waste and Shop Sales. ...
  6. Get Creative with Meal Ideas and Grow Your Own Produce.
Jan 24, 2024

What is the best meat to cook in a Crockpot? ›

Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become meltingly tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken — thighs, drumsticks, etc.

What cannot be cooked in a slow cooker? ›

10 Foods You Should Never Make in a Slow Cooker
  1. Raw Meat.
  2. Seafood.
  3. Pasta.
  4. Rice.
  5. Delicate Vegetables.
  6. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts.
  7. Dairy.
  8. Wine and Other Liquor.
Jan 19, 2024

What kind of dishes would be best cooked in a Crockpot? ›

A slow cooker can help create layers of flavor in any weeknight dinner, from hearty stews to satisfying chicken dishes. It can take your comfort food to the next level, like a fall-off-the-bone pulled pork sandwich, cozy chicken noodle soup, or sweet and sour brisket.

What is a normal food budget for a family of 5? ›

Creating a budget can help keep costs in check. On average, a family of five spends anywhere from $922 to $1,488 a month on groceries, according to USDA monthly food plans.

What is the average cost to feed a family of 5? ›

Overall Daily Estimate: For a more budget-conscious approach, the daily cost of meals for a family of five might range from $45 to $105, considering a mix of homemade and store-bought items. If the family frequently eats out or orders takeout, the cost could be higher, ranging from $80 to $200 or more per day.

How can a family of 5 save money on groceries? ›

Compare prices between stores

If you live near various grocery stores, consider shopping at a few and comparing prices. You can learn which store has the items you need for less and also look at the sales they run. If it's not too much of a hassle, you may want to grocery shop at two stores to optimize savings.

How much per week for groceries for family of 5? ›

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average weekly grocery bill for a family our size is $344.70; that means more than $1,400 each month. There are times when my weekly grocery bill approaches that number but for the most part, I'm able to keep it to $200 per week. Here's how.

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