© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 2

31 Days of Gluten Free Meals

Healthy, Inexpensive Gluten-Free Recipes

That Won't Bust Your Grocery Budget

by Erin Chase

Author of The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook Series

Founder of 5DollarDinners.com & FoodAllergiesonaBudget.com

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 3

Table of Contents

Eating Gluten Free on a Budget ............................................................................. 5

● Introduction

● Coping with Food Allergies

● Coupons and Deals for Gluten Free Products

Breakfast Recipes ................................................................................................. 15

● Pumpkin Breakfast Quinoa

● Banana Breakfast Split

● Ham and Cheese Breakfast Egg Tacos

● Pumpkin Spiced Baked Oatmeal

● Sweet Potato Zucchini Frittata

● Berry Quinoa Parfait

Lunch Recipes ....................................................................................................... 22

● Strawberry Spinach Quinoa Salad

● Quinoa with Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon

● Wedge Cobb Salad

● Burrito Cups

● Baja-Cali Black Bean Salad

Dinner Recipes ..................................................................................................... 28

● Cast Iron Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

● Salsa Verde Beef Street Tacos with Cilantro

● Chicken Pineapple Stir-fry with Coconut Rice

● Ranch Chicken and Potatoes Casserole

● BBQ Chicken Street Tacos

● Grilled Pork Chops with Peaches and Red Onion

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● Citrus-Rosemary Roasted Chicken

● 4-Ingredient Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

● Roasted Chicken with Tomatoes, Zucchini & Garlic

● Chili with Cornbread Waffles

● Chicken Fajita Nachos

● Grilled Pork Chops with Zucchini and Tomatoes

● Taco Bites

● Slow Cooker Lemon & Garlic Chicken

● Tex Mex Restaurant Style Rice

● Hawaiian Meatloaf

● Black Beans with Mango & Cilantro

● Slow Cooker Peach Glazed Pork Roast

● BBQ Chicken Topped Potatoes

● Seven Layer Tostadas

● Chorizo Rice Skillet Dinner

● Quinoa Primavera

● Fried Veggie Quinoa

● Cheeseburger Rice

Snack Recipes ........................................................................................................ 57

● Gluten Free No Bake Energy Bites

● Real Food Fruit Flag

● Chunky Guacamole with Mango & Red Onion

● Quadruple Berry Pudding Cake

Free Printable Resources and Planning Tools .................................................... 62

Helpful Resources & Cooking Strategies ............................................................ 62

More Delicious Gluten Free Recipes .................................................................. 62

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 5

Eating Gluten Free on a Budget

Howdy, hey! I’m so glad that you’ve snagged my 31 Days of Gluten Free Meals

book...I know it’s going to knock your socks off! My hope is that it will transform the

way you think about eating gluten free meals on a budget. Because, YES...it can be

more expensive to eat gluten free. But it doesn’t have to be.

As proof, we’ll use my “20 Meals from Costco for $150” series in 2013 and early

2014, I published two non-gluten free meal plans that each call for 20 meals, made

up of ingredients that cost $150 at Costco. For the third plan, I decided to piece

together a gluten free only meal plan (to be released July 1st!), and managed to get

21 meals together for $157. Same price per meal. SAME. Yes, the very same.

Reason being...there were absolutely no “special made gluten-free” products on the

list or in the meal plan. More on that in a minute.

In this e-book, I’ve pulled together all the recipes and meal ideas from the “31 Days

of Gluten Free Meals” series on $5 Dinners, and added even more fantabulous

recipes. Plus a whole lot of help, encouragement and tricks for eating gluten free on

a budget.

Let’s dig a little deeper and figure out how to deal with food allergies without

burning a larger hole in your pocketbook.

First off, I will be using the term allergy to mean all of the following…

1. a true anaphylactic type reaction,

2. a delayed “digestive” reaction, and

3. an intolerance.

4. a sensory-related, neurological issue.

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In our family we have experienced each of these different reactions to different

foods. I, for example, have a lactose intolerance. I can usually get away with a slice

of cheese on a burger without too much discomfort, but if I were to eat an entire

bowl of ice cream...well… This is an intolerance.

My third son, Tyler, has a delayed digestive reaction to dairy, a diagnosis of “EE,” or

eosinophilic esophagitis, which is essentially an allergic reaction within the

esophagus. He also has a mild anaphylactic reaction to eggs, resulting in an

immediate rash and eczema.

My oldest son, Ryan, also has “EE” and we learned is allergic to 8 types of foods,

most of which he was already avoiding at age 4 when he was diagnosed. It was like

his body knew he shouldn’t ingest them. In addition to the delayed digestive

reaction, he has also had 2 asthmatic reactions the 2 times we have tried to re-

introduce dairy into his diet.

My oldest son also has been diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, as well as

more specifically with auditory processing disorder, and visual processing disorder.

(I sometimes share photos of his therapy on Instagram!) I have found through

experimentation over the years that being off of gluten and casein help him and his

attention, auditory processing and sensory issues dramatically. I’ve read countless

stories with similar testimonies.

Each of these situations means that one cannot (or should not) have the food in

question, so for our purposes I’ll be using the word “allergy” throughout the

introduction.

Second, if you are here and have this e-book because you are dealing with food

allergies, and specifically a gluten allergy…I’m sorry. I truly am...I don’t wish food

allergies upon anyone. It can be unpleasant and challenging, especially when a

guest in someone’s home or when out to dinner with friends or family. But…it can

be managed! And I’m going to teach you a few tricks on how to manage it without

going broke.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 7

Coping with Food Allergies

1. Please take the time to “grieve” over the loss of these foods. Let yourself, your

child(ren), and your family grieve. Be open and honest about your emotions and

don’t be afraid to share them. Talk about it. Talk to your family about it. Tell friends

who are unhelpful or unsupportive how difficult it is and help educate them. Let

yourself feel and express yourself as needed. You have ‘lost some foods’ and you

need to take time to feel that loss and move to your “new normal” diet.

2. Take a Look at what you CAN eat. Not what you can’t eat.

“This is rough.”

That’s what I told myself as I walked through the freezer section, looking at ice

cream container after ice cream container on the shelves at the Albertsons grocery

store near TCU.

I discovered during my college years that I was lactose intolerant and needed to cut

out ice cream, yogurt, etc. from my diet. I was not particularly thrilled about the ice

cream part. Not at all. I *may* have shed a tear while standing in front of the ice

cream in the freezer section at the grocery store. I had my moment, my good-bye.

And then I bee-lined it for the back corner of the store, where they shelved the

boxes of rice milk.

Lesson #1. After you grieve and fuss over what you can no longer eat, sit down and

make a list of what foods you can eat. Do some research and start learning which

brands or products are safe for you to consume. Most products these days are

clearly labeled gluten-free, but be sure to read labels carefully.

3. Write out all the ideas you can think of for meal and snacks that you are allowed

to have with your new restrictions.

Once you have your list of foods that you can eat, write out 10-15 ideas for meals

that you can have for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

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Include meals you’ve never tried, ingredients you’ve never cooked with.

This is e-book is your starting off point. You’ll find your new favorite recipes in here,

ones you would never have thought to try!

I recommend when starting on the gluten free diet and needing to do so on a

budget to do the following: base all of your meals around potatoes, brown rice and

sweet potatoes.

Cut out all bread-pasta-grain cereals, etc. Just cut it all out.

Make rice pudding or scrambled eggs for breakfast, have a salad with tuna or

grilled chicken for lunch. Drop a roast with potatoes and carrots into the slow

cooker.

Erin’s Rule for Gluten Free on a Budget: Omit all gluten, and any and all “special

made gluten free” mixes or products. (At the beginning at least.)

A trap that many gluten free “newbies” fall into is running to the store, finding the

gluten free product section and out of desperation they toss in all kinds of different

products…so they don’t have to give up their pancakes or sandwich bread, or

favorite burrito for lunch. Then the newbie has to deal with the sticker shock come

check out time. You could easily drop $300 on a week’s of gluten free products that

mimic a “regular non-GF diet.”

Before you do that, just remove it all. THEN…

Once you get more comfortable with the new diet and reading labels (more on that

below), begin to add rice pasta into your meal plan...bring back spaghetti and

meatballs!

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(Trader Joe’s has a fantastic and inexpensive rice pasta; but if you want to splurge a

little and want the noodles to taste and behave just like ‘real pasta,’ then I

recommend buying the Tinkyada brand in bulk on Amazon.)

As your budget allows, start purchasing other GF products like gluten-free certified

oats and GF baking mix. These should be used sparingly, as they are expensive and

can bust your budget. I highly recommend Bob’s Red Mill certified GF oats, as well

as all of the GF mixes in the King Arthur Gluten Free flour line.

3. Write a short rotating meal plan.

With your list of “can eat” foods and your list of meal ideas, write out a 3 or 4 day

plan that rotates. Write down everything that you plan to eat…as you’ll need to

have everything on hand that you’ll need to eat for that time period.

Breakfast. Lunch. Afternoon snack. Dinner. Dessert/treat. All of it!

Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 4. Repeat.

Meal planning is crucial for spending less money at the grocery store. Absolutely

crucial! And sixteen times more crucial when you are dealing with food allergies

and the possible need to buy more expensive products and/or ingredients, like rice

pasta or gluten free baking mixes.

You’ve got to have a plan in place so we can balance the “regular” products and the

“allergen products” and not have to spend 4 times that of your friend who doesn’t

deal with food allergies. Balance your meal plan and make it work with your

budget!

After you start enjoying these foods that you can eat and have completely forgotten

about all those foods that you had to give up, start adding new meals and treats to

your rotating plan. With the new rotating plan in place, you’ll start to feel better,

notice improved behavior in your kids and be on your way to a healthier you and a

healthier family!

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Now, this rotating plan works well for an adult who has a well-developed palate and

knows which foods they enjoy. Creating this rotating meal plan for a child can be

more challenging, as they can often be picky and not want to eat the same things

over and over. My guess, however, would be that if you remove the foods that

make them feel bad and start offering safe foods only, they might start eating more

and grow less picky. I’m read testimonials on this, and seen this take place with my

own eyes in my own children!

Coupons and Deals for Gluten Free Products

I do my very best to highlight allergy free food coupons on $5 Dinners and on our

Facebook page. They are certainly fewer and further between, but they are out

there! You can find allergy free products on Coupons.com, Smart Source and Red

Plum every now and again, and you can also find a number of gluten free and other

allergy free foods on Mambo Sprouts.

Most coupon websites are updated on a monthly basis, and sometimes the

coupons will refresh and other times they will rotate off the website. So if you see

one you like, don’t hesitate to print them!

And please don’t forget that you can write directly to the manufacturers, requesting

coupons for your favorite allergy free foods! Many of these companies are smaller

and can handle the requests in a timely manner. I have done this a number of

times, and have not been turned down once.

Other Ways to Save

1. Amazon Deals app

I use the Amazon Deals (different from the Amazon app) app on my iPhone to alert

me to the various lightning deals for products in the grocery department.

Here’s the skinny on Amazon deals. Sometimes you will see an amazing price of

organic baby food, or all natural fruit leather, but that price gets gobbled up in

minutes and then the deal is off and the price jumps back up closer to its retail

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price. What I like about the lightning deals is that the deal price will stay the same

for the full 3 hours of the deal.

Amazon Deals will feature different allergy free food products every so often.

Also…searching online with Swagbucks is a great way to earn free Amazon credits.

If you find yourself starting to purchase allergy free foods from Amazon, then

please jump on the Swagbucks bandwagon and you will spend way less on these

otherwise expensive products!!!

2. Amazon Subscribe & Save

Once you find that product that you love, then set up a ‘subscribe and save’ service

from Amazon. My prediction is that will be less expensive for you than buying at the

grocery store. I have found that King Arthur Gluten-Free Pancake Mix is perfect! It’s

$7 a box at my grocery store, but I can find it for about $5-$5.25 a box when buying

in bulk on Amazon. I know I will use it because we make pancakes at least twice a

month, and usually a double batch!

Several of the Tinkyada Brown Rice pastas are available for Subscribe & Save on

Amazon for around $3 per pound/16 oz. package. Given that you would pay $5-$6

for the same brand in the grocery store (when not on sale), I would set up an auto-

delivery option from Amazon.

3. Local Health Food Stores

My local health food store has the monthly specials listed on their website, and also

some exclusive store coupons. I can see that the Nature’s Path brand is still on sale

for 45% off, which is perfect…as that’s Tyler favorite oat-free cereal. If your store

does not list these on their website, then don’t hesitate to ask the manager if

he/she can provide you a list of the brands or product lines that you can expect to

see on sale and when.

4. Create “the shelf.”

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You know, “the shelf.” The shelf that no one is allowed to touch without permission

from mom, or whomever is in charge of the shopping and cooking. If you find

yourself in a situation where just one member of the family is eliminating a food for

allergy or intolerance reasons, then create a shelf in the pantry and a shelf/section

in the freezer for the allergy free foods that they need. Talk to your family and tell

them that these products are only for such family member and that they are a little

more expensive, so please don’t eat them. For your pocketbook’s sake!

5. Don’t be wasteful and don’t get sick. Read labels carefully.

Label reading for the strict gluten free diet can be tricky…you really have to know

what you are looking for on labels. Many companies are adding the ‘gluten free’ tag

or addition to the fronts of labels, but I recommend reading all labels for new

products to make sure it doesn’t have any other ingredients that might cause

trouble with you or your family members.

The biggest hidden sources of gluten are found in these ingredients:

Modified Food Starch (found in salad dressings)

Malt, malt extract, malt flavoring (sometimes found in cereals)

Soy & teriyaki sauce

Brewer’s Yeast

Powdered cellulose (often found as an anti-caking agent in shredded cheese)

You don’t want to buy a product that has one of these ingredients after not reading

the label closely enough and then have to throw it out/give away to non-GF friend.

You just don’t want to waste money like that!

Gluten Free On-the-Go & With Family-Friends

In this last section, I’m going to switch things up and do a Q & A style to answer

some questions I get asked about dealing with food allergies and eating gluten free

when you’re out and about…and dining with family and friends.

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How to manage eating gluten free on-the-go?

Eating gluten free while out for the day can be tricky, but not if you have a plan and

a snack close by. I have found that many restaurants post on their websites and on

their menus which dishes are gluten-free. And I always encourage people to ask for

the nutritional information from the staff to verify that there are no hidden gluten

free ingredients. You can search for gluten free restaurants in your area and call

ahead to learn more about their menu and their ‘gluten-free’ dishes.

Do you take gluten-free products when you when you go on vacation?

When away from home for an extended period, I highly urge you to take your own

food, just in case you find yourself in a situation where there is nothing safe to eat.

You could take along a gluten free cereal or bag of granola; some whole fruits,

some safe snacks like Larabars or fruit leather. Having something on hand for when

hunger hits will make your vacation that much more enjoyable.

How to you approach your family and friends about your allergy and your need to

carefully select what you eat? How do you not come across as rude or picky?

I am a believer in the fact that YOU are 100% responsible for what you put in your

mouth, and YOU are 100% responsible for keeping yourself safe and healthy. (This

applies to your children if you are a parent too.)

You cannot and should not expect other people to feed you food that is safe for

you, when they probably don’t even know what gluten is, where it is found and

what hidden ingredients contain gluten. When dining at someone else’s home, let

them know ahead of time about your dietary restrictions and offer to bring

something that is safe, but that everyone will enjoy, such as a fruit salad or garden

salad. Bring along a dressing that is safe and free of ‘modified food starch’ as well.

Kindly let them know that you’ll only be eating what is safe for you to eat and how

much better you feel since eliminating foods that were hurting your body. Guage

the situation and offer as much appropriate education as you see fit and help your

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friends and family understand that this new way of eating has changed the way you

feel. Thanks them for their understanding and for their accommodation…before

they can brush you off or roll their eyes. They may not ever understand your

allergy, but it’s still your responsibility to feed yourself foods that are good for you.

Don’t let your expectations of what they may or may not think about your or your

diet ruin your time enjoying each other’s company. And finally, graciously thank

them for the meal and for your time together.

In summary, take your time to work with your family and friends, talk about your

new diet, and to learn your new favorite meals and how you can fit the gluten free

special made products, like rice pastas and GF baking mixes, into your budget.

While dealing with food allergies can be very difficult at the get-go, once you get

into your new routine and learn the “new normal” things get easier, you learn what

shortcuts and substitutions work and what don’t work as you experiment with

these new ingredients. Do your research, study product prices and make every

gluten free penny count!

You can do it! I know you can do this! I’m here to help along the way!!!

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 15

Breakfast Recipes

Pumpkin Breakfast Quinoa

Banana Breakfast Split

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Egg Tacos

Pumpkin Spiced Baked Oatmeal

Sweet Potato Zucchini Frittata

Berry Quinoa Parfait

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 16

Pumpkin Breakfast Quinoa

Yield – 6 to 8 breakfast servings

Preparation Time – 5 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Ingredients

● 2 cups quinoa

● pinch of salt

● about 3/4 cup canned pumpkin

● 1/4 cup brown sugar, or other sweetener

● 1 Tbsp. homemade pumpkin pie spice

Directions

● Rinse the quinoa in a colander to help remove the bitter taste.

● In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to boiling, then add the rinsed

quinoa. Return to boiling, then reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

● Once cooked, fluff with fork and add the canned pumpkin, brown sugar (or

other sweetener, add to taste), and the spices. If you don’t have all the spices

on hand to make the pumpkin pie spice mix, adding 2 tsp cinnamon plus 1

tsp of ginger will work too.

● Serve Pumpkin Breakfast Quinoa with a piece of fruit.

● To prepare as “make ahead,” divide into small plastic containers and

refrigerate up to 5 days.

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Banana Breakfast Split

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 5 minutes

Cooking Time – 0 minutes

Ingredients

● 4 bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise

● 4 spoonfuls of Greek vanilla yogurt, or preferred flavor

● Fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and/or blackberries, about 2

cups total

● about 1/2 cup granola (try my nut-free and no-added sugar homemade

granola recipe)

Directions

● Place the bananas in a long bowl or plate. Spoon the yogurt over the top.

● Sprinkle the berries and granola onto the granola.

● Serve Banana Breakfast Split, as breakfast or afternoon snack.

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Ham and Cheese Breakfast Egg-Tacos

Yield – 4 egg tortillas & 4 large egg-tacos

Preparation Time – 20 minutes

Cooking Time – 10 minutes

Ingredients

● 8 eggs

● 1/4 cup milk or rice milk

● 1 tsp seasoning salt

● Cooking spray, for skillet

● 8 cheese slices or about 2 cups shredded cheese

● 8 sliced deli ham, thinly sliced (or thinly sliced Easter ham!)

● Optional – sautéed veggies, peppers/spinach/onion

● Fresh Fruit

Directions

● Whisk together the eggs, milk and seasoning salt. Prepare the 4 egg tortillas

in a well-greased 8″ skillet.

● Once the egg tortillas are made, top with the cheese slices or shredded

cheese so the heat from the eggs will melt the cheese. Add the ham (and

other prepared veggies) over the cheese.

● Roll up the egg-taco and eat warm with a side of fresh fruit.

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Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal

Yield – 8 to 10 breakfast servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 35 to 40 minutes

Ingredients

● 2 eggs

● 1/2 cup applesauce

● 1/2 cup oil

● 3/4 cup canned pumpkin (1/2 of 15 oz. can)

● 2 1/4 cups milk

● 1/4 cup maple syrup or syrup

● 1/2 cup brown sugar

● 2 1/2 teaspoon homemade pumpkin pie spice

● 1 Tablespoon baking powder

● 1 teaspoon salt

● 1/2 cup all-purpose gluten free flour mix

● 4 cups quick cooking certified gluten free oats

Directions

● Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick

cooking spray.

● In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, applesauce, oil,

canned pumpkin, milk, syrup and brown sugar until smooth.

● Add in the pie spice, baking powder, salt, flour and oats. Beat on low until

“loose” batter forms. (It will seem runny, that’s OK!)

● Pour batter into the greased baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for

30-35 minutes, or until cooked through in the center of the dish.

● Let cool slightly before serving. Serve with milk, yogurt, Greek yogurt, or as is.

● Note: If you prefer it a little sweeter, add a little brown sugar or maple syrup.

Enjoy!

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Sweet Potato Zucchini Frittata

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 35-40 minutes

Ingredients

● 2 medium zucchini (about 1 1/4 lb. total)

● 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and cubed

● 8 eggs (I would use 6 eggs if using a pie plate)

● 1/2 cup milk

● 1 Tbsp. minced onion

● 1 tsp minced garlic

● 1 teaspoon salt

● 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

● Preheat oven to 350. Spray a quiche dish or 9″ glass pie plate with non-stick

cooking spray.

● In a quiche dish or 9″ glass pie plate, add a layer of zucchini slices, then layer

of cooked sweet potato cubes (I cooked mine in the microwave to save time),

then another layer of zucchini slices. Season with a little salt and pepper.

● In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, minced onion, minced garlic

and salt and pepper. Pour over the veggies in the dish.

● Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the eggs in the middle

have cooked through.

● Serve Sweet Potato Zucchini Frittata with fresh fruit and a glass of milk…a

great weekend breakfast or weeknight “brinner.”

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Berry Quinoa Parfait

Yield – 4 servings

Prep Time – 5 minutes

Cook Time – 15 minutes for the quinoa

Ingredients

● 1/2 cup quinoa

● 2 6 oz. yogurt cups

● 1/2 box raspberries

● 1/2 pint blueberries

● Cinnamon, for sprinkling

● 8 eggs, scrambled

Directions

● Cook the quinoa as directed in a small saucepan – takes about 15 minutes.

Rinse with cool water when finished.

● Layer the yogurt, cooled quinoa and berries. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

● Scramble the eggs and cook the sausage.

● Serve Berry Quinoa Parfaits with eggs.

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Lunch Recipes

Strawberry Spinach Quinoa Salad

Quinoa with Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon

Wedge Cobb Salad

Burrito Cups

Baja-Cali Black Bean Salad

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Strawberry Spinach Quinoa Salad

Yield – 2 main dish servings, 4 to 6 side dish servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes to mix together

Cooking Time – 15 minutes for quinoa, 2 hours to chill

Ingredients

● 2 cups white quinoa

● 6 large strawberries, hulled and chopped

● 2 handfuls fresh baby spinach, chopped

● About 1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped or slivered almonds

● Dressing drizzles – balsamic, poppy seed, or other sweet vinaigrette

Directions

● Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Cool for at least 2 hours in

the fridge.

● When ready to serve, mix together the chilled quinoa, strawberries, chopped

spinach and almonds. Drizzle the dressing over the top.

● Serve chilled as main dish, or side dish. Perfect for lunch too!

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Quinoa with Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Yield – 4 lunch servings, 8 side dish servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 25 minutes, total

Ingredients

● 1 cup quinoa, uncooked b

● 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

● 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, stems removed and halved

● 2 lemons, juiced

● 6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled.

● 2 Tbsp. minced onion

● 2 tsp pepper

● salt to taste

Directions

● In a saucepan, cook the quinoa according to package directions. (Takes about

20 minutes.) Remove from heat once done cooking.

● (If you haven’t cooked the bacon, cook it in a skillet, drain the skillet and

crumble the bacon. Then proceed…) (I usually “batch cook” bacon, so I

already had some cooked.)

● In a large skillet, add the olive oil, the halved Brussels sprouts and any stray

leaves, the crumbled bacon, and the minced onion (finely chopped small

white onion works too.). Squeeze the lemon juice into the skillet as they are

sautéing. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, or until Brussels

sprouts have turned bright green and browned slightly. Remove from heat to

prevent overcooking and burning. Stir in the pepper and salt, to taste.

● Toss the bacon-Brussels sprouts mixture with the cooked quinoa.

● Serve Quinoa with Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts, warm.

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Wedge Cobb Salad

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – 10 minutes (if the shredded chicken prepared in advance)

Ingredients

● 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

● 2 eggs, hard boiled

● 1 head iceberg lettuce

● 1 cup homemade ranch dressing

● about 1 cup shredded chicken

● about 1 cup chopped tomatoes

● about 1 cup chopped cucumber

● Couple pinchfuls of shredded cheddar cheese for each salad

● Other favorite Cobb salad toppings, whatever you have on hand – sliced ham

or turkey, blue cheese crumbles

Directions

● Cook the bacon, hard boil the eggs.

● Cut the lettuce head into quarters, removing the stem.

● Place the wedge flat on a plate or shallow bowl. Pour the homemade ranch

dressing over the wedges.

● Top with the shredded chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, crumbled bacon,

crumbled boiled egg, shredded cheese or whatever other toppings.

● Serve Wedge Cobb Salad.

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Burrito Cups

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 20 minutes

Cooking Time – 50 minutes for the rice, none for assembling cups

Ingredients

● 2-3 cups cooked rice

● 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups cooked black beans)

● about 1/2 cup shredded cheese

● 2 avocados, diced

● about 1 cup chunky salsa

● Cilantro, optional garnish

● Other burrito cup mix-ins ideas – taco meat (homemade taco seasoning),

taco meat with beans, shredded chicken, taco meat, sour cream, other

favorite burrito fillings

● Tortilla chips or corn tortillas, optional

Directions

● Cook the rice as directed.

● Set out the black beans, shredded cheese, diced avocado, and salsa (along

with any other mix-ins).

● Spoon the ingredients into cups. Eat. Repeat.

● Serve Burrito Cups, as is, or with corn tortilla chips. Or in corn tortillas.

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Baja-Cali Black Bean Salad

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 5 minutes

Cooking Time – 0 minutes

Ingredients

● 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

● 1 15 oz. can black beans

● 1 15 oz. can corn

● 1 green pepper, seeded and diced

● 1 orange pepper, seeded and diced

● 1 small avocado, diced

● 2 small limes, squeezed

● Handful of cilantro leaves

● Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

● Add the diced tomatoes, black beans and corn to a colander in the sink and

rinse well. Shake well to “dry.”

● In a mixing bowl, toss together all the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to

taste.

● A note on the limes: start with the juice from 1 lime, taste and then add

another if you want more lime flavor. Not all limes have the same amount of

juice in them, so thought I’d add a note

● Serve the Baja-Cali Black Bean Salad as lunch or side dish…as is, or with corn

tortilla chips.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 28

Dinner Recipes

Cast Iron Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

Salsa Verde Beef Street Tacos with Cilantro

Chicken Pineapple Stir-fry with Coconut Rice

Ranch Chicken and Potatoes Casserole

BBQ Chicken Street Tacos

Grilled Pork Chops with Peaches and Red Onion

Citrus-Rosemary Roasted Chicken

4-Ingredient Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Roasted Chicken with Tomatoes, Zucchini & Garlic

Chili with Cornbread Waffles

Chicken Fajita Nachos

Grilled Pork Chops with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Taco Bites

Slow Cooker Lemon & Garlic Chicken

Tex Mex Restaurant Style Rice

Hawaiian Meatloaf

Black Beans with Mango & Cilantro

Slow Cooker Peach Glazed Pork Roast

BBQ Chicken Topped Potatoes

Seven Layer Tostadas

Chorizo Rice Skillet Dinner

Quinoa Primavera

Fried Veggie Quinoa

Cheeseburger Rice

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 29

Cast Iron Chicken Enchiladas & Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

Yield – 4 servings or 12 enchiladas

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

● 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

● 12 oz. can tomato paste

● 2 tsp ground cumin

● 1 tsp garlic powder

● 1 tsp onion powder or 1 Tbsp. minced onion

● about 1 tsp salt and pepper each

● 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken

● 12 corn tortillas

● about 1 – 1 1/2 cups shredded jalapeno jack or pepper jack or Mexican blend

cheese

● Fresh veggie for side dish

Directions

● Preheat oven to 350.

● In a medium saucepan, whisk together the broth, tomato paste, ground

cumin, garlic powder, onion powder or minced onion and salt and pepper.

Bring to bubbling, then remove from heat.

● Spoon about 1/3 of the sauce into the base of a cast iron skillet or 9×13-inch

baking dish.

● In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked and shredded chicken with about 1/3

of the sauce. Spoon the chicken mixture evenly into 12 corn tortillas. Roll and

place seam side down in. the sauce in the skillet. Repeat until the chicken

mixture is used up or the skillet is full.

● Spoon the remaining sauce over top of the enchiladas. Top with shredded

cheese.

● Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese has melted on

top.

● Prepare veggies

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 30

● Serve Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Enchiladas with corn, black beans or other

favorite veggies.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 31

Salsa Verde Beef Street Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

Yield – 12 tacos, plus leftover beef

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 8 hours in slow cooker

Ingredients

● 2-ish lb. chuck roast

● 1 tsp ground cumin

● Salt and pepper

● 1 to 1 1/2 cups salsa verde

● 12 oz. bag shredded cabbage or Cole slaw mix

● Small bunch of cilantro leaves, chopped

● 3-4 Tbsp. homemade or store bought vinaigrette

● Goat cheese or cotija cheese, for topping

● Other topping idea: sliced or diced avocado

Directions

● Place the beef in the base of the slow cooker and season with the ground

cumin, salt and pepper. Pour the salsa verde over the beef.

● Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours.

● Before serving, prepare the slaw in a mixing bowl by tossing together the

slaw mix, chopped cilantro and vinaigrette.

● Assemble tacos by placing some shredded beef in the middle of the tortilla,

and top with the slaw and some cheese.

● Serve Salsa Verde Beef Street Tacos with Cilantro Slaw and side of fresh fruit

or veggies.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 32

Chicken Pineapple Stir-fry with Coconut Rice

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 or 60 minutes, depending on type of rice

Ingredients

● Olive or canola oil

● 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts), cut into small chunks

● 1 tsp garlic powder

● 1 15 oz. can pineapple chunks in 100% juice, juices reserved

● 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

● 3 Tbsp. lime juice

● 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

● 1 tsp ground ginger

● 1 15 oz. can light coconut milk, divided

● Salt and pepper

● 2 cups white or brown rice

● Chopped cilantro, garnish

Directions

● To make the rice, use 1 cup of the coconut milk & about 1/3 cup of the

pineapple juices plus enough water to make a 2 1/4 cup liquid to 1 cup dry

rice. I made 2 cups of brown rice, so added about 3 cups of water for a total

of 4 1/2 cups of liquid. Cook as directed on the package… you’ll need about

an hour for brown rice or 20 minutes for white rice.

● To make the stir-fry, add the oil to a skillet and turn on high heat and then

add the chicken and sear and toss the chicken in the hot oil. Season with the

garlic powder, salt and pepper. Once the chicken has mostly cooked through,

stir in the well-drained pineapple and red bell pepper.

● While those are cooking together, quickly stir together the sauce for the

chicken stir-fry. Whisk together 1/2 cup of pineapple juice, the lime juice,

ground ginger and about 1/3 cup coconut milk. Pour the sauce into the

chicken stir-fry mixture and let simmer over medium low heat for up to 10

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 33

minutes. If you plan to simmer it longer, remove from heat and then reheat

when ready to serve.

● Serve the Chicken Pineapple Stir-fry over Coconut Rice with chopped cilantro

garnish.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 34

Ranch Chicken & Potatoes Casserole

Yield – 8 servings

Preparation Time – 20 minutes

Cooking Time – 60 minutes

Ingredients

● 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2″ pieces

● about 6 lbs. potatoes, 3 lbs. in each, quartered

● 2 tsp dried parsley

● 1 tsp dried basil

● 2 tsp dill

● 2 tsp garlic powder

● 2 tsp onion powder or minced onion

● Salt and pepper

● 1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, depending on how cheesy you want

them

● 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

● Optional toppings – green onions, chives, sour cream

Directions

● Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease 2 9×13 inch glass baking dishes with non-

stick cooking spray.

● To the baking dishes, toss together the quartered potatoes and chicken bits

with the parsley, basil, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.

● Roast in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked

through and potatoes are softened.

● Meanwhile, cook the bacon slices, let them cool slightly and then run a knife

or pizza wheel through them to crumble them.

● Add the cheese to the roasted chicken and potatoes and return to the oven

for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

● Once cooked, top with the crumbled bacon and other optional toppings.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 35

BBQ Chicken Street Tacos

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 25 minutes

Cooking Time – 8 hours in slow cooker

Ingredients

● 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

● about 2/3 cup BBQ sauce

● 1 small red onion, finely chopped

● Small bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped

● about 1 cup shredded cheese, sharp cheddar, mozzarella or preferred

cheese variety

● 8-12 corn tortillas

● Fresh fruit or veggie

Directions

● Place the chicken breast in the slow cooker with the BBQ sauce plus about

1/2 cup of water. (I prefer to add a little extra moisture in the slow cooker

when adding BBQ sauce to keep it from burning around the edges.) Set on

low and cook for 8 hours. Or high for 6 hours.

● Once the chicken is cooked, use a fork or stand mixer to shred the chicken,

adding some sauce in to keep all the BBQ flavor with the chicken.

● Prepare the onion and cilantro.

● Assemble the tacos by loading one (or two, if they are flimsy and tear!) corn

tortilla with the shredded BBQ chicken and the red onion, cilantro and

cheese toppings.

● Serve BBQ Chicken Street Tacos with fresh fruit or veggies.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 36

Grilled Pork Chops, Peaches and Red Onions

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 15 minutes

Ingredients

● 4 small pork chops

● Garlic powder, sprinkles

● Onion powder, sprinkles

● Salt and pepper

● 3 large peaches, halved and seeded

● 1 medium to large red onion, cut into circle bunches

● Side of homemade rolls or store bought rolls/bread loaf

Directions

● Season the pork chops with garlic powder, onion powder and salt and

pepper. Grill the pork chops for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until no

longer pink in the middle. Grilling time will vary depending on heat of the grill

and thickness of the chop.

● Halve the peaches and lay them flesh side down on the grill…ideally over

indirect heat. Lay the red onion circles slices over indirect heat as well. Grill

each for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping the red onions once.

● Prepare homemade or store bought bread.

● Serve Grilled Pork Chops, Peaches and Red Onions with a side of bread.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 37

Citrus-Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Yield – 4 to 6 servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 60 minutes

Ingredients

● 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (It can be purchased this way too!)

● Olive oil, drizzled over chicken

● about 1 tsp seasoning salt

● about 1 tsp garlic powder

● about 1 tsp pepper

● Rosemary sprigs

● 1 large or 2 small oranges, sliced and zested

● 2 lemons, sliced and zested

● Gravy optional : about 1 tsp brown rice flour

● Brown rice

● Broccoli

Directions

● Preheat the oven to 400.

● Place the chicken pieces into a large roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over

the top and then season with seasoning salt, garlic powder and pepper. Add

the rosemary sprigs around the chicken pieces.

● Slice the orange(s) and lemons and then using a zester/grater, zest the “ends”

of the orange and lemons, over the chicken pieces, getting as much zest off

as you can. (I explain the citrus slicing and zesting in the video.) Spread the

orange and lemon slices around the chicken and rosemary.

● Place the roasting pan into the preheated oven and roast uncovered for 1

hour. Baste after 40 minutes, if desired.

● Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and let cool

slightly before serving.

● Optional gravy preparation: Using a baster, pull out all the liquid from the

roasting dish and place into a bowl, let the fat rise to the top and skim it off

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 38

with a spoon. Whisk in about 2 Tbsp. warm water plus about 1 tsp flour.

Serve gravy over top the chicken pieces.

● Warm the dinner rolls and prepare your favorite veggies. (We had broccoli.)

● To serve, remove the rosemary and citrus slices and serve chicken with rolls

and vegetables, with a little gravy on top or on the side for dipping.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 39

4-Ingredient Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Ingredients

● 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken

● 2 cups salsa verde, divided

● 16 corn tortillas

● 1 to 1 ½ cup shredded jack cheese

● Side dish ideas – rice & refried beans

Directions

● Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-

stick cooking spray.

● In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked and shredded chicken with ½ cup of

the salsa verde.

● Warm the tortillas in a slow oven, or wrapped in a dishtowel in the

microwave. Warmed tortillas fold and roll better when making enchiladas.

● Spoon a thin line of the chicken-salsa verde mixture into a corn tortilla and

wrap tightly and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until the

chicken, tortillas are used up and the baking dish is packed full of enchiladas.

Pour the remaining salsa verde sauce over the top and then sprinkle about 1

to 1 ½ cup shredded cheese on top.

● Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until cheese has melted

and salsa verde is bubbling.

● Serve warm Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas with side of rice and refried

beans.

(To prepare the shredded chicken, I recommend combining 1 pound of boneless

skinless chicken thighs and 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast in a slow

cooker and cooking on low for 8 hours.)

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 40

Roasted Chicken with Tomatoes, Zucchini & Garlic

Yield – 6 to 8 servings

Preparation Time – 8 minutes

Cooking Time – 55 to 60 minutes

Ingredients

● 1 small package (1.5ish lbs.) drumsticks

● 1 small package (2ish lbs.) bone-in chicken thighs

● 3 small zucchinis, sliced

● 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, well drained

● 6 to 8 cloves garlic

● Olive oil

● 2 tsp Italian seasonings

● Salt and pepper

● Rice, as side dish

Directions

● Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray 2 9×13 inch baking dishes, or 1 large

baking/roasting dish with non-stick cooking spray.

● Place the chicken pieces in the baking dishes. Add the zucchini slices and

diced tomatoes around the chicken. Add a few garlic cloves throughout.

Drizzle olive oil over the top of the chicken and vegetables. Season with the

Italian seasonings and salt and pepper.

● Place the baking dish(es) into the preheated oven and roast for 55 to 60

minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

● Meanwhile, prepare the rice or other preferred side dish.

● Serve the Roasted Chicken with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Garlic with side of

rice.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 41

Chili with Cornbread Waffles

Yield – 6 waffles, 8 servings of chili

Preparation Time – 20 minutes

Cooking Time – 8 hours in slow cooker for chili, about 30 minutes for the waffles

Ingredients

Chili:

● 1 bag Hurst Slow Cooker Chili Beans and seasoning

● 1 lb. cooked ground beef

● 1 small onion, chopped

● 1 small pepper, seeded and chopped

● 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

● 1 6 oz. can tomato paste

● Salt and pepper to taste

Cornbread Waffles:

● 1/3 cup oil

● 6 eggs

● 1 cup milk plus 2 Tbsp.

● 1/4 cup sugar

● 1 1/2 cup gluten-free flour

● 1 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

● 1 Tbsp. baking powder

● Big pinch salt

Directions

● Add all the chili ingredients to 5 quart or larger slow cooker, along with 7

cups of water. Stir together. Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours.

● Before dinner, prepare the cornbread waffles by whisking all the waffle

ingredients in a mixing bowl. Batter should be thick, but still flow easily off

the whisk. Cook the waffles according to manufacturer directions. Makes 6

waffles.

● Plate the waffles and then top with chili and cheese and any other favorite

toppings ~ sour cream, sliced green onions.

● Serve Chili with Cornbread Waffles.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 42

Chicken Fajita Nachos

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 5 minutes

Ingredients

● 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken

● 1 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil

● 2 or 3 peppers, seeded and sliced

● 1 large onion, sliced

● 1 Tbsp. homemade taco seasoning, or store bought fajita seasoning

● Tortilla chips

● 1 cup shredded cheese

● Salsa, sour cream, guacamole, optional toppings

● Fresh fruit, baby carrots or other simple side dish

Directions

● Thaw the pre-cooked and shredded chicken, or grilled chicken. If need be,

sauté 2 chicken breasts in oil until cooked through, then slice.

● In a large skillet, heat the oil and then toss in the sliced peppers and onion.

Sauté for 4 to 6 minutes, or until onions begin to turn opaque. Add in the

chicken with the taco seasoning and sauté together for a few minutes.

Remove from heat.

● To serve, place tortilla chips on the plate or bowl, top with the chicken-

pepper mixture, then add a pinchful of shredded cheese.

● Serve Chicken Fajita Nachos with sides of guacamole, or salsa, or sour cream

with side of fresh fruit or veggies.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 43

Grilled Pork Chops with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Yield - 4 servings

Prep Time - 10 minutes

Cooking Time - 20-25 minutes on the grill

Ingredients

● 4 New York (top loin) pork chops, about 1-inch thick

● 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, OR grape tomatoes

● 2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks

● 1 red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

● 2 tablespoons olive oil

● Salt and pepper

● Seasoned salt

Directions

● In a large bowl, toss tomatoes, zucchini, onion, olive oil, and salt and pepper

to taste. Set aside.

● Prepare a grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Season pork

with seasoned salt and grill until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F,

about 4 1/2 minutes per side. Place the vegetables in a grill basket and grill,

turning or tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender and lightly charred, 8 to 10

minutes. Remove chops from grill and let rest 3 minutes. Remove vegetables

and cover to keep warm while chops rest.

● Serve the chops topped with the grilled vegetables.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 44

Taco Bites (or Tiny Tacos)

Yield – 32 taco bites

Preparation Time – 20 minutes

Cooking Time – 5 minutes

Ingredients

● 1/2 pound ground beef (or leftover taco meat)

● 1 Tbsp. homemade taco seasoning

● 1/2 small onion, chopped

● 1 small orange or yellow pepper, seeded and chopped

● Tostitos Scoops Chips, about half a bag

● Dollops of salsa on each

● Pinchful of cheese on each

● Side dish – we had ours with brown rice and refried beans

Directions

● Preheat oven to 350.

● Prepare brown rice. Heat refried beans.

● Brown the ground beef with the taco seasoning, chopped onion and

chopped pepper.

● Lay out the Scoops on a large baking sheet. Spoon the cooked taco meat,

then the salsa, then top with cheese.

● Bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

● Serve Taco Bites with rice and beans.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 45

Slow Cooker Lemon & Garlic Chicken

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 5 minutes

Cooking Time – 8 hours in slow cooker

Ingredients

● 2 lbs. small red potatoes

● Drizzle of olive oil

● 2 lemons

● 4 large garlic cloves, mashed

● Seasoning salt

● 2 large chicken breasts, about 1 lb.

● Garlic salt and pepper

● Side dish – fresh veggies

Directions

● Add the red potatoes to the bottom of the slow cooker. Drizzle olive oil over

the top and then squeeze the lemons over the top. Add the mashed garlic

cloves and season with seasoning salt. Place the chicken breasts on the

potatoes and season with garlic salt and pepper.

● Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours.

● Prepare vegetables and serve with Lemon & Garlic Chicken, come dinner

time.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 46

Tex Mex Restaurant Style Rice

Yield – 12 to 16 servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Ingredients

● 4 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil

● 4 cloves garlic

● 2 lbs. rice

● 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

● 4 cups chicken stock (plus water, in directions below!)

● 1 15 oz. can corn, drained

● 1 green pepper, seeded and diced

● Optional, replace the green pepper with 2 cups chopped carrots

● 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

● Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

● In a large stock pot or saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the garlic cloves for

no more than 2 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves and then add the rice into

the pot with the oil. Stir often until it begins to brown. It will take a few

minutes with a larger amount of rice. A smaller portion won’t take as long.

● After a few minutes of the rice browning in the oil, add the chicken stock,

tomato sauce, plus 5 cups of water. (I used 11 cups liquid for 5 cups of

uncooked rice, 4 cups chicken stock, about 2 cups of the tomato sauce plus

the 5 cups of water.) Stir in the corn, the chopped green peppers and the

chopped cilantro.

● Bring to bubbling, then cover and let cook for 15-20 minutes, or until rice is

cooked and fluffy.

● Serve Tex Mex Restaurant Style Rice with whatever your favorite Tex Mex

dish is…refried beans, enchiladas, tacos, etc.

Notes – If making a smaller portion, you could use a smaller amount of frozen corn,

so you don’t have to waste part of a can. You could use a smaller can of tomato

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 47

sauce or even tomato paste and whisk into the stock/water. Adjust the amount of

cilantro as well, so it doesn’t overpower the rice!

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 48

Hawaiian Meatloaf

Yield – 8 servings (this is a doubled recipe)

Preparation Time – 10-15 minutes

Cooking Time – 1 hour 15 minutes (loaf pan) or 30-35 minutes (muffin tins)

Ingredients

● 2 lbs. ground beef

● 2 eggs

● 1 – 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained well (reserve the juice)

● 1 cup gluten free bread crumbs

● 1 1/2 tsp salt

● 1/2 tsp pepper

● Sauce: 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 2/3 cup ketchup, 2/3 cup brown sugar

● Side dishes suggestions: green beans or corn, or fries or mashed potatoes, or

baked beans

Directions

● Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

● In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, eggs, drained crushed

pineapple, bread crumbs, salt and pepper.

● Add half of the mixture to a 9×5 loaf pan, and the other half divided into 12

muffin tins. (Or put the other half into another 9×5 loaf pan.)

● Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour (for loaf pan) or 20 minutes (for

muffin tins).

● Meanwhile, whisk together 1/2 cup of the reserved pineapple juice with the

ketchup and brown sugar. For loaf pan: after 1 hour of cooking, pour the

sauce over the top of the meatloaf and bake for another 10-15 minutes. For

muffin tins: after 20 minutes, pour the sauce over the top of each cup and

bake for another 10-15 minutes or until cooked.

● Prepare preferred side dishes.

● Serve Hawaiian Meatloaf with sides.

● To Freeze: Let come to room temperature, slice into meal size slices, and

then place into plastic freezer baggie and place flat into the freezer. Reheat in

the microwave when wish to serve again.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 49

Black Beans with Mango & Cilantro

Yield – 8 servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 90 minutes

Ingredients

● 1 lb. dried black beans

● 2 mangoes, diced

● About 10 cilantro stems with leaves, chopped

● 1 tsp ground cumin

● Salt and pepper

● Optional: 2 cups of GF chicken or vegetable broth

Directions

● Rinse and soak the dried beans. Drain and add to a large saucepan.

● Fill the saucepan with water (and add 2 cups of broth if you’d like additional

flavor), so it covers the beans with at least 1 inch of liquid.

● Add the mangoes, chopped cilantro, cumin and some salt and pepper. Bring

to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for an hour. After an

hour, test the softness of the beans. Cook longer, checking every 10 minutes,

if the beans are not tender.

● Prepare rice or other side dish.

● Serve Black Beans with Mango & Cilantro over brown rice or with other side

dish.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 50

Slow Cooker Peach Glazed Pork Roast

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 5 minutes

Cooking Time – 8 hours in slow cooker

Ingredients

● 1.68 lb. pork shoulder roast

● About 1/2 tsp minced onion

● Salt and pepper

● 1/2 cup peach preserves

● 1 tsp ground ginger

● 1 1/2 cups brown rice, cooked

● 16 oz. frozen green beans, or other veggie

Directions

● Place the roast in the base of the slow cooker, season with minced onion, salt

and pepper. Add about 1/2 cup of water around the roast. (I do this to make

the atmosphere inside the slow cooker nice and moist while the pork cooks.)

● In a small bowl, whisk together the peach preserves and ginger. Spread over

top of the pork roast.

● Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours.

● Prepare the brown rice and green beans as directed.

● Serve Slow Cooker Peach Glazed Pork Roast with brown rice and green

beans, or other favorite sides.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 51

BBQ Chicken Topped Potatoes

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – 60 minutes

Ingredients

● 4 to 6 baking potatoes

● 1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs

● Salt and pepper

● About 1 cup BBQ sauce

● Butter, salt and pepper for potatoes

● Shredded Cheese for topping

● 1 lb. baby carrots

Directions

● Bake the potatoes in the oven for an hour. Or in the slow cooker.

● Meanwhile, add the chicken with about 1/2 cup of water and the BBQ sauce

to a Dutch oven or saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 20 minutes,

or until chicken is soft and tender. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and

then shred the chicken with 2 forks.

● Once the potatoes are done, add butter and salt and pepper, mix and mash.

Top with the shredded chicken and then cheese.

● Serve BBQ Chicken Potatoes with side of veggies or fruit.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 52

Seven Layer Tostadas

Yield – 4 servings, or 2 tostadas each

Preparation Time – 20 minutes

Cooking Time – 0 minutes (if the chicken is cooked ahead of time!)

Ingredients

● 8 tostada shells

● 1 can refried beans (or 2 cups homemade refried beans)

● 1 chicken breast, shredded, or about 2 cups

● 2 avocados, mashed

● 1/2 tsp ground cumin

● 2 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice

● Salt and pepper

● Chopped peppers

● Canned, or cooked black beans, about 1 cup

● About 1/2 cup salsa

● 8 pinchfuls of shredded cheese

Directions

● Prepare the chicken if need be. Or pull it from the freezer.

● Spread the refried beans on the tostada shells.

● Prepare guacamole by mashing avocado with the ground cumin and lime

juice, season to taste with salt and pepper.

● Continue to add toppings, as you wish.

● Serve Seven Layer Tostadas.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 53

Chorizo Rice Skillet Dinner

Yield – 4 to 6 servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes, or 60 minutes, depending on the variety of rice

Ingredients

● 2 Tbsp. oil

● 4 garlic cloves, crushed or minced

● 1 small onion, chopped

● 1 1/2 cups rice

● 10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies (or 15 oz. can diced tomatoes if

you don’t want spicy!), undrained

● 1 green pepper, seeded and diced

● 15 oz. can corn, well drained

● 12 oz. chorizo sausage, casing removed and diced

● Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

● Heat the oil in the skillet and sauté the garlic and onion for 2-3 minutes, then

add the (brown or white) rice and sauté in the oil, onions and garlic for 3-4

more minutes.

● Pour in 4 cups of water and stir the rice into the water if necessary. (It will

sizzle and steam up, call the kids over to watch!)

● Bring the water to bubbling, then add the undrained tomatoes, green pepper

and drained corn. Mix in the diced chorizo. Cover tightly and reduce heat to

medium. Cook for 20 minutes if using white rice, or 50 minutes if using

brown rice. As noted above, if using brown rice, stir every 10 minutes and

add water as needed.

● Remove from heat to keep rice from overcooking and fluff with a fork before

serving.

● Note: season with salt and pepper after cooking, as chorizo is salty by nature.

● Serve Chorizo Rice Skillet Dinner, as is!

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 54

Quinoa Primavera

Yield – 4 servings

Prep Time – 10 minutes

Cook Time – 15 minutes

Ingredients

● 1 3/4 cup quinoa

● 2 cups diced grilled chicken

● 12 oz. bag frozen peas, cooked

● 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

● 2 oz. cream cheese, softened

● 1/4 cup milk

● 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs, basil, oregano, parsley

● 2 garlic cloves, crushed

● Salt and pepper

● Parmesan cheese, for each serving bowl

Directions

● Boil 4 cups of water, then add the quinoa and return to a boil. Cover, reduce

heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes.

● In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, milk, herbs, garlic,

salt and pepper.

● Once cooked, toss the quinoa with the grilled chicken, peas, tomatoes and

cream sauce. Add to serving bowls.

● Sprinkle pinchful of Parmesan cheese into each serving bowl.

● Serve Quinoa Primavera warm or chilled.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 55

Veggie “Fried Quinoa”

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 5 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Ingredients

● 2 cups quinoa

● 2 eggs

● 1 16 oz. bag mixed veggies

● 1 red pepper, seeded and diced

● 1/4 cup soy sauce

● 1 tsp ground ginger

● Salt and pepper

Directions

● Cook the quinoa in a medium saucepan.

● Meanwhile, cook the eggs, sort of omelet style/sort of scrambled style, so

they are thin and flat, and then slice them up. (I used my pizza cutter.)

● Cook the veggies as directed and drain off any liquid from cooking.

● Once the quinoa is fluffy, usually after 15 minutes, toss in the veggies, egg

pieces, soy sauce, ginger and salt and pepper to taste. Optional: toss in any

leftover chicken or pork, finely chopped.

● Serve Veggie “Fried Quinoa” as a one dish dinner, or with veggies or fruit on

the side.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 56

Cheeseburger Rice

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 5 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes + time to cook the rice ahead of time

Ingredients

● 1 pound hamburger

● 2 cups cooked rice

● 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

● 1 teaspoon minced garlic

● 1 medium onion

● 16 ounces diced tomatoes (can be canned or fresh)

Directions

● Chop the onion and place in a frying pan with the hamburger.

● Brown the hamburger and cook until the onion is transparent.

● Add in the garlic and diced tomatoes.

● Once the tomatoes are heated through, add in the rice and cook until warm.

● Remove the frying pan from heat and add in the cheese, stir until melted into

the dish.

● Serve warm.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 57

Snack Recipes

Gluten Free No Bake Energy Bites

Real Food Fruit Flag

Chunky Guacamole with Mango & Red Onion

Quadruple Berry Pudding Cake

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 58

Gluten Free, No-Bake Energy Bites

Yield – about 20 energy bites

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Chill Time – 1 hour

Ingredients

● 1 1/2 cups gluten free rice krispies (or you can use certified GF quick cooking

oats too) Note: If you wish to make a NON-GLUTEN FREE version of this, you

can use regular quick cooking oats or regular rice krispies.

● 2/3 cup peanut butter (any nut butter will do)

● 1/3 cup honey

● 1 cup shredded coconut flakes

● 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

● about 3/4-1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

● Add the GF rice krispies (or GF oats) to a bowl, crush lightly with your hand or

potato masher.

● Add the peanut butter, honey, coconut flakes and cinnamon and stir

together.

● Then add the chocolate chips.

● Chill in the fridge for about an hour. Then form into balls.

● Serve and watch them disappear!

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 59

Real Fruit Flag Dessert

If you’re looking for a patriotic and uber healthy dessert, look no further!

This real fruit flag is made up of only fruit, with the optional sweet white treat.

6 bananas

2 lb. strawberries

1 pint blueberries

Stars - white chocolate chips, or real whipped cream for some added sweetness.

Use a banana slicer. HUGE time saver.

Use a straw to take the stems out of the strawberries, then line up and slice in bulk.

Use a disposable 9x13 inch, or lasagna size foil pan.

Assemble sliced bananas, halved strawberries and blueberries into the shape of a

flag in the disposable or baking dish. Add the stars before serving.

Makes 8 to 10 dessert servings.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 60

Chunky Guacamole with Mango & Red Onion

Yield – 8 servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 0 minutes

Ingredients

● 3 avocados, seeded and mashed

● 1 large, ripe mango, seeded and finely diced

● 1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced

● 1/2 large red onion, finely chopped

● 2 small limes, juiced

● 1 tsp ground cumin

● Small handful of Cilantro, finely chopped

● Salt and pepper, to taste

● Tortilla Chips

Directions

● Combine all the ingredients, except the tortilla chips, into a serving bowl and

combine well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

● Serve Chunky Guacamole with Mango & Red Onion with tortilla chips, or with

tacos.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 61

Quadruple Berry Pudding Cake

Yield - 8 snack or dessert servings

Preparation Time - 15 minutes

Cooking Time - 30 minutes

Ingredients

● 2 eggs

● 1/4 cup sucanat (or white sugar if you want it to taste a little sweeter)

● 1 tsp vanilla

● 1 /2 tsp salt

● 1 cup rice milk (regular milk works too)

● 1 cup brown rice flour (all-purpose flour works too)

● 1/2 tsp baking powder

● 6 cups fresh berries – blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a pie plate or quiche baking dish, or deep

dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the sucanat/sugar, and salt. Stream

in the milk and vanilla. Then whisk in the flour and baking powder.

3. Rinse all the berries and place them in the base of the baking dish. Pour the

batter over the top.

4. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes, or until golden on top. Berries and their

juices will be bubbling with joy!

5. Let cool slightly before serving. Slice and eat.

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 62

Free Printables

Find helpful printable meal planners, including a month’s worth of gluten free meal

plan, on my website.

Visit http://www.5dollardinners.com/GFPrintables to download your printables.

Helpful Cooking Tutorials

● How to Make Gluten Free Flour Blend

● How to Bake Brown Rice in the Oven

● How to Make and Egg Tortilla

● How to Make the Perfect Scrambled Eggs

● How to Cook Dried Beans

Links to Other Favorite Gluten Free Recipes

● Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Chicken Curry

● Slow Cooker Mango Chicken

● Loaded Potato Frittata

● Red Quinoa with Avocado, Black Beans and Corn

● Cheeseless Chicken Enchiladas

● Beefy Mac Soup (use rice pasta for GF alternative)

● Lemon Pepper Chicken with Chili French Fries

● Smothered Okra with Chicken and Rice

© 2014 5DollarDinners.com 63

Erin Chase is the founder and mom chef at 5DollarDinners.com and

FoodAllergiesonaBudget.com. For years, she has been dealing with food allergies

with her children, as well as intolerances with herself. This forced her into the

‘cooking from scratch and doing so on a budget’ movement. She started sharing her

recipes, tips and tricks on $5 Dinners in August of 2008 and has helped millions of

people find new recipes they love that don’t break the bank. She is also the author

of the 3-book $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook series.

When not whipping together fabulous and budget friendly dinners for her family

(and friends!), she is desperately trying to keep up with her 4 young boys, ages 9 to

1. She lives with her husband, rambunctious boy bunch, and a furry boy dog in San

Antonio, TX.