Cooking the Deals of April 17-23

I am always shopping the deals, and pay very little for what I bring home. I have always looked at how much I'm saving versus the shelf cost of the items I'm walking out with. Recently, though, I started thinking about how much each meal is that I am cooking. I've found that I'm paying so much less than what we would be paying if we were eating out. I found made a delicious baked penne dinner, with salads, and garlic cheese bread, for $4, and still had two meals to put in the freezer for another night!

In flew my idea!
Why not post meal ideas with what is on sale at the grocery stores each week? I will be using Carrie's list of store deals at Pocket Your Dollars each week to come up with delicious dinners that you can make your family on the cheap!

Since I find it easier to plan ahead, than try to play catch-up, I will be posting the meal ideas part-way though the week, with the idea that you can do your grocery shopping for the next week. But of course, if you see something you just have to try then why wait until next week? Cook it up tonight for dinner!

Keep in mind though, that I do assume that you will have some of the staples stock-piled on hand. When you're starting off you may not have some of these things stock-piled, but as you go you will!

Rainbow Shoppers (that's me!)... check out the list of deals this week at Rainbow.
And for those without a near-by Rainbow... check out the list of deals at Cub.

Meal #1: Lasagna & Garlic Bread $3.49-$3.99
Stouffer's Lasagna $2.99 @ Rainbow
Bellatoria Specialty Bread $0.50 @ Rainbow
-or- Rhode's Rolls $1.00 @ Rainbow

Meal #2: Tropical Pineapple Chicken about $6.00
Dole Canned Pineapple $0.49 @ Rainbow
On hand ingredients: chicken, sugar (they use Splenda), lemon juice, mustard powder
Minute Rice $0.66 @ Rainbow

Meal #3: Baked Spaghetti $2.97-4.30
On hand ingredients: red pasta sauce*, eggs*, butter
Creamette Penne free @ Rainbow
Johnsonville Ground Italian Sausage $1.50 @ Rainbow
Kraft Shredded Cheese $1.00 @ Cub (I got it for $0.67 a couple weeks ago & froze it, but if you need it...)
Bellatoria Specialty Bread $0.50 @ Rainbow
-or- Rhode's Rolls $1.00 @ Rainbow

Meal #4: Chicken Crescent Ring $5.75
2 can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls $1.16 @ Cub (a little expensive, but I have some in the freezer I got cheaper a while ago)
Kraft Shredded Cheese $1.00 @ Cub
Green Giant Frozen Veggies $0.39 @ Rainbow
On hand ingredients: shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup (may be included in Campbell's sale this week at Cub for $0.60)

Meal #5: Breakfast Burritos $4.50
Ingredients on hand: Tortillas, eggs*, salsa, sour cream
Ore-Ida Hash Browns $1.50 @ Cub
Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage $1.99 @ Cub
Kraft Shredded Cheese $1.00 @ Cub
Minute Maid OJ $1.50 @ Cub

Meal #6: Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup $2.00
On hand ingredients: butter, you could even throw in some ham leftover from Easter!
Campbell's Soup $0.60 @ Cub 
Bread $1.70-$2.04 @ Cub (I usually buy the less-fancy Roundy's bread for less)
Kraft Singles free @ Rainbow

*denotes items I have on hand that I have gotten for free
Another note: My meal prices are approximate, it depends on how much you have paid for certain items that I already have on hand or have gotten in previous weeks for a rock-bottom price.