Living on a low income that pays for three people to eat, your videos have helped out a lot even with just ideas on how to be more thoughtful with purchases. I've been trying to decide on what to do for Easter dinner and this might be a possibility since I've already got a ham steak in my freezer that I could absolutely use for it!
Living in the Netherlands, we don't have Walmart and Dollar Tree. But we do have Lidl and Aldi, so I can make your recipes. Life is not cheap here, but thanks to you and other You Tubers I am able to eat good stuff for little! Many greetings, Enny.
I am in Sweden and use the menu and adapt to local ingredients. When I visit Texas, I make many of these menus by shopping at Dollar Tree and Walmart. planning on this for Easter 2024 for dinner with my aunt and parents.
"Budgeting" Tip: SAVE YOUR FAST-FOOD CONDIMENTS! Even if it's something like a mayo packet and you don't like or use mayo very often. Keep it anyway. You never know when you could use that splash of mustard or something just to find out you ran out of the bottled or realized you don't keep "that" little ingredient on-hand after you've already started the recipe - you'll have your packets to fall back on. It might not be as much as you'd usually put in that recipe, but some is better than none (say the mustard packet for deviled eggs).
I am a single individual and this would be awesome for one person who can't eat a whole ham by themselves. I've never thought to get a smaller ham steak. I've seen the smaller hams, but even that is to much! And for 20$ I can't wait to try this! ❤
Also, sometimes Walmart or other places have small one pound canned ham on sale for under $4. You can make ham steak with one slice that 1/4 of the can, dice some to put in beans or scrambled eggs, and it does freeze well.
I have bought the small ham steaks.What I have done is cut in half or roasted the whole thing, and then saved the other half and used it in fried rice using one cut of the Minute Rice instant rice add ham, egg and peas and carrots for fried rice. For me, I will do a small sweet potato.Then as a diabetic get sugar free or fruit in juice and freeze it till it's slightly slushy I make it like a sorbet almost.
Inspiring! My hubs and I are empty nesters and no guests tomorrow. I’m going to dupe this meal using pork chops I have on hand. Canned potatoes made into mashed potatoes, roast some frozen broccoli, deviled eggs and make some homemade bread. Thanks!
Great dinner. You could make a pineapple topping for the cheesecake with some of the juice and fruit and even some yogurt. You could even use some yogurt in the potatoes. Also, maybe get mayo packets from fast food restaurants. I also love adding pickle juice or vinegar to the deviled eggs.
You can even make scalloped potatoes and ham by cutting up the ham into small pieces and mixing in with the potatoes…..my whole family loves scalloped potatoes and ham. You did a very nice video!
I make glazed carrots for holidays that can be made if they have your ingredients and butter or margarine. Boil two pounds carrots till tender about ten minutes, and drain. Add 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and salt and pepper to taste, and let it melt and cook for 2-3 minutes to set the glaze. These are a favorite every holiday and they don’t take too much extra work. They also free up oven room, which is premium in our house.
These recipes and tips are not only helpful to those sticking to a budget, but helpful to those who are new to cooking.... or even fearful of cooking. Yes, some people are really nervous about that! Rebecca breaks everything down in easy to manage pieces. Love it!
Looks delicious!!! Live alone so I will get a ham slice for my Easter dinner and make a bit of glaze for it. plus a box of au gratin potatoes, and probably green beans. Thank you for the good ideas.
I have been binge watching your videos. I, like everyone else, am struggling with what to actually feed my family because of the rising cost of food. Please keep making these videos. You just never know who you are helping.
I would totally put that cheesecake on a pretty plate and own it! This was really fun and reasonable. We tend to let the dollars fly and say "oh well, it's a holiday" and regret that later. Take a deep breath folks, she's got our backs!
You are literally a woman after my own heart! I too would have been nibbling the pineapple! Lol. Then you said you dropped a deviled egg lol! Sounds like me again. Then you said you didn’t have any fancy serving dishes, which I appreciate humbleness. Keep up the great work! I like your channel!!! Happy Easter
You could chop the pineapple up smaller add brown sugar and save a little bit of the juice. Add a dash of salt and cook it for a little bit. Cool it down AND use it for a topping on the cheese cake.
I think you did so well! You’re such a joy to watch! I would love to see what date night dinners you could do for, say, $10 or so. Going out is becoming increasingly unaffordable. You did a lovely Valentines dinner and I could just watch your videos all day!
You can make tartar sauce with mayo, mustard, relish & lemon juice. Way better than store bought. You can make a small serving or more as needed, so its fresh and you don't have to worry about a whole bottle going bad if you don't use it all by the expiration date.
Your ideas for cheaper meals are great ! I really appreciate the thoughtfulness you have for trying to help us out with your meal ideas and the break down of how much the items are,as well as to where you're purchasing the food items at.Some things though are a lot more expensive in Canada,than in the U.S. and where I live at in Canada, Dollar Tree doesn't have the variety or the sections that you can get milk, cheese or meat products.The meat here is canned and it's a rarity to even have it at all.I have only ever seen small cans of Spam,very small cans of chicken(and they're mostly filled with alot of liquid,not a lot of meat in them at all).The ideas though, for your meals are great ! Thank you for time and effort of the meal planning you do,getting the items to show us all what you bought for the meals,the cooking and the videoing,it is much appreciated.Have a great day !
Everything's about careful selections and where you're willing to sacrifice. I'd shop DT and Walmart, forgo the asparagus and Greek yogurt and try for a small jar of mayonnaise and margarine at the DT. I'd probably just do a brown sugar glaze and forgo the pineapples too. Maybe add a can of corn instead (Carrots and corn are two of my favorite vegetables.) So much wiggle room here, really, for making some preferred choices. The key is to keep it simple and you did a great job of that.
I don’t see margarine at dollar tree much lately. I got a box about 2 months ago but that felt like a one off because I didn’t see it for months and then I haven’t seen it since. Sadly even at Walmart the imperial margarine was $1.48 so I’m sure that’s part of the reason I don’t see it much anymore
You should be very proud of yourself. You made s complete meal that eas elegant and tasty. No one would feel this was cheap because it had fancier derails making it so festive! I can't wait to go back and see your other celebration meals. You are making my miserable life bearable thank you.💖
Loved this!! What makes deviled eggs different than egg salad is the tang...my grandmother made them with mayo and a splash of white vingar. Sometimes I use miracle whip when I have it. I like the greek yogurt idea, adds additional protein and less fat....but I Love my Miracle Whip 😂
I just had to comment and thank you. I've struggled for YEARS trying and failing at shelling pristine eggs. I tried your method with a dozen eqqs and for the first time in my life all twelve eggs came out perfectly. THANK YOU!
You can use a canned milk for a cheap alternative in the scalloped potatoes or any other dairy like yogurt or mayo. Also use chicken broth if you're just going to do the water only for more flavor.
My mother’s recipe from the 50s for ham & scalloped potatoes uses canned evaporated milk and rehydrated dehydrated onions (she used those a lot). It was a favorite of mine and always followed a holiday where ham was served. I tried to ‘modernize’ and ‘fancy up’ the recipe a few times - fresh onions, real milk or cream, Yukon Gold potatoes. It was a fail, because that taste from my childhood was very specific. The canned milk is actually quite rich and creamy! So I gave up trying to improve on Mom. 😂 And we will be having Scalloped Potatoes and Ham next week after Easter dinner!!
Works for the non milk drinkers! I don't drink milk, so I always have a couple of tins of condensed milk in the cupboard for mac and cheese or cream soups.
@@judyjohnson9610 Yep my cousin lives alone and doesn't drink "cooking milk" so I taught him to do this instead that way he can still fix his favorite stuff without needing milk
Your ideas and videos are so helpful. What is even more helpful is the comment section. You have an awesome community here that gives so many incredible ideas and advice. Thanks to all who are sharing additional ideas. ❤
Thank you so much for your videos. You have a lot of ideas for using less ingredients (such as using just water in the potatoes). I also learn a lot from your tips and tricks. I have been cooking for longer than you have been alive, and I really enjoy your ideas. The fact that you try to stay within budget parameters while making the food tasty is so helpful to so many of us these days.
Great job! I’m pleased with myself in that I have everything in my frig, freezer and pantry to make my complete Easter Dinner. I don’t need to go shopping for anything. Debi in Vicksburg, MS. 🥰🥰
I live on a small budget, but I always have 2 jars of mayonnaise, one mustard and ketchup, peanut butter, and jelly, and two loaves of bread in my pantry at all times. I have meat in the freezer and two dozen eggs on hand as well, along with 2 packs of bacon and frozen biscuits. I can live off these foods. The meat is usually pork and chicken, and one pk of ground beef.
I love to see both carrot and asparagus in the meal. Yum! It definitely saves money to check all discount racks at the store and adapt the meal plan accordingly. The cheesecake was a good find! No hassle delicious dessert for cheaper than adding all the ingredients to make a dessert. Thanks for another great video. 😀
Wow….. some of these comments are so RUDE! I’m impressed that you handle it so professionally! I’m sorry you have to put up with that. I’ve only recently subscribed but I’ve watched several of your videos. I can tell you really strive to have options for dinners on an extreme budget, great work! I enjoy your creativity in the kitchen and look forward to what you come up with next!
Haha that whole chain was a trip, but some people can’t see past their own privileges to realize that not everyone has access to what they do, time to cook from scratch, tools and equipment to make fancier meals, and also the physical ability to stand in the kitchen for hours on end
@@DollarTreeDinners - I think my mouth dropped open a couple of times 😂 Obviously not someone that has gone grocery shopping with a calculator in their hand. Just realized that aged me 🤣 didn’t have smart phones back then, I didn’t even have a cell phone then, hence the calculator
Aside from being out of touch with prices I don’t think she understands the definition of click bait, I did actually make an Easter dinner in 1 hour for $20 and that’s the opposite of click bait lol
I am so glad I watched this video!! I love the juilliened cheese potatoes but I've always had trouble getting them soft enough for my liking. I just always assumed that was the way they were supposed to taste lol, I never thought to cook them longer!! And next time I make them not only am I going to cook them longer but I'm also going to incorporate your tip of adding the sauce to cold water (or I guess it could be added to the cold milk). It definitely does get lumpy and clumpy if you add boiling water only. I just always made sure to chop up the clumps as best as I could but your way sounds much easier lol 😂
You can dissolve the packet in a half cup cold water. Get the rest of the water very hot and pour it over the potatoes and let them sit about 30 minutes. Then go ahead and add in the packet. It will cook much quicker. Also if you cook in microwave, will save gas/electricity. If you have it, you can add 1-2 tlb powered coffee mate (unflavored) it helps in place of milk.
Great tips, especially when it's dinner for 2 - 4. The only thing I would have done different is less dirty dishes. I've never mixed my dried scalloped potato mix in a pan. I just toss it all in to the baking dish and into the oven. Yes, I boil the water first and then set the clean pan to the side for another dish.
New sub here. I LOVE how you did the dinner in order, and explained all the little bits, like how to cook the eggs! The thing I am the worst at, is getting everything ready together. Been cooking about 40 years now, and I still start fretting and panicing and getting overwhelmed. lol Thank you for this. Now I have to go binge watch the others! 💫🌺🌻🌾
Wow!!! You did it again ! The cheesecake was a big surprise. I would have used half of the glaze for the ham and half for the carrots. I would have used the last bit of change to see if I could get a bunch of green onions, to use in the deviled eggs, and to cook with the asparagus. Our Walmart sells a bunch for 48 cents. Very well done, as always ! Happy Easter ! 🥰🌱🌿🌷💐☔💗✝
I have added a cup of instant mashed potatoes to a box of scalloped potatoes to stretch it…you have to increase the amount of water to accommodate the instant potatoes. It turns out great! Very smooth.
Great video😊. Super great $20 bucks for a really nice Easter🐰 dinner including cheesecake for dessert 😊. I love your honest thoughts about the quality and taste of all the food items. Also your great hacks and tips for preparing the food.. It just shows that with some thought and creative shopping EVERY FAMILY can enjoy a delicious and nutritious meal no matter what your current income level is. Thanks for sharing your ideas. Blessings🙏 from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania ❤
walmart also has a 1lb canned ham. i keep them around for bean soup, or if someone wants ham with their breakfast. it also serves as emergency lunchmeat, or chopped up in some mac and cheese!
I’ve been binging your videos. You’re a doll, super down to earth. Your videos are so relaxing, I wish I found you when I was still pregnant lol so soothing. This looks delicious, great job.
I thought you did amazing. I have learned so much from you. I am trying to find new ways to eat vegetables. The way you cooked the carrots and asparagus was so doable! I hope you have a Happy Easter!
Great job!!! I love what you do to help others ❤ and may I add I love how you’re eye shadow makes your eyes pop!! Beautiful! Thanks for your awesome videos! ❤🎉
What I like best about this vid is that I think the foods & prep tips would be very useful for folks who may be getting items from food pantries...you are giving ideas of what items go together to make a complete meal & how to prepare them in a way that goes beyond just "heat & eat". You are teaching good overall cooking techniques thay some people may not have or are unsure of & can use to improve upon. Well done! And now I'm hungry! 😊😊😊
You always do good work in these videos. The changes that came to mind are to buy more eggs to make mayo and have leftovers, also, I'd probably brown the ham and cook the pineapple to caramelize it and soften it. I think the ham might not shrink so much. Again, a lovely job. Thanks and God bless 🙏👑✝
Wonder if you could make some kind of pineapple topping, with brown sugar, to put over the cheesecake? A bag of baby carrots, or a zucchini, can be grated, and added to ground meat, to make it stretch. It would add veggies to a meal, and kids wouldn't be able to tell it's in it. Carrots make it a little sweeter. You can use grated carrots, and add it to a yellow, or spice cake mix, to make an inexpensive carrot cake or cupcakes. Applesauce can replace oil and eggs, in some recipes.
You are such a great teacher!! I'm so happy for a channel like this because so many families need this help. You've really hit on something that speaks to the current economy and added simple but flavorful meals anyone should be proud to serve thier family. Thank you.
I love ham steaks. A nice glaze on cooked carrots is apricot jelly and butter. Very easy, but tastes quite special. I always have apricot jelly on hand bc it our favorites anyway.
Every time I think you can’t top your last video or meal or idea.. i’m left standing in your dust. 🤯🤯🤯This was spectacular, and you put it together start to finish in the time it took to bake the scalloped potatoes? I hope you realize how many people your videos are helping. You take the tiniest budget and turn it into a gourmet meal. And if you’re reading this and you’re struggling with food insecurity, please please please please reach out to the agencies in your community. Having enough to eat is a basic human, right not a luxury. There is no shame in asking for a little bit of help. Someday, when you’re back on more stable footing, you will be able to return the kindness you receive today. Until that day, if you need help, please reach out.
You could also buy a bigger container of eggs, use a small amount of vinegar and oil and the mustards a little cayenne if you like and make a small amount of homemade mayo! Use whole eggs not just yolks and use half olive oil and half cheap oil to keep cost low 😊
Some great ideas you had here and a nice dinner! One thought to if you could cook down the pineapples with brown sugar and like a tablespoon of water and that could be a fruit sauce to top your cheesecake with. Just a thought I thought I would share.
I think that you could have gotten mayonaise packets along with the mustard! In additionm I like deviled eggs with sweet relish. Another item you could get at the deli counter, LOL. My mom didn't struggle with us when it came to certain veggies. We got out carrots in while watching Bugs Bunny cartoons (raw) 😂
I really appreciate your videos! Food is where a big chunk of my (relatively small) budget goes. I'd love to buy organic whole foods but some weeks it's just not possible. Thanks for your hard work!
This was a lot of fun to watch! You had a great assortment of items, and I could taste everything vicariously based on the way you described them. Thanks for another enjoyable and informative video!
You could of added yogurt (save a dollup) to chive potatoes with less water, cook pineapples with some brown sugar syrup chill add to top of cheesecake with dollup yogurt in the center
I love your videos and am going to try cooking the ham steak not just for Easter. My son will be back for the summer and cooking a ham steak like this will help me save money. Buying even a small ham is really expensive
It’s really helped me! I am on a very, very tight budget also I have very little time so I appreciate this sooo much! I am going to make this meal for my family for Thanksgiving 😊
Congratulations on y'all's move. I'm sure River and Loki and your Boyfriend is happy to see a house. Can't wait to see new Videos. Take care and Merry Christmas 🎄 and Happy New Year .
This looks amazing!!! I love the ham steak idea and the way you dressed it up w glaze. Hams are sooo expensive. Thank you as always for making the impossible possible!! Happy Easter!! 💖💐🙏🏻
I thankfully don't have to do budget meals, however. You're the first person i ever watched on sm, that didn't scare me or turn me completely off from trying. Lol
Looks great! I'm always looking for new ideas. I do not eat mayo, so i will try the greek yogurt. We put some sweet pickle juice in our deviled egg mixture. Try it, it really adds to the flavor.
You could have used one mustard packet for ham.😊 Great job I am getting one or 2 ham steaks this year to try or maybe a small Turkey breast and ham steak, for 2 people will be good enough and left overs. I think you did Amazing job and I love your channel, I am definitely using many of your ideas for my Thanksgiving dinner this year. I just made some bisquick cheddar biscuits I might make but I love those bake and serve rolls too. I think making those kind of sliders is a fantastic idea! I am going to buy swiss and the ham and make a sweet mustard sauce and build my menu around those and those gratin sour cream and chives potatoes I will have to figure it out. I want those sliders right now. Lol Tfs❤
I just wanted to say thank you for posting these. I’ve been watching your videos since Easter, and they have helped me really stretch my budget and get through some tough times. 😊
For a homemade mayo option, you could take one of the eggs, blend with 1 tbsp mustard, 1 tbsp vinegar, and a pinch of salt, and then add 1 cup oil slowly while blending until it emulsifies.
You could throw the leftover Greek yogurt into the scalloped potatoes to replace some of the creaminess the butter and milk would have added. Would work like sour cream which is delicious in these kinds of potatoes.❤
All great ideas. Just an aside; maybe take the teeniest carrots and serve them raw with the leftover yogurt to dip them in. Ham steak is always a great value - when my dad was alive we would bake one with pineapple, eat about 1/2 of it, then two nights later diced up the ham left and mix it in with butter beans and serve with corn muffins. Great way to get 4 meals out of one good ham steak and low cost.
I never thought of only using water with the Au Gratin or Scalloped potatoes. Also, if you snap one asparagus spear, you can cut the others at about that size. Great video, Rebecca, as usual.
Even if they didn't have a prepared desert on sale they have desert kits for about the same price, if nothing else there's jello or cookie or muffin kits.
Living on a low income that pays for three people to eat, your videos have helped out a lot even with just ideas on how to be more thoughtful with purchases. I've been trying to decide on what to do for Easter dinner and this might be a possibility since I've already got a ham steak in my freezer that I could absolutely use for it!
Yes! You really should! 🍴🌻
Living in the Netherlands, we don't have Walmart and Dollar Tree. But we do have Lidl and Aldi, so I can make your recipes. Life is not cheap here, but thanks to you and other You Tubers I am able to eat good stuff for little! Many greetings, Enny.
We have Aldi in US in some places
Life isnt cheap anywhere
We have Lidl, too. Just not as many in comparison to Aldi.
@@thesearedaydreams6854Waiting for Lidl to come to Texas. But love Aldi!
I am in Sweden and use the menu and adapt to local ingredients. When I visit Texas, I make many of these menus by shopping at Dollar Tree and Walmart. planning on this for Easter 2024 for dinner with my aunt and parents.
Replacing the mayo with greek yogurt also makes the eggs more calorie-friendly and higher protein if that's important to you!
I may like deviled eggs if I used yogurt. I hate mayo.
Never heard of that.
"Budgeting" Tip: SAVE YOUR FAST-FOOD CONDIMENTS! Even if it's something like a mayo packet and you don't like or use mayo very often. Keep it anyway. You never know when you could use that splash of mustard or something just to find out you ran out of the bottled or realized you don't keep "that" little ingredient on-hand after you've already started the recipe - you'll have your packets to fall back on. It might not be as much as you'd usually put in that recipe, but some is better than none (say the mustard packet for deviled eggs).
Great tip and I never thought about looking in my condiment “stash” when I don’t have something. I keep all of them!!!
I do this. If they allow only a certain amount, I get those of each kind offered that might be useful.
yes!! my soy sauce and ketchup packets have come in handy many times 😂 same with plastic utensils, containers, and chopsticks
Get those packets and take as many as you can, bottle it up and bam free bottled condiments
@@OZARKMOON1960Me too!
Just an idea. Instead of cheesecake, buy yellow boxed cake mix and make pineapple upside down cake. You're already purchasing brown sugar.
That is so smart!!!
Brilliant!!!!
Genius!
Except I don’t know ANYONE who likes pineapple upside down cake.
@FlickiChicki That's ok. This was just an idea for those that do. 😊
I am a single individual and this would be awesome for one person who can't eat a whole ham by themselves. I've never thought to get a smaller ham steak. I've seen the smaller hams, but even that is to much!
And for 20$ I can't wait to try this! ❤
You could also go to the deli counter and get a thicker slice of a baked ham, like a 1/4”-1/2” thick slice to use as the ham for your dinner.
Also, sometimes Walmart or other places have small one pound canned ham on sale for under $4. You can make ham steak with one slice that 1/4 of the can, dice some to put in beans or scrambled eggs, and it does freeze well.
I have bought the small ham steaks.What I have done is cut in half or roasted the whole thing, and then saved the other half and used it in fried rice using one cut of the Minute Rice instant rice add ham, egg and peas and carrots for fried rice. For me, I will do a small sweet potato.Then as a diabetic get sugar free or fruit in juice and freeze it till it's slightly slushy I make it like a sorbet almost.
Inspiring! My hubs and I are empty nesters and no guests tomorrow. I’m going to dupe this meal using pork chops I have on hand. Canned potatoes made into mashed potatoes, roast some frozen broccoli, deviled eggs and make some homemade bread. Thanks!
Sounds great❤
Great dinner. You could make a pineapple topping for the cheesecake with some of the juice and fruit and even some yogurt. You could even use some yogurt in the potatoes. Also, maybe get mayo packets from fast food restaurants. I also love adding pickle juice or vinegar to the deviled eggs.
You can even make scalloped potatoes and ham by cutting up the ham into small pieces and mixing in with the potatoes…..my whole family loves scalloped potatoes and ham. You did a very nice video!
This is our traditional "few days later" meal to use up the leftovers, lol. I swear the family likes it better than the original meal😂
For the deviled eggs, you can add a touch of sugar to the yogurt to mimic mayo better.
Or a splash of apple cider vinegar
Smart! I like the acv idea too, but the sugar is something I always have on hand.
I make glazed carrots for holidays that can be made if they have your ingredients and butter or margarine. Boil two pounds carrots till tender about ten minutes, and drain. Add 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and salt and pepper to taste, and let it melt and cook for 2-3 minutes to set the glaze. These are a favorite every holiday and they don’t take too much extra work. They also free up oven room, which is premium in our house.
That was my mom's way of making what we called candied carrots. Yummy! 🤗
These recipes and tips are not only helpful to those sticking to a budget, but helpful to those who are new to cooking.... or even fearful of cooking. Yes, some people are really nervous about that! Rebecca breaks everything down in easy to manage pieces. Love it!
Looks delicious!!! Live alone so I will get a ham slice for my Easter dinner and make a bit of glaze for it. plus a box of au gratin potatoes, and probably green beans. Thank you for the good ideas.
I have been binge watching your videos. I, like everyone else, am struggling with what to actually feed my family because of the rising cost of food. Please keep making these videos. You just never know who you are helping.
I would totally put that cheesecake on a pretty plate and own it! This was really fun and reasonable. We tend to let the dollars fly and say "oh well, it's a holiday" and regret that later. Take a deep breath folks, she's got our backs!
You are literally a woman after my own heart! I too would have been nibbling the pineapple! Lol. Then you said you dropped a deviled egg lol! Sounds like me again. Then you said you didn’t have any fancy serving dishes, which I appreciate humbleness. Keep up the great work! I like your channel!!! Happy Easter
Haha it slid off the plate face down onto the counter top when I was trying to arrange the food neatly 😂
You could chop the pineapple up smaller add brown sugar and save a little bit of the juice. Add a dash of salt and cook it for a little bit. Cool it down AND use it for a topping on the cheese cake.
My favorite topping for cheesecake! And a teeny drizzle of sugar free caramel ice cream topping over top of the pineapple topping is awesome!
I think you did so well! You’re such a joy to watch! I would love to see what date night dinners you could do for, say, $10 or so. Going out is becoming increasingly unaffordable. You did a lovely Valentines dinner and I could just watch your videos all day!
I swapped tartar sauce for mayo in deviled eggs. Surprisingly good. I should look at my DT for that.
You can make tartar sauce with mayo, mustard, relish & lemon juice. Way better than store bought. You can make a small serving or more as needed, so its fresh and you don't have to worry about a whole bottle going bad if you don't use it all by the expiration date.
Your ideas for cheaper meals are great ! I really appreciate the thoughtfulness you have for trying to help us out with your meal ideas and the break down of how much the items are,as well as to where you're purchasing the food items at.Some things though are a lot more expensive in Canada,than in the U.S. and where I live at in Canada, Dollar Tree doesn't have the variety or the sections that you can get milk, cheese or meat products.The meat here is canned and it's a rarity to even have it at all.I have only ever seen small cans of Spam,very small cans of chicken(and they're mostly filled with alot of liquid,not a lot of meat in them at all).The ideas though, for your meals are great ! Thank you for time and effort of the meal planning you do,getting the items to show us all what you bought for the meals,the cooking and the videoing,it is much appreciated.Have a great day !
Everything's about careful selections and where you're willing to sacrifice. I'd shop DT and Walmart, forgo the asparagus and Greek yogurt and try for a small jar of mayonnaise and margarine at the DT. I'd probably just do a brown sugar glaze and forgo the pineapples too. Maybe add a can of corn instead (Carrots and corn are two of my favorite vegetables.) So much wiggle room here, really, for making some preferred choices. The key is to keep it simple and you did a great job of that.
I don’t see margarine at dollar tree much lately. I got a box about 2 months ago but that felt like a one off because I didn’t see it for months and then I haven’t seen it since. Sadly even at Walmart the imperial margarine was $1.48 so I’m sure that’s part of the reason I don’t see it much anymore
Greek Yoghurt is a great substitute for sour cream .You could add a spoon full to the potatoes !
You should be very proud of yourself. You made s complete meal that eas elegant and tasty. No one would feel this was cheap because it had fancier derails making it so festive!
I can't wait to go back and see your other celebration meals. You are making my miserable life bearable thank you.💖
Loved this!! What makes deviled eggs different than egg salad is the tang...my grandmother made them with mayo and a splash of white vingar. Sometimes I use miracle whip when I have it. I like the greek yogurt idea, adds additional protein and less fat....but I Love my Miracle Whip 😂
I just had to comment and thank you. I've struggled for YEARS trying and failing at shelling pristine eggs. I tried your method with a dozen eqqs and for the first time in my life all twelve eggs came out perfectly. THANK YOU!
You can use a canned milk for a cheap alternative in the scalloped potatoes or any other dairy like yogurt or mayo. Also use chicken broth if you're just going to do the water only for more flavor.
My mother’s recipe from the 50s for ham & scalloped potatoes uses canned evaporated milk and rehydrated dehydrated onions (she used those a lot). It was a favorite of mine and always followed a holiday where ham was served. I tried to ‘modernize’ and ‘fancy up’ the recipe a few times - fresh onions, real milk or cream, Yukon Gold potatoes. It was a fail, because that taste from my childhood was very specific. The canned milk is actually quite rich and creamy! So I gave up trying to improve on Mom. 😂 And we will be having Scalloped Potatoes and Ham next week after Easter dinner!!
Works for the non milk drinkers! I don't drink milk, so I always have a couple of tins of condensed milk in the cupboard for mac and cheese or cream soups.
@@judyjohnson9610 Yep my cousin lives alone and doesn't drink "cooking milk" so I taught him to do this instead that way he can still fix his favorite stuff without needing milk
Great ideas! Evaporated milk adds some nice richness to a dish.
Mayo isn't dairy, it's eggs & oil. Don't know if that would work the same.
Your ideas and videos are so helpful. What is even more helpful is the comment section. You have an awesome community here that gives so many incredible ideas and advice. Thanks to all who are sharing additional ideas. ❤
Thank you so much for your videos. You have a lot of ideas for using less ingredients (such as using just water in the potatoes). I also learn a lot from your tips and tricks. I have been cooking for longer than you have been alive, and I really enjoy your ideas. The fact that you try to stay within budget parameters while making the food tasty is so helpful to so many of us these days.
Great meal for only $20! Including appetizers and dessert! Great job.
You can get wonderful glass serving trays at thrift stores. I’ve found some nice ones that way.
Great job! I’m pleased with myself in that I have everything in my frig, freezer and pantry to make my complete Easter Dinner. I don’t need to go shopping for anything. Debi in Vicksburg, MS. 🥰🥰
I live on a small budget, but I always have 2 jars of mayonnaise, one mustard and ketchup, peanut butter, and jelly, and two loaves of bread in my pantry at all times. I have meat in the freezer and two dozen eggs on hand as well, along with 2 packs of bacon and frozen biscuits. I can live off these foods. The meat is usually pork and chicken, and one pk of ground beef.
I love to see both carrot and asparagus in the meal. Yum! It definitely saves money to check all discount racks at the store and adapt the meal plan accordingly. The cheesecake was a good find! No hassle delicious dessert for cheaper than adding all the ingredients to make a dessert. Thanks for another great video. 😀
Wow….. some of these comments are so RUDE! I’m impressed that you handle it so professionally!
I’m sorry you have to put up with that.
I’ve only recently subscribed but I’ve watched several of your videos. I can tell you really strive to have options for dinners on an extreme budget, great work! I enjoy your creativity in the kitchen and look forward to what you come up with next!
Haha that whole chain was a trip, but some people can’t see past their own privileges to realize that not everyone has access to what they do, time to cook from scratch, tools and equipment to make fancier meals, and also the physical ability to stand in the kitchen for hours on end
@@DollarTreeDinners - I think my mouth dropped open a couple of times 😂
Obviously not someone that has gone grocery shopping with a calculator in their hand. Just realized that aged me 🤣 didn’t have smart phones back then, I didn’t even have a cell phone then, hence the calculator
Aside from being out of touch with prices I don’t think she understands the definition of click bait, I did actually make an Easter dinner in 1 hour for $20 and that’s the opposite of click bait lol
@@DollarTreeDinners Definitely it would feed a family of four too!
I am so glad I watched this video!! I love the juilliened cheese potatoes but I've always had trouble getting them soft enough for my liking. I just always assumed that was the way they were supposed to taste lol, I never thought to cook them longer!! And next time I make them not only am I going to cook them longer but I'm also going to incorporate your tip of adding the sauce to cold water (or I guess it could be added to the cold milk). It definitely does get lumpy and clumpy if you add boiling water only. I just always made sure to chop up the clumps as best as I could but your way sounds much easier lol 😂
Definitely give it a shot! I cooked them at 400 for about 45 minutes for a double batch and it was perfect :)
I cover my potatoes for half the bake time and they come out nice and creamy and done, not dried out 😃
Perfect meal for 2 or 3 people with a few leftovers. 1 person definitely doesnt need a whole ham. Great video, thanks for sharing!
You can dissolve the packet in a half cup cold water. Get the rest of the water very hot and pour it over the potatoes and let them sit about 30 minutes. Then go ahead and add in the packet. It will cook much quicker. Also if you cook in microwave, will save gas/electricity. If you have it, you can add 1-2 tlb powered coffee mate (unflavored) it helps in place of milk.
Great tips, especially when it's dinner for 2 - 4. The only thing I would have done different is less dirty dishes. I've never mixed my dried scalloped potato mix in a pan. I just toss it all in to the baking dish and into the oven. Yes, I boil the water first and then set the clean pan to the side for another dish.
The remaining Greek yogurt not used in the deviled eggs can be used in the potatoes to compensate for not using milk and butter.
I love that you used a lot of fresh food. That's something that is hard to do on a budget. I would eat that meal and enjoy it.
I like to do my carrots in the oven with honey and dill on it. It’s so good.
Really like your dinners and help so many these days at the way grocery store prices are. Thanks for all your help
Since you already purchased the Greek yogurt, you should have used some in the scalloped potatoes for a bit of extra dairy flavor. Nice presentation.
New sub here. I LOVE how you did the dinner in order, and explained all the little bits, like how to cook the eggs! The thing I am the worst at, is getting everything ready together. Been cooking about 40 years now, and I still start fretting and panicing and getting overwhelmed. lol Thank you for this. Now I have to go binge watch the others! 💫🌺🌻🌾
Wow!!! You did it again ! The cheesecake was a big surprise. I would have used half of the glaze for the ham and half for the carrots. I would have used the last bit of change to see if I could get a bunch of green onions, to use in the deviled eggs, and to cook with the asparagus. Our Walmart sells a bunch for 48 cents. Very well done, as always ! Happy Easter ! 🥰🌱🌿🌷💐☔💗✝
I have added a cup of instant mashed potatoes to a box of scalloped potatoes to stretch it…you have to increase the amount of water to accommodate the instant potatoes. It turns out great! Very smooth.
Great video😊. Super great $20 bucks for a really nice Easter🐰 dinner including cheesecake for dessert 😊. I love your honest thoughts about the quality and taste of all the food items. Also your great hacks and tips for preparing the food.. It just shows that with some thought and creative shopping EVERY FAMILY can enjoy a delicious and nutritious meal no matter what your current income level is. Thanks for sharing your ideas. Blessings🙏 from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania ❤
walmart also has a 1lb canned ham. i keep them around for bean soup, or if someone wants ham with their breakfast. it also serves as emergency lunchmeat, or chopped up in some mac and cheese!
THIS looked like a meal Anyone could be proud to serve! 🎉
This looks so good!! If you do a mother's day meal video, you should add a breakfast as well !
Good idea
She did a dollar tree breakfast biscuits w sausage gravy my husband loves it.
I’ve been binging your videos. You’re a doll, super down to earth. Your videos are so relaxing, I wish I found you when I was still pregnant lol so soothing. This looks delicious, great job.
That’s a great Easter/spring dinner! Have a wonderful Easter!
I thought you did amazing. I have learned so much from you. I am trying to find new ways to eat vegetables. The way you cooked the carrots and asparagus was so doable! I hope you have a Happy Easter!
Great job!!! I love what you do to help others ❤ and may I add I love how you’re eye shadow makes your eyes pop!! Beautiful! Thanks for your awesome videos! ❤🎉
What I like best about this vid is that I think the foods & prep tips would be very useful for folks who may be getting items from food pantries...you are giving ideas of what items go together to make a complete meal & how to prepare them in a way that goes beyond just "heat & eat". You are teaching good overall cooking techniques thay some people may not have or are unsure of & can use to improve upon. Well done! And now I'm hungry! 😊😊😊
You always do good work in these videos. The changes that came to mind are to buy more eggs to make mayo and have leftovers, also, I'd probably brown the ham and cook the pineapple to caramelize it and soften it. I think the ham might not shrink so much. Again, a lovely job. Thanks and God bless 🙏👑✝
Hi Rebecca, Once more you have hit a home run with your Easter wi 28:36 nerf dinner! Great job😅 Kathy in Dallas
Wonder if you could make some kind of pineapple topping, with brown sugar, to put over the cheesecake?
A bag of baby carrots, or a zucchini, can be grated, and added to ground meat, to make it stretch. It would add veggies to a meal, and kids wouldn't be able to tell it's in it. Carrots make it a little sweeter. You can use grated carrots, and add it to a yellow, or spice cake mix, to make an inexpensive carrot cake or cupcakes. Applesauce can replace oil and eggs, in some recipes.
You are such a great teacher!! I'm so happy for a channel like this because so many families need this help. You've really hit on something that speaks to the current economy and added simple but flavorful meals anyone should be proud to serve thier family. Thank you.
I love ham steaks.
A nice glaze on cooked carrots is apricot jelly and butter. Very easy, but tastes quite special. I always have apricot jelly on hand bc it our favorites anyway.
Ooh, I'm going to try the apricot jelly and butter. Sounds delicious
This is a great budget endition of a traditional Easter meal. I think you did a great job! I hope everyone enjoyed their special day with loved ones.
In packaged food, seasoning packets usually use modified corn starch, which is fine in boiling water. It doesn't clump.
Every time I think you can’t top your last video or meal or idea.. i’m left standing in your dust. 🤯🤯🤯This was spectacular, and you put it together start to finish in the time it took to bake the scalloped potatoes? I hope you realize how many people your videos are helping. You take the tiniest budget and turn it into a gourmet meal.
And if you’re reading this and you’re struggling with food insecurity, please please please please reach out to the agencies in your community. Having enough to eat is a basic human, right not a luxury. There is no shame in asking for a little bit of help. Someday, when you’re back on more stable footing, you will be able to return the kindness you receive today. Until that day, if you need help, please reach out.
It's gonna help me! I am just a family of one and the portions are perfect for me!
You are such a good person to do these videos. Thanks for all these ideas.
You could also buy a bigger container of eggs, use a small amount of vinegar and oil and the mustards a little cayenne if you like and make a small amount of homemade mayo! Use whole eggs not just yolks and use half olive oil and half cheap oil to keep cost low 😊
Some great ideas you had here and a nice dinner! One thought to if you could cook down the pineapples with brown sugar and like a tablespoon of water and that could be a fruit sauce to top your cheesecake with. Just a thought I thought I would share.
Great idea!!
That sounds great
Yummy!
OMG I love your channel. Started following you in Ticktock and
Now on YT. Love love love you channels. Thanks for sharing
I think that you could have gotten mayonaise packets along with the mustard! In additionm I like deviled eggs with sweet relish. Another item you could get at the deli counter, LOL. My mom didn't struggle with us when it came to certain veggies. We got out carrots in while watching Bugs Bunny cartoons (raw) 😂
I really appreciate your videos! Food is where a big chunk of my (relatively small) budget goes. I'd love to buy organic whole foods but some weeks it's just not possible. Thanks for your hard work!
This was a lot of fun to watch! You had a great assortment of items, and I could taste everything vicariously based on the way you described them. Thanks for another enjoyable and informative video!
Such a great spread for under $20! 😋🍽
I always put a little sugar in my devilled egg filling. It makes them extra delicious! I add sugar to egg salad too.
You could of added yogurt (save a dollup) to chive potatoes with less water, cook pineapples with some brown sugar syrup chill add to top of cheesecake with dollup yogurt in the center
Pineapple chunks around the rim of the cheesecake and top with cherry pie filling, cheap way to make cheesecake incredible
Very budget friendly and looks delicious for Easter dinner,great video.
Your videos are great. Love listening to you!❤
I love your videos and am going to try cooking the ham steak not just for Easter. My son will be back for the summer and cooking a ham steak like this will help me save money. Buying even a small ham is really expensive
It’s really helped me! I am on a very, very tight budget also I have very little time so I appreciate this sooo much! I am going to make this meal for my family for Thanksgiving 😊
Congratulations on y'all's move. I'm sure River and Loki and your Boyfriend is happy to see a house. Can't wait to see new Videos. Take care and Merry Christmas 🎄 and Happy New Year .
I had to comment!!! We tried your hard boiled eggs easy peel way, and OMG, it worked!!! 👏👏👏 Thanks so much!!!
This looks amazing!!! I love the ham steak idea and the way you dressed it up w glaze. Hams are sooo expensive. Thank you as always for making the impossible possible!! Happy Easter!! 💖💐🙏🏻
I thankfully don't have to do budget meals, however. You're the first person i ever watched on sm, that didn't scare me or turn me completely off from trying. Lol
Looks great! I'm always looking for new ideas. I do not eat mayo, so i will try the greek yogurt.
We put some sweet pickle juice in our deviled egg mixture. Try it, it really adds to the flavor.
You could have used one mustard packet for ham.😊
Great job I am getting one or 2 ham steaks this year to try or maybe a small Turkey breast and ham steak, for 2 people will be good enough and left overs. I think you did Amazing job and I love your channel, I am definitely using many of your ideas for my Thanksgiving dinner this year.
I just made some bisquick cheddar biscuits I might make but I love those bake and serve rolls too. I think making those kind of sliders is a fantastic idea!
I am going to buy swiss and the ham and make a sweet mustard sauce and build my menu around those and those gratin sour cream and chives potatoes I will have to figure it out. I want those sliders right now. Lol
Tfs❤
My first time watching you. I have to say I really enjoy the way you explain all the steps . That's a meal I would like to eat 😊.
Perfect! Thank you for the great ideas. You are so creative. I appreciate all your hard work.
I just wanted to say thank you for posting these. I’ve been watching your videos since Easter, and they have helped me really stretch my budget and get through some tough times. 😊
For a homemade mayo option, you could take one of the eggs, blend with 1 tbsp mustard, 1 tbsp vinegar, and a pinch of salt, and then add 1 cup oil slowly while blending until it emulsifies.
Really enjoy these videos, it all looks great. I hope you have a good Easter!
Great ideas on a budget meal! Love the idea of using the ham steak!
I gotta admit, I love that little red pan/pot you use. Perfect size for almost everything!
You could throw the leftover Greek yogurt into the scalloped potatoes to replace some of the creaminess the butter and milk would have added. Would work like sour cream which is delicious in these kinds of potatoes.❤
All great ideas. Just an aside; maybe take the teeniest carrots and serve them raw with the leftover yogurt to dip them in. Ham steak is always a great value - when my dad was alive we would bake one with pineapple, eat about 1/2 of it, then two nights later diced up the ham left and mix it in with butter beans and serve with corn muffins. Great way to get 4 meals out of one good ham steak and low cost.
That is a great meal! You give me such good ideas! Looking forward to Mother's Day!! Thank you!!
I never thought of only using water with the Au Gratin or Scalloped potatoes. Also, if you snap one asparagus spear, you can cut the others at about that size. Great video, Rebecca, as usual.
Even if they didn't have a prepared desert on sale they have desert kits for about the same price, if nothing else there's jello or cookie or muffin kits.
That is not a struggle that is perfect for a traditional meal for sure you are good for showing this video thank you
We’ll done!!
You could have added some of the yogurt to the potatoes too 😊
Yay! 🎉 I'm really excited for this video! Thanks so much for these ❤