Dinner For Two Under $10
Inspired by Slow Food's $5 Challenge, the Editorial team decided to create a dinner for two that would fall under 10 dollars. While it ended up being a lot easier than we thought, we did face a few obstacles when determining the guidelines for this challenge.
First, do we ignore pantry staples like butter, olive oil, salt, and pepper in the overall price? We settled on yes. Do chile flakes, nutmeg, cinnamon, and other common spices fall under pantry staples as well? Yes, again.
Another tricky question that came up: Since we are only making these recipes for two, how do we determine the pricing when buying packages of pasta, for instance, when only half is used? The way we dealt with this issue is that the price of the meal should be $5 per serving, leaving us with a grand total of $10 for two people. This way, you could cost out the ingredients based on how much you used, not on how much the packaging was. If you were making one of these dishes for four people, then the total cost would not exceed $20.
While you may think that this sounds like an incredibly limiting task, it was actually much easier than we had anticipated. In fact, most people were well under the $10 limit, with our all-time low being $2.69. (Feel free to add some more vegetables and ingredients to that recipe if you'd like.) So yes, it is possible to eat well on a budget, you just have to be smart about what you're buying.
While we only made main dishes in this challenge, you're welcome to host a potluck where each guest is given the same challenge for a different course, like dessert, appetizers, or cocktails (again, price per serving is what we figured worked out best).
We hope you have as much fun making these recipes as we did creating them — enjoy!
Acorn Squash Risotto with Smoked Bacon and Fried Sage Leaves
In many ways, risotto is the perfect meal to prepare for a dinner or date-night in....
— Claire Bullen
Spaghetti with Shaved Asparagus and Pancetta
This simple pasta is just as good without pancetta. For vegetarians, try topping the dish with a poached egg and shaved Parmesan...
— Jessica Chou
As the cooler days of fall are upon us, a few things come to mind: sweaters, football, and chili!
— Marité Acosta
Seared Chicken Cutlets with Cherry Pan Sauce
When you only have 20 minutes to spare and three hungry mouths to feed, more often than not a parent will pull something not-so-nutritious out of the freezer...
— Allison Beck
This hearty, comforting dish may taste like it costs a fortune, but it will only set you back a few dollars...
— Molly Aronica
Easy Poached Fish with Tomatoes and Couscous
An easy, healthy, and filling recipe that doesn't break the bank...
— Yasmin Fahr
This quick and versatile recipe is a great, inexpensive way to use up leftover rice, as well as extra ingredients in your fridge...
— Will Budiaman
At $1.66 per serving, this is an inexpensive, not to mention simplified, version of the traditional minced lamb classic...
— Valaer Murray
Cooking dinner on the cheap is only easy when you have tons of (admittedly basic) ingredients in your kitchen...
— Nicole Campoy-Leffler
Homemade Spicy Sausage and Ricotta Pizza
I'm pretty much convinced that if folks realized just how easy (and cheap!) it is to make great pizza at home, they would delete the delivery guy's number...
— Maryse Chevriere
This hearty, homey, and affordable pasta dish is perfect for a chilly fall evening...
— Carly Goldsmith