No Fridge/Freezer at your Dollar Tree? 4 Easy Pantry Only Dinners You Can Make!

[@nancycarney]

I absolutely loved all of these recipes. We have a mission to provide shelf stable meals to families in need. We bag each meal in a ziploc bag with recipe. 5 recipes go into a 5 gallon bucket along with shelf stable milk. The recipes are so very kid friendly to make. You just gave us this weeks menu. THANK YOU!

[@DollarTreeDinners]

That is awesome! I love that idea and I’m so glad that I’ve taken some of the guess work out of it for you! Hopefully everyone enjoys the meals! 🥰

[@JC-il5hh]

This is a great idea!

[@lambulance]

love this so much!! this is what community looks like 💖

[@susanmccoy1992]

Great idea! Thanks for sharing what you do for families in need!

[@LissyVee]

God bless you! There is a donation kiosk at the end of my block next to the church and I always try to stock some spaghetti and sauce, mac and cheese, etc. in there every week, thankfully there is a dollar tree a few blocks over so it makes for easy work. Directly down the block from the dollar tree there is another kiosk that actually has a fridge outside that you can stock as well. It’s such a blessing for people who don’t have transportation as most of the food pantries are in another neighborhood and require transit to get there

[@jeanettemclaughlin4296]

I worked in long term care for 5 years as a young single woman. My pay was terrible. Strategies like this kept me fed. I needed them. I had no money for a car. I walked or biked EVERYWHERE. My tiny apartment was a single room with a shared bathroom and one refrigerator for our floor with three people. I made a kitchenette with some old cabinets and a thrifted counter top. It was a clever solution and a daily exercise in ingenuity. I have used those lessons throughout my life.

[@courtneylegaloff3851]

I just want to say, the kindness, compassion, open-mindedness and gratitude in these comments brought tears to my eyes. I love this community.

[@ДжакетиЛув]

Yes, this is the nice side of KZbin. No silly politics, just good food and good energy.

[@KJDogluv]

I was watching this when my mom passed away just now. She loved chicken pot pie. Bless you I’m making this in honor of her

[@NeverBreakXPact]

I want to tell you a tip about the ricecooker, just in case you don't know (it seems to not be well known outside of asia). The measuring cup that comes with the rice cooker is to measure the rice. One 'rice cup' is equal to one adult serving of cooked rice (again by asian standards, its a pretty large portion). What you're meant to do is scoop out the rice with the rice cup, wash it and drain the washing liquid a few times, then put the rice in the cooking pot of the rice cooker, and add water up to the fill line. If you used 2 rice cups, add water until it is up to the line marked '2' inside the cooking pot with the rice already inside. Just make sure you don't add water before rice, the measuring line accounts for the mass of the rice so it will be too much water if you do water first, I hope that makes sense. Again, sorry if you already know this technique!

[@cecepalmer4833]

Thank you for explaining this. I was not aware and it makes more sense to me now.😊

[@cherrywilson6267]

Thanks! I had no idea and it ow makes sense.

[@marlenearocho3680]

TFS. I didn't know that

[@Tdrgv512]

Or you can just do the knuckle or finger technique.

[@Linda-s5j9d]

Thank you! You’re absolutely correct. I lived in Japan 3 years, my beautiful Japanese friends did same thing!

[@LearningToThrive]

I used to think I was the king of cheap eating, then I found your channel. You are amazing and inspirational.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Wow, thank you! That means a lot! I hope it helps 🥰

[@robetpeery9084]

love the channel and all of your recipe you come up with. your absolutely fantastic and I truly enjoy the care of your videos they are very helpful. and I respect all you do for your help. your a beautiful person and I see you next time thanks for sharing your recipe ideas

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Thank you Robert! That means a lot!

[@robetpeery9084]

@@DollarTreeDinners your very welcome friend thanks for the love and reply

[@jenniferharris7633]

You can eat cheaply or you can dine cheaply. She has given us the inspiration and information to DINE.

[@Tsiri09]

If you don't need a whole quart of milk, use powdered milk instead. Here's the secret: to make one cup of milk, put 1/2 cup water in a measuring cup. Add 1/3 cup milk powder and stir until dissolved. Then fill the cup to the one cup mark- instant milk without the powdered milk taste and you only use what you need. Buy "just add water" mixes and only use what you need to make a meal for the number of people eating- no leftovers to refrigerate- Good ideas in a blackout, bad storm, disaster, camping, road trip and more.

[@shellbhouse7923]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing this!

[@claireworld_]

I didn't know about powdered milk. Thanks for telling!

[@nancycarney]

Just wanted to let you know that all 4 meals were a HUGE hit. We delivered them as shelf stable..ready to cook meals to a family of 5. Your recipes were such a blessing and inspiration. Thank you for all your ideas.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

That is AMAZING!! Thank you so much for sharing and I am so glad the families you helped have a resource like you ❤️

[@liamlowenthal8476]

You're so considerate towards people who have next to nothing to work with. As someone who was homeless for a few years, this makes me really happy, because let me tell you, Churchs are not all that welcoming everywhere, especially in my area, and if you try to get help from a religious based cooperation, they find reasons for you to "need to fix yourself" in ways that should be unnecessary. Like how you're born or whatnot. At least here, anyway. So this really means a lot to me, your kindness and unconditional care for people. It's rare friend. I just wanted to let you know that :)

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Thank you so much for your kind words, I think that my platform is very unique in that sense. There are many food assistance programs out there but dollar tree is a way for people to supplement those or a way for them to support and feed themselves and their family cheaply if they can’t use those programs for various reasons. I think it’s a very underutilized tool for those on fixed income and limited budgets so I only hope to reduce or remove the stigma of it

[@cindymichaud7111]

I'm sorry some Churches don't provide assistance. As a woman who gives to our charitable efforts, it hurts my heart to hear this. All God's children need to eat and providing food is a Godly endeavor. If anyone needs food please check for food pantries, municipal or county general assistance programs, or other resources. We do maintain a benevolence fund to help those who can't access those services. As a small group we don't have a lot of money but members give what they can. Churches don't receive funding from sources other than their congregation's individual offering or tithing. Churches are groups of people that exist to worship together and they try to do good works to serve Christ. Not all fellowship's ministries include food pantry or welfare help. Some provide monies for different community issues (like child welfare, education assistance, addiction, prison counseling or even hospice ministry). Above all, judgment is not a ministry; lifting people out of poverty is. Praying for a revival of Godly love in our country. God bless you ✝

[@bethsugg5677]

Being a single mom of two, i wish these videos were around then. It's not easy feeding 3 people for 25 bucks a week and being healthy. i'm sure people are finding this helpful.

[@terrygillenwater1420]

My kids are picky when it comes to healthy food 😂 so this video is pretty much good for me for meal prepping lol 😅

[@quadreye]

I live in south east asia, there's no dollar tree here. Fresh ingredients are cheaper and fairly easy to access in most places, so I'm definitely not the target audience for your videos, but I like watching them! I love how creative you are with your recipes while keeping in mind that not everyone can have access to certain things. Even I can learn a thing or two, so I'm sure people can benefit a lot from your videos. I also like the way you explain things. Best of luck in life and youtube!

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Oh wow! I wish that was the case here, I think it’s just because everything is so spread out, sometimes people can live an hour+ from a normal grocery store. And even then the fresh food prices can be insanely high

[@quadreye]

@@DollarTreeDinners Considering how big america is, that's understandable.. Making meals from prepackaged food is a skill in itself, I'm glad there's people like you who help others improvise like that.

[@Lilith-bw9pq]

Same. I'm South Asian. Canned and packaged pre-made food are a luxury here. On the contrary, fresh produce are way cheaper and available. I still find these budget and meal planning videos interesting. ❤

[@kerrigomez8445]

These would be great ideas to have for an emergency food panty as well. Just a few things to make sure there is food available. I loved the idea of making these into food bags. You could do this for a new mom or someone who just got out of surgery. So easy and looks like they are just warming to the heart.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

I like the food bag idea as well it’s so kind

[@janmclain6301]

Thank you for showing those of us who are elderly/on a limited SocSec income how we can cook out of our pantry for little money. I love my crock pot, toaster oven, and rice cooker. It is smaller than yours, but it's just me anyway. I'm so glad I found you!

[@PamBrewer-nv5go]

Drain all those cans into your measuring cup and then make up the difference with plain water. You'll get more flavor that way while still being able to control the liquid. Another excellent video.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Definitely! Thank you!

[@shellbhouse7923]

Love this tip! ❤

[@debifritzsd]

This was great. My husband doesn’t eat dairy. Ugh, finding ideas without cheese is so much work!! This was fun to watch. PS for some reason I hate it when people don’t scrape the can. So glad you did that so my brain didn’t keep yelling “scrape the can”. 😂😂

[@jb6712]

Yes, scrape the can, but with a silicone or rubber scraper, not metal! I experience misophonia, and the sound of metal against metal is sheer agony!

[@katie7748]

​@@jb6712 Hello, fellow misophonia sufferer!

[@roses2780]

Went to dollar tree and just made the first recipe only found 2 cheddar potatoes, I used 2 beef barley soup, 2 creamed corn and biscuit on top 7 items at $1.25 total under 9 dollars made 2 casseroles Thanks!

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Thank you for trying it! Hope you liked it!

[@roses2780]

family liked it will make again

[@roses2780]

I subscribed your channel

[@lenity2166]

I have made several of your recipes but recently made your recipe using the muffin mix and canned pie filling and last week used some fresh fruit I had and made my own “pie filling” my son loved both. Thank you so much for being so considerate of people who struggle and want to make good meals and treats for ourselves and our families.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Thank you so much! I’m glad you loved it and I always want to be sure that everyone can have a special meal

[@VeronicaRichardson1980]

Is it just muffin mix and pie filling mixed and baked?

[@lenity2166]

@@VeronicaRichardson1980 make the muffin mix according to the directions on the package and then pour over the pie filling and bake as directed on the package.

[@tanishahogan9396]

These all look delicious! I'm not a huge fan of vegetable beef soup but II feel like the blue collar belly warmer would be great with cans of chili and two cans of corn (instead of the peas).

[@TXJan0057]

Corn bread instead of biscuits.

[@TexasBlueBonnet61]

@@TXJan0057 ~ I have done that. Chili, corn and cornbread batter on top.

[@calicostarshine]

This sounds great with the corn muffin mix!

[@cherylcrozier-garcia8862]

Or a can or two of chili beans with the corn and perhaps a can of roast beef or ham? And cornbread for the top?

[@gingerhitzke9185]

I am a very high income person now but I come from a very low income household and I find these videos and recipes really comforting. Thank you so much for making these videos.

[@kathleenhardwick7650]

I am so tired of spending so much money on WalMart groceries, these meals have changed the way I feed myself. Thank you so much for all the great meals.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

You are so welcome! I'm glad it helps!

[@mommac4374]

Thanks! All your quick meals look so easy and tasty it would be great for my husband and myself while kids are in school since mom passed😢 but thanks for sharing ❤❤❤❤ your Christmas dinner at dollar general looked good found the ham you mentioned at my DG What you made looks like a Sante fe rice bowl

[@DollarTreeDinners]

I am so sorry for your loss, but I am glad this video can be of help! I am happy you found the ham at your store

[@mommac4374]

@DollarTreeDinners thank you again for all your great food ideas from dollar tree and aldis

[@dreamscape405]

The Chicken A La King is a staple for me ever since I saw your original video about it~ I make it every week now~ it's absolutely Delicious!! Sometimes I'll add an extra can of chicken, and some French Fried Onions to it too, like you do with green bean casserole, and have been enjoying that too. Can't wait to try the other recipes 🥂💃🏼

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Oh French onions?? Why didn’t I think of that, that would have been great on both casseroles

[@courtneylegaloff3851]

Oh, I am stealing this idea!!! Yum. 🧅

[@Lilith-bw9pq]

​@@DollarTreeDinnersI have ocd and wasting any food or product makes me uncomfortable no matter how little the amount of the leftover is. *You scraping the cans was so satisfying.* ❤

[@LoriFalce]

If you drain the tomatoes first, you can use the liquid in place of water for the pasta salad dressing.

[@lenity2166]

That’s an awesome tip!! Waste not want not! Love it

[@SA0992]

Don’t feel bad about sharing the rice/multi cooker! Small appliances like that can be super helpful for folks who, like you said, don’t have access to a stove for some reason. Maybe they live in a hotel or maybe their stove is broken and a multi cooker is within reach of their budget but having someone come in to repair a stove is not.

[@katie7748]

Yes! The house we are renting was abandoned after the last owners wound up in foreclosure and they trashed it before leaving, including the oven. An electric skillet and a toaster oven saved our butts during those first 4 or 5 months.

[@peacekelly1128]

I really enjoy your videos you’re very creative. I honestly would never think of shopping at the dollar tree. I primarily shop at Trader Joe’s. You would be surprised how many cheap things they have there. You have definitely made me change my mind about using things like chicken à la king and canned chicken and canned veggies biscuits in a bag to make a quick easy meal. I’m older and I live alone now and I don’t like to cook for myself all the time. This seems simple and can be made small. I have to say I am a very good cook I’m told, so a lot of this goes against my cook from scratch but as I get older and my back is sore shortcuts are very helpful. Thank you for sharing all these wonderful videos. Something about your personality also brings me back to your videos. You seem like such a levelheaded, kind, young lady. Again, thank you for all of your wonderful ideas. I am subscribed and I will continue to watch.

[@ProfessorEchoMedia]

This lady has one of the nicest voices I have ever heard. It just flows in such sweet tones. Like smiles, an attractive voice is one of the most underrated features of a woman and this one has all of the above. She knows exactly how to put together an interesting and engaging and inspiring video and came up with such an original premise, it's a real joy watching this channel. I watch it regularly with my 95 year old Mom and we both love it. Keep the videos coming!

[@allyrooh3628]

Great ideas. Chickpeas are a great way to add protein to the pasta salad. Kidney beans are great cold as well. I love to see someone as passionate about DT as I am. I feel like I know all of the food products by heart! Those biscuits can make anything look amazing. Sprinkle over a little dry parsley and it looks like you really worked hard! Thanks for another winner video!

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Chick peas would also be great! I only had kidney beans on hand and I almost added some but decided not to

[@lettylei2021]

I do not comment much but I watch your videos on a frequent basis. You have given me so many ideas and recipes for my family. I may have missed this. Do you have a book? If you do not, please create one. I would absolute spend money for your budget friend/Dollar Tree meal ideas.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Not yet! I had a publisher contact me but the terms weren’t really feasible for how much work I would personally want to put into it. So I may need to consider self publishing possibly

[@lettylei2021]

@@DollarTreeDinners oh wow 😳, I'm pleased that someone else sees the practicality and simplicity of your ideas. I'm sure one day when it's right, you will publish. Just a thought 🤔 maybe develop a website and sell an ebook. It could be a start. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to watching your videos on repeat especially my favorite ones.

[@timguba]

Wow. These recipes are awesome! Being retired and on a fixed and inadequate income, these recipes are right down my alley. I am truly inspired to try these out. Great job!

[@victoriacross7090]

That Biscuit mix is the unsung hero of your content lol!

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Haha I didn’t mean to use it twice in one video but whoops 😅

[@Neenja7]

I made the yellow rice, canned chicken, and used 1 can of mixed veggies in one pot. I drained and cooked my chicken with butter and minced garlic, and I seasoned the chicken with sazon, black pepper, and onion powder. It was delish!!! A $3.75 dinner. 😁

[@sharonr.177]

I keep a pint deli container in the freezer and drain my canned chicken into it. It's just condensed chicken broth. I use it in soups or to make rice. I've used the water from canned mixed veggies in place of vegggie broth too!

[@EvangelineSO80]

For another idea with the pasta salad mix... I use two boxes of pasta salad - prepare according to instructions. I boil and dice up 6 eggs, a can of chicken drained and shredded, add mayo to the dressing after you prepare it according to the box. It stretches the dressing and makes it so creamy. I add some of my favorite seasonings for more flavor. Mix it all up and let it chill well before eating. Every time I make it for guests they clean me out eating all of it lol.

[@darcyferrigno]

As someone who lives in coastal Florida, I love pantry ideas. I could stock a few of these items and with our propane gas stove we could make really good meals during hurricane season when we lose power.

[@countrycutie3263]

for the first recipe getting some of the Velveeta cheese sauce and cutting it with the shelf-stable milk may be an alternative if someone wants cheese on top of the casserole

[@tailwaggerzpetfoodandmore8415]

One of my picky husband’s favorites has prepared instant mash potatoes in the bottom of a baking dish topped with a mix of white pepper gravy and chicken with drop biscuits on top baked until biscuits are done. Banquet use to make it as a meal kit but we can’t find it anymore so I just get the separate stuff. It’s quick, easy and pretty yummy.

[@mwahl1686]

Our Walmart still carries it for just barely under $4. I'm in Northern Colorado, USA. Hope maybe this helps!

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Just potatoes, gravy and biscuits? I’m down haha

[@jenniferharris7633]

Love this. This would be fantastic to pre-package together and give as Christmas gifts to families in need.

[@dianaleila]

I love your videos!! I especially appreciated that you mentioned that the rice wasn’t vegetarian (and that you consider vegetarians when you make your videos) I was wondering if you can do a whole video dedicated to just the vegetarian options at dollar tree or how you can do vegetarian or vegan on a budget from dollar tree? Also what about a video where you make recipes without a kitchen like for hikers or people living in their car/van.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Yes I can! The vegetarian is one I’ve been thinking about for a while, I also would like to at some point do an entire week of eating no cook no refrigerator meals for those who live in cars

[@dianaleila]

@@DollarTreeDinners Yay! Thank you I look forward to seeing it : )

[@henneseykryston5932]

I love the shelf milk from dollar tree. Its just me at home so it is perfect for me cause I don't use a whole lot of milk.

[@chansofancy]

Thank you! Im going to put these in my pantry for hurricane season, im I’m FL.

[@RJ-ix4co]

These are great for a single person like myself. You are a lovely person and such a kind voice. Thank you for you and your channel.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Thank you so much!

[@adrieneb1158]

I love that pasta salad mix. I add rotel, cubed pepper jack, steamed broccoli, and sometimes pepperoni or salami! Sooooo good

[@DollarTreeDinners]

I love the broccoli idea! I’ve been eating a ton of broccoli lately so I’ll have to try it

[@kellyflores2787]

Me, too! We add lots of chopped veggies to it. I love the idea of adding olives and pepperoni, too.

[@shelleychastagner69]

My Dollar Tree has jarred roasted red peppers and/or artichokes you could add to the pasta salad to bump up the flavor. Yum!

[@mollymolly2512]

I realizeI am watching this 11 months after it was released, but living here in Hurricane country, I can say these are great recipes to keep in the pantry for when the power goes out for a week or more. They can be cooked on a Webzer grill with the lid on. Thanks for the ideas.

[@carrollkenley1981]

Making this version of Chicken ala king rt now for my hubby and my nephew for work tonight. I have saved a lot of money making them some home cooked meals for work just from shopping at the $Tree thanks to you. !

[@seekingserenitydaily]

I'm a junior high school teacher that is looking for budget friendly, easy make aheads lunch ideas ... love ALL of these recipes! Thanks for a great video!

[@DollarTreeDinners]

So glad! Thank you!

[@zachresendez8802]

I haven’t been to dollar tree since they raised their prices, but you’ve singlehandedly convinced me to give them another chance...all great recipes!! 😋❤😁

[@DollarTreeDinners]

from what I understand they are rolling back the prices on several items to $1, that would be nice!

[@QuarrelOfTheCave]

Thanks so much for the recipes and inspiration. My spouse will be leaving their full-time job to pursue higher education. These ideas will help us stretch our dollars!

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Best of luck to both of you! 🥰

[@robinbatts8498]

Love this!! Just packed up 1 of each in meals kits for a couple of “starving college students” living on their own for the first time! Can’t wait to deliver it this weekend, along with some of your chocolate, banana nut muffins! 😊

[@twoswishers]

this channel is an endless supply of cheap, easy, and delicious dinners

[@XumerRaine]

I love your channel. You always make an effort to put yourself in other's situations. Most of us are closer to homelessness than we realize and your videos are an incredible resource.

[@cathydecarles7084]

This is great meals for you and cheaper God bless you 🙏🏻✝️☮️🌹💐✝️🍀🌺

[@jeremywilson6387]

Until your channel I never tried those chicken ala king cans. It always looked so unappetizing to me when I saw the cans lol after seeing you use it many times I tried it out with just a simple can of chicken, can of chicken ala king and bag of egg noodles. Man that stuff is good lol Going to try this recipe you shared with it and probably going to try some of your other recipes with chicken ala king now. Thanks as always! Love the channel

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Yesss! A hidden gem and I could talk about it everyday haha

[@jeremywilson6387]

@@DollarTreeDinners haha I get that for sure now...if I had never found your channel I probably never would of tried that stuff 🤣🤣🤣

[@Cindy-lr6su]

I enjoy shopping at dollar stores you can make some awesome dinner's

[@cziegle3794]

Yay top 2 comments and top 31 likes. Love this channel. Best to you and your family. Thanks for posting these videos.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Same to you!

[@hoosiergirl1]

All of these meals look amazing. I can't believe they are all Dollar Tree! Thanks for all the wonderful ideas!!

[@asielb]

I appreciate the fact that you scrape out the can! It drives me nuts when people just pour and they're still a ton of stuff left in there can lol

[@jb6712]

But what isn't shown by most of the vloggers is that they DO scrape out the cans and bowls, they just edit that out, as Rebecca says she normally does. It's logical for them to think that viewers know to do that, so there's no reason, as she said, for the tedium of showing it in every video.

[@theroadwedrove3288]

I imagine for the Blue Belly Warmer you could add random veggies from the fridge - like carrots, zucchini, green/red peppers, etc.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Definitely! A dump it in and use it up kind of recipe

[@Solsey]

I wish we had dollar tree in the UK I'm addicted to these videos

[@littleangel6814]

0:54 Blue collar belly warmer 7:05 One pot burrito bowl 11:54 Chicken a la king 16:44 Italian/Pizza pasta salad

[@momof2momof2]

I always keep the shelf stable milk on hand. It's excellent milk. Everything looks very delicious. The rice bowl looks amazing! Last month we took a trip out of state and I brought a box of the Suddenly Salad just to keep on hand . We always sty in hotels that have a kitchen in our room. I didn't end up using it but was glad I had it. Love you, your channel and your recipes. You are always so thoughtful, thinking of others possible living situations. Thanks for sharing 🥰🪷🌺🌸🌼💗✝💖🇺🇲

[@suegeorge998]

The first recipe looks really good. The unconstituted vegetable beef soup and the instant mashed potatoes would have just a little too much sodium for old folks like me, so I'm going to check out lower sodium versions of soup. I'm definitely going to make this. The second recipe also looks good and I'll be trying that one as well. The chicken ala king looks really good too. The salad recipe looks really good. That could be made early in the morning so you'd not be cooking the pasta in the heat of the day in the summer. Thank you for doing this video.

[@yvonnepalmquist8676]

If you're not limited to the DT (although the DT might have it), instant potatoes often come plain with no seasoning or salt at all. I used to buy a small 9 oz. box at WM for under a $1, but lately they've been $1.32.

[@suegeorge998]

@@yvonnepalmquist8676 I wasn't aware that instant mashed potatoes without salt was available. I'll look into that. Thank you.

[@shannahonea714]

Loved the pasta salad because you can't always have the pleasure of heating something up so this would work good out in the fields

[@leegerstmann]

You have some great recipes and I want to try some of them. You have a great way of explaining the process of making the meals and your commentaries are informative and enjoyable to hear. When I've gone to Dollar Tree, I'd see a bunch of things and never know exactly the best things to get even though I do eventually get stuff. The stuff you're showing that you're buying, I can make notes and look for those things. It'll be fun to do at least some of the recipes.

[@lauraaaa2010]

These are also great recipes for those without power or camping!

[@db5960]

I love your videos so much!!! Especially being a mom who just got laid off and we are low income. Love love love. Thank u for what u do! Love your creativity.

[@SharonLaBolle]

I thought l was the Dollar Tree princess, but you got me beat !

[@cantunderstandfoolishpeeps2036]

I am so happy to see that you do scrape the can!! 🥰

[@jerrieanderson2245]

Great recipes! After you mentioned possibly adding white beans to the pasta salad I plan to try that and add tuna. Thank you for sharing!

[@ScarletFoundryTarot]

thanks so much for the heads up on the yellow rice not being vegetarian!

[@Suzicherie7777]

I’m retired and need to cut my grocery budget way back. Going to try these recipes soon!

[@animula6908]

My dad used to cook us a meal we called army casserole. I think it was cream of mushroom soup, but could have been cream of chicken, canned chicken,frozen mixed vegetables, and canned biscuits over top. Thanks for bringing back some good memories.

[@lazaruscharity1121]

for rice you can use knorr vegetable broth. even a can of vegetable soup. my grandmother would make spanish rice with lite beer.

[@jodybogdanovich4333]

New subscriber here! I love the Dollar Tree and appreciate your compilation of meals using pantry items. This is the first time I've watched your channel and your voice and mannerisms remind me so much of another YT cooking channel/ content creator, Dimitri's Dishes (Greek cuisine). You are both creative and talented young ladies!

[@SelenaJarvis-Jordan]

One of my favorite really quick meals is a meatball plate. Its pre-cooked home-style meatballs are cooked in packaged brown gravy. Canned corn cooked in a little bit of butter. Instant potatoes or premade, just microwave potatoes and ready-to-eat rolls. Follow the instructions on the potatoes. The gravy is usually 2 cups but I stretch it to 2½ to 3 cups with extra water cooked in a 6-quart pot (I may be wrong on the quart size but it's a bigger pot. Maybe called a Dutch oven?) The water amount depends on the thickness you want of the gravy. I add the meatballs to it and heat together until desired temperature. Drain the corn, and pour into a microwave-safe bowl with a tablespoon of butter. Portion on a plate or a bowl with rolls on the side. After a full day of school or work followed by after-school activities or whatever that gets you home late as a loan parent on top of what you need to get done at home for the next day and get in bed on time something simple to cook with minimal clean-up by also using disposable plates and silverware and full bellies is the best.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

I do that too! It’s like a mock ikea Swedish meatball dinner

[@joker6solitaire]

What good-looking recipes! I've been in a cooking rut for quite some time, and it never occurs to me to try a wider variety of shelf-stable "shortcut" products. They make the cooking process less overwhelming for me. Thank you for the great ideas on a small budget. And I appreciate seeing so many vegetable ingredients in this video!

[@Cindy-bf6je]

We have eaten the meal with the chicken ala king twice this week. Just scrumptious. Thanks for the recipe.

[@Gottigirl]

Your smile is contagious and I adore your attitude in life, extremely positive🎉😊

[@Simplelifepreps]

I love your videos. Something to make those nights easier. When you get the ingredients home write what the dish is on a large ziploc. Put the ingredients in it. When you want to make the meal, just grab the bag.

[@bsouthmama3010]

My D Tree doesn’t have a refrigerator/freezer. But I do enjoy your videos. Even if I can’t replicate it, it gives me ideas! Love these types of videos for shelf stable options 😊

[@DollarTreeDinners]

My pleasure, I try to do a mix!

[@roninstest]

Stumbled across your channel trying to see how we can save money and eat decently on the road, and these are perfect! Thank you so much for sharing!

[@britgal8940]

God bless you for sharing recipes for people that have very tight budgets🙂

[@michellemiller1027]

Thank you for the great videos. I have not tried the Chicken a la king before. It sounds good. Will definitely need to try. I also want to say that I have a Ninja multi cooker. It pressure cooks, steams, slow cooks, sears/sauté, air crisp, baked/roasts and broils. I was thinking it was similar to your multi rice cooker or a instant pot. But it would work to bake some of the meals you showed today. I also thought it might work for those who didn’t have much space like in a small apartment, dorm room or motel room. I don’t remember the price as I have had it for a while. But even in the heat it doesn’t heat up the kitchen. I know you do mainly Dollar Tree videos. But in the state I live in the rural communities have a Dollar General instead of a Dollar Tree. Again thank you for your videos. I have been watching for a few months love how frugal and simple your meals are. Thanks again 😊

[@DollarTreeDinners]

I do want to explore some dollar general meals soon as well! I’ll be putting out 2 to 3 videos a week starting soon which will allow me to integrate potentially more stores beyond dollar tree

[@peggyaustin5238]

awesome and thank you for these pantry meals without a frig.

[@lisamiller1596]

Thank you so much!!! I always thought the food at dollar stores was not as good as a name brand store. You proved me wrong big time, and I'm glad ❤ Even one week of these meals can make a huge difference in our food budget for the month. I'm definitely hooked.

[@thegmanviews11]

I’ve have recently discovered your channel and even though I live in Australia you have given me great ideas for food to include in books I write as they are all set in America 😊thank you so much. I have tried to make some of your recipes here but some of the ingredients are quite different. The casserole you made at the beginning though I have made and it’s delicious 🤤 Thank you so much for your channel ❤

[@DollarTreeDinners]

I think it is so cool and such a compliment when people from outside of the US try to recreate my recipes with what’s available in their own country, I’d love to see the creations one day! 🥰

[@sarahandrade8462]

We don't have anything like the biscuit mix do we?

[@thegmanviews11]

@@sarahandrade8462 scones are what we know them as.

[@KJDogluv]

Great channel! I love dollar tree and aroma as well as dash both have great cooking appliances at good prices!

[@vickifrakes9488]

Thank you so much for doing these videos. I enjoy watching them.

[@Olive_O_Sudden]

Pasta salads are such a good summertime meal. If cooking from scratch, one tip is to cook a whole bunch of pasta at one time, so you only have to heat up the stove and deal with all that steam once, then dress it with some oil and keep it in the fridge in a big covered container or bag; that way, you can make two or more different pasta salads to during the week. This is especially helpful if you're just cooking for one or two, and also because different types of dressings and vegetable additions and the timing for when they should all be brought together prior to eating means you can't really do all-in-one-day pasta salads meal prep for the entire week. I love your videos. Dollartrees in Canada--which are few and far between--have never had frozen or refrigerated items, other than some beverages, and the shelf-stable grocery items are very limited. Our major franchise, Dollarama, is the same, with the food items mostly priced between $2 and $5.

[@jodybogdanovich4333]

You can also store pre-cooked, drained pasta in cold water in the fridge.

[@colorwhirl]

Looking forward to trying your recipes.

[@MrAlvaradosClass]

We are doing some major home remodeling/improvements, so I’m saving every penny. Thank you for sharing these easy and affordable recipes! You are appreciated. ❤

[@kgparkhurst8525]

I love this because I boondock and don't have a refrigerator.

[@LifeAsTeeInThisWeirdWorld]

I'm a new subscriber and loving your videos! While there isn't a Dollar Tree nearby and the ones I've been to in Canada don't seem to have fridge/freezer sections like the US seems to, I think these videos are such great ideas! Especially this one for those without those fridge/freezer sections. Your videos could be such great inspiration for those struggling to get to stores and maybe live close to a Dollar Tree or those having money trouble. Really enjoying your videos and they are giving me so many ideas for meals I wouldn't have thought of! Thank you so much for the vegetarian note on the rice. I'm used to reading every label but really appreciate you pointing it out!

[@DollarTreeDinners]

I kind of noticed it by chance while shopping around for a vegetarian dinner, I'm glad I didn't assume :)

[@calicostarshine]

Quite a few of these meals could be made for the same cost from Walmart

[@amberharrold5047]

I appreciate your videos especially like this. We recently had our gas cut off (we have a gas stove) so we are cooking with electric skillet, slow cooker and microwave. Your videos help me mix it up while we are struggling. Thank you!!!

[@tomsik11style]

Chickpeas would be great in the salad too.

[@rbirkheimer59]

Going to make both of the baking ones. I can't believe how good they looked. Those are really fast to make. I love your videos. I look forward to every one of them. You are so sweet. God Bless. Hugs, Rebekah

[@annelynn8708]

Thank you so much for putting these recipes together!

[@claireworld_]

I am definitely making the first and probably the last one. Thank you!

[@thejessicawilliamswithyoun4946]

Wonderful ideas especially when I'm on the road and can transport most and then buy what needs refrigeration after ❤

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Perfect!

[@jasminesjourney9318]

That burrito bowl looks amazing! Adding cheese and lettuce and that is a meal for me!! 😍