5 Dollar Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Dinners–on a budget? I have some cheap dinner ideas for you! You can make these in your instant pot or slow cooker. These recipes will all be close to $5.00 depending on how and where you shop.
5 Dollar Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Dinners
Dakota Smashed Pea and Barley Soup—A hearty split pea soup with barley, carrots, onions, savory herbs and green onions. This is a copycat recipe of the popular vegan soup sold at California Pizza Kitchen.
Make it a meal! Serve this soup with homemade bread, rolls or bread sticks.
Cafe Rio Black Beans–from dried beans to cooked and seasoned in less than 45 minutes (no soaking required!). These black beans will be a hit at your next Mexican dinner. Serve these beans with any kind of rice for a complete meal.
Make it a meal! Serve these beans with any kind of rice for a complete meal. Optional and delicious toppings: sour cream, picante sauce, grated cheese, cilantro, guacamole or avocado. I like to make my brown rice in the Instant Pot.
Chicken “Spareribs“–inexpensive chicken thighs coated in a zippy sparerib-style sauce made easy with your electric pressure cooker.
Make it a meal! Serve this chicken and sauce over any type of rice. I like to make brown rice in my Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese–basic mac and cheese that is creamy and comforting! There are many variations to this basic version if you’d like to make it a little more exciting.
Make it a meal! Add in sliced smoked sausage, hot dogs or kielbasa. Serve with canned, frozen or fresh vegetables. I love steaming my vegetables in the Instant Pot.
Homemade Rice-A-Roni—Do you love “the San Francisco treat” but want to make it from scratch? Make this super easy version of Rice-A-Roni in your Instant Pot! It’s the perfect side dish for so many meals.
Make it a meal! Serve with a cooked chicken breast or add a can of drained chicken into the Instant Pot.
Salsa Lime Chicken–perfectly shreddable and flavorful chicken that you can serve in burritos, enchiladas, tacos, salads or quesadillas. Dinner can’t get easier than this!
Make it a meal! Roll up the chicken in a flour or corn tortilla. Optional topping ideas are shredded lettuce, beans, cheese, salsa, cilantro.
Homemade Slow Cooker Pork and Beans–Your childhood favorite pork n’ beans made at home in your slow cooker with dried beans and lots of crispy bacon and just a couple other pantry staples.
Make it a meal! Serve pork and beans with cornbread. This is my favorite recipe.
Chicken Noodle Soup–We love making this recipe on a cold day or when we have a sick one in the house.
Make it a meal! Serve chicken noodle soup with cornbread. This is my favorite recipe. Or with a fruit or green salad.
Garlic Herb Lentils–easy lentil stew with onions, garlic, carrots and celery. It’s almost got a creamy consistency and is super comforting. Make it fast in your pressure cooker or simmer it all day in your slow cooker.
Make it a meal! Add a chicken breast to the Instant Pot or slow cooker to give this meal a little more protein. Or serve a meatless meal with a dollop of sour cream on top of the lentil stew.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup—With a velvety smooth texture, this cauliflower soup is ultra comforting and feels indulgent but it’s surprisingly healthy.
Make it a meal! Top each bowl with green onions, cheddar and bacon or cubes of ham.
Creamy Sloppy Joes–get your ground beef on sale or use ground turkey to make this an actual 5 dollar meal. These are my favorite sloppy joes ever.
Make it a meal! Serve the sloppy joe meat on buns and add some veggies on the side–steamed veggies, salad or corn on the cob.
3-Ingredient Lime Chicken Tacos–This is the easiest and tastiest shredded chicken that you can serve in tacos (or other ways). The best part is that you can use frozen chicken and it takes about 2 minutes of prep time.
Make it a meal! Roll up the chicken in a flour or corn tortilla or serve it over rice. Optional topping ideas are shredded lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.
Baked Potatoes–use your Instant Pot to quickly make baked potatoes. Create a baked potato bar for dinner!
Make it a meal! Top with canned chili, bacon bits, ham cubes, steamed broccoli and cheese or sour cream.
Tuna Casserole-–a twist on good old fashioned tuna casserole. Flavors from Mom’s tuna casserole but made easier, faster and without cream of soups.
Make it a meal! To make this tuna casserole less expensive leave out the cornflakes and the mushrooms. Serve the tuna casserole with a can of fruit or veggies.
Risotto–Creamy, no fuss and no stir risotto made in just a few minutes in your electric pressure cooker.
Make it a meal! Add a few chicken tenders or chicken breasts into the Instant Pot on top of the rice. Serve with a package of frozen broccoli or steam some fresh broccoli.
Dave Ramsey Beans and Rice–if you’re trying to cut down on your grocery bill I have a nourishing and inexpensive slow cooker beans recipe. We start with dried pinto beans (cheap!) and cook them all day while you’re at work. Add in some salt, cumin, garlic powder and tomato sauce and you have dinner (or lunch)!
Make it a meal! Serve the beans with hot cooked rice and any fresh, frozen or canned veggies or fruits.
More cheap meals…
Instant Pot Tomato Basil Parmesan Rice
Instant Pot Red Beans And Rice
Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Lentils
Instant Pot Brown Rice Pilaf With Chicken Sausage
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This is to Andrea P Harper. I also live in the South and cook peas all the time in my Cusinart Instant
Pot. These peas have been blanched and frozen. They take only 3 minutes. I of course don’t know
which IP you have. I would try the three minutes first, check them and add one minute at a time
until they are the way you like them. Might take a few minutes the first time.
Sorry, this should have gone under the Instant Pot Zippy Chicken Soup.
I made this in the IP and it was delicious. Thank you!
Thank you for these wonderful recipes
You’re welcome! 😊
Hello Karen,
I live in the South and peas are one of the cherished food items in this area. I have looked all over for an instant pot way to cook peas such as cream 40’s, zipper peas, field peas and have had little to no success. I found one recipe but when I went back to try it the site was no longer up. Please do instructions on how to cook fresh peas…….., please!!
Thank you, Andrea
Hi Andrea, I will add it to my list of things to try!!
I use Barilla or Schar GF pasta. Would I use the same cooking time?
Love all your recipes!
Hi Jean, I am unfamiliar with GF pasta so I can say for sure. I think you may need to add a minute.