6 Delicious Dollar Tree Meals You Can Make For Just $5

I'm using minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, bouillon cube, butter, and oil from my pantry. I also used salt, pepper, chopped onion, thyme, basil, sage, cajun seasoning, and optional cayenne pepper.

First, I sorted the frozen veggies. We have carrots, two slices of pepper, a little broccoli, and snap peas.

The six recipes and instructions are as follows:

1. Carrot gnocchi 

Gnocchi

• 1/3 cup potato flakes
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 1/3 cup flour
• Extra flour to keep the dough from sticking

Sauce

• 1/4 cup slivered carrots
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/8 cup raw ground beef
• 1/2 tsp dried chopped onion
• Salt & pepper
• One pot of salted boiling water (2 cups with a pinch of salt)

Recipe

• Mix all gnocchi ingredients until a dough forms. Roll small pieces of dough along fork tines to shape. Place on a sheet pan spread out to avoid sticking.
• In a pan, add sauce ingredients (except carrots) and brown. 
• Add gnocchi to a boiling water pot and cook until they all rise to the surface (4-5 minutes).
• Add your carrots to your pan of ground beef & drained gnocchi. Mix. Salt and pepper to taste.

2. Broccoli pasta with mini meatballs

Ingredients

• 1/8 cup ground beef
• 1/8 tsp ground sage
• Dash of Cayenne (optional)
• 1/8 tsp chopped dried onion
• 1 tbsp mashed potato flakes
• Dash of salt and pepper
• Pot with 3 cups boiling water
• One crushed bouillon cube
• Salt and pepper

Sauce

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic
• 1/8 cup chopped broccoli

Basic wrapper recipe

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup boiling water

Recipe

• Combine all meatball ingredients, roll small balls of the mixture and set aside.  
• Make dough from a basic wrapper recipe.
• On a floured surface, roll out small balls of the dough and cut into strips. Drop a few noodles at a time into your pot of boiling water along with the crushed bouillon cube and stir to prevent sticking.  
• In a pan, combine the butter, garlic, basil, & meatballs & brown. Add the chopped broccoli & mix. Add the meatball mixture to your pot of noodles once the noodles are tender (10 minutes).
• Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Shepherd's pie

Crust

• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tbsp cold butter
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp water

Filling

• 1/4 cup chopped mixed vegetables
• 1/8 cup ground beef
• 1 tbsp butter
• One crushed bouillon cube

Thickener

• Mix 1/4 cup cold water with
• 1 tsp flour

Mashed potatoes

• 1/3 cup potato flakes
• 2/3 cup boiling water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic

Recipe

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut butter into flour and salt, add water & mix. Press dough in a small oven-safe dish and use a fork to crimp the sides. Bake for 20 minutes or until light brown.  
• In a pan, combine all ingredients for the filling except the vegetables, & cook until the beef is browned. Add the veggies and water flour thickener, allow to thicken, then take off the heat (about 30 seconds).  
• Combine mashed potato ingredients until combined. Spoon half of the mashed potatoes into the cooked pie crust, top with the veggie ground beef mixture, then with the remaining mashed potatoes. Place the pan under the broiler for about 2 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. 

4. Green bean volcano

Ingredients

• 1/8 cup ground beef
• 1/4 tsp dried chopped onion
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup french cut green beans
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/4 cup cold water with 1 tsp flour dissolved in it
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Mashed potatoes (follow the recipe on the box)

Recipe

• In a pan, combine beef, onion, butter, and thyme and cook until meat is browned.  
• Add the flour-water mixture and green beans, cook for 30 seconds, then take off the heat. 
• Place a mound of mashed potatoes on a plate, make a well, and spoon in the green bean mixture.

5. Potato pierogies

Ingredients

• 1 Basic wrapper recipe (recipe above)
• 1 Mashed potato recipe (recipe above)
• 1/8 cup peas
• 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
• 1 cup oil for frying

Recipe

• Roll out 1 inch balls of the wrapper dough, spoon heaping Tbsp of mashed potatoes onto the dough, place 1 tsp peas on the mashed potatoes, then sprinkle some Cajun seasoning, put 1 Tbsp of mashed potato on top of the peas and sprinkle more Cajun seasoning.  
• Wrap the dough around the potatoes and pinch the edges shut to seal. 
• Heat the oil in a small pot, then cook the pierogies for about three minutes on each side or until golden brown.

6. Beef gyoza

Filling 

• 1/8 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1/4 cup ground beef
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil

Other ingredients

1 Basic wrapper recipe (see recipe above)

2 tbsp oil

1/4 cup water

Soy sauce for dipping

Recipe

• Mix filling until combined. Roll out 1-inch pieces of dough thinly. 
• Place a heaping tbsp of ground beef mixture in the middle of the dough, then wrap the dough around the filling and pinch the edges shut.  
• Heat a pan coated in 2 tbsp of oil. Place gyoza in the hot pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until light brown. 
• Add 1/4 cup of water and cover the pan for 3 minutes to allow it to steam.  
• Uncover and flip gyoza, then recover for three more minutes. Serve alongside soy sauce for dipping if desired.

Dollar Tree meals

There you have my finished week of meals I packaged for work. I used Dollar Tree ingredients to make all of the meals. I hope they gave you inspiration for cheap, easy Dollar Tree meals. Enjoy!