Dinners Are Served: 10 Grilled Meals for Less than $50 (Kopie)

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With Memorial Day Weekend passed and summer officially in full-swing, people from San Diego to Portland long to be outdoors and grills across from San Diego to Portland are ready to work. We kept that in mind as we planned this month’s edition of 10 Meals for Less than $50. Contributing food editor Shari Press of The Daily Dish brings us five original and easy-to-cook recipes for the grill without spending a fortune.

Have a tiny outdoor space or balcony? There are plenty of small grill options available for under $200 that can nestle safely on a balcony or a small patio space. Lacking in outdoor square footage altogether? Worry not! All of these recipes can easily be created with a handy-dandy grill pan on your stove top!

To clarify: there are five recipes, each with portions to serve two, so you’ll have ten meals total. Perfect for you and a roommate, you and your significant other, or cooking for one with leftovers for lunch! Not too shabby for a mere $50 (or $25 if you’re splitting the cost!).

Download or print off the shopping list and recipes in the Everygirl Handbook.

And check out our past 10 Meals Under $50:
- entree salads
- vegetarian
- traditional meals

*ingredients prices based off Trader Joe’s in Chicago

Monday – Mushroom & Goat Cheese Turkey Burger with Rosemary Red Potatoes and Onions
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 large portobello mushroom, diced
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup of goat cheese
whole wheat hamburger buns (amount will differ depending on how many burgers you form)
1 lb baby red potatoes, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1 tbsp dried rosemary
garlic powder, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Lay out the potatoes and onions on a large piece of tinfoil. Brush them with olive oil and season with dried rosemary, and salt & pepper. Place on the grill and cook for about 20 – 25 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to soften. For the burgers – combine the ground turkey, mushrooms, garlic powder, salt & pepper in a large mixing bowl. Form the turkey mixture into patties and set aside on a plate. Take your thumb and press into the center of each of the patties. Fill the thumb print with enough goat cheese to fill the indentation, and cover the cheese with the meat mixture. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 to 9 minutes on each side.

Tuesday – Grilled Eggplant & Tomato Stacks with Bruschetta Garnish
Ingredients:
1 eggplant, sliced
2 roma tomatoes, sliced (for the eggplant stacks)
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
For the garnish:
1 roma tomato, chopped
1/2 cup of fresh mozzarella, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp fresh basil, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Combine the tbsp of olive oil, salt & pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Brush the eggplant and tomato slices with the oil mixture. Grill for about 7 to 9 minutes on each side or until the eggplant begins to soften. While the eggplant and tomatoes are griling, put together the bruschetta garnish. Combine the chopped tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, balsamic, basil, garlic, and salt & pepper (to taste) in a small bowl. Once the eggplant and tomatoes are done, remove them from the grill. Place one slice of eggplant down in the center of a plate. Then place two tomato slices over top. Repeat the eggplant and tomato layering process twice and lay one piece of eggplant over top of the stack. Continue this process to make a second stack. Top each stack with one tbsp of the bruschetta garnish and serve.

Wednesday – Grilled Portobello & Asparagus Sandwich
Ingredients:
1 small baguette, cut into 2 halves and sliced down the middle
2 large portobello mushrooms
10 asparagus, ends trimmed
1/2 cup fresh spinach, 1/4 cup per sandwich
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp goat cheese, 1 tbsp per sandwich
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Brush the mushrooms with balsamic, brush the asparagus with olive oil, and season both with salt & pepper (to taste). Place the vegetables on the grill and cook on each side for about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the cooked vegetables from the grill and set aside. To assemble each sandwich, take the two halves of the sandwich and place on the plate. Spread 1/2 of the tbsp on each half of the bread. Layer 1/4 cup of spinach, 1 mushroom, and 5 pieces of asparagus over the baguette. Repeat the process for the second sandwich.

Thursday – Grilled Shrimp Scampi with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients:
1/2 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup uncooked mini farfalle, boiled and cooked
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped asparagus
1 cup of whole grape tomatoes
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup dry white wine
Seasonings (use to taste): salt, pepper, garlic powder

Directions:
Marinade uncooked shrimp with olive oil, garlic, and a dash of salt & pepper for 30 minutes in the fridge. While the shrimp is marinading, boil the pasta until al dente. Once cooked, strain the pasta and put it back in the pot it was cooked in and set aside until the shrimp have cooked. Remove the shrimp from the fridge after 30 minutes and place on a grill pan on medium heat. Grill the shrimp for 2 – 3 minutes on each side, or until pink and cooked through. Take the pot with the cooked pasta and place on a burner on low-medium heat. Add the butter and melt it in with the pasta. Then add the asparagus and grape tomatoes and stir. Add the lemon juice over top and cook for about 3 minutes or until the asparagus and tomatoes begin to soften. Once the vegetables have softened, stir in the cooked shrimp. Season the pasta with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste and pour the wine over top. Let the pasta and shrimp heat up together for another minute or two, and serve.

Friday – Hawaiian Chicken & Pineapple Kabobs Over Brown Rice
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 green pepper, cut into cubes
1/2 red onion, cut into cubes
1/2 can of pineapple chunks (save the juice for the chicken marinade)
1 cup of uncooked brown rice
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice (use juice from the can of pineapple chunks)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried ginger
1 tbsp brown sugar
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Marinade the chicken together with the soy sauce, pineapple juice, canola oil, mustard, garlic powder, dried ginger, and brown sugar for 30 minutes. While the chicken is marinading, cook the brown rice according to the package’s instructions. Once the rice is cooked, season with olive oil and salt & pepper to taste. Remove the chicken from the fridge and place the chicken, grape tomatoes, green pepper, red onion and pineapple (alternating ingredients) on skewers. Season each of the skewers with salt & pepper (to taste). Cook the skewers for 7 to 9 minutes on each side until the chicken is cooked through.

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