Anyone have any yummy but fairly inexpensive recipes??

I love rice and bean combinations--there are so many variations from so many food traditions. You can make big quantities and freeze anything not eaten for easy meals later on. Lentil soup, split pea soup, pasta fagioli, farro soup--all provide hearty, satisfying meals. One of my favorites growing up was baked beans and Boston brown bread. My mother, a teacher, would make this when she had to stay late at school for conferences or workshops. Baked beans that simmered in the oven all day at a low temperature covered with crisp bacon and accompanied by, thick slices of Boston brown bread . . Pretty close to heaven! Braises with chuck or less expensive cuts of meat are good, too, but I suspect with the drought, meat prices will be increasing. Homemade pizzas are pretty reasonable, too. The dough is not hard to make and you can use whatever toppings catch your fancy.

Hope your husbamd finds a job quickly!

I like the idea of free-form savory tarts + a salad for a potentially cheap, elegant dinner. I always have flour & shortening in my pantry/fridge, so the shell is no extra expense in my case. Then the filling can just be improvised out of whatever veg I've got in the crisper. Cheese might be the only investment, but Trader Joe's has little chèvre logs for like $2.69 and that works well withs lot of different combos. I think of it as a kind of a dressed-up "kitchen-sink" meal. Good luck!

drbabs is spot on! And do a search on this site for pasta and roast chicken recipes. You'll find some real great eating!

There was a contest--your best dirt cheap dinner. Here are the winners:http://food52.com/contests/239

And here are the community picks: http://food52.com/blog/2132_editors_picks_dirt_cheap_dinner

Also try these: http://food52.com/recipe/Kale