Ten Dollar Dinners: 140 Recipes and Tips for Delicious, Budget-Friendly Meals the Whole Family Can Enjoy

by Melissa d'Arabian, Raquel Pelzel

Melissa d’Arabian, host of Food Network’s Ten Dollar Dinners and season 5 winner of The Next Food Network Star, makes good on the $10 promise of dinner for four in her debut cookbook.

For home cooks who care about what they feed their families and want to stretch their dollars, Melissa is the best guide for putting delicious meals on the table. She focuses on savvy budgeting, efficient shopping, and full-flavored cooking. Ten Dollar Dinners has 140 recipes and more than 100 creative, practical tips on great money-savers (“Clear-Your-Pantry Week”); inventive takes on old standby dinners (try her Moroccan Meatloaf ); and how to get ingredients to last longer (keep your green onions in a glass of water and they will regrow several times over!). And with a coding system to help you create your own $10 menu, Ten Dollar Dinners celebrates spending with purpose, cooking with love, minimizing time spent in front of the stove, and savoring your homemade meal.

Melissa is a pro at creating satisfying meals that adults and kids alike will enjoy, using everyday ingredients and transforming them into delicious dinners. Her Potato-Bacon Torte (which, at 50 cents a serving, was one of her winning recipes on The Next Food Network Star ) shows how basic and inexpensive supermarket ingredients can be turned into an amazingly satisfying dish. Her Roasted Vegetable Tian is a great way to take advantage of deals in the produce aisle. The Four-Step Chicken Piccata offers a plan for getting food on the table in just minutes, using almost anything in the pantry.

Anyone can use this book—especially those who want to save money—and feel great about cooking sensibly for elevated, simple meals that are healthy family-pleasers.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Reference

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melissa d’Arabian provides exactly what you want: Paris, France, dishes at a Paris, Texas, price. D’Arabian promises that she’ll provide entire dinners that won’t leave you feeling deprived for $10 or less, and she delivers handsomely.

You’d never think that recipes like Cod in Garlic-Ginger Broth with Shitake Mushrooms, French-Cut Steak with Caramelized Onions, Pot Roast Carbonade, Shrimp Pad Thai, Everyday Roast Beef, Crispy Chicken a l’Orange, Shrimp Scampi Linguine or Simple Sirloin Steak with Shallot Butter could be budget items, would you? But d’Arabian’s recipes cut costs without cutting enjoyment. D’Arabian, winner of Season 5 of Food Network Stars, lived in France and is married to a Frenchman. The mother of four beautiful girls, d’Arabian had already learned to pinch pennies from her own mother, a single mom. But d’Arabian never compromised on flavor or satisfaction. And thanks to her book, Ten Dollar Dinners: 140 Recipes & Tips to Elevate Simple, Fresh Meals Any Night of the Week, neither do you.

The cookbook doesn’t just include recipes. D’Arabian also instructs the novice on how to build a pantry on the cheap, how to stretch meats, how to secure great grocery-store bargains, and more. I only wish I could give this book six stars!

[Samantha Penrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Page 81 Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup
Page 101 Chopped Salad with Chicken, Salami, and Mozzerella
Page 110 Grilled Romaine Salad over Grilled Garlic-Rosemary Bread
Page 141 Crispy Chicken a l'Orange
Page 161 Chicken Meatballs
Page 166 Spinach and Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Lemon Butter
Page 174 Pork Loin Milanese
Page 182 Succulent Pot Roast-style Pork Shoulder
Page 221 Steamed Broccoli with Garlic Aïoli
Page 302 Chocolate Pain Perdu
Page 304 Double Chocolate Pound Cake
Page 306 Muriel's Yogurt Cake with Chocolate Chips
Page 328 Croque Madames

Also, Pork Tamale Pie suggestion, page 181

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of really good, easy, and tasty recipes.

[Kasey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've flipped through this book twice now. My thought was maybe I was just in a snit the first time and wasn't giving it a fair shake. But here I am post second thumbing and I still just don't have a warm and fuzzy vibe.
The pictures are great, although I think they should have edited the one where she looks like her eyes are closed. There definitely are a number of recipes and they cover all the categories I expected. I think though for me it came down to reality.
I haven't studied abroad.
I've never been to France.
And while many of the meals are probably really good, I'm just not this kind of cook. I don't buy my beans dry & cook them myself, then store them frozen because it's cheaper than buying them canned, or heaven forbid put them in things like brownies and smoothies. I just can't see myself living this kind of kitchen/cooking life.
I'm sure her cooking is super duper healthy too. Did I mention those smoothies have spinach in them too? But I'll stick with what works for me and just hit the club a couple extra times.

[Penmouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten Dollar Dinners: 140 Recipes and Tips to Elevate Simple, Fresh Meals by Melissa d'Arabian offers a fresh spin on frugal cooking. I like how d'Arabian used frugal ingredients in novel ways to create gourmet meals from humble ingredients. Some of the recipes I plan to try include:

Smoked Tuna Spread
Sautéed Spinach with Garlic
Parisian Cafe Salad with Classic Dijon Vinaigrette
Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese and Apples
French-Cut Steak with Caramelized Onions
Chicken Meatballs
Double Chocolate Pound Cake
Earl Grey Pots de Creme

I also loved the lush, color photos used to illustrate her recipes.

Recommend.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found 4 recipes to actually try out of the entire book. Everything else was either something I already make, or someone in my family is highly allergic to a key ingredient. I am interested to see how the chocolate french toast turns out tomorrow. This cookbook is probably best suited to a young adult who is learning to cook and balance a budget.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

perhaps more than the recipes I liked the tips around meal planning and saving and overall strategies. Most of the recipes are simple and can easily have substitutions if you don't have all the ingredients - which is so practical. Although to be honest not the most exciting cook book

[J. Dorner · Rating 4 out of 5]

While cooking is outside my comfort zone (especially the indoor kind), I enjoyed this book. There's more than just recipes, there are stories and tips. This made it fun to read. I'm planning to try the spinach and cheese stuffed chicken with lemon butter first.

[Cheryl Schibley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melissa d'Arabian is one of my favorite Food Network stars and this book has very good recipes. I'm rarely budget conscience when I cook and I don't think of this book as that. It just has very good recipes.

[Diane Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I want my recipes to be clever examples of a bigger story, a celebration of resource responsibility and spending with purpose." -Melissa d'Arabian, from her introduction.

This is one of the better cookbooks I've read this year because of it's great ideas and it's practicality.

Reasons I love this cookbook:
- So many great recipes and ideas
- Easy, very approachable recipe layout
- Offers many picture examples of recipes
- This will expand my palate. There are several recipes that look awesome and are things I don't normally cook at home but she makes it look so do-able.
- Almost every single recipe was tagged as something I wanted to make.

Recipes that stood out to me:
-Toasted Baguette with Garlic Confit (I mean, that sounds soooooo yummy).
-Tuna Panzanella Salad (made this several times for lunches at work: so so delish.)
-Salmon Cakes (saw this on her show and bought the salmon; I have yet to actually make it... this is a palate expander.)
-Chicken meatballs (we eat a lot of chicken and this is definitely a different take with a small amount of meat [2 chicken breasts!] a definite must-try.)
-Creamiest Slow Cooker Polenta
-White Beans with Cumin, Oregano, and Garlic
-Cardamom Caramel sauce (anything with cardamom screams "devour me")

A lot of these recipes are available online so if there were only a handful of recipes I liked, I would just print them off and add it to a folder... but I love all these recipes. It's a great cookbook to have on hand.

[Natashya KitchenPuppies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melissa d'Arabian shows you how to make the most of your family food budget and deliver healthy and delicious recipe without breaking the bank.
While I think the actual cost of the food might vary from region to region, the book is filled with great cost-cutting ideas.
See my full review here - http://livinginthekitchenwithpuppies....

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great economical meal ideas. Did I make anything from the cookbook? Nah. But then, I usually don't.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great cookbook! I made several recipes and they were delicious. I am excited to try several more.

My Rating: Great! If you are into cookbooks like I am.

[Aymee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cookbook. Lots of good, easy recipes and information on how to shop and cook on a budget. One of the things I liked best about Melissa when she was on Next Food Network Star was how she came across as an average mom who happened to be an amazing cook, and that comes through in this cookbook as well. Have only made one recipe from this so far, but it was excellent. Can't wait to try more.

[Wareesha Tariq · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a great starter cookbook, especially for those of us who want to stick to a smaller food budget and understand how to get dinner without spending too much money.

There isn’t a lot of “ethnic” or spicy food in this cookbook and the recipes definitely veer towards simple American fare. But overall it still offers a wonderful breakdown of how to create simple, budget-friendly dinners.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved watching Melissa d'Arabian's cooking show on food network so wanted to check out her cookbook as well. There were some really good and budget friendly recipes included that we really enjoyed and will make again!

[the_bibliophagist · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice idea. Some of the recipes are to "fancy" for my tastes

[Brittney // brittysbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite cooking book

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best budget cookbook ever, elegant recipes.

I love Marissa’s approach to budget friendly meals. Every recipe is a winner. I particularly love the potato bacon torte.

[Sarah Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting recipes and some good tips on saving money.

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great cookbook 😊

[Jennifer Rayment · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good Stuff

Good variety of recipes for every taste
Simple easy to follow instructions
Ingredients are easily available in any grocery store
Once you have ingredients in house, recipes are inexpensive to make
Great tips and tricks for stretching your food budget
Excellent pantry list - items that you should always have in your pantry in order to easily put together affordable, delicious meals
Lots of pictures (Not one on everypage though, which would have made my wife even happier - the women cannot make a recipe unless she sees a picture of it)
Recipe Cost index is interesting (see note in not so good stuff below)
My kids will probably eat some of the recipes, the picky little heathens
Well organized and easy to look through -- all the pictures make the recipe look extremely appetizing
Wife thinks the index is good (she is making me put this in the review -- don't tell her but yes a good index is important in a cookbook
The Not So Good Stuff

Recipe Cost Index took a few seconds to figure out - would have been nice to have it listed more obvious
meat terminology is American -- than again not really a bad thing, just a pain in the ass when Ayou go to the store looking for the item and its called something else
Not sure you can really say they are 10 dollar dinners as food here in Alberta is really expensive
Favorite Recipes

Moroccan Meatloaf (DELISH & easy to make)
Zucchini Carpaccio
Sole Napoleon with Tomatio-Caper Crudo
Four-step Chicken Piccata
Bruleed Mandarin Oranges and Sabayon
Black Bean Brownies (For the love of god don't tell the kids there were beans in this recipe - they loved them)
Who Should/Shouldn't Use

This cookbook is perfectly suited for the beginner to intermediate cook -- nothing fancy for the more experienced cook
A great cookbook for those on a budget (and that we are since we are now a one income family)
Highly recommended for inclusion into the inventory of a public library (yes that one is from the wife)
4.5 Dewey's
I received this from Random House in Exchange for an Honest Review

[Crown Publishing]

Melissa d’Arabian, host of Food Network’s Ten Dollar Dinners and season 5 winner of The Next Food Network Star, makes good on the $10 promise of dinner for four in her eagerly awaited debut cookbook. For home cooks who care about what they feed their families and want to stretch their dollars, Melissa is the best guide for putting delicious meals on the table.

With four young girls ages six and under, and a hit show on Food Network, Melissa d’Arabian focuses on savvy budgeting, efficient shopping, and full-flavored cooking. Ten Dollar Dinners has 140 recipes and more than 100 creative, practical tips on great money-savers (“Clear-Your-Pantry Week”); inventive takes on old standby dinners (try her Moroccan Meatloaf); and how to get ingredients to last longer (keep your green onions in a glass of water and they will regrow several times over!). And with a coding system to help you create your own $10 menu, Ten Dollar Dinners celebrates spending with purpose, cooking with love, minimizing time spent in front of the stove, and savoring your homemade meal.

Melissa is a pro at creating satisfying meals that adults and kids alike will enjoy, using everyday ingredients and transforming them into delicious dinners. Her Potato-Bacon Torte (which, at 50 cents a serving, was one of her winning recipes on The Next Food Network Star) shows how basic and inexpensive supermarket ingredients can be turned into an amazingly satisfying dish. Her Roasted Vegetable Tian is a great way to take advantage of deals in the produce aisle. The Four-Step Chicken Piccata offers a plan for getting food on the table in just minutes, using almost anything in the pantry.

Anyone can use this book—especially those who want to save money—and feel great about cooking sensibly for elevated, simple meals that are healthy family-pleasers.

[Rachel P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a free copy of Melissa d’Arabian’s “Ten Dollar Dinners” as a first-reads giveaway.

I’m glad I won this giveaway as this cookbook is filled with a lot of good recipes, ideas, and advice. I really like the variety of foods presented and the budget-friendly tips. I already made the “Sweet Zucchini Saute” and it came out fantastic! (Although I used 2 tablespoons of olive oil instead of 3 and 2 was plenty, 3 would’ve been way too much.) And I plan on making “Crispy Chicken a l’Orange” next week.

That said I was a little disappointed with the lack of vegetarian recipes. At least half were sides and one of them was a “recipe” for broccoli and parmesan cheese. Seriously? Also, the layout of some of pages was confusing where the list of ingredients and directions would unexpectedly continue on the next page. And I’m not sure that all of these meals can be accomplished for $10 or less. I thought the whole dinner was supposed to be $10 but most of the recipes are not complete meals (i.e. a chicken dish or a salad, etc.). Maybe most of them fit the budget but some of the main dishes with really long lists of ingredients I’m not sure how it can be done. Perhaps the author measures the cost of the recipe by the amount of ingredients used i.e. ½ cup of dry white wine only costs a certain percentage of the bottle which can cost over $10 by itself.

Overall, this is a very comprehensive and easy to read cookbook. There’s a good mix of foods and types of meals and there are definitely a few recipes I want try.

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melissa became known when she won season 5 of The Next Food Network Star. But she's been making simple, inexpensive meals for her family for years. In fact, her homemade yogurt recipe is probably what landed her a spot on the show. Her cookbook simplifies cooking and gives a price range for each recipe so the cook can plan a meal that is fresh and under ten dollars. The book is filled with helpful cooking tips and glimpses into the d'Arabian family.

I am a very simple cook. If the recipe has tons of ingredients or instructions I pass. My family has some really picky eaters so I was surprised to have quite a few recipes earmarked to try. I look forward to testing them out. Most of the recipes in this book are simple and easy to make. This is a book for the simple cook, the family on a budget, and the mom wanting to prepare fresh food for her family.

I received this book free of charge from Goodreads in exchange for my honest review.

[Penny McGill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a can't miss cookbook. You might be fooled by the flashy cover but the content is as good as any cookbook I've ever read. Each chapter is filled with great ideas for meals and ways to stretch your food budget at the same time.

Melissa d'Arabian stays true to her desire for inexpensive meals and her practical suggestions for shopping and making the most of what you have in your pantry or fridge are actually things you can see yourself trying. There are no crazy suggestions of raising your own goat so you can have spectacular but cheap yogurt. She is a busy parent who is trying to satisfy her kids and her adult tastebuds at the same time.

I will end up buying this one and despite paying bookstore prices for it I know I'll still save money and enjoy the great ideas she has printed for years to come. You know it's a good cookbook when my cookbook-loving daughter takes this one to bed each night. She is a critical reader and it gets her approval as well as mine.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a free copy through First Reads.

This is a very easy-to-follow cookbook. Her recipes are really simple and she offers simple tips for when things start to go wrong. This is perfect for someone like me who manages to make things go from slightly bad to really bad in a matter of seconds when experimenting in the kitchen! The photos of the prepared meals are a really nice supplement, letting you see what you're "supposed" to come up with in the end. However, I'm not sure I needed to see all the photos of the author and her family eating said food. I also like that each recipe is given a price scale so you know how much to expect to pay before you even go to the store for the ingredients. There is a nice mix of healthy recipes thrown in as well as the usual high-calorie recipes you expect to find in a cookbook.

[Rebekah Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really decent cookbook that had a good selection of tasty, low cost meals that anyone can make. My only gripe would be most of these are not fast prep, fast cook dinners. If you have an hour or two to get dinner ready this book is ideal but for most of us you'll need to do some planning (prepping) ahead of time for the week's meals. That and she down plays the importance of eating organic/sustainable food in favor of cheap cuts of meat and bulk buys, it is afterall called $10 Dollar Dinners. Not every recipe was a winner in our house, but the majority were well received and liked. I hope she does another book soon.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the recipes were really good. (The orange sauce for the duck a l'orange was wonderful!)
One criticism is that some of the timings for things such as reducing sauces seemed underestimated to us, but that could very well have been due to differences in equipment and items used.
One thing we really liked about this cookbook is the various helpful charts of things like
herbs and flavor profiles, and other similar things like that. The tips for how to best save money in the grocery store were also one of the best features of the book.

We know and have enjoyed watching Mellssa judge on GGG every so often. That was part of why we took out this cookbook!

[Natasha A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be putting together a real review for my blog once I have tried a few recipes.
I think this has some good and some not so good.
I don't feel like the cookbook itself is laid out very well. I was reading one recipe, and couldn't find one of the ingredients that was in the title of the recipe on the list. I turned the page and there was a continuation of the ingredients.
I definitely like some of the possible recipes. I'm curious if I can recreate some of these for under $10! Living in Canada sometimes means that we don't have as inexpensive food as the US.