A content creator behind Collins Country said a dinner for a family of five came in at about $5 because nearly every side dish came straight from the family garden.
Most of the purchase cost was tied to the roast beef entrée, while peppers, onions, potatoes, green beans, and tomatoes from the garden helped keep the bill especially low.
Here's what to know
In an Instagram post shared by Collins Country (@collinscountry), the meal is built around a roast beef roll wrapped in homemade dough, with fresh tomatoes, fried potatoes, oriental green beans, and sautéed peppers and onions on the side.
According to the creator, the low total depended mainly on vegetables the family had already grown.
"Most of the dinner came from our garden," the creator says, describing the peppers, onions, potatoes, and garlic as effectively "free" because they were homegrown.
The green beans, the creator noted, were the family's last green beans of 2026 and had been picked on Oct. 15.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
The creator estimates the dough at about $3.50; it was made by mixing almond flour and salt with mozzarella cheese, and she said the full meal for five came to around $5.
It's unclear if she meant she paid $1.50 for the meat or $5 for the meat and then forgot to include the dough when summarizing, but any meal for a full family that clocks in under $10 is clearly a win. Since roast beef can cost as little as $5 per pound and it doesn't appear to be using a huge weight of meat, the overall $5 estimate on the size of the roast beef roll looks possible.
Some did note that the dish looked a bit small for a full family, with one commenter saying, "The meat strudel looks great, but it would have fed two maybe three people at my house."
Overall, though the comments were overwhelmingly positive, including many asking for the recipe in comments like this one: "Looks yummy! Recipe please for breaded meat entree - thank you."
More background
The creator says, "I make dinner every single day that I'm off work," and added that two meals are sometimes prepared on those days so the husband and sons have food in the fridge during the creator's 13-hour shifts.
In the caption, the creator described the family's usual routine as meals that "typically consist of [a meat], and side items made with veggies from our gardens (either fresh, canned or frozen)," calling that approach "simple, always delicious, and very healthy."
The green beans were flavored with soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic, the potatoes were pan-fried instead of turned into french fries, and garden tomatoes were added to the plate for extra color and another way to use more produce.
What can be done?
The basic approach was to build the side dishes around garden produce while limiting purchased ingredients mostly to the main protein.
Here, peppers, onions, potatoes, green beans, garlic, and tomatoes helped turn one roast beef entrée into dinner for five.
The creator also points to storing or preserving produce as a way to widen those options.
By saying the family cooks with vegetables from the garden "either fresh, canned or frozen," the caption suggested a system that extends beyond a single harvest day.
The creator also batch cooks around work schedules.
On some days off, two meals are made so leftovers are ready when the creator is away for long shifts, reducing food waste and the need for more expensive last-minute meals.
"Don't overcomplicate cooking dinner for your family," the creator said in the caption.
The dinner was presented as one example of the value the creator sees in homesteading.
"So, is Homesteading worth it? Absolutely."
Where can I learn more?
For more on that approach, these stories show how home cooks stretch meals, cut costs, and make more of what they already have.
• One home gardener kept produce costs down by growing vegetables from scraps in the kitchen.
• During pantry challenges, home cooks cut waste by deciding what to cook from what they had.
• For years, one cook has stretched groceries by saving veggie scraps and chicken bones for stock.
• Across U.S. households, frozen food has become a surprising new trend in meal planning.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
