I am not affiliated with or paid by Dollar Tree

I experiment with Dollar Tree food because I personally shop there regularly and also because I know many people benefit from and shop at Dollar Tree for various reasons (food deserts, lack of transportation, low costs, etc).

One of the primary benefits of Dollar Tree is the $1.25 per item pricing structure, making it simple to shop on a fixed budget. So today I wanted to explore the inventory offered via their "Plus" section which is a part of Dollar Tree freezers now offering $3, $4, and $5 items. I set out to determine if the food is good quality and worth the extra price.

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Recipes in today's video:

Country Fried Steak:

1 ribeye steak (thawed) $3.00
Country Gravy $1.25
Roasted Garlic mashed potatoes $1.25
French style green beans $1.25

Household items needed: Flour, salt, pepper, oil, and an egg. (alternative to the flour and egg would be to purchase the Southern Fry mix at Dollar Tree)

Cut ribeye steak in half and pound flat. Mix 1/2 cup of flour with a decent amount of salt and pepper and separately scramble 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Dredge each steak patty in flour, then egg, then in flour again. Fry in vegetable oil until brown on both sides and drain on paper towel.

Prepare gravy, potatoes, and green beans according to package instructions/personal preference. I mixed gravy with 2 cups of cold water then warmed on my stove until thickened, I microwaved 2 cups of water until heated and mixed with my instant potatoes, and I drained a can of green beans and microwaved them with salt and pepper.

To assemble plate lay down mashed potatoes, and country fried steak. Top with Gravy, and serve with vegetable on the side.


Spicy Shrimp Rolls

Hot dog buns $1.25
Cooked salad shrimp $5.00
mayo (spicy or regular) $1.25
Steak cut French fries $1.25

Household items needed: oil, salt and pepper

Thaw, drain and rinse shrimp. Mince shrimp. Toss with mayonnaise (add salt and pepper if desired) and refrigerate until ready to use. Spread mayo on a hot dog bun and fry in a skillet until well toasted. Toss french fries in a liberal amount of vegetable oil and bake or air fry until crisp. Right when about done cooking, season french fries well with salt and pepper.

Top toasted bun with shrimp salad mixture (makes about 3 pretty full sandwiches, can be stretched to make 4). Serve with french fries

One Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Rice

Raw shrimp $5.00
White rice $1.25
Chicken broth $1.25
Minced garlic $1.25
Cajun seasoning $1.25
Lemon Juice $1.25

Household items needed: oil

thaw and drain shrimp then peel and refrigerate. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of garlic, fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Rinse 1 cup of white rice and fry in oil until golden (3 to 5 minutes) when rice is about ready, add 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning. Mix 2 cups of chicken broth with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and pour over rice. bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. after 15 minutes turn off the heat, top with raw shrimp, and cover to let shrimp steam over rice for the remaining 15 minutes.

Can add vegetables if desired.

Blackened Salmon with Alfredo Pasta

Salmon Fillets $5.00
Cajun Seasoning (buy or make, recipe below)
2 cups of Penne pasta
2 cups of chicken broth
1 & 1/2 cups of frozen seasoning blend
4 oz of cream cheese
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese

Cajun Seasoning:

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Thaw, drain and pat salmon dry. Cover liberally in Cajun seasoning. Heat vegetable oil over medium high heat and fry salmon for 3 minutes per side until crisp. Set aside to prepare pasta. Deglaze skillet with frozen seasoning blend and chicken broth. add 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning if desired. Bring to a boil then stir in pasta, cover and simmer for 10 minutes stopping to stir twice. Stir in cubed up cream cheese and parmesan cheese and cover until cheese has melted.

Serve pasta topped with salmon fillet (serves 3 to 4)