Commissary Bargain Meal for the Week of March 23rd

For great meals for less you can purchase at your local store visit $5 Dinner’s new feature, Bargain Meal of the Week. Bloggers around the country create a bargain meal based on their local store sales.

If you shop at the commissary you probably know their prices change every two weeks. Not only do sales run on a two week basis, but many of their everyday low prices change as well. Each Monday I will be posting a bargain meal, created from current commissary deals.

This meal was a little difficult since I haven’t been to the commissary in almost two weeks. Thankfully there are two resources I can use (and you can too) to find the best deals at the commissary.

Commissaries.com is a website that lists every item on sale at your local commissary. You have to be eligible to shop at the commissary and log in with your last name, social security number and birth date to view the sales. The best part of this site is that you can view your local manager specials which vary from store to store.

Military Shoppers is a site which publishes the commissary sale fliers every two weeks. It is a great way to get a quick look at the weekly specials.

One favorite Friday night meal in our house is nachos. This week the commissary has lots of nacho toppings on sale.

• Tostitos Tortilla chips $2.19
• Rosarita Refried Beans $1.30 (30 oz. this is the large can)
• Ortega Mexican chiles diced $0.75
• Rotel Diced Mexican tomatoes $0.89
• Taco Bell Mexican salsa $1.59
• Wolf Chili with Beans $0.99

We like to lay our tortilla chips on a baking sheets and drop spoonfuls of beans, salsa, and cheese on top. We heat in a 350 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes. If I am in a big hurry I open a can of chili, dump it on top of the chips, top with cheese and bake for about 5 minutes. Nachos are a great snack to have on hand for unexpected company as well. Most of the ingredients have a long shelf life and only take a few minutes to prepare.

One great deal I did see this week (which has nothing to do with Nachos, but it does add a bit of health to your meal) is Motts organic applesauce on sale for $1.29 for a 16 oz container. Stock up!