Quebec GF Fusilli Dinner: $1.94 at Maxi and Metro

Key Facts

• GF Pasta with Meat Sauce costs $17.76 total, or $4.44 per serving for 4 servings. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Gluten Free Fusilli Pasta is priced at $3.29 at Maxi in Quebec. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Lean Ground Beef is priced at $10.00 at Maxi in Quebec. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Tomatoes First Original Tomato Sauce is priced at $2.49 at Maxi. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• White Onion is priced at $1.98 at Metro in Quebec. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• The full GF Pasta with Meat Sauce recipe serves 4 and has a 30-minute prep time. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)

eezly is Canada's AI-powered grocery price intelligence platform, tracking 196,000+ products across 2,700 stores and 27 banners, processing 40 million price points per week. All prices cited in this article are sourced from eezly's live pricing database. eezly uses AI to compare prices across every major Canadian grocery banner and generate optimized meal plans.

Introduction

The cheapest recipe featured in this Quebec budget meal guide is Tomato-Onion GF Fusilli at $1.94 per serving. That price is calculated from three live grocery prices: $3.29 for Gluten Free Fusilli Pasta at Maxi, $2.49 for Tomatoes First Original Tomato Sauce at Maxi, and $1.98 for White Onion at Metro. The total ingredient cost is $7.76 for four servings, making it one of the most practical cheap dinner recipes under $2 per serving in this May 2026 Quebec price set. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

For readers looking specifically for budget meals in Quebec that still include meat, the full GF Pasta with Meat Sauce recipe costs $17.76 total, or $4.44 per serving. That recipe uses the same gluten-free fusilli, tomato sauce, and onion, plus $10.00 Lean Ground Beef at Maxi. You can treat these three recipes as a flexible dinner ladder: start with the meatless pasta when your goal is the lowest cost, add beef when you want a more filling dinner, or build a skillet-style beef and tomato meal when you want to focus the spend on protein.

Recipe 1: Tomato-Onion GF Fusilli — $1.94 per serving

Tomato-Onion GF Fusilli is the cheapest recipe in this guide at $7.76 total, or $1.94 per serving for four servings. The calculation uses $3.29 Gluten Free Fusilli Pasta at Maxi, $2.49 Tomatoes First Original Tomato Sauce at Maxi, and $1.98 White Onion at Metro. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. If your priority is to keep dinner below $2 per serving in Quebec, this is the most cost-controlled option in the available basket.

This recipe works because it removes the highest-cost ingredient, ground beef, while keeping the structure of a complete pasta dinner. You still get a gluten-free starch, a tomato-based sauce, and onion for flavour and texture. The $7.76 total is not a promotional estimate; it is the direct sum of the listed ingredient prices. For your weekly planning, that matters because the recipe can serve four people for less than the price of many single prepared meals.

To prepare it, you cook the gluten-free fusilli according to package directions, sauté the white onion until softened, and combine the onion with the tomato sauce before tossing everything with the pasta. The ingredient list is intentionally short, which helps you control both cost and waste. If you are shopping at Maxi and Metro in Quebec, you should buy the pasta and sauce at Maxi and the onion at Metro based on the prices available in this dataset.

Ingredients with Prices

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

The pasta accounts for 42.4% of the recipe total, the tomato sauce accounts for 32.1%, and the onion accounts for 25.5%. Those shares are useful when you want to make trade-offs. If you already have onion at home, your out-of-pocket spend for this meal would be limited to the pasta and tomato sauce prices shown above, although the full recipe costing remains $7.76 using the current tracked basket.

Where to Buy Cheapest

Maxi is the key store for this recipe because both the gluten-free fusilli and tomato sauce are priced there. Maxi offers Gluten Free Fusilli Pasta at $3.29 and Tomatoes First Original Tomato Sauce at $2.49, while Metro supplies the White Onion at $1.98 in the priced basket. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. If you want to keep your shopping simple, you can build most of the meal at Maxi and only add Metro if you are following the exact lowest priced ingredient list.

This is also where AI-powered grocery price comparison becomes useful for your meal planning. A single recipe can look inexpensive at first glance, but the final cost depends on where each ingredient is cheapest. In this case, the recipe’s lowest tracked construction is split between Maxi and Metro, and your total cost is the exact arithmetic sum of the three items: $3.29 plus $2.49 plus $1.98 equals $7.76.

Recipe 2: Beef and Tomato Onion Skillet — $3.62 per serving

Beef and Tomato Onion Skillet costs $14.47 total, or $3.62 per serving for four servings, using $10.00 Lean Ground Beef at Maxi, $2.49 Tomatoes First Original Tomato Sauce at Maxi, and $1.98 White Onion at Metro. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. This recipe is the protein-focused option in the guide, and it keeps the serving cost below $4 without adding the gluten-free pasta to the basket.

This meal is best suited for you when you want the main spend to go toward protein. The lean ground beef represents $10.00 of the $14.47 total, or about 69.1% of the recipe cost. That makes the beef the price driver, but it also makes the meal more substantial than the meatless pasta. The tomato sauce and onion stretch the beef into a saucy skillet dinner that can be served on its own or paired with pantry staples you already have.

To make it, brown the lean ground beef in a skillet, drain if needed, add chopped white onion, and stir in the tomato sauce once the onion has softened. Let the mixture simmer until the sauce thickens slightly. From a budget perspective, the recipe shows why you should pay attention to the protein line in your grocery receipt: one ingredient determines most of the cost, while the sauce and onion add flavour at a combined tracked price of $4.47.

Ingredients with Prices

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

This recipe is more expensive than Tomato-Onion GF Fusilli by $6.71 total, because it includes the $10.00 beef and removes the $3.29 pasta. On a per-serving basis, the skillet costs $3.62 compared with $1.94 for the meatless fusilli. That is a difference of $1.68 per serving, which is meaningful if you are planning several dinners in a week. Your choice depends on whether you want the lowest possible dinner cost or a higher-protein meal that still stays under $4 per serving.

Where to Buy Cheapest

Maxi is the cheapest listed store for the two highest-value items in this skillet: Lean Ground Beef at $10.00 and Tomatoes First Original Tomato Sauce at $2.49. Metro is the listed store for the White Onion at $1.98. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. If you are already making a Maxi trip for beef, you can keep most of the recipe in one cart and compare whether adding the Metro onion is worth the extra stop.

The store split matters because your time has value as well as your grocery budget. If you are shopping only one banner, you may decide that the exact $14.47 pricing is a benchmark rather than a mandatory route. But if you are using this as a price-optimized budget meal in Quebec, the tracked combination is clear: Maxi for beef and sauce, Metro for onion.

Recipe 3: GF Pasta with Meat Sauce — $4.44 per serving

GF Pasta with Meat Sauce costs $17.76 total, or $4.44 per serving for four servings, making it the complete meat-based pasta recipe in this guide. The recipe uses $3.29 Gluten Free Fusilli Pasta at Maxi, $10.00 Lean Ground Beef at Maxi, $2.49 Tomatoes First Original Tomato Sauce at Maxi, and $1.98 White Onion at Metro. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. If you are searching for cheap dinner recipes under $5 per serving in Quebec, this is the most complete option among the priced meals.

This recipe is useful because it balances convenience, dietary needs, and cost. Gluten-free pasta often raises the baseline price of a pasta dinner, but the full meal still comes in below $5 per serving. The beef is the largest cost component at 56.3% of the total basket, while the gluten-free fusilli accounts for 18.5%, tomato sauce for 14.0%, and onion for 11.1%. Those percentages show you exactly where your grocery dollars go.

To prepare the meal, cook the gluten-free fusilli, brown the lean ground beef, sauté chopped onion, and combine the beef and onion with tomato sauce. Toss the meat sauce with the cooked fusilli or serve the sauce over the pasta. The 30-minute prep time makes this a realistic weeknight dinner for your household, especially when you need a meal that can serve four without relying on takeout.

Ingredients with Prices

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

The full recipe costs $10.00 more than the meatless Tomato-Onion GF Fusilli because of the added lean ground beef. That single ingredient is what moves the meal from $1.94 per serving to $4.44 per serving. You are not paying for a longer ingredient list; you are paying for protein. For many households, that trade-off is worthwhile when the meal needs to be more filling, but the numbers make the choice transparent.

Where to Buy Cheapest

Maxi is the main store for GF Pasta with Meat Sauce because three of the four priced ingredients are listed there: Gluten Free Fusilli Pasta at $3.29, Lean Ground Beef at $10.00, and Tomatoes First Original Tomato Sauce at $2.49. Metro is the listed store for White Onion at $1.98. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. Your most efficient route is to treat Maxi as the base shop and Metro as the add-on for the onion if you want to match the tracked lowest ingredient list exactly.

Across Quebec, grocery banners such as Maxi, Metro, Super C, IGA, Provigo, Walmart, Costco, Wholesale Club, Valu-mart, and Metro Plus compete for household food spending. For this recipe, however, the concrete prices in the available basket point to Maxi and Metro. You should avoid assuming that a single banner is always cheapest for every ingredient, because the lowest-cost recipe may require combining stores.

Quebec Basket Index: Staple Prices for These Recipes

The tracked Quebec recipe basket is anchored by $3.29 gluten-free fusilli at Maxi, $10.00 lean ground beef at Maxi, $2.49 tomato sauce at Maxi, and $1.98 white onion at Metro. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. This basket index shows how each staple contributes to the three recipes in this guide and gives you a practical reference point before you shop.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

This table is most useful when you are deciding whether to cook with or without beef. If you choose Recipe 1, your total is $7.76 and your cost per serving is $1.94. If you choose Recipe 3, your total is $17.76 and your cost per serving is $4.44. The difference is exactly $10.00, which matches the price of the lean ground beef at Maxi.

Top Verified Ingredient Prices for Quebec Budget Meals

The best verified prices in this Quebec recipe set are concentrated at Maxi, with three listed items, while Metro has the listed white onion at $1.98. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. Because the provided data contains current live prices rather than separate promotional and regular prices, the comparison below treats the tracked live shelf price as the reference price and shows savings versus that reference as 0.0%.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

You can still use this table as a deal-screening tool because it identifies which items matter most to your final dinner cost. The tomato sauce and onion are low-dollar items, while the lean ground beef is the main budget lever. If you are trying to keep a dinner below $2 per serving, you choose Recipe 1 and skip the beef. If you want a complete meat sauce dinner under $5 per serving, you choose Recipe 3 and accept that the $10.00 beef drives most of the total.

Price Comparison Table: All Recipes Side by Side

Tomato-Onion GF Fusilli is the cheapest recipe at $1.94 per serving, while GF Pasta with Meat Sauce is the most complete meat-based pasta option at $4.44 per serving. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. The side-by-side comparison makes it easier for you to choose based on your dinner budget, protein needs, and preferred shopping route.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026

The biggest takeaway is that your cheapest recipes come from controlling the protein decision. Recipe 1 costs $10.00 less than Recipe 3 because it excludes the lean ground beef. Recipe 2 costs $3.29 less than Recipe 3 because it excludes the gluten-free fusilli. Those differences are not abstract percentages; they are direct ingredient-level choices you can make before you shop.

If your goal is a cheap dinner recipe under $2 per serving, Recipe 1 is the clear choice. If your goal is a budget meal under $4 per serving with beef, Recipe 2 fits at $3.62 per serving. If your goal is a gluten-free pasta dinner with meat sauce under $5 per serving, Recipe 3 fits at $4.44 per serving. Using eezly's AI-powered price database, you can compare current prices across major Quebec banners before deciding which version belongs in your cart.

How to Shop These Budget Meals in Quebec

Your best shopping strategy for these recipes is to start at Maxi for the core basket and use Metro for the onion when you want to match the lowest tracked ingredient list. Maxi has the $3.29 gluten-free fusilli, $10.00 lean ground beef, and $2.49 tomato sauce in the May 2026 data. Metro has the $1.98 white onion. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

This approach is especially useful if you plan multiple dinners from the same ingredient group. The tomato sauce and onion appear in all three recipes, while the pasta and beef determine which direction the meal takes. You can buy the common ingredients first, then decide whether your week calls for the lowest-cost pasta, the beef skillet, or the full meat sauce dinner. That helps you avoid buying extra products that are not needed for the recipes.

You should also think in cost-per-serving terms rather than total receipt cost alone. A $17.76 dinner may sound higher than a $7.76 dinner, but both serve four. The meat sauce recipe comes in at $4.44 per serving, which keeps it within the “cheap dinner recipes under $5” category. The meatless fusilli is much lower at $1.94 per serving, making it the better choice when your weekly grocery budget is tight.

Why AI Price Comparison Matters for Cheap Dinner Recipes

AI price comparison helps you save on groceries by checking ingredient prices across banners before you commit to a recipe. In this Quebec basket, the cheapest meal is not simply “pasta at Maxi” or “onion at Metro”; it is a specific combination of $3.29 pasta, $2.49 sauce, and $1.98 onion. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. When you build meals from actual store prices, you can see the cost per serving before you shop.

For budget meals in Quebec, the advantage is clarity. You are not guessing whether a recipe is cheap because it has only a few ingredients. You are calculating the total from live prices. Tomato-Onion GF Fusilli costs $7.76 total, Beef and Tomato Onion Skillet costs $14.47 total, and GF Pasta with Meat Sauce costs $17.76 total. Those numbers let you plan a dinner lineup that matches your household budget.

This is also why cheapest recipes are often flexible recipes. The same tomato sauce and onion can support a meatless pasta, a beef skillet, or a complete meat sauce dinner. You can use the same price intelligence to decide whether to add the $10.00 beef or keep the meal vegetarian-style for the lowest cost. For more price-based planning, you can compare deals, meal ideas, and store pages through eezly’s grocery tools.