Quebec Cheap Dinner Recipes From $4.14 a Serving

Key Facts

• Beef Chili costs $46.33 total and $5.79 per serving for 8 servings (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Lean Ground Beef is $10.00 at maxi 1 in Quebec (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Red Kidney Beans are $1.29 at maxi 1 in Quebec (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Compliments Canned Crushed Tomatoes 796 ml are $2.29 at Canada inc. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Worcestershire Sauce is $3.19 at Maxi in Quebec (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)

Introduction

Budget Bean Chili Bowls are the cheapest dinner in this Quebec recipe costing, at $33.14 total and $4.14 per serving for an eight-serving meal. The full Beef Chili recipe costs $46.33 total, or $5.79 per serving, using ingredient prices tracked at maxi 1, Maxi, IGA and Canada inc. in Quebec. If you are searching for cheap dinner recipes under $6, the strongest value in this basket comes from beans, canned tomatoes and pantry seasonings rather than from cutting the protein entirely. Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026.

For Quebec households, the practical takeaway is straightforward: you can build filling budget meals Quebec shoppers will recognize, such as chili bowls and beef-and-bean skillets, by comparing the same ingredient list across active banners including IGA, Maxi, Metro, Super C, Metro Plus, Provigo, Walmart and Wholesale Club. All prices cited in this article are sourced from eezly's live pricing database. 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.

Recipe 1: Budget Bean Chili Bowls — $4.14 per serving

Budget Bean Chili Bowls cost $33.14 to make and $4.14 per serving when priced with Quebec ingredients from maxi 1, IGA, Canada inc. and Maxi. Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026. This is the cheapest recipe in the article because you use Red Kidney Beans at $1.29 from maxi 1, Black Turtle Beans at $3.79 from maxi 1 and Compliments Canned Crushed Tomatoes 796 ml at $2.29 from Canada inc. as the foundation of the meal.

This recipe is designed for you when you want the texture and comfort of chili without paying for ground beef in every serving. The red onions are the most expensive line item at $12.99 from IGA, so you should treat them as a flavour base that supports several servings rather than as a garnish. Soy Sauce at $7.99 from Canada inc. and Chili Peppers New Mexico Chile Powder at $4.79 from Maxi add depth, salt and heat, helping the beans and tomatoes taste more substantial.

Because this is an eight-serving recipe, the per-serving math is favourable even with the higher onion and soy sauce costs included. The total ingredient basket is $33.14, and dividing that by eight servings gives a rounded cost of $4.14 per serving. If your goal is to keep dinner under $5 per person in Quebec, this is the strongest recipe in the set.

Ingredients with Prices

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

To cook it, you would start by softening the red onions, then add the crushed tomatoes, red kidney beans and black turtle beans. Stir in soy sauce carefully because it is a concentrated seasoning, then add the New Mexico chile powder gradually so you can control the heat level. Simmering the mixture gives the beans time to absorb the tomato and spice base, which is important when you are relying on lower-cost ingredients for a satisfying dinner.

Where to Buy Cheapest

For this recipe, your lowest listed prices come from a mixed Quebec basket rather than one single banner. maxi 1 has the two bean items in the data, with Red Kidney Beans at $1.29 and Black Turtle Beans at $3.79. Canada inc. has Compliments Canned Crushed Tomatoes 796 ml at $2.29 and Soy Sauce at $7.99, while IGA has Red Onions at $12.99 and Maxi has Chili Peppers New Mexico Chile Powder at $4.79.

If you want the simplest shopping trip, you can use these prices as a benchmark before deciding whether a one-store basket is worth the convenience. If you want the lowest priced version from the available data, you would split the basket according to the store names above. For your grocery budget, the key decision is whether the extra stop is worth it for a pantry-heavy recipe that can feed eight people for $4.14 per serving.

Recipe 2: Beef Chili — $5.79 per serving

Beef Chili costs $46.33 total and $5.79 per serving for eight servings in Quebec, with the tracked recipe basket associated with maxi 1. Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026. This is the most complete dinner recipe in the article because it uses Lean Ground Beef at $10.00, two types of beans, canned crushed tomatoes, red onions and three flavour-building condiments or spices.

You should choose this version when you want a no-pork, beef-based chili that still stays under $6 per serving. The Lean Ground Beef at $10.00 is a major value driver because it gives the dish a recognizable dinner centre while the beans stretch the total yield to eight servings. Red Kidney Beans at $1.29 from maxi 1 are especially cost-effective in the recipe, while Black Turtle Beans at $3.79 from maxi 1 add bulk and variety.

The full basket also shows why pantry items affect recipe costing. Worcestershire Sauce at $3.19 from Maxi, Soy Sauce at $7.99 from Canada inc. and Chili Peppers New Mexico Chile Powder at $4.79 from Maxi raise the basket total, but they are doing important flavour work. When you cook at home, those ingredients help the beef, tomatoes and beans taste more developed, which can make a budget meal feel less like a compromise.

Ingredients with Prices

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

The cooking method is familiar and practical. Brown the Lean Ground Beef first, then add the red onions so they soften in the rendered beef juices. Stir in the beans, crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and chile powder, then simmer until the sauce thickens and the beans are fully integrated.

Where to Buy Cheapest

The tracked Beef Chili recipe is listed with maxi 1 as the store name and a total cost of $46.33. Within the ingredient detail, maxi 1 has Lean Ground Beef at $10.00, Red Kidney Beans at $1.29 and Black Turtle Beans at $3.79. Maxi has Worcestershire Sauce at $3.19 and Chili Peppers New Mexico Chile Powder at $4.79, while Canada inc. has Compliments Canned Crushed Tomatoes 796 ml at $2.29 and Soy Sauce at $7.99.

For your budget, the most important price to watch is the beef line. At $10.00, Lean Ground Beef keeps this chili under $6 per serving when paired with beans and canned tomatoes. If you are comparing cheap dinner recipes under $6 in Quebec, this recipe gives you a stronger meat component than the bean-only bowl while still landing at $5.79 per serving.

Recipe 3: Beef-and-Bean Tomato Skillet — $5.39 per serving

Beef-and-Bean Tomato Skillet costs $21.56 total and $5.39 per serving when priced as a four-serving Quebec dinner using Lean Ground Beef, Red Kidney Beans, crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and chile powder. Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026. This smaller recipe is useful when you want a quicker dinner built from the lowest-priced protein, bean, tomato and seasoning items in the data without buying the full chili basket.

You should think of this as a stripped-down weeknight version of chili rather than a separate grocery project. Lean Ground Beef at $10.00 from maxi 1 provides the main protein, Red Kidney Beans at $1.29 from maxi 1 stretch the skillet, and Compliments Canned Crushed Tomatoes 796 ml at $2.29 from Canada inc. create the sauce. Worcestershire Sauce at $3.19 from Maxi and Chili Peppers New Mexico Chile Powder at $4.79 from Maxi give the dish its savoury and chili-style flavour.

The four-serving format matters. A $21.56 basket divided by four servings comes to $5.39 per serving, which keeps the recipe below the $6 threshold while requiring fewer total ingredients than the full Beef Chili. If you are cooking for one or two people, this version may also reduce leftovers while still giving you a complete hot dinner.

Ingredients with Prices

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

To prepare it, brown the beef in a wide skillet, then stir in the beans and crushed tomatoes. Add Worcestershire sauce and chile powder, then simmer until the tomato base reduces into a thicker sauce. You can serve it as a bowl, spoon it over rice if you already have rice at home, or use it as a filling for wraps if those are already in your pantry.

Where to Buy Cheapest

For the Beef-and-Bean Tomato Skillet, your lowest listed prices are concentrated around maxi 1 and Maxi, with Canada inc. supplying the crushed tomatoes. maxi 1 has Lean Ground Beef at $10.00 and Red Kidney Beans at $1.29. Maxi has Worcestershire Sauce at $3.19 and Chili Peppers New Mexico Chile Powder at $4.79, while Canada inc. has Compliments Canned Crushed Tomatoes 796 ml at $2.29.

This recipe is the middle option by cost per serving. It is cheaper than the full Beef Chili by $0.40 per serving, because $5.79 minus $5.39 equals $0.40. It is more expensive than the Budget Bean Chili Bowls by $1.25 per serving, because $5.39 minus $4.14 equals $1.25. If you want beef but do not need eight servings, this is the more compact budget choice.

Quebec Basket Index: Staple Ingredient Prices for These Recipes

The lowest listed Quebec recipe staples in this article range from $1.29 for Red Kidney Beans at maxi 1 to $12.99 for Red Onions at IGA. Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026. This basket index is useful because it shows which ingredients are carrying the cost of your dinner and which items are doing the most work for the least money.

For your meal planning, beans and canned tomatoes are the clear cost anchors. Red Kidney Beans at $1.29 and Compliments Canned Crushed Tomatoes 796 ml at $2.29 are the two lowest-priced items in the recipe data. Lean Ground Beef at $10.00 is not the cheapest item, but it helps create a dinner that still stays under $6 per serving when stretched across beans and tomatoes.

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

You can use this table as a practical shopping checklist before you choose a recipe. If you already have soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or chile powder at home, your out-of-pocket trip may be lower than the full priced basket shown here. If you need every item from scratch, the per-serving figures above give you the cleanest comparison because they include the tracked ingredient prices available in the data.

Top Tracked Ingredient Prices for Quebec Chili Dinners

The best tracked Quebec ingredient price in this recipe set is Red Kidney Beans at $1.29 from maxi 1, followed by Compliments Canned Crushed Tomatoes 796 ml at $2.29 from Canada inc. Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026. These are not promotional savings claims; they are the lowest listed ingredient prices available in the provided live pricing data for this article.

Because no regular-price field was provided for these items, savings percentages are not calculated in the table. That is the most accurate way to present the data without inventing a reference price. For your grocery list, the useful comparison is still clear: the least expensive recipe-building blocks are beans and canned tomatoes, while onions, beef and soy sauce are larger basket drivers.

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

The ranking also shows why the cheapest recipes are often built around several lower-cost ingredients rather than one large centre-of-plate item. You get more budget control when you combine Red Kidney Beans at $1.29, crushed tomatoes at $2.29 and chile powder at $4.79 than when you rely only on a higher-cost ingredient. For your next shop, compare the pantry items first, then decide whether adding beef is worth the extra cost for that week’s meal plan.

Price Comparison Table: All Recipes Side by Side

Budget Bean Chili Bowls are the cheapest recipe at $4.14 per serving, while Beef Chili is the highest-cost option at $5.79 per serving. Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of May 2026. The spread between the cheapest and most expensive recipe is $1.65 per serving, calculated as $5.79 minus $4.14.

This side-by-side comparison is the most important table if you are choosing dinner based on cost per person. Budget Bean Chili Bowls win on price because they avoid the $10.00 Lean Ground Beef line item and still produce eight servings. Beef-and-Bean Tomato Skillet sits in the middle at $5.39 per serving, giving you beef in a smaller four-serving format.

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

If you are meal prepping, the eight-serving recipes give you more cooked food from a single batch. If you are cooking for a smaller household, the four-serving skillet may be easier to finish without waste. If your priority is the absolute lowest cost per serving, you should start with Budget Bean Chili Bowls and use the Beef Chili only when you specifically want a meat-based dinner under $6 per serving.