Quebec Cheap Dinners: Ground Beef Curry $6.71 at Maxi

Key Facts

• Ground Beef Curry costs $53.65 for 8 servings, or $6.71 per serving at Maxi. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Lean Ground Beef is priced at $10.00 at maxi 1 in Quebec. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Ginger is the lowest-priced ingredient in this basket at $0.33 at Metro. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Whole Water Chestnuts cost $1.50 at Maxi. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Curry Powder costs $2.50 at Maxi, while Cinnamon costs $6.49 at Maxi. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, May 2026)
• Pastene Canned Tomatoes San Marzano Style 796 ml costs $4.69 at Canada inc. (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 Dinner Here Is $4.82 Per Serving

The cheapest recipe in this Quebec budget dinner comparison is the Tomato-Beef Patty Curry Skillet at $4.82 per serving. It uses a $7.77 Seasoned Beef Patty from Metro, $4.69 Pastene Canned Tomatoes San Marzano Style 796 ml from Canada inc., $2.50 Curry Powder from Maxi, $1.99 Garlic from Metro, $0.33 Ginger from Metro and $1.99 Cilantro Coriander 1 Bunch from Canada inc. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

If you are searching for cheap dinner recipes under $7, this basket gives you three practical options without relying on made-up flyer prices or vague estimates. The Ground Beef Curry is the largest batch recipe, costing $53.65 for eight servings, while the two smaller four-serving recipes come in at $4.82 and $6.59 per serving. You can use these prices to decide whether your priority is the lowest cost per plate, the most leftovers, or the most convenient store mix across Maxi, Metro, IGA and Canada inc.

For your grocery planning, the key takeaway is that protein choice drives the final cost. Lean Ground Beef at $10.00 from maxi 1 anchors the eight-serving Ground Beef Curry, while the Seasoned Beef Patty at $7.77 from Metro helps keep the four-serving Tomato-Beef Patty Curry Skillet under $5 per serving. Pantry flavourings also matter: Cinnamon is $6.49 at Maxi, Curry Powder is $2.50 at Maxi, and Ginger is just $0.33 at Metro, so your best budget result comes from using higher-priced spices across more than one meal.

Recipe 1: Ground Beef Curry — $6.71 Per Serving

Ground Beef Curry costs $53.65 for eight servings, or $6.71 per serving, with the priced basket anchored by Lean Ground Beef at $10.00 from maxi 1 and multiple curry ingredients from Maxi, Metro, IGA and Canada inc. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. This is the best recipe in the set when you want a larger batch, because you can cook once and divide the meal into eight portions for dinners and lunches. You should choose this recipe when your goal is not only the lowest immediate plate cost, but also predictable leftovers.

This recipe uses the full priced ingredient basket supplied for Quebec, which is why the total is higher than the two smaller recipes below. Your basket includes spices, aromatics, tomatoes, water chestnuts and several protein items, so the $53.65 cost reflects a broad ingredient list rather than a bare-minimum dinner. If you already have cinnamon, curry powder or garlic at home, your actual checkout may be lower, but the costing here uses the full real-price basket so you can compare the recipe consistently.

Ingredients with Prices

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

The arithmetic is straightforward: the listed ingredients sum to $53.65, and dividing that total by eight servings gives $6.71 per serving after rounding. You get a larger and more flexible meal than a single-pan dinner, especially if you portion it for work lunches or freeze part of the batch. For budget meals in Quebec, that matters because the best value is often the recipe that prevents a second grocery trip later in the week.

Where to Buy Cheapest

Your best buying plan for Ground Beef Curry is a mixed-store basket led by Maxi, because Maxi supplies Cinnamon at $6.49, Curry Powder at $2.50, Whole Water Chestnuts at $1.50, Smoked Ham & Cooked Turkey at $8.00 and Poultry Pan at $4.00. Metro is strongest for Garlic at $1.99, Ginger at $0.33 and Seasoned Beef Patty at $7.77. IGA supplies Shallots Onions at $4.39, while Canada inc. supplies Cilantro Coriander 1 Bunch at $1.99 and Pastene Canned Tomatoes San Marzano Style 796 ml at $4.69.

You should not assume one banner automatically wins the full recipe unless every item in your basket is available there at the best price. In this costing, Maxi carries several of the lower-priced pantry and protein components, but Metro has the lowest tracked price for ginger and garlic in the provided basket. If you are trying to limit your trip to one store, Maxi is the most logical anchor for this recipe; if you are optimizing for every dollar, you would split the basket across Maxi, Metro, IGA and Canada inc.

Recipe 2: Tomato-Beef Patty Curry Skillet — $4.82 Per Serving

Tomato-Beef Patty Curry Skillet costs $19.27 for four servings, or $4.82 per serving, using a $7.77 Seasoned Beef Patty from Metro and a $4.69 can of Pastene Canned Tomatoes from Canada inc. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. This is the cheapest recipe in the article, and it is the best match if you want cheap dinner recipes under $5 per serving using Quebec grocery prices. You get a simple tomato-based curry profile without buying the full $53.65 Ground Beef Curry basket.

This recipe is built around six priced ingredients: Seasoned Beef Patty, canned tomatoes, curry powder, garlic, ginger and cilantro. The total comes from adding $7.77, $4.69, $2.50, $1.99, $0.33 and $1.99, which equals $19.27. Dividing that by four servings gives $4.82 per serving after rounding, making it the lowest-cost dinner in this comparison.

Ingredients with Prices

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

The reason this recipe performs well on cost is that it uses the lowest-priced flavour boosters in the data. Ginger at $0.33 from Metro has an outsized impact on taste compared with its price, while Curry Powder at $2.50 from Maxi gives you the main seasoning profile. You are paying most of the recipe cost for the beef patty and canned tomatoes, which together account for $12.46 of the $19.27 total.

Where to Buy Cheapest

You should start this recipe at Metro if you are prioritizing the protein and aromatics, because Metro has the Seasoned Beef Patty at $7.77, Garlic at $1.99 and Ginger at $0.33. You would add Curry Powder from Maxi at $2.50, then pick up Pastene Canned Tomatoes and Cilantro Coriander 1 Bunch from Canada inc. at $4.69 and $1.99. That split keeps your total at $19.27 based on the May 2026 prices in the data.

If you prefer fewer stops, you can still use the recipe as a decision tool. Your most important price to protect is the $7.77 Seasoned Beef Patty at Metro, because protein is the largest line item. After that, the $4.69 canned tomatoes and $2.50 curry powder are the next meaningful costs, while the $0.33 ginger is inexpensive enough that it should stay in your basket if you want the dish to taste complete.

Recipe 3: Ham, Turkey and Water Chestnut Curry Pan — $6.59 Per Serving

Ham, Turkey and Water Chestnut Curry Pan costs $26.37 for four servings, or $6.59 per serving, using Smoked Ham & Cooked Turkey at $8.00 from Maxi, Poultry Pan at $4.00 from Maxi and Whole Water Chestnuts at $1.50 from Maxi. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. This recipe stays under $7 per serving while using several of the more substantial prepared protein items in the data. You should consider it when you want a faster skillet-style dinner with texture from water chestnuts and a warmer spice profile from cinnamon.

The $6.59 per-serving cost comes from six priced ingredients: $8.00 for Smoked Ham & Cooked Turkey, $4.00 for Poultry Pan, $1.50 for Whole Water Chestnuts, $4.39 for Shallots Onions, $6.49 for Cinnamon and $1.99 for Cilantro Coriander 1 Bunch. The total is $26.37, and four servings bring the plate cost below the $7 target. Because Cinnamon is $6.49 at Maxi, you get better value if you use it in more than one meal rather than treating it as a one-recipe purchase.

Ingredients with Prices

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

This is not the lowest-cost recipe in the article, but it is useful when you want a dinner that relies on ready-to-use protein components. The $8.00 Smoked Ham & Cooked Turkey and $4.00 Poultry Pan from Maxi account for $12.00 of the recipe cost, which is still manageable across four servings. You can also stretch the value of the $1.50 Whole Water Chestnuts because they add texture without materially increasing the per-serving cost.

Where to Buy Cheapest

Your best anchor store for this recipe is Maxi, because three major ingredients are priced there: Smoked Ham & Cooked Turkey at $8.00, Poultry Pan at $4.00 and Whole Water Chestnuts at $1.50. Maxi also has Cinnamon at $6.49, which is the highest single pantry item in this recipe but can carry over into other meals. You would then add Shallots Onions from IGA at $4.39 and Cilantro Coriander 1 Bunch from Canada inc. at $1.99.

If you are comparing this recipe with the Tomato-Beef Patty Curry Skillet, the extra $1.77 per serving buys you a different protein mix and more texture. The Tomato-Beef Patty Curry Skillet costs $4.82 per serving, while this curry pan costs $6.59 per serving. For your weekly plan, that means you could use the cheaper skillet meal earlier in the week and reserve this version for a night when convenience and variety matter more.

Price Comparison Table: Three Quebec Budget Dinners Under $7

All three recipes in this Quebec comparison cost less than $7 per serving, with the Tomato-Beef Patty Curry Skillet lowest at $4.82 and Ground Beef Curry highest at $6.71. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. If you are trying to choose the best cheap dinner recipe under $7, your decision comes down to serving count: the $53.65 Ground Beef Curry feeds eight, while the two smaller recipes feed four.

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

The table shows why the cheapest recipes are not always the smallest grocery bills. Ground Beef Curry has the highest checkout total at $53.65, but it also produces eight servings, which makes it comparable to the $26.37 curry pan on a per-serving basis. You should use total cost when you are managing this week’s cash flow, but you should use cost per serving when you are planning lunches, leftovers and freezer portions.

For your meal plan, the Tomato-Beef Patty Curry Skillet is the best first choice if you need the lowest plate cost. The Ham, Turkey and Water Chestnut Curry Pan is the best middle option if you want prepared protein and crunch while staying under $7. The Ground Beef Curry is the best batch-cooking option because it produces twice as many servings as the other two recipes.

Quebec Basket Index: Staple Ingredient Prices by Store

A practical Quebec curry basket can start as low as $0.33 for Ginger at Metro and $1.50 for Whole Water Chestnuts at Maxi, with eight common dinner ingredients totalling $21.39 in the itemized basket below. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. This basket index helps you see which stores carry the lowest-priced supporting ingredients in the provided data before you build a full recipe.

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

This table is useful because it separates low-cost flavour from higher-cost bulk ingredients. Ginger, water chestnuts, cilantro and garlic together cost $5.81, which means you can add fresh flavour and texture without pushing a recipe over the $7-per-serving threshold. The higher-priced items in this basket are canned tomatoes at $4.69, shallots onions at $4.39 and Poultry Pan at $4.00, so you should watch those lines most closely when adjusting a recipe.

You can also use the basket index to decide whether a second store stop is worth it. Metro is the best source in the data for Ginger at $0.33 and Garlic at $1.99, while Maxi is the best source for Whole Water Chestnuts at $1.50, Curry Powder at $2.50 and Poultry Pan at $4.00. If your route already passes both banners, splitting the basket can help you keep the recipe closer to the itemized prices above.

Top Low-Cost Ingredients and Tracked Deals

The lowest tracked ingredient in this Quebec dinner data is Ginger at $0.33 from Metro, followed by Whole Water Chestnuts at $1.50 from Maxi and Cilantro Coriander 1 Bunch at $1.99 from Canada inc. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. Because the supplied data does not include separate promotional regular prices, the table below lists the current tracked price as the reference regular price and shows a 0.0% recorded promotional savings figure.

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

For your shopping list, this table highlights the ingredients that do the most work for the least money. Ginger at $0.33 and Curry Powder at $2.50 can change the flavour of a basic tomato-and-protein dinner for under $3 combined. Whole Water Chestnuts at $1.50 are also notable because they add texture and volume at a lower price than most protein additions in this basket.

The protein lines remain the biggest budget decisions. Lean Ground Beef is $10.00 at maxi 1, Seasoned Beef Patty is $7.77 at Metro and Smoked Ham & Cooked Turkey is $8.00 at Maxi. If you want the cheapest possible dinner in this article, you choose the $7.77 Seasoned Beef Patty route; if you want the largest batch, you use the $10.00 Lean Ground Beef as part of the full Ground Beef Curry basket.

How to Use These Prices for a Weekly Quebec Meal Plan

You can build a three-dinner Quebec meal plan under $7 per serving by starting with the $4.82 Tomato-Beef Patty Curry Skillet, adding the $6.59 Ham, Turkey and Water Chestnut Curry Pan, and batch-cooking the $6.71 Ground Beef Curry. Source: eezly real-time price tracking. This approach gives you a mix of low checkout cost, prepared-protein convenience and eight-serving leftovers.

Your first step is to group overlapping ingredients. Curry Powder at $2.50 from Maxi, Ginger at $0.33 from Metro, Garlic at $1.99 from Metro and Cilantro at $1.99 from Canada inc. can support more than one dinner. When you use the same flavour base across multiple meals, the higher pantry purchases feel less expensive because you are not buying them for a single plate.

Your second step is to decide how many servings you need before you shop. If you need four servings, the Tomato-Beef Patty Curry Skillet keeps your total to $19.27. If you need eight servings, the Ground Beef Curry costs more at checkout but gives you twice the yield. If you are feeding a family, packing lunches or trying to reduce midweek takeout, the larger recipe can be the more practical value even though it is not the cheapest by total receipt.

Finally, you should compare your store route with the price impact. Maxi is important for Curry Powder, Cinnamon, Water Chestnuts, Smoked Ham & Cooked Turkey and Poultry Pan. Metro is important for Seasoned Beef Patty, Garlic and Ginger. IGA appears in this basket for Shallots Onions, while Canada inc. appears for Cilantro and Pastene Canned Tomatoes. Using eezly's real-time tracking before you shop helps you check whether your basket is still aligned with current Quebec prices.