Recipes on a Budget?
By Lynda (crabby) from Kearny, NJ
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RE: Recipes on a Budget?
I have 2 kids . This recipe is cheap and tastes really good. Its about 5 bucks from the dollar store, using their brand of foods . Still good though!
*Tuna Casserole*
2 bags of plain potato chips
2 cans of cream of chicken soup 2 cans of water
2 cans of tuna
1 cup cheddar cheese
Crush the chips in the bag, then in a bowl mix together the tuna, soup and water, add the chips mix well, put in a casserole dish, top with cheese, (You can add sauteed onions for more flavor) also don't forget salt and black pepper to your liking. Bake this at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. To cut cooking time heat the soup and water up first then mix everything. It doesn't have the strong tuna taste like you would think, my kids love this dish I was raised on this dish LOL! Hope you like it.
Post by teffanyw
RE: Recipes on a Budget?
I raised a houseful of kids,so I know plenty AND cheap!
Here's a few of my kids' favorites:
Sheperd's Pie
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1 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
Salt & Pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1can whole kernel corn,drained
1 can early green peas,drained
1 pouch instant mashed potatoes
milk and butter for potatoes
A few slices of sliced sandwich cheese,
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1)Brown the ground beef,onions,salt and pepper
2)make the mashed potatoes according to package directions
3) Empty soup,peas and corn into ground beef mixture,stir and put in oven-proof dish.
4) Top with mashed potatoes,lay a few slices of cheese on top,and place in 350 degree oven until hot throughout.
Supper's ready,with a protein,3 dairy,a starch,a green and a yellow vegetable.If you need to make more,just multiply each ingredient the same.
By the way, this is so easy my kids could make it at 13!
Hamburger Stew
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Ground beef,diced onions,salt and pepper,all browned
Canned diced tomatoes
Mixed vegetables
Macaroni if you like it
Combine and simmer
Again,protein,veggies and a starch
Macaroni, Tomatoes and Milk
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1 lb.box macaroni
2 or 3 cans diced tomatoes,or tomato sauce or puree,whichever is on sale
1/2 stick butter
about 4 cups of milk, more or less
salt and pepper
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Boil macaroni in salted water until about half done;drain
Add tomato, butter, milk, salt and pepper
Boil until macaroni is tender
You can serve this with bacon and a romaine lettuce salad on the side
Again, protein,starch, dairy and veggies
Hope this helps.
Post by dollyslaffn
RE: Recipes on a Budget?
Lots of good posted ideas here! I became disabled in April and receive a very, very, very small amount of food stamp help. I use that for fresh fruits, fresh veggies, butter, milk and eggs. I get basic staples, soups, etc from my local food bank. At first I was ashamed to have to receive the stamps and go to the food bank but those things exist to help people so, depending on what and how much you need to eat to remain 'healthy', don't rule out the food bank if need be.
And as other posters mentioned if you could tell us what kind of foods you like it would be easier for us to share low cost recipes with you ;-)
Post by Deeli
RE: Recipes on a Budget?
Try going to www.5dollardinners.com the who site is devoted to making dinner (and other meals) for at least four for five dollars and under for the whole meal (not just per person!) you could halve the recipes or freeze half once it's made.
Also, if you have a Save A Lot store near you go to www.Savealot.com and look through their recipes. Very cheap and really tasty!
Also there's www.thehillbillyhousewife.com who has a $90 and a $70 week menu for emergencies.... also very good, I've used them myself. Lots of recipes. same with www.livingonadime.com All fantastic sites! Good luck!
Post by Shosha
RE: Recipes on a Budget?
Breakfast foods for supper once or twice a week are good budget stretchers and are easy to make. Buttermilk pancakes made with half water are the most tender things in the world.
For Salsa Egg Wraps:
I like to scramble 1-2 eggs with onion or garlic pepper with a Tablespoon or 2 of Salsa per serving. For each serving place eggs down the center of flour tortilla and add a bit of grated cheese, green onion, or a dab of sour cream. Extra salsa. Wrap up and enjoy. Filling and tasty.
Augratin Stuffed Omelets. Another favorite for a quick filling meal is to cook a box of Augratin potatos (Very inexpensive) in the microwave. In a bowl, Stir up with a fork one egg per person to be fed. In sprayed nonstick nedium pan, pour just enough egg to cover bottom of pan. Cook until top of egg seems fairly dry, and bottom is lightly browned.
Slide onto plate, and open flat. Fill in middle strip with au gratins and fold each side over middle. Serve with fork. MMMMMM
Blessings!
Post by italianswede
RE: Recipes on a Budget?
I have a lot of recipes that cost no more than $2 a serving! Let me know and I can share them with you!
Post by CityBudget
RE: Recipes on a Budget?
Here are a couple more websites to check out for frugal recipes:
http://www.livingonadime.com/
http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/archive/index.php/f-166.html
Post by RDLaure
RE: Recipes on a Budget?
Checkout http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ They have a lot of good ideas, recipes, and menus.
Post by RDLaure
RE: Recipes on a Budget?
Wow! $200/month for 2 people. That's not bad. I spend about $240 for 4 people. Shop the sales. I never buy meat unless it is on sale. I only buy chicken with bones for under $1.00/lb...boneless at under $2.00/lb. I use up all my leftovers. When I make a whole chicken, I take all the leftover meat off the bone and make pot pie, chicken with tomato sauce, BBQ Chicken Pizza, etc. The bones, I would boil with veggies for a soup stock. I make bean and veggie soup with the stock. I would then eat that for lunch.
Cook from scratch. Make muffins, pancakes, french toast, eggs, oatmeal for breakfast. I had some homemade oatmeal bread that was a few days old, so I made a breakfast strata with the bread, a few apples, maple syrup, eggs and milk. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com.
For lunches, I pack them for my kids and husband. My husband usually has a sandwich or leftovers. My kids will have soup, pb and crackers, sandwiches, fruit, popcorn, etc.
For snacks, we have popcorn, fruit, crackers, homemade cookies, muffins, etc.
In summary, shop sales, make food from scratch, use up all your leftovers. Hope this helps.
Post by pcheflm
RE: Recipes on a Budget?
It would be helpful if you would both post the sorts of foods you prefer to eat, especially with a 13 year old! Kids can suddenly become picky even if they weren't before. Do you guys like veggies, gravies, types of meat, bread, tortilla, etc.?
There are tons of recipes available but it would be easier on us to give you recipes using food that you enjoy, no waste then!
Post by wolfbytez
RE: Recipes on a Budget?
Lynda,
Keep good nutrition in mind even if still on a tight budget. 13 y/o kids still need more calcium than adults is one issue. If you can tolerate it, you can mix powdered milk with a qt. of regular milk for a savings, as well as eliminating or at least restricting meat from the diet for even more savings. Buy "staples" (rice, flour, cornmeal,pastas of all sorts, including Ramen and don't forget beans and legumes for good meat substitutes) to really stretch those $saving meals. Buy canned or fresh in season veggies for added vitamins and minerals. Drink water before and after meals because most people do not drink enough good ole"Adam's Ale". Cut out all empty calories like chips, candy, sugar,or what is known as junk food including colas. Limit tea and coffee.
Water will quench your thirst and you will soon learn to crave it instead of colas, etc. Plus your kidneys will love you and probably be your lifelong friends!For snacks, try a handful of mixed nuts (I buy them minus the peanuts) or even a handful of cereal(most are fortified with added vitamins and minerals)as well as fresh or dried fruits. Celery and peanut butter is a nutritious and good snack. Try to get a citrus fruit every day. Cut white potatoes out and sub sweet potatoes instead. These are not a true potato but related to a flower and does not contain starch. Much healthier and will keep you from craving white potatoes plus they are filling. Try sweet potatoes sliced in "coins" and microwave for about 4 mins on high then brown in a little olive oil in your frying pan. Yummy!
Eat two or three servings of fish every week either canned or fresh (or how do you feel about a week-end of fishing with the teen for some quality time and some low cost meals if you catch some fish?) You don't care for fish? how about shrimp,crab,scallops,mussels, etc? Eggs are low cost and filling and can be used in a zillion ways. Hope you can glean something useful from this post and good luck with your new found time with your teen. Hamnurse
Post by hamnurse
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