Inexpensive Meal Ideas

RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By Hillery (Guest Post) (07/11/2008) We're cutting corners, and trying to cut *way* back on our grocery bills. I just got back from the grocery store. $46 for a family for a week! It's much better than what it used to be (and it still sounds like a lot to me...) I'm making three meals for the week, which will each have leftovers, plus the option for different groceries. I won't go over everything I bought, just the stuff for these two meals I don't think too many people prepare: Chicken Mushroom Rice: 2 chicken breasts (bought frozen-9 for $6)-$1.33 Rice (Bag was $2, we're using 1/4)-$.50 1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup-$.68 1 Cup Sharp Cheddar- Approx. $1.00 Slice the breasts up and fry them in a tiny amount of oil in a saucepan. When they're cooked through (and possibly even browned a bit), reduce heat, add can of mushroom soup, and let sit. Meanwhile, cook the rice with a bit of butter and a splash of lemon juice.Serve layered: Rice, chicken mushroom mixture, top with cheese. Makes four generous portions at a cost of $.88 a serving. Chicken Curry Alfredo: 2 Chicken Breasts-1.33 Penne-$.88 Jar Prepared Alfredo Sauce-$2.00 Same thing- slice the chicken, saute it up, add sauce, doctor with spices and most importantly add a heaping spoon of curry powder. Add to penne. Serve. $1.05 per serving. I like the whole "calculating the price of a serving" method, because it helps you sort out what's reasonable and what's just too much to be spending on a budget. About a dollar per serving for dinner (much less for other meals, of course), sounds reasonable to me. More is just too much. Report Spam or Abuse cheap Post By m and m (Guest Post) (07/06/2008) Red beans and rice and if you have extra money you can add some summer sausage. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By Jennifer H. (Guest Post) (06/23/2008) I use all of my leftover dinner meats (chicken pieces, turkey, ham, roast beef, roast venison) and make into a pot pie. Pie crusts are cheap and easy. All you have to do is saute some onions, potatoes, and carrots in butter for a few minutes, add one can of broth (match to meat) and cook for 6 minutes on low, covered. Then add 1 c meat, 2 cups mixed veggies, salt, pepper, and 1-2 tbs flour to thicken broth. When thick, pour into pie crust, put other crust on top. Seal and flute it, cut 1 in slits in top, then bake for 45-60 mins. My family loves this recipe and its a cheap way to use up extra meat. When I make turkey for Thanksgiving, it cut up the leftovers into portions for this recipe and freeze it so I have it for many more meals. Same with roast. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post by gering_kimberly (1) | (05/25/2008) Contact Here are two recipe's that my mom use to make that I got before she passed away. You probley all ready have some of the ingrediants in your cubbard. These are good hits with my children, family, and relatives. The first is what she called: SUMMERTIME CHILI. ~1 Lb. Ground Beef-Cut up oinion in it, Brown meat and onion/drain. ~1 Can Ranch Beans ~1 Can Mixed Beans ~1 Can Mixed Vegetables ~1 Small 4 oz.can of tomato sauce ~1 Can Rotel (This is Hot, you may need to use only 1/2 can, it depends on your taste) ~1 Can of Minestrone Soup ~ 1/4 teaspoon pepper ~1/2 teaspoon salt ***Mix together all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low 4 hours*** Saltine crackers crumbled up in the bowles are a plus. The second reciepe my mom use to make is called: King Ranch Casserole ~1 Pakage Skinless/boness chicken ~2 Cans of Rotel ~2 Cans of cream of mushroom soup ~2 Cans of cream of chicken soup ~onion and/or bellpepper ~shredded cheese ~corn chips (abuot 14 oz.) (you may want to add peas, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, or other ingrediants...just depends on the taste and what you may allready have in the refridgerator or cubbard you need to get rid of) ***Broil chicken in water on stove. After chicken is done cooking, peel chicken in large bowl. Mix chicken with rotel, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, onion, (bellpepper or any other ingrediants you may wish to add) in a bowl. Spread corn chips in a baking dish, spread some broth from the chicken over the chips to moisten the chips. Spoon on the mixture over the chips. Spread shredded cheese over the top. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. By Kimberly Gering...and my mother Sandra Sue Gering. Oh..ya I almost forgot to share my mom's recipe for a fantastic desert...it is also a Big hit and cheap to make! She called it her: Strawberry Shortcake ~1 Box white cake mix~mix as directed on box ~1 Package (3oz.) Strawberry Flavored Gelatin ~2 cups (two 10oz. pkg.) frozen strawberry, completely thawed. ~1 Cup of miniture marshmallows ***HEat oven to 350 degrees. Mix thawed strawberries and gelatin together, set aside, generoulsy grease bottom of a 13x9 cake pan. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over batter. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Serve with cool whip or ice cream. Store in refrigerator. (This also makes a good baby shower cake, potluck dessert, or even a birthday cake, and it's easy and cheap!) Report Spam or Abuse RE: Cheap and Easy Sloppy Joes Post By Cathy Lee (Guest Post) (12/01/2007) 1 # Ground Beef 1 Can Tomato Soup Onion and Garlic Powders Salt and Pepper Hamburger Buns Brown hamburger and drain. Season with a few shakes of pepper, salt and onion powder. I only do a small shake of the garlic powder. Add the tomato soup and stir to combine. Heat through and serve on hamburger buns. \ My family prefers this over Manwich or other sloppy joe sauces and it is much cheaper. By Cathy Lee Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By Cathy Lee (Guest Post) (12/01/2007) Inexpensive Goulash - feeds 4 with leftovers for under $3 1/2 lb. hamburger 1 box elbow macaroni 1 1/2 to 2 cans tomato paste garlic & onion powders salt & pepper Boil elbow macaroni per package instructions & drain Meanwhile, brown hamburger in a large skillet (so you can mix everything together in it afterwards. Season with a shake of garlic powder and a couple shakes of onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. When done, drain and add the tomatoe paste. Sometimes I add a splash of water to thin the paste and mix well with the hamburger. Add the macaroni and some more salt and pepper. Heat a few minutes - careful not to scorch the tomatoe paste. My family loves this and I make it at least twice a month. Cheap and Easy Beef Stroganoff - less than $5 to feed 4 2 breakfast (or minute) steaks (app.$1.75 at my butchers) 1 can mushroom pieces (50 cents) 1 can beef broth (50 cents) 1 can water (use beef broth can) 1 pkg. brown gravy mix (50 cents) A shake or two of both onion and garlic powders 1/4 cup (approx.) sour cream (maybe about 50 cents) 3 cups of instant rice (make according to pkg. instr.) Make the rice first - this dish only takes about 5-7 minutes to make. Cut steak into thin strips, and fry in large skillet in a tiny amount of oil. Add mushrooms (drained) and a shake or two of both onion and garlic powders. Stir around for a minute and then add the beef broth and water. Bring to a boil. When boiling add the brown gravy mix and stir until all the lumps are gone. Reduce heat and add the sour cream. Stir until mixed, do not boil. Serve over rice - very good and satisfying. I usually serve this with peas on the side and bread or rolls. Cheap and Easy Barbeque Pork Sandwiches 3-4 lbs. Western Style Pork Ribs (buy on sale $1/lb) 1/2 bottle favorite barbeque sauce hamburger buns Boil the ribs until they fall off the bones - 1 1/2 - 2 hrs Preheat oven to 350 Line baking sheet with foil and shred ribs onto it. Pour barbeque sauce over and mix up. Spread out to one layer and bake about 15 minutes or until they don't look too wet. Heap onto hamburger buns. Serve with cole slaw or salad. This feeds my family of 4 two meals. Report Spam or Abuse Mexi-Mac & Cheese Post By Sol (Guest Post) (09/29/2007) This is a family favorite and so easy to make! Just get some minced meat and brown it. Add a pack of taco seasoning. Cook the Macaroni and Cheese according to package. Place a little of the Mac and Cheese on a baking dish (make a layer). Add the meat and then add the rest of the Macaroni and Cheese. If you have some nachos or tortilla chips, crumble some with your hands and add it all over the top of your dish. If you feel for extra cheese, add some more cheese on top. Bake it for a few minutes. SO YUMMY! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By mendy (Guest Post) (09/13/2007) Biscuits (a 4 pack of buttermilk biscuits is about $1.50 @ walmart) I like to use biscuits to make little pizzas OR You can poke or cut a hole in biscuits & fry them on each side to make donuts then dip them in cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar or even ice them. OR Place biscuits in a baking dish touching & pour about 1/4 c.melted butter over them & then sprinkle lots of cinnamon sugar over the butter, then bake like normal OR I also like to wrap pepperoni & cheese in biscuits or croissants & bake them in the oven to make pizza rolls. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By (Guest Post) (09/13/2007) I like to make tatertot casserole. Brown some ground beef and put in baking dish. Pour cream chicken & cream of mushroom soup. Place tatertots on top & bake about 30 min. After baking then put shredded cheese on top & place back in oven a couple minutes to melt the cheese . This is so good w/ ketchup! Sounds weird, but the kids love it. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By Dawn (Guest Post) (05/31/2007) Meatballs subs and salad. It's a favorite here, we eat meatballs and spaghetti every Sunday so what meatballs are left, because i make little ones, and then hamburger buns for the hoagie so $1.18 for 1 lb of turkey ground and .65 for 8 buns and what veggies are in the freezer. That's usually .79 a bag. This is what feeds a family of 4 plus usually leftovers for lunch for one or two. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By Saha (Guest Post) (03/27/2007) Baked Flat Mushroom This is a meal idea i came up with in my first year at University as a cheap meal for one or two. Take 1 or 2 large flat mushrooms per person and lightly drizzle with olive oil, bake for about 10-15mins on a medium high heat. Once the mushroom is baked to your preference place either parmasan or chedder over the top of the mushrooms and grill until browned. Serve with organic cous cous (made in the bowl with hot water and a tea towel placed over the top for about 5 mins), mixing the couscous with some organic olive oil. Also serve with raw spinach, making sure it has been thoroughly rinsed and tossed with a little bit of organic oil and sea salt flakes. This meal was a life saver for me at uni, its unbeleivably cheap to make, especially if cooking it for 4 or so people as you use up a pack of 4 large flat mushrooms and a bag of spinach at once. Also the presentation can be lovely for a dinner party with smaller portions for a started or even a main as the ingredients are really good for stacking. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post by mommamoody (57) | (03/09/2007) Profile | Contact I make a pasta and clam sauce that is cheap. Clams by the can are $1.10 at Walmart. This recipe is altered from a guy named Rhosgobel. This serves 2. You can use whipping cream instead of sour cream if you want, I only keep sour cream at home for all my cheap mexican dishes (chili and burritos) Garlic Clam Pasta Ingredients 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 1 6.5oz cans chopped clams (drained, reserve the liquid for the juice below) 1-2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed with a garlic press 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 1/3 cup clam juice (reserved from the can above) 1/2 of 50/50 sour cream/milk mixed together 1/4 cup Parmesan 1/2 pound spaghetti or angel hair Directions Cook the pasta. In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the clams and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and fry for a minute longer, stirring frequently. Add the oregano and red pepper flakes, stir for a few seconds, and then add the clam juice. Cook until the clam juice is reduced in volume by approximately 50% (a few minutes). Add the cream, and cook (simmering) until the sauce is a good consistency to coat the pasta (a moderately-thick sauce), stirring occasionally. It usually takes 2-4 minutes for the sauce to thicken to the right consistency; check the thickness of the sauce by stirring regularly with a spoon. When ready, the sauce should be a good deal thicker than it was just after you added the cream. Once the sauce is thickened, add the parmesean. Add the drained pasta, mix well. Ground Turkey Burritos Brown turkey with garlic and onion, keep it kinda chunky. Add chili powder, cumin and a little paprika to taste (can also add hot sauce or red pepper flakes to spice it up). Then add 1 can of drained pintos (beans stretch your meat) beans and cilantro. Stir and serve in a tortilla. Top with jalapenos or sour cream or cheese or salsa. Yummy and cheap! Cheap Salsa Ingredients 1 can of tomatoes drained 1 jalapeno (only include seeds if you like it real spicy) 1/4 cup cilantro 1/4 of lime squeezed 1 clove of garlic minced 1/2 tsp of cumin Directions Blend in a blender, add salt to taste. Keeps in fridge if any leftovers. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post by Alph (209) | (02/26/2007) Contact One other thing I just experienced... I checked out the cheese bin at a local grocery and found some Irish cheese, an aged cheddar, with no price on it. Digging through the bin I found several other blocks, but none of them had prices either. Then I noticed the expiration date: 2/13/07. I took one to the deli counter and asked them to give me a price, pointing out that the expiration date had already passes. The lady said, "Oh, this should have already been pulled!" and went over there and started pulling it. I told her it looked okay to me and I just wanted to get a price on it, and she said she'd mark it down, and how many did I want? I told her that depended on the price, and she said she'd mark them down to a dollar each. If they had been priced I expect the original price on them would have been four to five bucks, so I scooped them up. The moral of this story is, watch those expiration dates, and if something looks good but is outdated, ask for a deal on it. This works with anything... cheese, meat, whatever. If the date is out whoever is in charge just wants to get it out of the store. You can save money if you *pay attention*. I figure most folks on this list are here for the same reason I am... we aren't rich and need to stretch what little money we have. I don't want to rip anybody off but taking advantage of a deal like that is good for everyone. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post by Alph (209) | (02/26/2007) Contact Great ideas! Corrinehart (hope I spelled that right), while you are feeding that moldy bread to the ducks, choose a nice, plump one and pop a cap in its head. take it home, pluck it, and you can have an excellent duck dinnter for yourself and your family. I am not being a wise guy here, I am serious. I eat a lot of meat, and while I personally don't hunt, I love to eat game. I have fed bread to ducks and I never even considered it, but at times when my larder was low I could have brought a duck home for free. IMO if we are about being thrifty this is something to consider. Fifteen pounds of meat for the cost of a .22 cal. round. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me. My original thoughts though were somewhat less radical, and less hassle to clean. I like to eat the best food I can afford, but have spend most of my life living on a shoestring budget. Also (scold me if you wish, but...) I eat a lot of meat and seafood. Here are a few tricks I have learned. Canned Mackerel works in place of anything you might do with canned pink salmon, and around here it's about 79 cents for a 15 oz. can. I especially like it in patties. I mix it with finely chopped onion, Worchestershire Sauce (L&P; there will be no other in my kitchen), Tabasco sauce, and usually instant potato flakes. If I have bread or crackers getting stale I use that instead of the potato flakes just to get rid of it. Mackerel also works well in stew or sandwiches. It has a stronger odor than salmon so if a fish smell offends you, this might not appeal to you. Buy meat on special and freeze any surplus you have. And look at it closely: a recent 'special' at a local grocery store was on "80 Lean" ground chuck, and that stuff had at least 30% fat so it turned out not to be a bargain. Cook soups and stews in large batches and freeze portion sizes for later. I'm an old bachelor living alone, and lots of guys like me live on stuff they buy in portion sizes... stuff we used to call T.V. dinners and pot pies. You can make this kind of thing yourself and freeze it in portion sized packages and it will cost so much less and taste so much better. And it won't be loaded with MSG and other garbage unless you choose to put it in there. I just bought a couple of angus beef chuck roasts at a local supermarket on a 'buy one, get one free' deal, which I've found usually isn't much of a deal. However these were USDA Choice (unusual for that market), nicely marbled, and the price was right. I'll be making a large stockpot full of beef stew tonight or in the morning. I'll eat some, give some away, and freeze the rest... and I'll probably be eating this stuff a year from now. Potatoes... lots of potatoes. They are dirt cheap, especially if you get them on sale or at a farmers' market, and there's a million things you can do with them. They are a major ingredient in most of my stews and soups, but they are also great baked or fried or split in half and grilled with a steak... it is really hard to mess up a potato. Bananas... I try to eat one banana every day, mostly for pottassium. Some days I'll eat two or three, and I'm not really crazy about them, but they're cheap, ready-to-eat, they'll keep your blood sugar up and provide all sorts of nutrients your body needs, so heck, eat a banana! Here in my town ALDI went up on the price a few months ago; I think they're 33 cents a pound now. The other stores are 49 - 59 cents, so shop for bargains. Those penneys add up pretty fast. Chicken and Rice... An old retired Navy Commander friend from the South Carolina coast had this trick he called 'Purlo'. He'd put the rice and water in his rice pot (he had a big aluminum pot with a heavy lid he used only for rice) and toss in scrappy pieces of chicken. He'd buy a whole frier on special, cut it up, and fry the breasts, thighs, drumsticks, etc. The backs, necks, wings and such would go into his purlo. That stuff was soooo goood! I've played with it and I add a bit of fresh ground black pepper and some hot sauce, but this stuff works! Stock.... Don't throw *Anything* away! Unless it is spoiled, just about everything you have can be used to flavor up something else. Fish bones, chicken bones, beef bones, pork bones, veggie skins, and the list goes on and on. Make stock, or use the bones in dried beans... which leads me to..... Dried beans... Look these things carefully because they often include chunks of dirt or clay or small stones. These contaminants really foul up a pot of beans (and a stone can take out somebody's tooth) so must be removed before soaking and cooking them. Then rense them thoroughly. They are a bit of trouble. However, properly done, these things are wonderful, and dirt cheap! A big pot of Pintos or Kidneys or Octobers (my personal favorite) or Limas or Baby Limas or whatever, seasoned with a ham bone or ham hock, slow cooked and served up with a big piece of buttered cornbread and some greens... woohoooo! I feel like I've died and gone to heaven! One thing to note with beans: with the exception of soybeans, as far as I know all the others provide an 'incomplete protein', meaning one which our bodies can't use without something else. I am neither a doctor or nutritionalist, but it is my understanding that in order to 'complete' this protein you need to eat some kind of whole grain bread, and I figure corn is a whole grain (I could be wrong here, but hey, it wouldn't be the first time) so good ol' Southern cornbread oughta work. If you want my recipe for good ol' Southern cornbread, just ask. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By Denise (Guest Post) (02/22/2007) My favourite place for inexpensive meal ideas is www.cheapcooking.com. I use recipes from there all the time. Great comfort food. Usually very easy to prepare, and always good value. Enjoy! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By Barbara W (Guest Post) (02/21/2007) If you want an endless source of inexpensive yet healthy meals... go to www.savingdinner.com You will find some free recipes to try out, and really wonderful ideas to streamline your food preparation. There is something for everyone... from vegetarian choices, crockpot menus, and even a budget-conscious section. I love this website!!! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post by coreenhart (220) | (02/21/2007) Profile | Blog! | Contact My take on this is never skimp on the nutrition. You can buy ingredients for meals cheaply. Watch for sales, and then match coupons to the sale items. I got 20 cartons of free oatmeal last month that way, and 44 cups of free yogurt this month. If you go to the bread outlet, they might sell you a whole barrelful of outdated bread for $3-4. Some will be moldy, so take it to the park and feed the ducks. Try to get whole grain. Stick some in the freezer. Dry some and make bread crumbs for chicken or pork or fish. Make bread pudding. Cook macaroni, canned tomatoes and chunks of bread together -- we ate a lot of that in my childhood. All kinds of beans are nutritious, and you don't need expensive ingredients to make them good. Of course, I got a case of my favorite pork and beans when they were on sale for .40 and there were .40 coupons on them. With a can of garbanzos and some celery, you can have hummus dip. We do this for movie nights when we want something special. We are eating Oatmeal-To-Go that cost .50 per box with coupons and a sale, and we have 20 boxes! Ask the produce manager if he/she will sell you a box of culled produce for a reduced price. I have bought a whole lug for $2.00 lots of times. If you get all lemons, make marmalade or lemonade. Of course, save some to marinate some chicken. Beans and grains are nutritious and very cheap. A 25-pound bag of either will make at least 200 servings. I bought a broken bag of whole spring wheat for $5, and it makes a wonderful pilaf or sometimes I make bulgur. A hand grinder doesn't cost much, and you can use it to make whole grain flour from the spring wheat. It makes delightful cookies and cakes and pies. For bread you want hard wheat flour. Whatever you grow is cheap. Today (February 21) I am going to put up some pumpkin butter. We still have 10 large Kabocha squashes under the bed where they stay cool but don't freeze. They won't keep a lot longer since they've been there almost 5 months. So pumpkin butter, pumpkin pies, and lovely mashed squash as a veggie side dish for a year. Or I'll sell some pumpkin butter at the farmer's market next spring. My meal plan is this: See what's in the refrigerator. Now see what's in the cupboard. Try to put together 1 protein, 1 starch, and 1 veggie. Protein can be as simple as an egg. Brown rice makes a great starch and is available for about $10.00/25 pounds. Veggies can be all kinds of things. You can even forage in the wild for dock, asparagus, etc. Are there wild berries in your neck of the woods? Good luck! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By janice westbrook (Guest Post) (02/21/2007) MY SOUTHWESTERN STEW SERVES 6 1 LB HAMBURGER 1 BELL PEPPER 1 ONION 3 MED POTATOES I CAN GREEN BEANS I 32 OZ CAN TOMATOES I PK TACO SEASONING FRY MEAT; ONION; PEPPER; ADD TACO SEASONING STIRRING IN TOMATOES ,GREEN BEANS COOK UNTIL POTATOES ARE SOFT SERVE WITH SALTINES Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By janice westbrook (Guest Post) (02/21/2007) SALMON CAKES ABOUT $3.00 SERVES 5 2 15 OZ CAN SALMON I MED ONION I/2 CUP OF CORN MEAL OR SEAFOOD BREADER 2 EGGS MIX SALMON;EGGS;CORN MEAL AND SALT AND PEPPER. MAKE INTO PATTIES ; FRY IN OIL AT MED HEAT; UNTIL BROWN ON EACH SIDE THEN LOWER HEAT AND COOK FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO MAKE SURE THEY COOK ALL THE WAY THRU. SERVE WITH POTATOE SALAD I LIKE CATSUP; MY BROTHER LIKES YELLOW MUSTARD WITH THESE Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By janice westbrook (Guest Post) (02/21/2007) noticing that there are no vegatables in these recipes. CORN CASSEROLE 2 C CREAMED CORN 1 CAN SMALL PIMENTO 2 TB GRATED ONION I STACK OF SALTINES SALT PEPPER AND BACON DRIPPINGS COMBINE INGREDIENTS AND BAKE AT 300 UNTIL BROWN AROUND THE EDGES Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By janice westbrook (Guest Post) (02/21/2007) ONE PAN EASY MEAL leftover picnic ham three baked potatoes or fresh potatoes bell pepper onion trim the bone and chip PIECES that were not sliced for sandwiches cut into bite size pieces. place a small of oil in a pan put cubed pepper and onions in . then add cubed potatoes fry until brown salt and pepper Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By lzygranny (Guest Post) (02/21/2007) 1 lb box spaghetti 1 med onion 1 15 oz can tomato sauce salt 1 tbl cumin powder garlic in small amount of oil; brown spaghetti and onions stirring constantly not to scorch. when brown add water and tomatoes sauce and spices. allow to cook until spaghetti is done optional you can add jalapeno peppers my daughter adds prepared meatballs Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post by jmz2005 (159) | (02/21/2007) Profile | Contact I made patties out of a basic meatloaf recipe, just beef, bread crumbs, egg, diced onion, salt and pepper to taste. Brown patties on both sides. Mix cream of mushroom soup (can use cream soup of choice) and 1/2 -3/4 soup can milk, pour over top of patties, cover and simmer until patties are done, about 1/2 hr. Served with corn and mashed potatoes, with the sauce for gravy, and dump cake for desert. My picky family loves it. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post by cazpumpkin (45) | (02/20/2007) Contact 1. tuna, pasta, sweetcorn and cheese, 2. spaghetti bolognaise 3. spaghetti carbonara 4. macaroni cheese 5. risotto 6. casserole of pork,lamb,beef or chicken 7. hot pot 8. chilli con carne 9. lasagne 10.moussaka 11. burger and chips 12 fish and chips 12. hot dogs 13 pasta and italian meatballs 14, corned beef hash 15 bubble and squeak 16 egg fried rice 17 curry and rice 18 sausage and mash 19 quiche lorraine 20 spanish omelette 21 tortilla wraps with chicken and salsa 22 baked potatos with grated cheese 23 baked beans with anything 24 rice stuffed vegetables 25 faggots 26 paella 27 toad in the hole or mole in a hole carol England Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post by msburny (22) | (02/19/2007) Profile | Blog! | Contact One of my families favorites is linguine cooked and drained, tossed with butter, top with generous parmesan cheese and topped with stewed tomatoes, some garlic bread and a salad. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By Katie (Guest Post) (02/19/2007) sandwiches-my favorite being peanut butter and jam or banana soup-from a can or heat some stock and throw in some veggies, esp potatoes! pasta-pasta and sauce, cheap, easy and fast rice-cook rice, add veg or tofu you can probably find some good books at the library focused on this topic-i know my library has many! Report Spam or Abuse Request: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post by lewis_admin (1301) | (02/19/2007) Profile | Blog! | Contact What are some inexpensive meal ideas that your family enjoys? Answers: Pancakes for Dinner Serve pancakes for dinner every once in a while. They're cheap, and delicious! (05/11/2005) By Joanne Tuna and Noodles I make Tuna and Noodles for my family. It's inexpensive and quick to make. 2 Cans Tuna (not drained) 1 Bag of Egg Noodles 2 Cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup About 1 C. Milk (I never measured) Boil noodles. Drain. Put noodles back in pot. Add tuna, mushroom soup, and milk. Stir together. Cook for about 10 minutes, just enough to heat everything and you're done. (05/11/2005) By luv2craft Eggs, Home Fries and Toast We have eggs, home fries and toast for our dinner sometimes. We like breakfast foods all day long. Another one we like is tomato soup with saltines and also grilled cheese sandwiches with that. We also love hamburger gravy over pulled apart home baked bread. Add salt and pepper and a few diced onions on top and yummy!! (05/11/2005) By Arlene Chicken Fried Rice and Eggrolls I buy frozen eggrolls which are not really inexpensive, but a package goes a long way if serving just a couple as a side to your Chicken Fried Rice. I am a "throw it together and taste it" kind of cook most of the time. So I don't have a real recipe. When I make fried rice, I start with a couple tablespoons of Sesame Seed Oil, and a couple tablespoons of light olive oil in a pretty large skillet. Take a package of green onions, and snip them with a kitchen shears. Use the whole green onions. Add these to the skillet. Then add about 3-4 cups of cooked rice. This can be just cooked or leftover cold rice. Stir until it loses that sticky texture that rice has. Add about 1/2 cup of frozen peas and a carrot, shredded. Let this cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Beat two eggs with a fork and push the rice to one side of the pan. Pour the eggs in the pan and stir briskly with a fork as they cook. Gradually stir the rice into the egg mixture until it is cooked and mixed through. Add cooked chicken and continue to heat until chicken is heated.Add salt and pepper to taste. You could use beef, pork, shrimp or none of the above as it is good even without meat or chicken. I actually make about triple this amount, and then freeze the leftovers in quart size Ziplock bags. Fill the bags, then press the contents flat pressing out as much air as possible. Seal and freeze on cookie sheets. When they are frozen, the flat packages are easy to store in the freezer, and by pressing most of the air out, they won't freezer burn. Just thaw and reheat in your skillet when ready. You can add the meat when you reheat if you like. Green tea will complete the meal. (05/12/2005) By Harlean from Arkansas Sloppy Joes A quick cheap entree we have is sloppy joes. In our area, Albertson's grocery store has 10 items for $10 almost every week or so. Sometimes you can pick up 1 lb. rolls of ground turkey meats 10/$10., that's $1.00 each! Another item, we also can get 10/$10. is Manwich sloppy joe sauce. You can't get much cheaper than that! It's cheaper is you have coupons for the sale items. (05/12/2005) By badwater Tuna On Toast I used to make this when the kids were small and time as well as money was at a premium. 1 can Tuna, drained 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped green pepper 1/2 to 1 T. olive oil 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1/2 to 3/4 soup can evaporated milk Salt and Pepper to taste Toast Saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender and onion is transparent. Add tuna, salt and pepper. Mix well. Blend soup and milk. Add to tuna and bend well. Cook on med. to low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve over toast. Covers 6-8 toast pieces and Tuna sauce ingredients can be doubled. Delicious! (05/12/2005) By nolasandy Pseudo Lasagna When the kids were little, they loved lasagna, but it is so expensive to make. So I came up with a pseudo lasagna, and they loved it. Cook a pound of ground beef, add 1/2 cup chopped onions to ground beef and cook until clear. While browning the beef, boil one bag of eggs noodles and drain. Combine egg noodles with ground beef and onions, add 1 container of large curd cottage cheese, and one large can of tomato sauce. Stir together and add any spices you like (oregano, etc) (05/13/2005) By sjackie2000 Using Whole Chickens Buying whole chickens (fryers) is way cheaper than parts and you can make chicken and dumplings one night, then have leftovers over mashed potatoes the next night. Very cheap to do this. (05/13/2005) By Monika Bigelow Comfort Food From growing up being the oldest of 5 kids, I can give you some ideas that my mom used. First, Chicken stew with dumplings, I am not fond of dumplings, so I made a chicken stew and put dumplings in it. I ate the stew and the kids loved the dumplings. Also, chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes. Fattening, I know, but oh, so comforting (as was the beef and noodles over mashed potatoes) Then she would open and drain a few cans of hominy, chop up some bacon, fry the bacon out, get rid of most of the bacon grease, then dice an onion and fry it a bit, then added the hominy and fry all together with lots of salt and pepper. Fry it until the hominy is a bit crusty and then devour it. Very good. One of my own recipes also has a base of bacon. Same thing as above, dice it and then render it. Get rid of most of the grease, then fry a diced onion in the bacon grease until translucent. Meanwhile, have a pot of water on cooking the amount of spaghetti your family will eat. After the spaghetti is cooked to your liking, drain it. Put it back in the pot. In a separate bowl have ready 4 eggs and 1/2 c parmesan cheese. Once the spaghetti is back in the pot, put in the bacon and onions, then the eggs and cheese. Swirl in around the pot over heat until the eggs are cooked. (At this point you could put in some drained and heated peas if you want). Now you have a spaghetti carbonara on the cheap. It is a good meal, too. You could add garlic bread to the above and a salad if you like. Make the garlic bread out of hot dog buns that you have purchased at the day old bread store. Just spread them with margarine, sprinkle with garlic, onion powder and salt, then parmesan cheese and toast under the broiler. Another inexpensive meal is stroganoff. Buy minute steaks, usually not expensive and for 3 people, you only need 2 minute steaks. Slice in 1/2 inch strips, cook in a skillet with 2T oil, (1 if you are using teflon skillets) until brown, add a diced onion, cook till softened. Boil as many noodles as needed, then add to the skillet, 2T worchestshire sauce, 2T catsup, 1 can of mushrooms, broth and all, one can of mushroom soup and 8oz of sour cream. slowly cook, but do not boil, pour over noodles, add a vegetable and another inexpensive meal is born. You should also learn how to cook from scratch, get cookbooks that will teach you how to make things from scratch, that is the cheapest way to cook. Good Luck! (05/14/2005) By jaxi3 French Toast French toast is cheap. Another idea is Cream of Mushroom soup thinned with half can water or milk, heated and poured over toast. Optional sliced boiled egg. Another idea is dried beans cooked plain or made into soup, with ham bone or bacon. Split pea soup too. Tomato sandwiches in summer. Chipped ham bar be que sandwiches. Fried egg sandwich with or without tomato. Egg salad sandwiches. Stewed tomatoes with bread and little sugar. Scalloped potatoes are good too. Salmon patties or salmon loaf. (05/14/2005) By CHML Chipped Ham I live in Western Pennsylvania, we have a lunch meat in our area called chipped ham, I guess it is like spiced loaf ham, formed ham. If you can't get chipped ham, try cheep boiled ham. I just got chipped ham for $1.39 lb. Chipped ham refers to the thickness of the ham which is as thin as you can get it. Chop 1 to 2 lbs ham in 1 to 2 inch pieces, heat in some water, add instant onion or fine chopped onion till cooked. Optional is relish or sweet relish liquid to taste (small amount). Also optional is ground clove (very, very little). When everything is heated add part of a bottle of ketchup, more or less to taste. Also add water if needed. The ingredients are: Chipped ham water onion relish or vinegar ground clove catsup more water if needed serve on buns. I use all these ingredients. Some people use BBQ sauce, but I like this much better. (05/16/2005) By CHML Soup, Sandwiches and Pizza During ball season I am always needing quick and easy things to fix for the kids. Soup and sandwiches are always good, chili dogs and chips and homemade pizza (seems like it would take a long time, but I've been able to make it quickly and a lot less expensive than I thought it would be). (05/16/2005) Tater Tot Casserole I make tater tot casserole which is great as leftovers the next day. 1 1/2 lbs ground beef 1 Can Cream of Mushroom soup 1 C. milk Half a bag of Tater Tots Brown ground beef, drain. Put back in pan with Cream of Mushroom soup and milk and heat until warm. Preheat oven 350 degrees. In a casserole dish put ground beef mixture and place Tater Tots on top until covered. Bake half an hour. Serve with vegetable and rolls for a quick and easy meal! (05/19/2005) By Amber Macaroni This is my sister Cathy's famous recipe. Very inexpensive and tasty. It only messes up one dutch oven. Cut up a bag of bacon into bite sized pieces. Fry your bacon to your own tastes. Remove bacon and set aside. Fill pan half full of water on top of bacon drippings and bring to a boil. Then add: 1 bag of elbow macaroni . Boil till macaroni is done. Drain off all liquid. Add back into pan: one can of whole tomatoes (pierce the tomatoes so that the tomato juice blends into the macaroni) bacon pieces 1 can of tomato sauce. Salt and Pepper Leave on burner until tomato mixture is hot. This is really good served with cooked greens and corn bread. (05/21/2005) By Laura Mince and Pasta One my partner came up with: Fry up about 500g of mince. Add frozen peas and corn and whatever other veggies you like. Then add a basic spaghetti sauce or a tin of diced tomatoes and herbs. Stir in cooked pasta. It's enough for 6-8 people any leftovers can be frozen. (06/09/2005) By catwoman Pita Here's a great one I tried when trying to cut corners. Take 1/2 wheat Pita bread and stuff with pastrami and swiss cheese. Put in Microwave for 15 seconds. Whalaaaaaa and it's so yummy. (06/20/2005) By Cas Yummy Chicken Boil any type of chicken drain and shred with fingers. Add about quarter cup water let soak for a few minutes on medium high. Then put a whole tomato and 3 quarters of a med onion and a break off piece of garlic in the blender with a bit more water (a quarter cup) and blend away until smooth. Then add to chicken water. Let it lightly boil for about 10-15 minutes just so the flavor can set in chicken. Add as much salt as you wish put in piping hot tortillas and you have yourself a meal in that is less than five dollars and all you have to clean is the pan you cooked the chicken in and a blender. It goes great with tabasco sauce. A great cheap meal extender for this one is to add rice. (06/21/2005) By butterfly925 Lazy Day Casserole My daughter loves this. You can use any spaghetti sauce, but we think it's best with the mushroom & ripe olive variety. One small box elbow macaroni (cooked) 3/4 pound lean ground beef 1 jar Classico mushroom & ripe olive spaghetti sauce 1 cup mozzarella cheese Brown the beef in a large fry pan, then drain the grease. Add the spaghetti sauce and heat until bubbly. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well to combine. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, then put the lid on and heat until the cheese melts. (07/18/2005) By SusannL TUNA AND PASTA SALAD Cook some Rigatoni noodles according to package directions, Add a can of tuna, add some Hellmans (and it's important to use Hellman's brand), and some Tony Chachere cajun seasoning to taste. Leave in the fridge for a couple hours (the longer you leave it in the fridge, the better it tastes) and that's it! It's so yummy! (01/26/2006) By Rachel Pork N Beans 1 package hot dogs (any brand) 1 can baked beans (I like the Busch brand best especially the kind w/ brown sugar in it) about 5 slices of bacon preheat oven to 350. Cook bacon ahead of time (microwave 5min). Crumble bacon. Cut up hotdogs. Place beans, bacon and dogs in a oven dish cook until warm. You can also add other things to this (cheese,brown sugar, ect) YUMMY!! (05/04/2006) By Ashley Homemade Hamburger Helper I make homemade hamburger helper. All you do is cook a pound of hamburger meat in pan, drain off grease, set aside. Cook any kind of macaroni that has the cheese packet with it. we like kraft. Then drain , mix in the cheese sauce, meat, and some ketchup, however much you want, and thats it! (05/05/2006) By Caroline Quick Spaghetti I make "Quick Spaghetti" when I am in a big hurry. You can make as much as you need, and is extremely cheap. 1 Can Tomato Soup 1 Can Tomato Sauce (small can) Salt / Pepper To Taste (I like it with lots of pepper) Pack Spaghetti Noodles Put the soup and sauce in a small saucepan, and heat up. Add salt and pepper. (Sometimes I add parmesan cheese and garlic powder for extra flavor.) Boil your noodles according to package. Serve. This is my mom's recipe and it got us through some pretty thin times, and it's still a favorite! (06/05/2006) By Reece Lazy Day Chinese/Shepherds Pie Very quick and yummy... I call it "Lazy Day Chinese/Shepherds pie" (whichever you call it). For quickness, we use instant potatoes Hamburger cream corn Cook up your hamburger, layer it on the bottom of a deep casserole (or oven useable pan) on top of the hamburger add a can of cream corn and on top of that add the (pre-made) instant potatoes...which you can make in the microwave! Heat in the oven until the top is browned. DONE! Quick and easy, my kids love it! (08/28/2006) By Annmarie Potatoes And Hamburger Dice up some potatoes. Add some onion. Fry and drain some hamburger. A can of mushroom soup. Add a bit of garlic salt & pepper. Stir all together and serve on toast or with butter bread. (08/28/2006) By Autumn Noodles and Eggs Boil some elbow noodles, when done, drain and set aside. Scramble some eggs on medium heat in some butter. When eggs are done add a little more butter and the noodles to the eggs, add salt and pepper and a slice or two of cheese cook on low until cheese is melted. Very good and cheap (09/02/2006) By monica Noodles Whatever your favorite pasta is cottage cheese dried oregano garlic powder salt and pepper Mix the cottage cheese, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper and either heat in the microwave or in a skillet. When noodles are done place everything in the skillet to heat up a bit. If you don't want to do the "skillet thing" the heat from the pasta may be enough to melt the cottage cheese or you could just nuke for a minute or two. (09/03/2006) By Vicky French Fry Casserole 3 cans generic canned rolls About 10-15 eggs Chopped ham Shredded cheese French Fries/Hashbrowns Press the rolls into the bottom of a casserole dish; as my family likes to eat I make a bigger pan =D Cover with a thin layer of shredded cheese, then crumble french fries or add hasbrowns. Place more cheese on top. Beat eggs with a small amount of milk, if you like them that way, and pour on top of the rolls/cheese and potatoes. Add ham to the top and then more cheese. Bake at 400 until the eggs are cooked, about 20 minutes I'd say. Add more cheese, bake long enough to melt and there you go! It's cheap, it's delicious, and it lasts! (12/13/2006) By Shanon S Report Spam or Abuse RE: Inexpensive Meal Ideas Post By (Guest Post) (05/11/2005) Pancakes, eggs, french toast if your family doesn't balk at eating breakfast foods for dinner. Report Spam or Abuse