After years of ordering out on the weekends my husband and I decided it is getting too expensive. So, to save money, we've decided to cook at home on the weekends. Does anyone have any easy, economical Saturday meal recipes?
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Leftovers Soup - save your extra veggies and meats in the freezer, then make a soup on Saturday.
Leftovers Pockets - Using crescent dough. Make two large rectangles with the dough by pinching the seams together. Add the leftover veggies, meats, and some cheese then wrap the dough to cover. If everything is chopped to the same size it will bake evenly and the cheese will melt it all together. You can brush the outside with egg or milk. Bake as directed on package.
Frozen Pizza with tomato & cuke salad.
All during the week that you cook, make extra. You are cooking it anyway so it takes no more time. Freeze the leftovers. I use a foodsaver. It keeps the food as though you cooked for the first time. You can get them for as little as 50.00 and save an enormous amount of money in less than 2 mo.
I shop and cook for 2 MRDD clients and I spend less than 200.00 and they eat off that for aprox. 3 mo. I cook a "regular" family size meal and freeze the leftovers in meal size portions for the days we have no time to cook or really don't want to.
Example: I will cook 2 meatloafs, I will serve them dinner then slice some off to make sandwiches for 2 days worth of lunches and freeze the other one for another day, Spaghetti or goulash, I cook 2lbs of the pasta & divide it up for several meals & lunches, Pork chops, chicken, bacon(BLT'S), chili,Taco meat, burgers, beans&franks, for example all can be cooked & frozen to use later.
Taco Soup
look up the recipe on the internet.
canned corn, canned beans, canned crushed tomatoes and a packet of taco seasoning.
Most of the ingredients are in cans, with the exception ground beef or you could add canned chicken.
You can cook the ground beef ahead of time and freeze.
Add and mix all the ingredients right in the pot and then heat and serve.
Thank you, everyone, for these great meal ideas. I was stumped before but thanks to all of your great suggestions I'm going to be heading in the right direction as far as meal planning for the weekend.
Lisa
i make potato cakes it is so easy and quick all you need to make are instant mash potatos made a little thicker then usual. i put green onions, garlic fresh or other wise. mix in bowl with 1egg . now roll potatoes in some flour pat into a round patty, fry in about 1/4 in butter and oil . keep heat med high. flip when you see outer edge of patty getting brown. to go with them i just make a salad.. enjoy
On the nights that I work I make pancakes or BLT's on crusty french sticks. In the pancakes I put bananas (can use other fruit), 2 eggs, a little almond meal for extra protein, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. I served the pancakes with ice cream and strawberries. I make enough pancakes so that the kids can use them for breakfast the next day. With the BLT's on a large platter I put the bacon, shredd lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced onion, grated cheese and chunks for canned pineapple.
for a casual meal that is easy and yummy you can make my chili dip. 2 cans of chili and 2 cream cheese in a crock pot or slow cooker. Get scoop type chips and go at it........ lasts for hours! for mine, i add fresh chopped tomatoes and green onions and a bottle of hot salsa too! This is soooooo delicious! Oh and put some ground beef in too if you want a meatier meal! (smile)
Get a bread machine and make a loaf of nice bread on Friday night or Saturday morning. It's easy and automatic, doesn't need any watching. You can add cheese or nuts or raisins, whatever you like, to the dough and it's delicious.
If you don't have a food vacuum sealer, you might invest in one. They are not cheap but well worth it. You can buy your meat in bulk then and freeze it up for weekend meals and also freeze up leftovers. I use mine all the time.
I thought "going out to eat' means: no prep, great taste/ fun food. Most of the ideas just sound like leftovers, not anything fancy or special. One day a week we have a "cheat day". We eat healthy all week and eat junk food on "cheat day" to jump start our metabolism. We usually get 2 combination platters(take out= no tip) at the local chinese restaurant for about $10.00(serves 4). You could also buy frozen foods to last the week. Examples would be chicken fingers, fish sticks, french fries or PIZZA! It just isn't saturday without the party food!
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