View Full Version : Cheap Meal Ideas
Please post your cheap meal ideas.
Breads & pastas are relatively inexpensive filler uppers. Adding extras of these to your menus will help stretch the budget w/o depriving the family.
Rather than serving meat as an entree, you can use less of it as an ingredient in a casserole.
Grilled or steamed veggies over rice is a tasty, satisfying & inexpensive entree.
We enjoy a breakfast supper now & then. Pancakes or waffles (especially made from scratch) are inexpensive & *very* filling.
Meatless soups are another idea. Potato, tomato, veggie, broccoli cheese, etc., etc. Lots of soups w/ little or no meat!
We like a casserole w/ kidney beans, rice, cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper. Vegs on the side. I Don't recall how big your family is, but you just dump stuff in! Boil the rice; rinse and dump in the beans; add shredded cheese, and spices. It's filling VERY good, and needs just fruit or a green veg on the side.
Potatoes au gratin are also good. If you like, get a package of "pressed" beef or ham, chop and add. The brand name is Carl Buddig, but there are Save A Lot and ALdi versions. one package is about 39c (generic) and it adds LOTS of flavor to the taters. :-)
i have cut all of our meat in half-so what ever calls for a pound of meat i now use half a pound. that helps with health and $$.
Spaghetti is pretty cheap
institute a baked potato night (esp. when they are 99cents for a bag)
stir fried veggies with fried rice
Cut up carrots, onions, broccoli, bell pepper, celery, and mushrooms. You can also use pea pods, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts.
Heat (medium heat) a large pan with a couple tablespoons of oil. Add some chopped garlic and stir. Add about 1/4 of the onion and cook til opaque. Next add the carrots and stir fry for a couple minutes. Continue to add the veggies one at a time in order of the most dense. Add salt and pepper for taste and a dash of soy sauce. Once the veggies are cooked you can make a sauce with cornstarch and chicken broth. Add mushrooms, bean sprouts and water chestnuts just to heat them through at the end. You can also use left over bits of chicken or pork. If you use beef then substitute beef broth for the chicken broth. The sauce will thicken while it cooks. Serve with white rice or stir fried rice.
Fried rice is really easy. Start with a medium hot pan with oil and chopped garlic. Add diced carrots, onions and celery. then add cold cooked rice. Stir them until heated through. Add soy sauce to flavor and color the rice. Add frozen peas and heat through. Scramble a couple eggs and then add them into the pan. You can also use left over bits of meat to make it a chicken, pork or beef fried rice.
bean burritos with homemade refried beans and homemade tortillas.
Flour Tortillas
Ingredients:
3 cups of white all purpose flour
½ tsp of salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup of lard or vegtable shortening
1 cup of hot water
Instructions:
Mix the flour and salt. Mix in the lard by hand until the mixture resembles small peas. Add the water slowly until you have a soft elastic ball. You may need to add a little more or less water, but do it slowly. You may not really need as much water as you think you do. Knead until smooth. Cover with a damp towel and then let rest 15 minutes.
Make about 7-9 equal size balls. Flatten and roll each ball into a flat round disk. Cook on a very hot cast iron skillet. No oil is necessary. Flip when bottom side is golden, the top should be bubbling slightly when ready. Use a spatula to lift the edge and check for doneness before flipping completely. Keep the cooked tortillas warm by covering with a damp towel.
Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil or lard (I substitute w/ water from cooking the beans)
2 cups cooked Pinto Beans (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Heat lard in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until hot. Add Pinto Beans; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Mash beans; stir in chile powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add more oil to skillet if necessary; cook and stir until a smooth paste forms, about 5 minutes. Garnish with shredded cheese if desired.
Yield: 4 servings
Pinto Beans
4 cups water
1 pound dried pinto or black beans (about 2 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
1 slice bacon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin seed
Instructions
Mix water, beans and onion in 4-quart Dutch oven. Cover and heat to boiling; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 1 hour. Add just enough water to beans to cover. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until beans are very tender, about 2 hours. (Add water during cooking if necessary.) Drain; reserve broth for recipes calling for bean broth. Cover and refrigerate beans and broth separately; use within 10 days.
Yield: 8 servings
here is the crust...
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 package yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt,
5 1/2 cups of flour
Mix the water, yeast and sugar together. Let sit for 10 minutes. Mix olive oil, egg and salt in mixing bowl. Add the water-yeast-sugar mixture to the olive oil mixture, then add the flour. Knead or process until dough is mixed. (you may need to add a little more water). The dough should seem slightly sticky. Knead by hand for about 5 minutes on a floured surface. Let rise (covered) for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours in a greased bowl. Divide into three portions. You may then use the dough or freeze it. It's good for about 3 months in the freezer. I usually make two batches (6 portions) at once.
Then top with a good sauce (I use hunts traditional spaghetti sauce at .99 a can) and mozzerella cheese. You can have a veggie pizza or any toppings you would like. I also use the same crust and sausage gravy and cheese, add scrambled eggs and it is a breakfast pizza.
Bake at 500 degreesfor about 12- 15 minutes.
2 cans cream of chicken soup OR 1 can cream of chicken, 1 cup sour cream.
1/2 c. milk
canned biscuits, or make your own
whatever veggies you have on hand (I like broccoli and corn)
diced chicken (optional)
Onion, sauteed (optional)
1/2 c. shredded cheese
Combine all but the biscuits and place in dish.
Cook at 350 for 15 minutes, remove from oven, cover with biscuits and cook until biscuits are done.
Beef Stuffing Bake
1 lb ground beef
1 package beef or pork stuffing mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 small can mushrooms
1 cup water
1 cup frozen vegetables
Cook beef and drain. Put into ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish. In a bowl, combine soups, mushrooms, water, seasoning pack and vegetables. Sprinkle stuffing over beef and pour soup mix over both.
Bake uncovered @ 350° for 30 minutes
The easiest fudge around
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is a recipe I learned from my Pampered Chef lady:
Take a container of vanilla frosting and melt it in a saucepan, stir in a bag of milk chocolate chips (or any flavor - - make up your own concoctions). Then line a square baking pan with parchment paper, and pour the fudge in and place pan in refridgerator until set. It's soooo good, and tastes like you slaved over it!
breakfast stuff: biscuits & gravey, or pancakes, etc.
meatless meals are less expensive.
I think making your own pizza is alot cheaper then buying - and they taste better too!
Potatos are very cheap.... getting a 10 lb bag.
potato soup, french fries, hash browns, baked, boates with lots of toppings, mashed w/gravey.....
Macaroni goulash, chicken and rice, fried rice, potato soup, spaghetti, black beans and rice, breakfast stuff(as long as you don't use pork, that's expensive!), taco salads, meatless chili, vegetable soup...
Macaroni goulash - this is my cheap/filling/everybody likes it...I use one box of mac n cheese(I get the cheapo 25cents a box at Wal-mart), one can corn(50 cents at walmart, or less sometimes), one can diced tomatos(50 cents), 1/2 lb ground beef if you've got it(50 cents - I refuse to pay more than 99 cents a lb for ground beef, and I rinse it to reduce the fat content). I just boil the macaroni, add the meat, tomatos, cheese packet, and corn and stir it up until hot.
Chicken and rice...I usually use chicken thighs(probably about $1.69/lb here, and I use 1/2 lb, so 85 cents) for this, but you could use the cheapest - if it was bone-in I'd just boil it...also you don't need a lot of chicken, think of it more as seasoning than the main deal. Anyway, I cook my chicken, then remove it from the skillet - add about 1.5/2 cups of rice(I buy 5 lb for 99 cents and I can't figure out how much one cup would cost...it's cheap though), the equivalent of one can of cream of chicken soup(that recipe is on the recipe board, easy and cheap), some milk or water if I don't have milk to equal 2.5 cups liquid. Stir it up and wait until it comes to a boil, put the chicken in and cover...reduce heat to low and cook until done. I usually will have some kind of vege - green beans, or maybe a fruit, stewed apples.
Fried rice...I cook rice, then "stir fry" it with a scrambled egg, whatever veges I might have available(last week it was 1/2 a tomato, a carrot, and some peas), soy sauce, and bacon if I have some. You can also add meat, but it ups the cost a bit...however, you don't have to add a lot, maybe just 1/2 a lb or something.
danica:
ground beef dish
1 1/2 - 2 pounds ground beef
1 med. onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small carrot grated
1 28 oz can of stewed tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
elbow macaroni
brown the ground beef and add salt and pepper to taste. a dash of chili powder or whatever else you like.i also put in a about a tsp. of sugar. cook the onion and celery in some butter or oil until softened. drain the ground beef and add the onion and celery. then the carrot, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce....with about half of a can of water. (if you like it more brothy-more...more meaty-less) simmer over medium heat.
prepare the macaroni. i usually make a cup (dry measurer) when it is done drain and add to the ground beef mixture. this makes alot of food! 4 of us eat it with plenty leftover for the next day!
Ohiomom:
Beef taco skillet
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1 lb. ground beef
1 can tomato soup
1 cup chunky salsa or picante sauce
1/2 cup water
8 flour or cor tortillas (6 in.) cut into 1 in. pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cook beef and drain. Add soup, salsa, water, tortillas and 1/2 the cheese. Bring to boil, cover and simmer 5 min.
serve with remaining cheese.
serves 4
Budget crunchers I have some food dishes to share
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my cupboards are empty and I mean empty. We are on a squeaky budget and not able to fill up the pantry at all. So...I said a prayer each day so far, before opening my cupboards, that God guide me to making a delicious and healthy meal for my family and have fun doing it!
Monday - 4 cups of instant rice (4 cups because we have a big family), 1 can of Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup, 1 can stewed tomatoes, and one can of whole kernel corn drained. My dk's loved this and I just threw it together with what I had - next time I will add some roasted potatoes, and chicken for a fried mex. rice flavor! Very good for a no meat dish!
Tuesday - 1 can of canned milk, 1 can cond mush soup, 1 can tuna drained. Boil whatever noodles you have, drain, in pot melt 1/2 stick butter and add milk, soup and tuna, heat, add cooked noodles and some cheese if you have it. This is our tuna and noodle stovetop dinner -we used different noodles.
Wednesday - macaroni salad without the celery and with a can of tuna added! Great summer dinner and the dk's loved it!
Also trying a double chocolate cookie (lowfat and budget friendly) as we speak.
FlyinHigh:
actually started this last saturday with a few
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PB &J nights in between. Forgot tomorrow is wed. Losing my mind! Just checked the cupboard and it's going to be interesting tomorrow...
-1 box cornbread mix
-canned corn, peas, and carrots (not mixed)
-1 can chicken noodle soup (small can)
-canned chicken broth
-dry mashed potatoes
.....oh..oh...we'll have pancakes! Yeah!
Vegetarian chili-mac
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My dd loves this
1 large can tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
liberal dash of chili powder and black pepper
The spices can be adjusted to your taste and the ingredient amounts can be adjusted to fit the size of your family.
Serve this on top of cooked elbow macaroni
Turkey Loaf
1 pound ground turkey
12 oz V-8 juice (low sodium is fine)
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 egg
1/2 cup oats
small can tomato sauce
Mix all ingredients together except for 1/2 of the V-8 juice. Place in glass baking dish. Pour remaining 6 oz. of
V-8 juice on top then top with tomato sauce. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees.
This dish is economical, easy and my kids like it!
Red bean chili
1T oil
1 peeled and chopped onion
½ cup chopped carrot
1 crushed garlic clove
14oz can chopped tomatoes
1-2 t chilli powder
15oz can (drained) red kidney beans
fry onion in oil for 5 mins
add carrot, garlic, about 1-2 cups of frozen vegetables, chilli powder and chopped tomatoes and cook for about 10-15 mins
Add red kidney beans and cook for 3-4 mins.
Lentil Burgers
400g can of green lentils, onion, garlic, whatever spices you want to add. you fry the onion and garlic, zuzz it up with the lentils in food processor, add a few tbsp of breadcrumbs. leave 5/10 to swell, then just fry them till they are done - Makes about 4 or 5!
****This is some of what was discussed in chat today (1-07-06)****
Soups are a great way of making things go farther.
Hamburger soup is a good one
a lentil and carrot soup
chili
deer burger in the hamburger soup
red bean chilli-padded it out with veg
Spaghetti goes far.
tuna pasta bake
Cheaper meats here are minced/ground beef, chicken, sausages
Boil a chicken
save the drippings for broth for a soup.
chicken pot pie, just throw some veggies in with it.
chicken and dumplings, chicken enchiladas
You could always have a potato night where you bake a potato then top it with different things.
Grill chicken and then cut it into strips and offer it with other toppings, bacon, cheese, eggs,etc
All of the leftovers, can be used in omelets.
you could do tortilla wraps too.
I like doing bean burritos
omlette with potato and onion, etc
Bean and Spinach Enchiladas - VERY nutrious and cheap
cocunut milk
its VERY mild and healthier than creams
you can buy it sweetened but it sreally kind of non-descript
Thai chicken
red bell peppers
cocunut milk, thai curry and chicken - served over rice
egg on toast, etc for lunches
Kraftfoods.com has a recipe forum
WITH nutrition charts
quiche is really good and cheap
taco mix recipe
1 TB Chili Powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp EACH of Cumin, garic powder, paprika, oregano and sugar
1/2 tsp salt - I Leave that out
mix in a bowl
use 3 Tbp with 1/2 cup water to 1 Lb ground beef
Talking about a roast: It was deer. Just like beef, only I didn't cook it as much
It dries out if you cook it too long.
Rinsing cooked, ground beef
buy the 80% lean which is way cheaper and RINSE it!
cook your chicken in the crock
or over the stove
When chicken is done remove and debone and cut up
Get broth boiling again
make a mixture of two cups flour a little salt and cut in about two walnut sized balls of shortening
Roll out and cut into strips or squares
Drop into broth and cook for about ten minutes or so (with pot covered.
Add back the chicken.....Chicken Pot Pie
Pensylvania Dutch recipe...very thrifty
Makes enough to feed an army
You can also make it with bacon.....cook the bacon and add onion and water
Bacon Spaghetti
Take bacon and onion and fry....chop the bacon and onion first
When it is cooked add a can of tomatoe juice
Boil some spaghetti noodles while the bacon sauce is cooking
When noodles are done, strain and add to bacon sauce
Mix well and put into a pan to bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees
It tastes like a piece of heaven
I took smoked sausage and cut it up into chuncks, added some red bell pepper, some barbeque sauce and some leftover spaghetti sauce
It has been cooking in the crock pot
I will serve it over noodles and have some veggie with it...maybe a salad
I have a recipe with a chopped onion, tinned butter beans, tinned tomatoes, dried mint - served with pitta bread or rice
I did chicken in the crockpot yesterday so i could do my meals for the freezer today
I love www.hillbillyhousewife.com
How much chicken can you fit into the crock?
At one time?
cooked 4 breasts
6 chicken legs, thawed
1/4c hotsauce
1/4c honey
Tsss ingredients in a bag and shake until well coated.
Place on a foil lined tray and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, basting every so often with marinade.
Serve with cornbread and salad
Take one or two chicken leg quarters bought on sale. Boil them, keep the broth. Make a white sauce using the broth. Debone and cut up the chicken. Stir the chicken in, along with cheapest vegetable you have (canned or frozen probably best for this). Serve over rice.
Keep a container in the freezer to toss leftover veggies in (drained of the juices) and when it gets full, use it to make soup. Use leftover roast or chicken and the appropriate boullion to flavor it. Tomato juice in it, adds a very good flavor. Keep a container for bits of left over chicken and one for beef. Before you know it you have enough for soup. It doesn't cost extra because you already used it for another meal.
tortillas
beans
rice
salsa A very easy and tasty pico de gallo is a tomato, an onion and some cilantro
Cheese (optional)
Smash the beans with a potato masher or in the food processor/blender, add some S&P...maybe some garlic if you have a clove handy. Make up the rice with the salsa/pico in the pot to flavor it. Warm the tortillas in the oven or microwave to soften and spread with beans, add rice, roll and place on a lightly greased pan...top with another pan to slightly flatten and bake for 15 minutes so the tortilla is golden and toasty.
Sides of lettuce, fresh tomato, and onion, or more salsa and sour cream are optional...
This is surprisingly nice and made from store cupboard ingredients.
Serves 4.
200g grated cheese
1 large onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - crushed
800g baked beans
2 tablespoons of tomato puree
8-12 sheets of pre-cooked lasagne
1 packet of cheese sauce made up OR 1/2 pt of cheese sauce
Preheat the oven to 190c/375f/gas5.
Reserve 50g of the cheese
Cook the onion and garlic in a little oil until soft, mix with the beans and tomato sauce
Put a layer of beans mixture in a large greased casserole dish
follow with a layer of cheese and then a layer of lasagne
Continue layering until all the ingredients are used up (in my dish this is just 3 layers so i only used 6 sheets of pasta)
Top with a layer of lasagne and then finish with the cheese sauce and the reserved grated cheese.
Bake for 35 mins
Serve with salad.
StillJulie
10-05-2007, 11:02 AM
:bump:
deidrak
11-09-2007, 11:40 AM
Hi All,
A cheap yummy idea is
1-pack of chicken top ramen
2-3 chicken breasts, or whatever chicken you have
1 can green beans or corn.
Fry chicken, make top ramen, warm green beans/corn,
Mix together great!
or use the beef or pork top ramen, add meat, vegies and you are good
to go...
make a lettuce salad/jello salad or fruit and you are ready to go!
deidrak
11-09-2007, 11:41 AM
Hi!
One night about every other week, I do leftover night, I warm everything up
and let my children and family choose what they want to eat.
Sometimes I freeze the food to, and we have tv dinner night, with healthy
food.
deidrak
11-09-2007, 11:42 AM
Hi!
My kids love when we do eggs and bacon, french toast or pancakes for
supper. Something different and inexpensive
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