So I know we've discussed budget meals a MILLION times, but...

[StaceyinLA]

We are going to have 3 more people at home (stepson, his gf and the new little grandbaby are moving in) and I need some ideas!

 

We do lots of healthy foods so I don't want to do stuff like big pans of fatty casseroles, but I need things that are appealing to a wide variety of tastes.

 

I just need some fresh ideas for things that are easy to fix for a large family.

[Renee in NC]

In the crockpot:

 

Black Beans (dried and pre-soaked)

Salsa

 

Cover and cook on high for 8-10 hours. Very, very good - my dh HATES beans and he likes this! You can serve on tortillas or rice.

 

We eat lots of rice!

[FloridaLisa]

I cooked a turkey last week and have used it for well over 10 meals so far. It wasa big turkey I'd bought at Thanksgiving, but turkeys are usually less expensive than chicken.

 

First meal: hot turkey and sides

2nd - 4th meals: Turkey and broccoli casseroles (all homemade; no processed food); we ate one and I froze two more

5th - 6th meals: Turkey soup -- or more like stoup; we also ate some for lunch and I could have added more water and stretched it easily

7th - 9th meals: Lots of turkey sandwiches

10th - 11th meals: Turkey pot pie (all homemade; no processed foods; whole wheat crust); we ate one tonight and I froze the other

 

Another expensive favorite here is quiche. Eggs are a cheap protein, we use homemade crust, various cheese I've purchased inexpensively and frozen and usually broccoli. My kids love them! Leftovers make great breakfasts/lunches.

 

HTH,

Lisa

[SquirrellyMama]

Casseroles don't have to be fatty. If you have one that calls for soup mix you can make your own quickly with some flour, milk, garlic and pepper.

 

We love tacos w/ ground turkey and homemade refried beans.

 

Homemade pizzas are great too.

[OHGrandma]

In the crockpot:

 

Black Beans (dried and pre-soaked)

Salsa

 

Cover and cook on high for 8-10 hours. Very, very good - my dh HATES beans and he likes this! You can serve on tortillas or rice.

 

We eat lots of rice!

 

I'm not clear on how you make this. Can you give a bit more detail?

[Georgiana Daniels]

I love to improvise faux-Chinese. Chicken, rice, and veggies with seasoning. It's a great way to make the chicken stretch and use up veggies you have on hand.

[Impish]

One of my adored sites for economical meals, and there's vegetarian options is http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com she has week long meal plans for when you're REALLY stuck that you can follow or use as a jumping off point, lots of recipes.

 

One of the best suggestions I've found that really does cut down on $ is to use reconstituted milk in all my baking and recipes. You don't notice a taste difference at all, and wow, it does save money! My kids won't drink regular skim (neither will Wolf or I) :ack2: so reconstituted skim is even less appealing to drink, but you don't notice in cooking or baking. And here, 2% is almost $5 for 4 L (gallon for you Imperial folks) so using it up in cooking/baking is a major cost. Hillbillyhousewife gives you all sorts of ways to use powdered skim. And of course, powdered skim instead of 2% is less fattening, yet more nutritious than water! ;)

[Renee in NC]

I'm not clear on how you make this. Can you give a bit more detail?

 

Put the pre-soaked beans in the crockpot (however much you need.)

 

Dump in a jar of salsa (small, medium, or large depending on how many beans and how spicy you want it.)

 

Add enough water to cover beans.

 

Cook on high in crockpot for 8-10 hours.

[*********]

Spaghetti with meat sauce:

You can use ground turkey, a jar of spaghetti sauce, and whole wheat pasta. Served with green salad and fruit, this is a crowd-pleasing favorite around here.

 

Chicken tacos:

We like to use chicken for our tacos. It's healthier than beef. About once a month, I buy chicken breast on sale (usually for $1.69-$1.99/lb). I buy LOTS, and freeze it in smaller bags. Then I just thaw what I need, when I neeed it.

We serve the chicken with: homemade beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, homemade guacamole, tortilla chips, low fat sour cream, tortillas, salsa, and shredded cheese. I make lots, 'cause leftovers are great! In fact, this is for dinner tonight. :)

 

BBQ beef sandwiches:

Again, I buy a big piece of beef on sale, and freeze it until I'm ready to use. I get a cut of beef that has very little fat marbled through. I find if I use a fattier cut, not only is it less healthy, but the texture of the beef after it's cooked is, well, kinda gummy. :ack2: Not sure if that's true for everyone, but it's been my experience. Anyway, I trim off any fat on the edges, then just put the beef into the slow cooker with some bbq sauce. One thing I've learned, use a GOOD sauce. We like Sweet Baby Ray's. Our local store puts the sauce on sale sometimes for 99 cents a bottle, but the usual price is higher, so we stock up when it's on sale. A good tasting sauce makes a big difference; one time, I used Kraft (you know, the cheapie kind). Ugh, it was NOT good. Anway, cook it on low for 8-9 hours, shred up the beef with two forks, put it back in the slow cooker with the juices, stir it up, and add a bit more bbq sauce. Serve on hamburger buns. Some of my crew likes sliced cheese on it, I like to put a bit of homemade coleslaw on top. It's really good. And again, make lots, 'cause leftovers will be eaten up for sure. For sides, you can go any way you like. Sometimes I do roasted rosemary potatoes, with fresh veggie sticks and cut up fresh fruit.

 

Also, I've been meaning to try making bbq chicken. I figure it'd work just like the beef. Has anyone done that? Is it good? I don't see how it could NOT be good, but then I like anything with bbq sauce on it. :)

[*********]

And here, 2% is almost $5 for 4 L (gallon for you Imperial folks)

 

Wow Impish, I don't know where you live, but here (in SE Michigan), the local Kroger's grocery store has milk on sale for $1.59 a gallon this week. And that's any kind; skim, 1/2%, 1%, 2%, whole, or even chocolate.

Edited June 12, 2009 by bethanyniez
added my location

[cjzimmer1]

 

One of the best suggestions I've found that really does cut down on $ is to use reconstituted milk in all my baking and recipes. You don't notice a taste difference at all, and wow, it does save money! My kids won't drink regular skim (neither will Wolf or I) :ack2: so reconstituted skim is even less appealing to drink, but you don't notice in cooking or baking. And here, 2% is almost $5 for 4 L (gallon for you Imperial folks) so using it up in cooking/baking is a major cost. Hillbillyhousewife gives you all sorts of ways to use powdered skim. And of course, powdered skim instead of 2% is less fattening, yet more nutritious than water! ;)

 

You know I have heard so many people say that powdered milk is cheaper but I guess it really depends on where you live. Because for me, skim milk is under $2 a gallon ($1.99), 1% is usually $2.09 and 2% is about $2.29. I haven't bought whole in a while but I know it's under $2.50 a gallon. On the other hand the CHEAPEST powdered milk I can find is around $3.25 a gallon. I would love to have some powdered on hand for emergency uses but at the price difference I just can't afford the powdered stuff.

[AuntieM]

My cheap & filling standby for a crowd is chili. I usually make it like this:

 

1# lean ground turkey (<$2)

1# lean ground beef (~$3)

15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed (~.60)

15 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed (~.60)

8 oz yellow corn kernals, drained (~.40)

15 oz can petitie diced tomatoes (~.60)

1 pkg generic brand mild chili spice (~.50)

1 pkg generic brand fajita seasoning (~.50)

1 chopped onion (if I remember!)

 

I brown the meat with salt, pepper, the onions and some water to make it crumbly, then stir all the rest in together. Or, you can toss it all into the crock pot on low. You can dress it up by serving with green salad and shredded cheese and sour cream to top, that will cost more. What I've listed above is a little over $8, to cheapen that, go with all turkey meat (just be generous with your salt & pepper), skip the seasoning packets and use ground cumin and chili powder to taste. You can always s-t-r-e-t-c-h- a well-seasoned chili with more beans, more tomatoes, more corn, even toss in some celery... you get the idea. Skip the cheese & sour cream, serve with cut celery pieces and corn bread muffins.

 

I assume that in south La you already know how yummy and cheap creole red beans, white beans, chicken stew, gumbo and jambalaya can be... I can give you some recipes if you don't already have them.

 

I'd say it's time for all under your roof to learn how good soups dinners can be! And thanks for posting and asking this question again, there's always a need for economical recipes.

[AuntieM]

You know I have heard so many people say that powdered milk is cheaper but I guess it really depends on where you live. Because for me, skim milk is under $2 a gallon ($1.99), 1% is usually $2.09 and 2% is about $2.29. I haven't bought whole in a while but I know it's under $2.50 a gallon. On the other hand the CHEAPEST powdered milk I can find is around $3.25 a gallon. I would love to have some powdered on hand for emergency uses but at the price difference I just can't afford the powdered stuff.

 

This is my experience, too. I do use powdered buttermilk, though.

 

And ditto on the turkey, too. I can get a $10 turkey at Aldi that will last my family of 6 for 4 days as the main dish divvyed up like the earlier poster suggested.

[KingM]

I like the idea of the homemade pizza. I recently got a pizza stone and you can make a very tasty, restaurant-quality (or higher if you get creative) pizzas and it's very inexpensive to put together.

[AuntieM]

I like the idea of the homemade pizza. I recently got a pizza stone and you can make a very tasty, restaurant-quality (or higher if you get creative) pizzas and it's very inexpensive to put together.

 

 

I hope you realize this means you will have to post your crust recipe?

 

:bigear:

[Impish]

Wow Impish, I don't know where you live, but here (in SE Michigan), the local Kroger's grocery store has milk on sale for $1.59 a gallon this week. And that's any kind; skim, 1/2%, 1%, 2%, whole, or even chocolate.

I'm in Alberta, Canada.

 

And as for the powdered milk, I can get a gigantic bag of it...for about $12-15, last time I bought one. It lasts me forever it seems, in baking, cooking, etc...I think a bag lasted me 6 mths or so, and that's with making everything from scratch, bread, etc before my injury. That's equal to 3-4 jugs of milk here. I haven't bought any powdered recently, need to get back to doing that. Milk can range from just under $4 to just under $5 here.

[amy g.]

I can not post a recipe, because I never measure anything. My kids tease me that every meal is a "limited edition" that can never be replicated.

 

I make pizza dough or even bread dough and roll out individual pizza size circles.

 

I quickly cook them on both sides in a very hot cast iron skillet. When they cool, I freeze them until I need them.

 

This allows me to make a quick, inexpensive meal that is nice enough for company.

 

When we want to eat, I give each person a frozen pizza crust, and let them spread their own sauce. Then I put some fresh onion and garlic in the food processor with Italian herbs and give it a spin. Then I add a bunch of cheese, mix it with the spices using the food processor blade. I put toppings on a cutting block. This is a good way to use up a small amount of leftover meat or vegetables left in the fridge at the end of the week.

 

I bake the pizzas directly on the oven rack at 400 degrees until the cheese bubbles. The crust is nice and crisp. Everybody raves about it.

[stripe]

One of the best suggestions I've found that really does cut down on $ is to use reconstituted milk in all my baking and recipes. You don't notice a taste difference at all, and wow, it does save money! My kids won't drink regular skim (neither will Wolf or I) :ack2: so reconstituted skim is even less appealing to drink, but you don't notice in cooking or baking. And here, 2% is almost $5 for 4 L (gallon for you Imperial folks) so using it up in cooking/baking is a major cost.

Nowadays, the price for 1 gallon of milk is at extremely low levels (I've heard the farmers are considering dumping milk). I'm paying less than $2 for a gallon. So for me, fresh milk is cheaper.

 

I make a stew type thing with chicken (or other meat) rather than giving each person a "dry" meat portion. It stretches more, especially if mixed with vegetables and/or potatoes and served over rice.

 

I find Italian and Indian food inspiring, but I like those styles of cooking.

[Impish]

Nowadays, the price for 1 gallon of milk is at extremely low levels (I've heard the farmers are considering dumping milk). I'm paying less than $2 for a gallon. So for me, fresh milk is cheaper.

 

I make a stew type thing with chicken (or other meat) rather than giving each person a "dry" meat portion. It stretches more, especially if mixed with vegetables and/or potatoes and served over rice.

 

I find Italian and Indian food inspiring, but I like those styles of cooking.

Man, I wish that were the case here! I've yet to see our prices drop!

[KingM]

I hope you realize this means you will have to post your crust recipe?

:bigear:

 

It's not that much different than bread: 3 cups sifted flour, 1 pkg yeast, 2 tsp salt, 1/3 cup sugar, 8 oz milk, 4 oz water.

 

You add the dry ingredients, add the warmed liquids and then go through the usual rise, punch down, rise cycle before rolling it out.

 

The key is to cook it on a preheated pizza stone at 400+ degrees to get the crisp on the bottom, chewy crust that you get in a restaurant. A friend taught me this once when we were at a writing retreat and he improvised a pizza stone with a bunch of found, thoroughly scrubbed bricks.

(Off-topic, but this was on an island on Lake Ontario. Have you ever noticed walking around Lake Ontario or Erie how many smooth, eroded bricks there are on the shore? I want to collect a whole bunch and make a path or even a full pizza oven out of these old bricks.)

[StaceyinLA]

I have to say though, the price of milk here is around $5/gallon. I don't know where it's dropping but it isn't at my store.

 

Of course, we have a goat so it's not an issue. I usually pick up a half gallon of organic skim to keep on hand for days when we run out of our goat milk. We aren't big milk drinkers but I do like to have some when I need it!

 

Any more ideas for cheap meals?

[Jen in PA]

I have been using a lot more rice than I used to. A strangely useful jumping-off point is to look at the flavored rice packets at the store for ideas, then make up your own using plain old rice and your own spices and diced veggies. I decide which direction to go with the seasonings based on what veggies are on sale.... sometimes we eat a lot of Asian-inspired food, somtimes lots of Mexican, etc. I add diced up meat or poultry several days a week, and stay vegetarian the rest of the time. So it's pretty much a one-dish meal, and I always have a big salad (again, featuring whatever is on sale) as a side.

 

Mushrooms are very inexpensive here, so I use those for veggie fajitas or pasta sauce a couple times a week. I make lots of things with canned salmon, and with other seafood when I see a great deal. I make big pots of black or pinto beans for lunches. I'm big on soups and stews in the cooler months, but that seems pretty far away right now.

[stripe]

Eggplant! And/or zucchini, especially if you plant one plant, you'll be set for the whole summer, haha.

[lori in tx]

I have been using a lot more rice than I used to. A strangely useful jumping-off point is to look at the flavored rice packets at the store for ideas, then make up your own using plain old rice and your own spices and diced veggies. I decide which direction to go with the seasonings based on what veggies are on sale.... sometimes we eat a lot of Asian-inspired food, somtimes lots of Mexican, etc. I add diced up meat or poultry several days a week, and stay vegetarian the rest of the time. So it's pretty much a one-dish meal, and I always have a big salad (again, featuring whatever is on sale) as a side.

 

Mushrooms are very inexpensive here, so I use those for veggie fajitas or pasta sauce a couple times a week. I make lots of things with canned salmon, and with other seafood when I see a great deal. I make big pots of black or pinto beans for lunches. I'm big on soups and stews in the cooler months, but that seems pretty far away right now.

 

 

 

Jenn... I would love to hear some of you salmon tihngs you make and your asian inspired Ideas :D I am big on Mexican type food but would like to expand our horizons for variety :D

 

thanks

lori