$5 (or less!) dinner challenge

[starwarsmomma]

How about we post our best FAMILY FRIENDLY (meaning the kids and hubby will actually EAT it! LOL) Main dish/dinner recipes.

 

Most recipes are for 4-6 people so be specific if it feeds less or more. :D

 

If it's not "healthy" assume people will supplement with sides or salad, etc...

 

I'll post mine in a few minutes. :D

 

 

OOPS! Apologies if this is in the wrong area. So sorry.

Edited August 3, 2010 by joyfulheart

[starwarsmomma]

This is DELICIOUS! And CHEAP! Great food for the unemployed. LOL

$3 Quick Sausage & Rice Dinner

 

This made enough food for me, hubby, and 3 starving boys, with a little leftover! The whole thing was under $3 to cook!

 

Aldi’s sausage $1.50, 1 can of cream of Celery Soup .50, 1 can of mushrooms .50, and 1 cup of rice and handful or two of shredded cheese! I didn’t use the frozen peas– our family can’t stand peas!

 

SERVES 4-6 (depending on appetite)

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup

2 1/4 cups water

1 lb fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced thin

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

10 ounces frozen peas (I didn’t use the peas)

1 (4 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained

3-4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

 

In a deep skillet (choose one that has a lid), combine soup, water and butter; bring to a boil. Add sausage and rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until rice is almost tender. Stir in peas and mushrooms. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes more, or until rice is tender and peas are heated through. Sprinkle with cheese and cover. Let stand about 5 minutes, until cheese melts.

[starwarsmomma]

Ok, this sounds dumb. and gross. and it isn't nutritious (but neither is junk food!)

 

this is what my family asks for when we are sick, it's pure comfort food. And a treat in our house.

 

It's so simple and so cheap, it is a great recipe to make when you have very little in the cupboards and need to last a few more days till payday.

 

 

Almost free Pasta with Bread Crumbs

 

 

serves 6 as a side dish, 4 as a meal

 

8 oz pasta, whatever you have (we use whatever is leftover from other recipes)

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp olive oil (i have substituted veggie oil without problems before)

1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic

i cup coarse soft bread crumbs (see below to make your own for FREE)

1/2 teaspoon dried italian seasoning

salt to taste

1/3 cup shredded or grated parmasean cheese

 

 

Boil pasta. While pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. add 1 teaspoon of the oil and the garlic. cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add breadcrumbs, salt, seasoning and stir to coat the crumbs with the butter mixture.

 

cook until the crumbs are golden brown (about 6 minutes).

 

Drain pasta and pour into seving bowl. Drizzle the remainging 1 teaspoon oil over the pasta. Add the parmasean cheese and toss well. Just before serving, add the bread crumbs and toss well. Serve at once.

 

**********

 

I make my own bread crumbs by saving the almost stale bread, the end pieces, even leftover buns in the freezer until I have a bag full. Then I put in a food processor and process small. Put on a baking sheet, bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes (stirring every 10 minutes) until toasted.

 

 

Also if you add some raisins and a handful of chopped walnuts it's an italian delicacy.

Edited August 3, 2010 by joyfulheart

[Daisy]

Well, this is difficult. There is no way I could make the first meal you posted for less than $5 here in SoCal. I'm going to guess with this meal. Maybe it would cost you less since you obviously have lower food prices? This meal would cost me about $8 here, but it definitely feeds 6 people. Well, I might be able to keep it at $5 if I went with tuna instead.

 

1 lb whole wheat pasta

2 cans salmon in oil (tuna if you need to go cheaper)

3 Tbl of capers

(optional additions would be freshly squeezed lemon & shredded fresh Parmesan cheese).

 

1 bunch spinach (cheaper than bagged. Just wash it yourself)

1 tomato

1 thinly sliced red onion

 

Cook pasta. Toss pasta with salmon and oil. Sprinkle in capers. Serve with spinach salad.

Edited August 4, 2010 by Daisy

[Homeschooling6]

Ok, this sounds dumb. and gross. and it isn't nutritious (but neither is junk food!)

 

this is what my family asks for when we are sick, it's pure comfort food. And a treat in our house.

 

It's so simple and so cheap, it is a great recipe to make when you have very little in the cupboards and need to last a few more days till payday.

 

 

Almost free Pasta with Bread Crumbs

 

 

serves 6 as a side dish, 4 as a meal

 

8 oz pasta, whatever you have (we use whatever is leftover from other recipes)

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp olive oil (i have substituted veggie oil without problems before)

1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic

i cup coarse soft bread crumbs (see below to make your own for FREE)

1/2 teaspoon dried italian seasoning

salt to taste

1/3 cup shredded or grated parmasean cheese

 

 

Boil pasta. While pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. add 1 teaspoon of the oil and the garlic. cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add breadcrumbs, salt, seasoning and stir to coat the crumbs with the butter mixture.

 

cook until the crumbs are golden brown (about 6 minutes).

 

Drain pasta and pour into seving bowl. Drizzle the remainging 1 teaspoon oil over the pasta. Add the parmasean cheese and toss well. Just before serving, add the bread crumbs and toss well. Serve at once.

 

**********

 

I make my own bread crumbs by saving the almost stale bread, the end pieces, even leftover buns in the freezer until I have a bag full. Then I put in a food processor and process small. Put on a baking sheet, bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes (stirring every 10 minutes) until toasted.

 

 

Also if you add some raisins and a handful of chopped walnuts it's an italian delicacy.

 

Thanks, I have some left over spaghetti noodles. I think I'll try this for lunch tomorrow. We can have a fruit salad on the side (okay, I mean a can of fruit cocktail:001_smile:)

[AlaskaGrownFamily]

Subbing!

 

Tonight we had ham/turkey and cheese croissants. Packaged refrigerated dough, lunchmeat, and shredded cheese all rolled up and baked. Salad on the side made it at least a teeny bit healthier! Ha!

[Night Elf]

$3 Quick Sausage & Rice Dinner

 

I have a simplified version of that. It probably isn't as tasty, but DH and I love it.

 

We use turkey sausage with less fat.

bell pepper

onion

rice

 

Saute small cut pieces of bell pepper and onion until translucent. Remove from skillet. Saute small sliced pieces of sausage until browned. Add the bell pepper and onion to the meat, just cover it with water. Cover and simmer 15 mins. Serve over rice.

 

Other than that, the only other meals we cook that could be done for less than $5 is spaghetti with lean ground beef and tacos using a kit.

[Susie in MS]

This is DELICIOUS! And CHEAP! Great food for the unemployed. LOL

$3 Quick Sausage & Rice Dinner

 

This made enough food for me, hubby, and 3 starving boys, with a little leftover! The whole thing was under $3 to cook!

 

Aldi’s sausage $1.50, 1 can of cream of Celery Soup .50, 1 can of mushrooms .50, and 1 cup of rice and handful or two of shredded cheese! I didn’t use the frozen peas– our family can’t stand peas!

 

SERVES 4-6 (depending on appetite)

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup

2 1/4 cups water

1 lb fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced thin

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

10 ounces frozen peas (I didn’t use the peas)

1 (4 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained

3-4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

 

In a deep skillet (choose one that has a lid), combine soup, water and butter; bring to a boil. Add sausage and rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until rice is almost tender. Stir in peas and mushrooms. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes more, or until rice is tender and peas are heated through. Sprinkle with cheese and cover. Let stand about 5 minutes, until cheese melts.

 

 

I will quote prices as best as my memory can. I shop almost exclussivly Walmart. Here that is the cheapest place. We have no Aldis or any other store I hear mentioned on the web.

 

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup (about $1)

2 1/4 cups water

1 lb fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced thin (about $3)

1 cup uncooked long grain rice (I buy the 20 lb bag so ?$)

10 ounces frozen peas (I didn’t use the peas) (about 1.5)

1 (4 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained (about $1)

3-4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded ($1.75 if I shred my own)

 

 

So that one dish is about $8.25 here.

 

I have never (not even 5 years ago) been able to do the $5 challenges and keep it healthy. Hillbilly Housewife was a joke for me. It was always double the cost for us than she had listed.

 

We eat a lot of beans and rice. We are very grateful for our garden. We hope for a deer this season. Have fun with your challange. It is always good to try to keep your expenses down. :)

[Homeschooling6]

Ok, this sounds dumb. and gross. and it isn't nutritious (but neither is junk food!)

 

this is what my family asks for when we are sick, it's pure comfort food. And a treat in our house.

 

It's so simple and so cheap, it is a great recipe to make when you have very little in the cupboards and need to last a few more days till payday.

 

 

Almost free Pasta with Bread Crumbs

 

 

serves 6 as a side dish, 4 as a meal

 

8 oz pasta, whatever you have (we use whatever is leftover from other recipes)

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp olive oil (i have substituted veggie oil without problems before)

1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic

i cup coarse soft bread crumbs (see below to make your own for FREE)

1/2 teaspoon dried italian seasoning

salt to taste

1/3 cup shredded or grated parmasean cheese

 

 

Boil pasta. While pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. add 1 teaspoon of the oil and the garlic. cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add breadcrumbs, salt, seasoning and stir to coat the crumbs with the butter mixture.

 

cook until the crumbs are golden brown (about 6 minutes).

 

Drain pasta and pour into seving bowl. Drizzle the remainging 1 teaspoon oil over the pasta. Add the parmasean cheese and toss well. Just before serving, add the bread crumbs and toss well. Serve at once.

 

**********

 

I make my own bread crumbs by saving the almost stale bread, the end pieces, even leftover buns in the freezer until I have a bag full. Then I put in a food processor and process small. Put on a baking sheet, bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes (stirring every 10 minutes) until toasted.

 

 

Also if you add some raisins and a handful of chopped walnuts it's an italian delicacy.

 

This was a hit. The children loved it. Next time I'm going to add chicken and fresh mushrooms (I know the cost will go up) and add some flax;).

Thanks!

[MelanieM]

Our dinner (and my lunch!) today was healthy, totally yummy and very inexpensive. I don't measure ingredients, but here's a rough sketch of what I made.

 

Ingredients:

 

red lentils

1 can whole tomatoes (mash with fork before adding to pan)

chopped veggies (I used onion, zuccini and mushroom)

butter

cream

cumin

cayenne pepper

curry

garlic

s&p

 

1. Place red lentils in a pot, cover with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cook until tender -- approx. 10 minutes. Drain. Add butter, splash of cream, garlic, s&p, curry and a pinch of cayenne. Mash.

2. Heat butter (or oil) in a skillet. Toss in chopped veggies and cook for a couple of minutes. Add can of tomatoes (mash with a fork before adding), garlic, cumin, s&p, pinch of cayenne and simmer on low to allow flavours to combine.

 

Serving options:

 

1. Scoop lentils and sauce into a bowl and serve with a side of corn bread.

2. Place a little grated cheese on a soft tortilla, add a layer of lentils, top with tomato veggie sauce.

[starwarsmomma]

I've been reading recipes from the depression and there is definately a pattern of most recipes used.

 

They seemed to stretch EVERYTHING with potatoes, beans, rice or pasta and lots of bread on the side. Add veggies to everything possible as they even understood the importance of veggies. Back then, most people owned chickens and ate lots of eggs for protien (free).

 

I know some of ya'll live in areas where food is more expesive, but hopefully some of these recipes will at least HELP your grocery budget a little. :D Every little bit helps!

 

 

Here's a recipe that was given to me that our family LOVES... even my hubby who HATES meatloaf or anything liek it loves this. Do try it. YUMMMMMM (we use regular rice-- cheaper-- or serve over mashed potatoes. Kids prefer the potatoes)

 

Here's what she wrote...

Here is one of our favorite 'mistakes"...newly married I was trying to make meat loaf, it came out way too runny so I ended up frying it and pouring the gravy over the top of it and some brown rice, it is now one of our comfort foods.

Burger patties and gravy

 

 

1-2 lbs of ground turkey (or beef)

1/2 to 1 chopped bell pepper, frozen or fresh both work fine.

couple tablespoons chopped onion or pack of onion soup mix(optional)

1-2 eggs (optional)

crushed croutons or bread crumbs if needing to make go further

salt and pepper, etc

 

1 large can of cream of mushroom soup, I use two when wanting leftovers or lots of gravy...

 

1-2 cups of rice, I use 2 cups most of the time to save on propane and then use leftover rice for another meal or leftover patties the next day.

 

mix the ground meat and seasonings, and optional bread crumbs & eggs, fry in large pan until done, add cream of mushroom soup, I may or may not add half can of milk and a dab of butter, and heat and keep warm.

serve over rice, our favorite veggie is green beans with it, yum!

I have made this dish many times, adding or deleting ingredients if didn't have on hand, the only one that seems to have be constant for certain flavor is the bell pepper and mushroom soup.

Whenever I have extra mushrooms that may not get used up quick enough, I chop very small, sautee them up in some butter or margarine, touch of salt, then put on cookie sheet in freezer till frozen, then place into freezer safe bags. I add handfulls of them to all kinds of dishes, and they really add a kick of hearty flavor! (and for those who hate mushrooms but love the flavor, they are hard to distinguish other than for the exceptional looky loo's)....I use a homemade dry cream of mushroom soup mix when not in major hurry and that saves even more $.

[zookeeperof3]

Roll out french bread dough ( home made or pillsbury) fill it with the "garbage" from your fridge, leftover ham/chicken/salami/veggies etc. sprinkle in some cheese or tomato sauce or both. roll up into a log and bake until done. My kids favorite is pepperoni and cheese and ham and cheese.

 

We make this a lot in the winter for lunch with a salad and fruit to round it out.

Kim

ETA If you are cheap like me and have bread dough in the freezer, the cost is about .50. If you buy Pillsbury dough it's about $1.69. Plus the cost of your leftovers.

Edited August 5, 2010 by zookeeperof3

[Ohdanigirl]

Well, this is difficult. There is no way I could make the first meal you posted for less than $5 here in SoCal. I'm going to guess with this meal. Maybe it would cost you less since you obviously have lower food prices? This meal would cost me about $8 here, but it definitely feeds 6 people. Well, I might be able to keep it at $5 if I went with tuna instead.

 

1 lb whole wheat pasta

2 cans salmon in oil (tuna if you need to go cheaper)

3 Tbl of capers

(optional additions would be freshly squeezed lemon & shredded fresh Parmesan cheese).

 

1 bunch spinach (cheaper than bagged. Just wash it yourself)

1 tomato

1 thinly sliced red onion

 

Cook pasta. Toss pasta with salmon and oil. Sprinkle in capers. Serve with spinach salad.

 

hmmmn.:tongue_smilie:

 

 

I am so with you on those So Cal prices.

[starwarsmomma]

Corn fritters are easy and versatile. I used to make them frequently and we ate them with sweet Thai chili sauce. I started making them after having them in a restaurant. There are a lot of variations using different herbs and spices, but the basic recipe I made was:

 

1 C. flour ( self rising or add 1 tsp baking powder)

1 can creamed corn

1 egg

pinch of salt and pepper

1 T. or more water if needed for consistancy

Butter or oil for flying

 

If you have some left over, cooked chicken, thin strips can be placed on top before serving and topped with sweet Thai chili sauce. Even better- add some sliced avocado. If you do an internet search you can find a lot of variations.

 

 

And one more....

 

 

 

My grandma used to make this. It's called (in English) Mushrooms & macaroni.

In a large skillet put about 2 Tbs. oil, 1 clove crushed garlic and about 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms. Saute till mushrooms are tender then add 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes juice and all, salt & pepper to taste and about 1/4 tsp. Oregano. Heat through. Serve over cooked spaghetti.

[silliness7]

Welsh Rabbit aka Rarebit is one of my all time favorite meals.

 

You make a white sauce with 1/2 c. butter, 1/2 c. flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper and 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, 3 cups of milk. Then melt in 4 cups of cheddar cheese. Serve over toast.

 

butter = 50 cents

milk is $1.89 a gallon. that's 4 quarts and there are 4 cups in a quart right? So that's less than 1/4 of the gallon. so 40 cents?

cheese at Sam's club is $2.50 a pound. I think 1 pound is 4 cups. The other ingredients are negligible.

1 loaf of Aldi wheat bread (not whole wheat) is 1.00

 

A can of frozen OJ is $1.00

 

This meal feeds our family of 9 and my picky eaters LOVE IT!!

Final cost: $5.40 Of course it's heavy on dairy. If you don't live in dairy country it might be significantly more pricey.

[Milknhoney]

A whole fryer chicken is $.88/lb at the grocery store. 5 lb bag of potatoes is around $2. Bag of frozen vegetables from Walmart $1.

 

Or instead of baked potatoes, a $1 package of pasta. Cook the chicken in the crock pot and then toss the pasta with the juice from the chicken. Yum!!

[mammaofbean]

fried rice!

 

1 lb of tofu cubed brushed with oil and baked at 350 for 45 minutes on a baking sheet ($1)

2 cloves of garlic minced (about $.25)

1 teaspoon of minced ginger (about $ .10)

1 c frozen vegetables (varies maybe $1)

4 cups of cooked rice ($1)

soy sauce (marginal)

drizzle of olive oil or other cooking oil (marginal)

 

olive oil in large med hot skillet. add ginger and garlic, stir. add froz veg, stir until fried. add tofu, stir. add rice on top and drizzle in soy sauce. stir until well mixed and heated through.

 

cold leftover rice works best for this.

 

slightly more expensive cilantro lime variation:

 

omit the ginger and soy sauce

use chopped onion chopped tomato and frozen corn for the veg

add salt to veg and to rice. after done frying add chopped cilantro and the juice of a lime (taste for best flavor, limes vary greatly in size and juice output!)

 

this is good on its own or with black beans

[Susie in MS]

I've been reading recipes from the depression and there is definately a pattern of most recipes used.

 

They seemed to stretch EVERYTHING with potatoes, beans, rice or pasta and lots of bread on the side. Add veggies to everything possible as they even understood the importance of veggies. Back then, most people owned chickens and ate lots of eggs for protien (free).

.

 

This is very true and it is how I have spent most of my married life cooking till my last child was born with stomach issues and we had to get rid of gluten. As she is healing we are slowly bringing gluten back into the house, but keeping it away from her for the most part.

 

Another food good for stretching meals is homemade gravy. That can make a plane pot of rice tasty.

 

Chicken eggs now a days are nowhere near free unless you have lots of room for them to free range. We tried that in our yard and they ate up the garden! :eek: So back in the pen they went. Feed is so expensive that it is cheaper to buy eggs. :001_huh:

 

One tip I have that can lessen expenses is when cooking white gravies (sauces) cut your milk use in half with water.

 

Many days our grocery cart consisted of:

 

a bag of flour (for gravy and bread)

corn meal

bags of beans

20 lbs rice

10 lb bag of chicken quarters (way less than fryers)

grits (NOT instant)

eggs

tuna and lunch meat (for my dh's work lunches)

carrots (the cheapest veggie here)

potatoes

peanut butter

veggie oil

butter

powder milk

 

With this you get creative. :) Keep large containers of cheap seasons on hand; garlic, onion flakes, etc. (If budget allows have fresh garlic and onions)

 

Chicken stew with rice,

beans (different kinds) and rice,

rice pilaf,

baked taters,

mashed taters with gravy,

baked chicken and taters,

chicken rice pilaf,

tuna salad (made with homemade mayo),

corn bread,

grit and eggs,

pancakes,

biscuits.

[JoyfulMama]

This could be $5 or under depending on your prices.

 

1 lb ground beef ($1 on sale)

1 jar salsa ($2 on sale)

1 bag Hanover Tex-Mex frozen vegetables ($1.50)

2 cups rice ($.50)

 

Brown beef. Add salsa, frozen veggies, and a bit of water. Heat through. Serve atop hot rice.

Can serve with salad and/or cornbread.

[Holly]

We had some bills pop up last month and no money for groceries. I found this site and it had some great ideas! It's pretty much old-fashioned cooking. I didn't follow it exactly, but I think I learned a lot with it. I spent under $25 dollars at the store and we had no problem making it through the week. My favorite tip was to buy bacon ends and pieces...a $6 box has lasted us 2 weeks (with lots of use)!

http://www.menus4moms.com/frugal/meals_for_hard_times_1.php

 

A favorite here is Hamburger Hash. I melt a little butter (or oil) in a skillet, then add a pound of hamburger and a bunch of diced potatoes (I usually do 4 or 5). For seasoning, I add a bit of Chili powder, paprika, and salt and pepper. You break up the meat as it browns, then cook it a bit with the lid on (to get the potatoes tender). After they are almost cooked, I cook it the rest of the way with the lid off to brown the potatoes a bit. It's delicious with peas.

 

I also make "tacos" that everyone loves. I basically use whatever is in the house...a bit of meat, veggies, and cheese. We had some Italian ones that were delicious! They had Italian sausage, bell peppers, onions, and mozza. The sausage was from the links you buy in the store (I use 2 links per meal and they are great for pizza and pasta too). I keep lots of tortillas in the freezer, but I've also made my own in a pinch. I also make up my own stir-fry dishes using up any leftovers. These are both great ways to use up veggies at the end of the week.

 

Our quick meal to keep on hand (our closest fast food is 40 miles) is a big can of chicken and Chicken Helper fried rice. It's actually pretty good and I like that everything can be kept in the pantry since we have very limited freezer space.

 

For fruit and veggies, we try to always keep potatoes, bell peppers, onions, carrots, celery, bananas, and grapes on hand as these are usually inexpensive. The rest we buy in season.

Edited August 5, 2010 by Holly

[Pat in MI]

This is probably the cheapest meal I make here. A package of Zatarin's Rice (there are various flavors) and slice up a package of smoked sausage into it.

 

Zatarin's $1.39 (some are more)

Smoked Sausage $1.67 (it goes on sale a lot by us)

I like the chicken or turkey

 

 

Make the rice as the package directs and add in the sausage. I add a vegetable or salad and bread or rolls. It will feed 4 easily.

 

Another meal not necessarily good for you, but fun every once in a while is pancakes for supper. You can add chocolate chips, fruit, etc. This is always a cheap meal! and the kids love it.

 

 

Blessings,

Pat

[charmama4]

 

Another meal not necessarily good for you, but fun every once in a while is pancakes for supper. You can add chocolate chips, fruit, etc. This is always a cheap meal! and the kids love it.

 

 

Blessings,

Pat

 

We love *breakfast* for dinner!! We especially love blueberry pancakes. You figure one box of pancake mixe for $1.70 and a pint of blueberrys for 3.00, that's under $5 bucks!!!

 

We also like to do *bubble eggs*, potato hash (diced potato and onion homemade of course :tongue_smilie:) and orange smiles.

[MelanieM]

We love *breakfast* for dinner!! We especially love blueberry pancakes. You figure one box of pancake mixe for $1.70 and a pint of blueberrys for 3.00, that's under $5 bucks!!!

 

 

Pancake mix is usually just flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. So you can make pancakes from scratch for even less. (Plus I like to be in control of the amount of sugar that goes into my food; we usually sweeten with honey instead.)

[charmama4]

Pancake mix is usually just flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. So you can make pancakes from scratch for even less. (Plus I like to be in control of the amount of sugar that goes into my food; we usually sweeten with honey instead.)

 

Honey...eh? That sounds yummy. I'm always looking for creative ways to add more *local* honey in my day to help with my horrific allergies. Thanks.

[mom31257]

Homemade Spaghetti

 

I got an idea from this board on how to make homemade sauce.

 

7 medium tomatoes, 1 yellow onion, several cloves of garlic, a little bell bepper pureed in the food processor; add Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and simmer for 2 hours; season to taste with garlic salt. I also add a little tomato paste at the end to thicken it.

 

Serve over whole wheat pasta and a side salad.

Edited August 5, 2010 by mom31257
forgot a step

[Susie in MS]

We had some bills pop up last month and no money for groceries. I found this site and it had some great ideas! It's pretty much old-fashioned cooking. I didn't follow it exactly, but I think I learned a lot with it. I spent under $25 dollars at the store and we had no problem making it through the week. My favorite tip was to buy bacon ends and pieces...a $6 box has lasted us 2 weeks (with lots of use)!

http://www.menus4moms.com/frugal/meals_for_hard_times_1.php

 

 

 

Wow! My list is almost exactly the same as the gro list on that website! Of course it would cost more here, but it is the cheaper foods. :D

They list Chicken and Dumplings. Oh man it has been soooo long since we have had that! As soon as dd is well enough we will be putting that back on the menu. :D It is cheap and oh so yummy!

[stripe]

I find using plain rice with my own seasonings to be much cheaper than buying pre-seasoned, and boiling beans (<$1 / lb) and adding my own seasonings to be healthier and cheaper than pre-seasoned. I also use plain fresh/canned tomatoes instead of mixes, and plain spices instead of mixes to be cheaper. I buy spices at "ethnic" stores in a bag and decant into a jar.

[RobinF]

One of my favorite cheap and easy meals is black beans and rice.

 

I buy the packages of yellow rice (Walmart) two small packs or one large less than $2

 

2 cans of black beans less than $2

 

seasonings bay leaf, cumin, chili powder or whatever mexican style seasonings I have one hand

 

These serves our family of 6 with leftovers.

 

To round it out you can serve fruit and salad.

[Susie in MS]

I find using plain rice with my own seasonings to be much cheaper than buying pre-seasoned, and boiling beans (<$1 / lb) and adding my own seasonings to be healthier and cheaper than pre-seasoned. I also use plain fresh/canned tomatoes instead of mixes, and plain spices instead of mixes to be cheaper. I buy spices at "ethnic" stores in a bag and decant into a jar.

ie

 

I agree with this. I always mix my own seasonings. It is healthi er (no MSG) and cheaper. Plus those little rice packs...not only can you save on the seasoning, but also the rice. Consider that in a 20 lb sack of rice (you can store in the freezer if you need to) you get 50 cups of uncooked rice for about $12. If you want a springier texture pan fry in a tiny bit of oil just before boiling.

[runmiarun]

My family will eat their weight in Hopping John. Here's our recipe:

 

1 bag of black-eyed peas ($1.19)

1/4 of a package of salt pork ($.60 cents-here it is $2.29 for a package so I divide it to make it last longer)

2 cups uncooked brown rice ($.99 cents for a bag)

salt to taste

 

Soak peas over night. Cook on medium heat with salt pork til tender (approx. 2 hours). Add salt to taste. Cook brown rice according to directions. When everything is ready, spoon rice into bowls. Spoon peas over rice. Mix well in bowl.

 

*Optional add ins: if you have onion or green pepper in the fridge, you can add it to the peas as they cook.

**One more thing-you can cook the peas in the crock pot for 8 hours instead of using the stove.

[stripe]

I agree with this. I always mix my own seasonings. It is healthi er (no MSG) and cheaper.

And the first ingredient in a lot of mixes is salt !

[mamalbh]

No this is not healthy, but it's very cheap, easy, and I've never met a kid who wouldn't eat it.

 

Mac 'n Cheese with hot dogs:

Box on sale - $.20

Cheapo hot dogs - $.88 (We get more expensive all beef hot dogs)

a bit of milk and butter - ?

 

Cook mac 'n cheese as directed, meanwhile chop up hot dogs (we use 6) and cook in the microwave. Put it all together, and Ta-Da, a meal that will feed 6 for a little over a buck.

 

 

A couple other ideas:

 

Eggos & eggs

 

Noodles & eggs (Scramble eggs, with cheese if desired, with cooked noodles. Spiral and squiggly type noodles work best)

 

 

Leah

BarefootHomeschoolers.wordpress.com

[stripe]

I like spaghetti with garlic, but I've decided I like it even better with spinach. Can add mozzarella cubes too.

[Ohdanigirl]

No this is not healthy, but it's very cheap, easy, and I've never met a kid who wouldn't eat it.

 

Mac 'n Cheese with hot dogs:

Box on sale - $.20

Cheapo hot dogs - $.88 (We get more expensive all beef hot dogs)

a bit of milk and butter - ?

 

Cook mac 'n cheese as directed, meanwhile chop up hot dogs (we use 6) and cook in the microwave. Put it all together, and Ta-Da, a meal that will feed 6 for a little over a buck.

 

 

[/url]

 

I tried this once. I figured the boys love hot dogs, and love MAc and Cheese. It was a no go though. My kids and dh are food snobs. They won't eat most of the things that are on the money saving websites. Apparently they think these meals resemble packaged food too much.:confused:

 

They also have to have a main dish and sides, so main dish rice recipes are out. And they hate meat loaf, which I love. I basically cook.... I guess you could say they are casserole type dishes on the stove. But I am able to cook for 6 (myself and 5 males) at under $200 (SO Cal prices) if need be. Rice, various beans and potatoes and spinach plus lettuce (for salads) are always kept in the house. Since DH was unemployed for 15 months I just bought a lot of whatever was on sale. If I was not familiar with the cut, I google, learn, and go for it.

 

Danielle

[momto2Cs]

Here's what we had last night... Black Bean-Tomato-Basil Chili. We had ours over brown rice. I made it in part because it is cheap, but also because I have tons of basil right now!

[stripe]

They won't eat most of the things that are on the money saving websites. Apparently they think these meals resemble packaged food too much.:confused:

It occurs to me when I read these threads how differently I eat from most other people on here. I honestly think many of the "frugal recipes" sound very unhealthful (often very salty and fatty, or completely emphasizing starchy fill-er-up type cooking) and not particularly cheap. I would rather buy a small amount of regular meat (like a chicken) and split it up among all of us, than buy hot dogs or other heavily processed items. I don't think home cooking should be imitating processed food most of the time.

 

They also have to have a main dish and sides, so main dish rice recipes are out.

I am not entirely sure what this means (turkey, mashed potatoes, and peas?) but you could make rice with various sides, like sauteed spinach and a vegetable stew, or some lentils/beans, or some meat stew with vegetables. If you want to serve your family a big chunk of meat, a potato, and a veg, it's hard to do that cheaply. Unless you hunt your own meat, eat road kill, or have other access to unusually cheap meat. So I sort of think dinner needs to be redefined.

 

By the way, spicy chickpeas taste AWESOME with macaroni and cheese for some reason. (I generally make this from scratch. I am not into the canned soup products either; cheaper to make a white sauce with butter, flour, and milk.)

[momto2Cs]

If you want to serve your family a big chunk of meat, a potato, and a veg, it's hard to do that cheaply. Unless you hunt your own meat, eat road kill, or have other access to unusually cheap meat. So I sort of think dinner needs to be redefined.

 

We eat a lot of ethnic meals for this reason! Heavy on veggies, whole grains, with meat as an ingredient rather than the star of the meal (when we use meat). This approach works well with Mexican food, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, etc. Sometimes I do use meat as th focus, like a good London Broil or roast chicken, but then we use leftovers creatively.

 

I recently found a great book at the library, The Frugal Foodie Cookbook. Loads of great (and healthy) recipes along with frugal tips, etc.

 

Oh, and buying seasonally really helps budget-wise too.

[BatmansWife]

OK, here's our favorite cheap meal....and it's really, really good. About 25 years ago I combined two recipes and came up with this one. I don't know the cost off hand, but it's pretty cheap.

 

1 box of macaroni & cheese

1 can chunk tuna, drained

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I prefer the lower fat)

peas (fresh, canned and drained, or frozen and thawed)

shredded cheddar cheese

crushed potato chips

 

It's pretty easy to figure out how to make this. Make the mac & cheese according to directions (but add a little more milk or the casserole can get too thick). Add in the drained tuna, cream of mushroom soup, peas (you can do without the peas if you want....but they taste sooooo good), some of the cheddar cheese. Mix it all up. Add a tiny bit more milk if you think it needs it. Spread into a 9x13 lightly greased cake pan or casserole dish. Top with more shredded cheddar cheese and sprinkle on some crushed potatoe chips. Bake at 350, uncovered, for maybe 20 minutes (just enough to heat through and melt the cheese).

 

This goes great with salad and french bread. It's very easy and my kids love, love, love it. It's fine for a lunch and even a simple dinner. In fact, I have to unexpected work tonight, I think I have everything on hand....I'll just mix this up and let dd bake it for dinner.

[In2why]

I rarely can feed the family on less that $5 but when I want a really quick, and really inexpensive dish they like I buy 3 boxes of mac and Cheese and then add in 2 cans of tuna and a can of peas. Or sometimes we leave the peas out.

 

Another thing we eat on the cheap is stuffed baked potatoes. I never added up the cost, but we add chili and some cheese with a little onion.

 

I also like using leftover meat and making fried rice like someone mentioned. This isn't cheap, but it really makes homemade asian food taste great. Buy a small bottle of sesame oil and use it in your dishes. A little goes a long way and you can't beat the flavor.

 

A summer dish we make often for very little cost is Pea salad (the peas actually taste good to people who don't like peas) Add a couple cans of peas, dice up a purple onion, mix in some pieces of cooked bacon (I buy the 5# box of pieces walmart sells to favor game meat and break it down into usable quantities) and then some coleslaw dressing or mayo mixed with apple vinegar.

[Ohdanigirl]

I am not entirely sure what this means (turkey, mashed potatoes, and peas?) but you could make rice with various sides, like sauteed spinach and a vegetable stew, or some lentils/beans, or some meat stew with vegetables. If you want to serve your family a big chunk of meat, a potato, and a veg, it's hard to do that cheaply. Unless you hunt your own meat, eat road kill, or have other access to unusually cheap meat. So I sort of think dinner needs to be redefined.

 

 

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

It does sound like that is what I mean, doesn't it? I hadn't realized, until I saw your response. Let me see if I can explain myself better. Please forgive me, I am sure I will trample over my words.:) Beans and rice tend to be a side dish for us. We are of Mexican descent, so most meals are served with beans and rice on the side. I have seen many people list beans over rice as a main dish, my family would wonder where the "plato fuerte" is. I do not serve a hunk of meat,as that would cause some odd stares at the table as well. (unless it was steak, which is too expensive.)

 

When I cook with meat, (I will use meat as a general word for beef, chicken, fish, etc) it will usually be mixed with veggies and/or a sauce. It is the smaller portion of our meal.

 

For example, the other day I cooked bistec con papa. I used about 1/2-1 lb thin meat (approx $3), which I cut into small pieces. Two small potatoes cut in cubes, and jalapeno, tomato and onion (julienned). I also like to throw in corn, or diced squash, depending on what I have on hand. Served with sopa de arroz (mexican red rice) and mashed beans (not refried). It fed myself (nursing mom who has been very hungry lately), dh, 18 y/o BIL, 24 y/o male cousin, and 3 ds's (see below).

 

Yesterday I used 1 lb of meat, shredded, to make a meal for the same people (-BIL) and had some left over to send 10 burritos for my husband to share with his carpooling buddies. Shredded or cut up meat seems to go a lot further. I think it has to do with mind over matter.

 

The day before that I slow cooked a pork shoulder I purchased for $o.87/lb (bone in about $5), but it gave me dinner and lunch the next day.:D

 

I usually cook about 2 cups rice, and have some left over. for my children the next day. Meat is something we only usually eat at dinner, not counting sandwich meats.

 

Danielle

[ScoutTN]

fun thread!

two that work for us - 4 people

 

1. Pasta and pesto. I use the protein enriched pasta - Barilla yellow box. And pesto from Costco. Add sauteed veggies or handful of cooked chx for dh. DD would eat pesto every day if I let her!

 

2. Only in the summer. Mostly from our garden. Super cheap. :D

Corn on the cob. Fried green tomatoes from our garden. Tomato sandwiches on homemade ww bread with mayo, lettuce and a few strips of bacon. Melon for dessert.

[HollyDay]

penne pasta was on sale today for 89 cents/box. A jar of spaghetti red sauce was just over $3!

[ourjourneys]

Today we are having our basement finished (on the tightest budget you can imagine) and we have workers here. I feel like they are putting in a lot of hard work and I feed them dinner. Today I couldn't think of what to fix, but I put together what turned out to be a very inexpensive little dinner.

 

Angus Beef Hotdogs (natural with no nitrates, etc) $1.39 (pack of 8) x3

bought at outlet grocery store

Hot dog buns $1 bag x3

bought at bread outlet

Ice Water $free

Charlie's Chili for hotdogs $1.00 x2

Jalepeno and Banana Peppers (gallon jug for $4 at the outlet store) - so these cost very little

 

So to feed a family of 6 plus 3 men working (and we have enough for lunch for our family tomorrow) = $10

 

I guess we could use some other fruits and veggies, but needed to save a trip to the store today :)

[Stellalarella]

I cook for our family of eight and we use a lot of legumes--lentils, black beans, etc. I actually started a blog about our suppers several months ago. I make my own wheat tortillas and that saves us, too. We go to a bread outlet every other month and buy all the good bread we need and freeze it. I am glad to be able to buy the expensive whole grain breads we enjoy for 1/3 to 1/2 the price. Here's the link to my blog. Every now and then I do a more expensive meal, but most of the recipes are $1 per person or less. My very favorite thing this summer has been black bean burgers. ANother big hit has been black bean and sweet potato quesadillas. http://onlifeandbeans.wordpress.com/

[Jen in PA]

Here's a meal we ate recently. It serves 4.

 

Salmon patties

1 can wild Alaskan salmon ($2)

1 egg (10 cents, a little less actually)

4 Tbsp. ground flax (15 cents?)

half a loaf of homemade challah (25 cents)

salt/pepper/paprika/mustard

 

Salad

pound of red leaf lettuce (89 cents)

cucumber (33 cents)

2 grated carrots (maybe 20 cents, from a big bag)

olive oil/vinegar/salt/pepper

 

Fruit salad

2 local peaches (half a pound at 79 cents/lb., so 40 cents)

half pint of blueberries at 1.19/pint, (60 cents)

[Susan in KY]

How about omlettes with eggs from our hens and packed with veggies from the garden? :)

[Pippen]

If you want to serve your family a big chunk of meat, a potato, and a veg, it's hard to do that cheaply. Unless you hunt your own meat, eat road kill, or have other access to unusually cheap meat. So I sort of think dinner needs to be redefined.

 

I think there's some middle ground. We don't usuall have a huge chunk of meat at the table but I stock up on meat at the cheapest prices I can find and then serve it in reasonable/affordable quantities. I usually target no more than $5 (usually cheaper) for us as a family of five per meal. For instance when pretty thick pork chops were on sale recently for about 50 cents apiece I made one per person and also served buns and bbq sauce.

 

Someone mentioned hash and we like it too. Originally I think the intent of hash was to use up leftover meats like roast but my crew has never liked it with leftovers. I buy cube steaks (add a little meat tenderizer and let sit for awhile) or bottom round when it's way on sale and really tenderize it, fry it until it's halfway done with onions, then add diced cooked potatoes along with salt and pepper. At the table I offer more seasonings which right now are some spice grinders I found in the clearance bin for $1 and rosemary garlic is the runaway favorite. If I have apples that are past their peak I've made glazes apples and that goes really well with it.

[DawnM]

It is hard for me to post $5 meals because I generally just shop the flyers.....the BOGO deals or the hugely marked down items. I am also a huge couponer.....

 

So, my meals will be $5 or less, but only when the ingredients are on a huge sale....not a normal $5 at full price deal.

 

I am really trying to stay away from the heavy fat and carb meals as 2 out of the 5 of us struggle with weight.

 

We find that we like things like grilled meat, brown rice, and a salad better than a casserole or mixed dish. Grilled tandoori chicken is our favorite and we do add Naan or Chapatis to that meal, although I am can make whole wheat Chapatis now that are very good.

 

Dawn

[Mallory]

We eat a lot of beans.

 

I don't know prices because we get food from WIC, the food pantry, our garden, deer meat, and shop mostly at the Bent and Dent grocery story.

 

This week our main foods were 2 lbs dried northern beans and about 3 lbs deer meat. Even when I buy hamburger I get the really big packages and split and freeze it in about 2-3 lb packages.

 

This is our five meals for this week, I think they are all pretty close to less than 5 dollars. Since we make almost every thing from scratch they are not too unhealthy and we eats lots of things from our garden or on our land

 

We had the beans as a side dish with some baked chicken thighs I got marked down and some melons from our garden.

 

The next night we had enchiladas- beans, deer meat, tortillas (at our bent and dent are 3 packages for $1!) the expensive part is cheese (but I get a little from WIC).

 

Then chili from the beans and meat.

 

Then spagetti, there is even a little deer meat left over!

 

And we are going to use up the end of the chili on baked potatoes today.

 

 

 

Enchilada and stir fry are my two big left over meals, it seems like what ever you have can be hidden in one or the other and my family really like both!

[stripe]

I think there's some middle ground. We don't usuall have a huge chunk of meat at the table but I stock up on meat at the cheapest prices I can find and then serve it in reasonable/affordable quantities.

I find personally that stews stretch meat more than a hunk of meat (e.g. pieces of chicken breast in a stew [includes things like chicken and dumplings, as an example of American fare] vs. one chicken breast per person.

 

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

It does sound like that is what I mean, doesn't it? I hadn't realized, until I saw your response. Let me see if I can explain myself better. Please forgive me, I am sure I will trample over my words.:) Beans and rice tend to be a side dish for us. We are of Mexican descent, so most meals are served with beans and rice on the side. I have seen many people list beans over rice as a main dish, my family would wonder where the "plato fuerte" is. I do not serve a hunk of meat,as that would cause some odd stares at the table as well. (unless it was steak, which is too expensive.)

 

When I cook with meat, (I will use meat as a general word for beef, chicken, fish, etc) it will usually be mixed with veggies and/or a sauce. It is the smaller portion of our meal.

 

Sounds yummy to me. I just found this website last night:

http://www.tazadechocolate.blogspot.com/

 

and there are some yummy recipes in the budget category from Simply Recipes: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/budget/