Share your frugal recipes please.....

[TXMary2]

I am interested in getting some frugal meal ideas - breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am trying to trim the cost of groceries because it has gotten out of control. I am going to start actually planning out a menu. Speaking of which, if anyone has a template or form for their menu, that they'd like to share, I would love to see it.

 

Thanks!

[Scarlett]

Two I got off of WTM

 

Brown rice and lentils in crock pot. (1 cup of each, 1 package of Taco seasoning and 4 cups of water. 6 hours on low) Serve in flour or corn shells with taco fixings...yum. Healthy and very inexpensive. Makes a HUGE amount.

 

The other is 3 bean taco. Garbanzo, pinto and black. Lots of seasonings, a bit of tomato sauce....bell peppers, onions...cook down to a mushy consistancy. Very yummy.

[Oakblossoms]

I like some flexibility. So, I usually type up a list:

 

breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

 

Then we cross off when we eat it. I try to include at least one crockpot and one from the freezer meal. We do salad and/or frozen veg at every dinner. I do any baking for breakfast usually. So, I might do muffins, granola bars and banana bread for breakfasts and then those become snacks, too.

 

I like the grocery cart and once a month mom blogs.

[Surfside Academy]

I found this site online and some of the recipes look really good. I think I'm trying a chicken and biscuits recipe tonight.

 

http://www.miserlymoms.com/frugalrecipes_updated.html

[Mom22ns]

Two I got off of WTM

 

Brown rice and lentils in crock pot. (1 cup of each, 1 package of Taco seasoning and 4 cups of water. 6 hours on low) Serve in flour or corn shells with taco fixings...yum. Healthy and very inexpensive. Makes a HUGE amount.

 

 

 

That was just what I needed today. I put it in the crockpot already!

 

Thank you Scarlett

[Scarlett]

That was just what I needed today. I put it in the crockpot already!

 

Thank you Scarlett

 

Yw. We had the 3 bean taco last night.

[BatmansWife]

I think my most frugal recipes would be:

 

Make a box of mac n cheese according to directions but add a tiny bit more milk

Mix in:

can of drained tuna

peas

cream of mushroom soup

shredded cheddar cheese

Mix up and put in a cake pan

Top with more grated cheese and crushed potato chips

Bake 350 about 20 minutes.

 

This is super easy, cheap, and my kids love, love, love it.

 

Before we had kids our "poor man's" meal we had a lot was to cook ground beef, add cream of mushroom soup (thin it a bit), and serve over rice.

 

Other cheap meals are spaghetti, chili, tacos.....

[Firefly]

As far as planning goes, this past winter I came across this site and have been using the notebook idea. It's a small one I keep on the counter. On the first few pages I have some of our basic, easy, tried-and-true recipes divided by season (since we try to eat local as much as possible) for ideas. The day before I go shopping I sit down and write out the plan for the week, and add whatever ingredients I need to my shopping list. I love this system and planning out the meals week to week has really saved me $ at the store because I don't buy things I wind up not using.

 

Great idea for a thread... I'm looking forward to the recipes!

[TXMary2]

Thanks! Keep em coming!

[hmvaughan4]

I make this refried bean recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Refried-Beans-Without-the-Refry/Detail.aspx

We eat it for a few days and use it to make tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, nachos, etc.

I also bake and freeze a lot for snacks and breakfast foods. If we're having breakfast for dinner, I'll double or triple the biscuit recipe and freeze the rest. Same for pancakes/waffles. Then during the week, we have homemade food, without all of the time it takes.

[Bang!Zoom!]

One way to go super sonic frugal in the grocery budget is to learn to make mixes yourself.

 

See the recipe in this thread for "a package of taco seasoning" listed.

 

Break that down and make it yourself..**way** less expensive than an envelope of prepackaged.

 

Taco Seasoning is just these ingredients....(one of many sample styles)

 

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Yields: 8 teaspoons of seasoning

 

1 packet of store bought seasoning = 2 1/2 tablespoons homemade

 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

 

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.

 

Store in an airtight container.

 

Hillbilly Housewife has an excellent database for beginning recipes for make a mix choices. You can find them here:

 

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/homemadeconveniencefoods.htm

Edited August 2, 2011 by one*mom

[Sandra in FL]

Really anything with brown rice and beans is nutritious and cheap. We cook the beans with onions, garlic and thyme and brown rice in a rice cooker. I use left-over beans for soup or chili.

 

Also, do miso soup with tofu and brown rice.

[Miss Peregrine]

That was just what I needed today. I put it in the crockpot already!

 

Thank you Scarlett

 

I just went and threw it in the crockpot, too. lol

 

Thanks!

[Photo Ninja]

I find soup to be a very inexpensive meal. It's not so nice in the summer when it is hot, but it is wonderful the rest of the year.

 

I use soup to make three meals for my family from one chicken. You should be able to find threads on this because there have been a couple.

 

Anyway, either buy and cook a whole chicken or buy a roasted chicken at the store. Remove all the meat and divide into three equal parts and put into the refrigerator to use later. Put all the skin, bones, etc. into a large pot and fill it with water. Add a bulb of garlic and some onion if you like onion. Cover and bring to a boil then simmer for at least 4 hours, adding more water if needed. Strain the broth. You can make soup now, or put it all into the refrigerator and make soup later. If you save it for later there will be a white layer of fat on top that you can skim off and throw away. If you use a roasted chicken there usually will be less fat than if you cook your own chicken.

 

Then make your soup:

 

Chicken Noodle, Chicken and Rice, Chicken Vegetable

 

Heat the broth and add some poultry seasoning. If adding rice, I cook it first so it doesn't absorb all the broth. If you have plenty of broth, then cook the rice in the broth. Add your vegetables. Just use whatever you like: shredded cabbage, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, zucchini, or whatever. Add the hard veggies first and the soft veggies last so they don't get mushy. Add a third of the chicken.

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

Heat the broth, add a can of crushed tomatoes and a can of tomato paste. Add taco seasoning to taste. Add a can or two of beans (black or pinto) and a can of corn (or use frozen) and some of the chicken. Place tortilla chips in a bowl and cover with the soup. Top with some shredded cheese or sour cream.

 

Potato Soup

 

Heat some broth (not all the broth you made). Cut potatoes into chunks and place into boiling broth and cook. Mush up the potatoes and add some milk or cream. Add some broccoli if you like that, or some crushed up cooked bacon.

 

Soup usually costs me under $1 per serving and we usually eat it at least twice a week (not in summer) because it is inexpensive.

 

I use the other 2/3 of the chicken meat for other meals, like tacos or burritos, enchilada casserole, chicken rice and broccoli casserole, etc.

[happi duck]

This is a good cookbook. Your library might own it.

Cheap, Fast, Good

http://www.amazon.com/Cheap-Fast-Good-Beverly-Mills/dp/0761131760

[WeeBeaks]

Do you grow anything in a garden? My cheapest is what is out in my back yard. I can suggest some seasonal things though. Here is one, but I grow most of the veggies so not as cheap, though still inexpensive in summer:

 

Saute together chopped tomatoes (cup or two), chopped green peppers (a cup or two), onion (1 cup or one onion), eggplant/zucchini/other squash (one big one or 2 or 3 cups), basil (fresh or dried) ... or rosemary/oregano/whatever you have you love until softened up. Add a bit of cheese (we like cheddar), enough to make it cheesy but not overboard. OR skip it for nondairy diet folks. Serve over steamed brown rice. We usually have fresh fruit in season as a side on those nights.

 

Beans/lentils/rice are usually cheap and there are loads of recipes for those.

 

A favorite here is plain old pinto beans in the crockpot with or without cheese/sour cream/guac/jalapenos in a tortilla. [Living in California avocados can usually be had from friends' trees and I grow the jalapenos.]

 

We eat veggie chili often.

 

Pasta of some type with tomato sauce and veggies of some type is popular here. I stick in what is seasonal, squash right now with bell peppers.

[Guest IdahoMtnMom]

Here are a few of our favorites for budget friendly cooking:

 

Breakfast Burritos - Saute 2 cups frozen O'Brien potatoes in 2 tbsp butter. Add in 8 eggs, lightly beaten, and 1/2 cup grated cheese. Cook until the eggs are scrambled. Serve in flour tortilla with salsa.

 

 

Chicken Stir Fry Brown chicken breast pieces in hot oil. Add what ever veggies you have on hand. When the veggies are cooked well, stir in about 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce and cook two minutes more. Serve over white rice.

 

 

Tostadas - brown 1 pound ground beef. Drain fat. Add in one can refried beans, one packet taco seasoning, and 3 tbsp water. Cook until it is heated through. Serve on store bought tostada shells with lettuce, cheese, and salsa.

[Lilymax]

Two I got off of WTM

 

Brown rice and lentils in crock pot. (1 cup of each, 1 package of Taco seasoning and 4 cups of water. 6 hours on low) Serve in flour or corn shells with taco fixings...yum. Healthy and very inexpensive. Makes a HUGE amount.

 

 

 

I am totally going to have to try this one for my taco-loving kids! TFS!

[Cricket]

 

Before we had kids our "poor man's" meal we had a lot was to cook ground beef, add cream of mushroom soup (thin it a bit), and serve over rice.

 

 

 

My dh LOVES this, except on mashed potatoes instead of rice.

[Orthodox6]

Too many on hand to post !

 

One fast/easy one:

 

black beans (lowest cost when you cook these yourself)

brown rice, cooked (white if your kids are obstinate)

plain yogurt (dairy or non-dairy) (non-fat for me, with fat for those who prefer)

garlic (dried -- granulated or powdered)

 

Mix everything together in whatever proportions appeal to you. Add a tiny pinch of salt if the beans were not salted already.

Dig in happily !

Raise the cost by adding one drained can of tomatoes. (Ro-tel gives a mild "kick".)

 

This has been one of my "comfort foods" ever since I first lived on my own and was learning to cook.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I agree with the soup idea. Keep some chicken stock on hand, or buy a whole chicken and make your own. Chickens are relatively inexpensive. My kids love home made chicken noodle soup- After you've made the stock, cool and skim off fat. Cut up chicken. Cut up carrots, celery, onions- whatever you have, and put them in the pot. Add noodles. Simmer until they're soft. Add chicken and serve.

 

You can add beans and really any kind of veggie to chicken stock for a good soup. Serve with home made bread.

[WIS0320]

I posted something similar a few months ago and I ended up finding:

 

More With Less

 

This cookbook has changed my diet and my grocery budget. I can't recommend it highly enough.

[lilacii]

We love copykat.com for great finds! You can find many of your favorite diner's famous recipes!

[momto4kings]

http://theprudenthomemaker.com/default.aspx

[Kirch]

My dh LOVES this, except on mashed potatoes instead of rice.

 

We add cheese, then serve it over mashed potatoes. It's one of my ds 7's favorite meals. :001_smile:

[cjgrubbs]

love these great ideas!

 

Here are a few tips - learn to cook from scratch. You can make homemade biscuits for pennies while a bag of 12 frozen ones is over $2.

 

Meat should be a small part of your meal, not the main thing (at least some time!) You can eat meatless - lasagna or spaghetti with no meat.

 

Serve bread with all your meals - it's filling and most people like it (Obviously this won't work if you have allergy or dietary issues but for men who have a big appetite, this might help fill them up cheaply.)

 

 

Rice and pototes are cheap and filling. Look for recipes that you might like with these at allrecipes.com - you can search by ingredient.

 

I shop at Aldi and they have great prices on produce!

[KungFuPanda]

From the Hillbilly Housewife website, I got the recipes for:

 

Homemade hamburger helper

Homemade yogurt

Homemade bisquik

Homemade hot chocolate mix

 

I get my spice mix recipes from Budget101.com. I needed garam masala for an Indian dish last night. It was made from 4 spices I keep on hand. I also keep the ingredients for taco seasoning on hand, so there is no point in buying it premixed.

 

I like the crockpot365 website too. I think that's where I found a refried bean recipe. It makes a lot, but freezes well. Taste of Home magazine used to have those "feed your family for pennies a plate" menus. There website may have them all together. They have a budget recipe section! http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Budget-Recipes

I subscribed to this magazine when I was first married. It has no intimidating, fancy, or expensive ingredients in most of it's recipes.

 

HTH

Edited August 3, 2011 by KungFuPanda

[Miss Peregrine]

Two I got off of WTM

 

Brown rice and lentils in crock pot. (1 cup of each, 1 package of Taco seasoning and 4 cups of water. 6 hours on low) Serve in flour or corn shells with taco fixings...yum. Healthy and very inexpensive. Makes a HUGE amount.

 

 

 

Just finished eating this. It was really good. :) The kids and DH weren't thrilled at the prospect of no meat but everyone ate and said they were actually pretty good.:lol:

[starwarsmomma]

will post our frugal recipes in the morning-- LOVE this thread!

[catholicmommy]

:bigear: our budget is out of control too... lots of it has to do with our Gluten free diet.. and the fact that I love to buy organic when I can.

[Live2Ride]

This is a friends site. She is amazing with what she can do with very little...Here is her recipe area: http://theprudenthomemaker.com/menusandrecipes.aspx

 

She also takes all the pictures herself...I love sitting here looking at her blog :D

[Ginny May]

Think about what you eat the most and learn how to make it. Saves a ton. Also I know this takes time but shop sells at 2 or 3 stores. One being Aldis I have just learned you can cook a whole chicken in the crockpot. Wow. I do not have to buy the boneless for sunday :O)

[Hunter]

This is the list I use when life gets as bad as it can get:

 

 

Produce and Legumes

fresh:

potatoes

onions

carrots

celery

canned:

corn

green beans

peas

tomatoes

kidney beans

peaches

apple sauce

pickles

jam

peanut butter

lemon juice

vinegar

frozen:

orange juice

dried:

raisins

popcorn

Grains

white flour

quick oats

corn starch

white rice

Meats

hamburger

chicken (whole)

hot dogs

tuna

Dairy and fats

dry milk

eggs

butter or margarine

cheese

Parmesan cheese

corn oil

Condiments, Spices, Baking

ketchup

mustard

mayonnaise

gravy darkener

beef cubes

chicken cubes

garlic powder

onion powder

parsley

Italian seasoning

chili powder

soy sauce

salt

pepper

cinnamon

vanilla flavoring

baking powder

baking soda

yeast

sugar

molasses

cocoa

tea

[Hunter]

These are some recipes that use that short list:

 

Oatmeal Bring 3 ¾ cups water to a boil. Add 2 cups quick oats and ¼ teas salt to the boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve with milk and sugar, maple syrup, honey, or jam. Add fresh, canned or dried fruit. Add spices and/or vanilla.

Pancakes Sift together 1 ½ cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Beat in 1 egg, 1 ¼ cups milk and 2 tablespoons oil. Cook on hot, greased frying pan.

Serve with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar, or white sugar and lemon juice. Make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Make a sandwich with an egg and melted cheese as a filling.

French Toast Beat together an egg and an equal amount of milk. Dip slices of white bread in the milk/egg mixture and fry on a hot, buttered frying pan.

Serve as suggested above for pancakes, or with a white sauce or gravy.

Overnight Oatmeal Bread Pour 2 cups warm water over 1 teaspoon of yeast (½ foil packet), 2 cups of oats. ¼ cup sugar (or any sweetener). Stir well and let sit for 30 minutes. Add ¼ cup oil, and 1 tablespoon salt. Knead in enough white flour to make a sticky, but kneadable dough. Knead for 10 minutes. Grease a cookie sheet and roll dough into a long jellyroll shape. Place on cookie sheet, cover and let rise overnight. Bake at 350 degrees until bread can be knocked on.

Quick Rise Oatmeal bread can be made with 4 teaspoons yeast and risen as in the white bread below.

Quick Rise White Bread Dissolve 4 teaspoons yeast in 2 cups water. Add ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup oil, and 1 tablespoon salt. Add enough flour to make a kneadable dough. Knead for 10 minutes. Shape dough into a large jelly roll and place on a greased cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet on top of a large bowl filled with hot water and cover. Let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 350 degrees until medium brown and can be knocked on.

Overnight White Bread can be made with 1 teaspoon yeast and risen overnight as in the oatmeal bread above.

Irish Soda Bread In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Cut 2 tablespoons butter into the flour mixture. In another bowl, beat together 1 egg, ¾ cup milk, and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Pour liquid mixture into flour mixture. Add raisins if desired. Knead dough for 2-3 minutes and shape into a round loaf. Place loaf in greased cake pan and cut a cross in the top about ½ inch deep. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.

Biscuits Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in ¼ cup oil and ¾ cups milk. Stir and form into a ball. Pat into a square or rectangle. Cut into squares. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or till the tops and bottoms begin to brown.

Biscuit dough can be spread onto a greased cookie sheet to make a thin crust pizza. Or roll out and spread with butter and cinnamon and sugar, and then roll up into a jelly roll and slice into cinnamon rolls.

Tea Scones Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Rub in ¼ cup butter. Add ½ cup milk and 1 beaten egg. Shape dough into a flat circle. Brush with milk. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut into pie shaped pieces. Bake on a greased cookie sheet, at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Serve with lemon jam.

Instead of rubbing in butter, ¼ oil can be added with the milk and egg.

Lemon Jam Beat together and boil 1 cup sugar, 3 eggs, ¼ cup lemon juice. When mixture begins to thicken, remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons butter.

Hearty Oatmeal Scones Sift together 1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar, few drops molasses. Add 1 cup quick oats. Rub in ¼ cup butter. Add ½ cup milk and 1 beaten egg. Shape dough into a flat circle. Cut into pie shaped pieces. Bake on a greased cookie sheet, at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Serve with a piece of cheese, meat or an egg. Raisins and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon can be added to the batter and the top can be brushed with milk and sprinkled with sugar, as in the above recipe for Tea Scones.

Instead of rubbing in butter, ¼ oil can be added with the milk and egg.

Sandwiches and Alternatives Instead of making sandwiches, serve breads with a piece of cheese, cold meat, or a boiled egg.

Sandwich spreads can be made by combining some diced egg, chicken or tuna with a bit of mayonnaise and dried parsley.

Grilled cheese sandwiches can be cooled on a cooling rack, and eaten later cold. Bits of leftover meat, egg and vegetables can be added to grilled cheese sandwiches.

Sandwiches can be made with scones, biscuits or even pancakes.

Crepes Thin pancake batter with extra milk and cook as pancakes. Sprinkle chopped leftovers, tuna, chopped eggs, cheese, fruit, jam or whatever you have down the middle of the crepes and roll up into logs. Drizzle savory crepes with some gravy or a pasta sauce.

Tortillas/Fajitas Stir together 1 cup flour, ¼ cup oil, ¾ cups water, 1 teaspoon salt. Add about 1 more cup of flour. Knead dough for a minute and break dough up into ping pong ball sized balls. Let rest for about 15 minutes. Roll dough out into paper thin circles. Bake on ungreased frying pan for about 20 seconds a side, over medium heat.

Sprinkle with browned hamburg, chicken or beans that have been simmered in Mexican sauce, leftovers and cheese. Roll up into logs.

Calzones, Rolls and Tarts Make some bread dough, biscuit dough or piecrust. Roll small amounts of dough out into circles. Fill with leftovers, browned and seasoned meat, cheese or whatever you have. Fold dough into half moon shape and seal the edges. Let bread dough rise till puffy. Biscuit dough and pie crust can be baked immediately. Bake on greased cookie sheet for about 30 minutes or till browned, at about 375 degrees.

[Hunter]

Hot Open Faced Sandwiches/Sloppy Joes Simmer leftover chopped chicken, browned hamburg or chopped hotdogs in BBQ or Mexican Sauce or gravy. Simmer leftovers, chopped, boiled eggs or tuna in a White Sauce. Pour filling over thick slices of homemade bread or biscuits.

BBQ Sauce Combine 3 tablespoons vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 cup ketchup, ½ cup water, ¼ teaspoon prepared mustard. ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder.

Mexican sauce Add 1 teaspoon chili powder to 1 cup BBQ Sauce.

Pizza Dissolve 1-2 tablespoons yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon salt in 2 ¼ cups warm water. Add 3 tablespoons oil. Stir in enough flour to make a dough. Knead for 10 minutes. Let rise till double in bulk. Grease 2 cookie sheets with a solid fat, not oil. Oil makes the dough much harder to spread. Spread the dough onto the cookie sheets. Top with whatever you have and bake at 425 degrees till crust is golden brown on the bottom and topping have begun to brown.

Be creative with your toppings. Use ketchup, pasta sauce or canned tomatoes for the sauce. Use any kind of cheese. Top with browned and seasoned hamburger or leftover chicken. Sprinkle with chopped onion. Use ANYTHING you have.

Pot Roasted Chicken Place chicken, vegetables, potatoes, and herbs, and spices in a large roasting pan. Pour in several cups of water. Water should cover the crunchier vegetables. Potatoes should be left whole and unpeeled and placed on top of the crunchier vegetables (add small potatoes later). Cover and bake at 400 degrees for about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Bake all the leftovers into a pie.

Gravy Measure and pour the broth into a sauce pan. Dissolve corn starch into lukewarm water and add to broth. Use 1 tablespoon corn starch to each cup of total liquid. For example 6 cups broth and 2 cups lukewarm water will require 8 tablespoons (½ cup) corn starch. Darken with a little gravy darkener if necessary.

Pie Crust Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Stir in ½ cup oil and ½ cup water. Roll into 2 round crusts. Fold dough in half and in half again, to transfer to pan, then unfold in pan. Bake hearty dinner pies in a 9 inch cake pan, so fillings do not overflow. This is a soft, biscuity dough that can be easily repaired if a hole forms.

BBQ Chicken Place whole chicken in a roasting pan. Pour a little water in the pan and cover. Bake at 400 degrees until chicken is about ¾ cooked. Uncover and coat chicken with BBQ sauce. Crank the heat up and cook chicken till skin is crunchy and slightly charred.

Leftover meat can be used on pizza, in a pasta sauce or quiche, or as a sandwich filling.

The bones and skin, and tiny bits of meat can be boiled into broth and made into Tortellini Soup.

To quickly defrost whole chickens, place in a watertight bag and submerge in hot water.

Pasta Beat 3 eggs and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir and then knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Divide dough into 4 pieces and roll out into paper thin rectangles. Cut rectangles into smaller noodles or use whole as lasagna noodles or to make tortellini.

Noodles can be dried and stored for 1 month, or boiled when fresh.

Pasta sauces

Red Sauce: Sauté 1 onion and 1 stalk celery in oil. Add a can of tomatoes. Add Italian seasonings. Add bits of leftover chicken or browned hamburg. Simmer for 15 minutes to an hour. Add salt and pepper to taste. Can also be used for pizza.

White Sauce: Bring 1 ½ cups milk to almost a boil. Dissolve 2 tablespoons corn starch into ½ cup milk and add to hot milk. Bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add some cheese and stir till melted. White sauce and cheese sauce can also be used on baked potatoes, toast, biscuits and French toast.

Lasagna and Casseroles Roll pasta recipe into 4 paper thin rectangles and add to boiling water. Rectangles will become larger as they are boiled, and easily fit in a 9x13 roasting pan. Boil for about 10 minutes and drain and then let cool on a flat surface.

Create a layered casserole with one or more pasta sauces, slices of cheese, leftover meat, tuna and/or vegetables or whatever you have. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tortellini Make a filling of 1 ½ cups diced, cooked meat, ½ teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and a teaspoon of dried parsley, and ¼ cup parmesan cheese. Taste and add more seasoning if desired. Add 1 beaten egg to the mixture.

Roll ¼ of the pasta recipe out into a rectangle. Cut into 1 inch squares. Add bits of ¼ of the filling to the center of each square. Fold the squares into triangles and pinch the edges to seal them. If dough is too dry to stick, moisten with a few drops of water. Leave as triangles or pinch two of the corners together to make a hat shape. Use up the rest of the dough and filling, ¼ at a time.

Boil the tortellini in chicken broth or water, until tender.

Meatballs/ Salisbury Steak Combine 1 1/4 pounds hamburger, 1 egg, 1 ½ cups stale homemade bread, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon dried parsley and ¼ cup parmesan cheese (optional). Shape into balls or patties and bake in 375 degree oven till centers are gray. Serve in a red sauce or gravy.

Chili Fry 1 onion and a handful of hamburger, till the meat is browned and the onion is soft. Add a large can of tomatoes, two 16 oz cans kidney beans , 1 tablespoon dried parsley and chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Simmer for 1 hour on low heat.

[Hunter]

Shepard's Pie Brown 1 1/4 pounds hamburger. Pour off grease. Dissolve 1 tablespoon corn starch in 1 cup water. Pour into hamburger. Add 2 beef cubes and a few drops of gravy darkener. Cook till gravy bubbles. Meanwhile boil 5-8 peeled and sliced potatoes till soft enough to mash. Make 3/4 pie crust recipe and pat into a 9x13 roasting pan. Place hamburger mixture onto crust. Spoon 1 can vegetable onto hamburger mixture. Spoon mashed potatoes onto the vegetables. Drag a fork across the mashed potatoes, so they will brown better. Bake at 400 degrees till crust and potatoes are browned.

Quiche Make ½ pie crust recipe. Pat into 9 inch cake pan. Beat 3 eggs and 1 cup milk. Pour onto crust. Add ANYTHING you have: sautéed onions, leftover vegetables, leftover meat, cheese, chopped tomato. Read an omelet book for ideas.

Strata In a large bowl, beat together: 8 eggs, 4 cups milk, 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper. Set aside. Fill a greased 9x13 pan 1/3 full of torn, stale, white bread. Sprinkle cheese, tuna, leftovers, canned tomatoes, or whatever you have, over the bread. Layer more torn, stale bread on top of the filling ingredients. Pour milk and egg mixture over the bread and filling ingredients. Place in refrigerator for 2-24 hours. Bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees. (Don’t use oatmeal bread.)

Asian Fried Rice Sauté 1 large onion and 1 stalk celery in a little cooking oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 tablespoon soy sauce, until onion is tender. Add 3 cups cooked rice and 2 cut up, boiled or fried eggs. Continue to

cook and stir until eggs and rice are warm and have absorbed some of the sauce. Add more soy sauce if desired.

If you have any leftover meat and vegetables, add them with the eggs and rice.

Mock Boiled Dinner In a large pot, boil some onions, potatoes, celery and carrots and till tender. Add a package of hotdogs and boil for another 10 minutes. Serve with Irish soda bread.

Snicker Doodle Coffee Cake Cream 1 1/3 cups sugar and 2/3 cups oil. Beat in 2 eggs, a little at a time. Gradually stir in 1 1/3 cups milk. In another bowl, sift together 3 cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed ones. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 inch roasting pan or two 9 inch cake pans. Sprinkle top of cake with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees till top of cake is golden brown and the center is set.

Chocolate Cake Sift together 3 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, ½ cup cocoa, 2 teaspoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Beat in 2/3 cup oil, 2 cups water, and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees till center is set.

Biscotti Cream ¼ cup (½ stick) butter and 1 cup sugar. Gradually beat in 3 eggs. Add 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon extract or liquor if you have some. In another bowl sift together 2 ¼ cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Shape dough into 2 long, narrow logs on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven till set. Slice logs and turn cookies on their sides and bake again till golden brown.

Spices, nuts and raisins can be added to the cookies. Chocolate Biscotti can be made by adding ¼ cup cocoa and another ½ cup sugar and decreasing the flour to 1 ¾ cups.

Oatmeal cookies Cream together ½ cup soft butter, 1 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons molasses. Beat in 1 egg. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla. In another bowl sift together 1 cup flour and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup quick oats.

Drop by rounded teaspoon fulls onto greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees until centers are set.

Bread Pudding Fill a greased 9x13 roasting pan about 3/4 full of stale homemade white bread. In a large bowl, beat together 4 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 tablespoon vanilla and 4 cups milk. Pour over the bread. Bake at 350 degrees till the custard is set. (Don’t use oatmeal bread.)

Brown Sugar Combine 2 tablespoons molasses to each cup of white sugar.

Garlic Bread Toast one side of sliced stale bread, under broiler. Turn over. Spread untoasted sides with butter. Sprinkle with garlic powder, parsley and parmesan cheese. Toast under broiler.

Croutons Cut up the garlic bread.

Cinnamon bread Make as Garlic Bread, but sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on the butter.

Bread Crumbs Crumble stale bread into an old oatmeal container. Store in fridge uncovered for the 1st week. Shake about once a day. Then store covered

[Hunter]

Once you get the hang of improvising with these ingredients, you will be able to creatively convert other recipes. This isn't gourmet food, but if you are really in trouble it will fill bellies better than PBJ for about the same price.

 

I recommend The Encyclopedia of Country Living and cookbooks from the 1930s to supplement these recipes.

 

I have a 2 page pdf of this list and the recipes, if anyone wants it.

[scubamama]

I like your list - the pdf would be great if you have time.

 

Thanks,

Michele

[Hunter]

I sent you a pm with my e-mail address.

[Stacey]

Once you get the hang of improvising with these ingredients, you will be able to creatively convert other recipes. This isn't gourmet food, but if you are really in trouble it will fill bellies better than PBJ for about the same price.

 

I recommend The Encyclopedia of Country Living and cookbooks from the 1930s to supplement these recipes.

 

I have a 2 page pdf of this list and the recipes, if anyone wants it.

 

 

I want a copy of the list please! I will pm you my email.

[meggie]

(I don't buy this all at once, it kind of rotates on a weekly basis what I need)

What I get from Costco:

4-pack ground turkey (about 6.5 pounds), 93% lean, $2.29/lb

4 pack pork roast (can't remember exactly what kind) $1.99/lb

2 pack whole chickens, 99 cents/lb

10# onions

1 pack (6) red peppers

24 oz mushrooms

10# carrots

5 doz eggs

1 pack fresh broccoli florets

1 pack sugar snap peas

bag of shredded parmesan and colby/jack cheese

sour cream

vidalia onion salad dressing

2.5 # bag of spinach

Bag of frozen fruit (right now the one we have is pineapple, strawberry, mango, papaya)

milk

 

What I get from Walmart:

broccoli slaw (about $1.68/bag)

can of water chestnuts and bamboo shoots

"French" bread loaves

Provolone cheese slices

Worcestershire sauce

egg noodles and other pasta, preferably the 51% whole wheat by Barilla

tomatoes

celery

cucumbers

mayonaise

tortillas

2-5# packs of chicken breasts

 

From Sunflower Market: steel cut oats and granola

 

Plus I have stuff stocked up that I pull off my can rack.

 

What I do: cook each pack of ground turkey with one chopped onion and some garlic. Divide into six freezer bags and freeze.

Crockpot 5# of chicken with Montreal Steak Seasoning, use in place of lunchmeat or canned chicken.

 

Meals I make

Breakfast: Steel cut oats, eggs, or granola, green smoothies (spinach and apple juice, frozen fruit) or sometimes toast.

 

Lunch: Leftovers or sandwiches with chopped chicken, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, provolone cheese

 

Dinners:

1)Pulled pork sandwiches- put pork roast and sliced onions in crockpot and cover with BBQ sauce. Cook on low 6-8 hours, then shred with a fork. Add more BBQ sauce if needed. Serve on bread

 

2) Spaghetti sauce-One pack of frozen ground turkey, add three 15 oz cans tomatoes with juice, 3 cans tomato sauce, 1 1/2 cans tomato paste, dried oregano, basil, parsley, Italian Seasoning, garlic powder, salt and some brown sugar (sorry, I don't really measure, just go until it tastes right), and three cans of mushrooms to make spaghetti sauce.

 

3)Turkey Broccoli Slaw- One pack of frozen ground turkey, mix with broccoli slaw, chopped water chestnuts and bamboo shoots, 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce. Serve over brown rice or chopped spinach

 

4) Strogonoff sandwich-One pack ground turkey, mix with sliced mushrooms, about 1 cup sour cream, and Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Slice French loaf in half lengthwise, butter and sprinkle garlic powder on each half. Put slices of Provolone on top half, put meat mixture on other half, put under broiler for a minute or two until cheese is melted.

 

5)Nacho meat-One pack turkey, 2 cans pinto beans drained, about 1 tsp ground cumin, about 1/3 cup ketchup, about 3 TBS brown sugar, about 1/2 tsp chili powder to make nacho meat. Serve over chips with my lazy guacamole (mashed avocado with salsa and sour cream and lime juice). Or I sometimes make it into a taco salad with the chopped spinach instead of chips (I still use a few chips though, for crunch)

 

6) Poor Man's strogonoff-One pack turkey with a little EVOO and flour (2 TBL) added. Cook so flour tastes doesn't remain (3-4 min), add can of beef broth. Add sliced mushrooms, cook. Add about 1 c. sour cream, salt, pepper, parsley, serve over egg noodles.

 

7) Chicken fajitas-3 chicken breasts, thinly sliced, 1 very large onion, thinly slice, 3 red peppers, thinly sliced. Cook in oil with a little seasoned salt. Serve in tortillas with cheese, lazy guacamole, and refried beans

 

8) Roast chicken with carrots, onions, potatoes. Mix EVOO, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary and rub half over chicken and mix half with veggies. pick off extra meat and boil the carcass with water and save broth to be used in soup.

 

9) What we've been doing a lot on the days it's too hot to cook is use French bread to make a sandwich with the crockpotted chicken, salad dressing, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, and cheese.

 

If veggies aren't a main part of the meal (like with meal #9) we'll eat them as a side, broccoli and sugar snap peas with dressing dip or a spinach salad.

[stripe]

This is the list I use when life gets as bad as it can get:

...

corn starch

...

gravy darkener

 

 

You are a fount of wisdom, as always, but personally I'd have no problem getting rid of these. I rarely use corn starch and have no idea why I'd need to darken my gravy.

 

I love your quick recipe list.

[happypamama]

This dish makes plenty to feed DH, me, and our three older children, and usually there is some left over for DH's lunch as well. Add some fruit/applesauce and/or some bread to round out the meal. My kids LOVE this dish and cheer when it's on the menu.

 

(This is particularly frugal if you get WIC foods, as the eggs, shredded cheese, and spinach can all be WIC items. Otherwise, it's less than $10, and it's very filling.)

 

4 cups cottage cheese ($3 or less)

1 dozen eggs ($1-2)

2 cups shredded cheese (usually cheddar, but last night I didn't have enough cheddar and used a mix of mozzarella and cheddar, and it was good; I also often use more than 2 cups, but you really can vary it according to taste and budget -- $2-4).

1 bag frozen or fresh spinach (again, to your taste -- $1)

 

1 stick of butter ($1 or less)

 

Mix the first four ingredients together, beating the eggs well. Melt butter, and mix it in. (I really think you could probably omit the butter, or use less.) Bake at 350* for around 35-40 minutes, until center is pretty set and edges are golden brown.

[Deb in NZ]

Once you get the hang of improvising with these ingredients, you will be able to creatively convert other recipes. This isn't gourmet food, but if you are really in trouble it will fill bellies better than PBJ for about the same price.

 

I recommend The Encyclopedia of Country Living and cookbooks from the 1930s to supplement these recipes.

 

I have a 2 page pdf of this list and the recipes, if anyone wants it.

 

I'd love your pdf, too.

Blessings,

[Hunter]

Deb, PM me your e-mail.

 

Stripe, my crew didn't like gray lumpy gravy, and I was the a gravy making queen. I was always making savory pies out of scraps, that often were little more than gravy and potato. You can make gravy with flour and fat, that isn't lumpy, but you have to add all that fat. Cornstarch gravies require no added fats.

 

I also thickened the juice from canned fruit with cornstarch, and used it as pancake syrup. And I thickened milk with cornstarch for a whole bunch or reasons, sweet and savory.

 

Sometimes in ethnic foods, you can find a yellow corn flour that is basically yellow corn starch and I would often buy that. I could usually skip the gravy darkener when I used the yellow corn starch/flour. I could only cram so much info in a 2 page pdf though, and people seem to really like the 2 page pdf that when printed front and back is only 1 page. I figured people on their own could figure out to skip the gravy darkener, if they couldn't afford it.

 

Thickened liquids are an amazing tool for poverty stricken cooks, to turn scraps into a meal.

[stripe]

I love soupy meals. I am not a fan of dry food. Bring on the gravies! I think I just make more of a stew than a thickened gravy type. Hence not needing the gravy darkener. But I love the idea. I made copies of my favorite recipes a while back and put them in a three ring binder, and it's one of my favorite resources. I have been meaning to update it. I think your idea is genius. Let's face it, most of us cook the same thing over and over again.

 

I saw this site once and thought it was rather clever, that showed how you could make like a thousand of various Indian foods by following this grid. I'll look it up among my papers and post the URL later, I promise.

[stripe]

Okay, here it is:

 

One Page Cookbooks: learn one theme - cook infinite variations!

http://ramkicooks.blogspot.com/

 

You kind of have to dig around. The emphasis is Indian.

[TXMary2]

Great lists Hunter - thanks.

 

I am trying Scarlett's lentils and brown rice today.

[Scarlett]

Great lists Hunter - thanks.

 

I am trying Scarlett's lentils and brown rice today.

 

Last time I made it I put in a little more seasoning....

[Hunter]

hmmm...I like the term "one page cookbooks" but the recipes are so unfamiliar. Googling brought up lots of them, but none I would spend ink on.

 

I googled "gravy darkener" and learned that it is burnt caramel. We can make it by boiling brown sugar and a little water till it burns. Brown sugar can be made by adding a few drops of molasses to white sugar. I'm going to try this.

 

When living in poverty, meat is a condiment, and gravy is one of the food groups :lol: