I usually buy healthy over cheap, but our budget took an unexpected hit this month and I had to cut serious corners. My children won't eat beans (one actually throws up if he tries, as do I), so I can't utilize that inexpensive staple. A couple of things that went over well were Ramens with steamed veggies and chicken breast and cheap mac n' cheese with a can of (no bean) chili. What are your favorites for meals on the cheap?
Hot dogs spaghetti grilled cheese home made pizza take a few potatoes and slice for home fries, or even home made potato chips I just made zuchinni muffins that I'm serving with beef pot pie for dinner chicken pot pie or chicken and dumplings (I make flat or "slick" dumplings that are rolled) sloppy joes I got a bag of 44 fish sticks for $2.99 at safeway the other day! beef vegetable soup ( I make this when we have left over roast beef, maybe you could have the deli counter at your store cut some THICK slices of beef, you wouldn't need much) Waffles or pancakes with fruit topping Baked french toast quich....... SNACKS: popcorn crackers with peanutbutter jello home made popsicles
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I use this site: http://www.5dollardinners.com/ and the sister site: http://www.onedishdinners.com/ You can use rice with anything, add: frozen mixed veggies w/ sweet & sour sauce (no meat needed) add tomatoes , shredded cheese, chicken (diced) and some mexican spices canned cream of mushroom soup (or any flavor, celery, chicken , etc) , diced meat (either chicken or beef) and celery or fresh/canned mushrooms Tortillas: lunch meat wrap or canned tuna/chicken wrap quesdillas ( either w/ diced chicken or beef) asian pork roll ups ( shredded pork, sauce and cole slaw mix (no dressing added) salads (green): add tuna mixed with ranch dressing diced chicken , pork or steak leftover hamburger w/ crushed corn chips or tortilla chips for taco salad pasta salad: add tuna and veggies diced chicken w/ ranch dressing and veggies make it italian w/ dressing and tomatoes, peppers and olives baked potatoes: top w/ chili broccoli and cheese salsa and cheese With mac and cheese I add: diced chicken and mushrooms and broil it for 5 mins w/ shredded cheese on top mix w/ hamburger ( w/ saute onions and bell peppers added in the pan), mayo and ketchup its good and creamy ( I like veletta mac and cheese for this). I also used to buy the premade rice or pasta package (like Rice a roni) and add either hamburger, diced chicken to them and some veggies too ( like my own version of hamburger helper).
We don't have a Safeway. The only national chain we have is Dillon's (which is a Kroger store). And Walmart, of course :roll:
well it actually was a Kroger now that I thought of it. I hope you get some inspiration from these threads. .......... we've all been there. Maybe if you check your freezer we can help you come up with some ideas.
Flour, sugar, cornmeal, popsicles, and chicken thighs (the boys won't eat them on-the-bone, so I need to use the meat in something). I don't keep much in my freezer since I have to keep my dry goods in there (thanks to grain moths).
My mom bought us Rubbermaid containers when I was talking about the monsoon season and the sugar container cracking........ they are working great so far...... well checken and dumplings or chicken pot pie, boil your chicken wigh some seasonings, and strain the broth..... thicken with corn starch or flour....... now wither make dumplings or put in a crust with some veggies....... My kids were begging for chicken pot pie, but I had beef left to use up this week, I need to make the crust later it sounds good in theory but WHY does it have to be so HOT today? we made the zucchini muffins, and pizza for lunch, then I have to make a cake for DH's birthday tomorrow, a coconut sour cream cake that I've never made in my life but his MOTHER used to..... I don't want to be compared to his mother in how I cook......... anyway then the pot pie........ that poor oven is not getthing any rest or letting my kitchen cool down.
rice with chicken,onions,and bell peppers. we usually put a mix packet for mushroom gravey over the top of it.. YUMMM With the left over chicken and veggies make quesidillas or just put it in a tortilla like a burrito. cheap mac and cheese with a can of diced tomatoes. Sounds gross but it is really good. If we have can chicken or tuna we add that to it. We don't put the butter and milk in just use the juice from the tomatoes. To make our meals go farther we always have some sort of bread and a spinach salad consisting of just spinach,shreaded cheese,and dressing.
For chicken Thigh meat, I like to make poppyseed chicken, or chicken ranch "pizza", pretty much any kind of chicken casserole. A nice quick cheap dinner is Tuna noodle casserole, I use 2 cans of tuna, a bag of egg noodles, and two cans of cream of mushroom soup, I also throw some frozen peas in mine. Serve with bread, and a salad and it's a filling meal. Pasta salads are also filling, I put a little protein in mine to make them more nutritionaly complete and then serve them. I know it's summer time but soups are always cheap, potato soup is a big hit around here. I find that if I add pasta, rice or potatoes to just about anything I can make it stretch farther. Something else that helps me stretch my dollar is to cook larger roasts than we need, and make it for two meals. Oh, just thought of another cheap meal, cabbage casserole: make meatballs (I use onion, ground meat, and rice, with an egg and some seasoning) then cut some cabbage into pieces (about 1inch by 2 inches), put that in a crock pot with two cans of tomato soup, one can of tomato paste (I use larger cans not the teeny ones), and a can to a can and a half of water, cook for 6-8 hours on high or until the cabbage is tender and the meatballs are cooked through. Don't stir this while it's cooking you'll break up the meatballs. My boys love this meal!
Do you have access to an Aldi store? You can find great prices on everything every day. They have pretty good variety now, too. On a tight week, we use their tortilla chips ($1.29) and make nachos out of whatever we have to use in the fridge. Soup is a great way to use leftover veggies. Toss in some pasta or rice for it to go farther. Peanut butter ($1.39) or grilled cheese sandwiches (under $4 for "velveeta") are our friends, too. Their bologna and salami are under a dollar, too.
If you find an aldi - I have a blog for how to make inexpensive meals with their ingredients. www.aldigourmet.blogspot.com .
after seeing a TV special about ALDI's I wish we had one, my parents own a Grocery Outlet in town, but I don't usually go there (one because my husband and my step dad clash..... and its on the other side of us and we end up spending too much on junk food, even though they have relly good food options that are healthy and even have produce now.
I went to Aldi for the first time yesterday! Talk about a very weird place. lol. But we did get some good deals on some things. I'm excited about your blog!!
