Another food thread...

[Elephantay]

We are spending a small fortune on groceries! I know there are a few threads and I've poked around at them but I'm hoping to compile a list of a few new go-to recipes. We are only doing grocery delivery for the most part, and tend to shop sales and stock up on items I know we will use. Our goal is to eat healthy- with as many veggies as possible, but my teens love meat! They are big eaters!
Currently we are making a lot of our same old go-to soup ( delicious and all veggie), homemade sauce with meat and/or veggies, chicken in crockpot with jam/sauce/juice. Breakfast is usually oatmeal with fruit and nuts, pancakes, or eggs.
Would love:
-breakfast casserole/make ahead choices ( we have easy access to eggs)
-veggie and meat chilis
-a couple of great soups
-new favorites for chicken
-whatever you like to make ahead and freeze for busy nights
Thanks!

 

[Pumbaa_]

Did you know there is a cooking board? It’s a sub board in the creative community. Tons of Disney recipes plus.

 

[tvguy]

I'd suggest dumping the grocery delivery and going to the store and putting together your meal planning around what looks good and is on sale.
If the price is good on sale, asparagus, but the asparagus looked pretty sad, that isn't a bargain.

 

[afan]

I'd suggest dumping the grocery delivery and going to the store and putting together your meal planning around what looks good and is on sale.
If the price is good on sale, asparagus, but the asparagus looked pretty sad, that isn't a bargain.

You can do sale stuff through grocery delivery, and given the times, it's really not the time for some people to be shopping in stores.

 

[TwoMisfits]

We are spending a small fortune on groceries! I know there are a few threads and I've poked around at them but I'm hoping to compile a list of a few new go-to recipes. We are only doing grocery delivery for the most part, and tend to shop sales and stock up on items I know we will use. Our goal is to eat healthy- with as many veggies as possible, but my teens love meat! They are big eaters!
Currently we are making a lot of our same old go-to soup ( delicious and all veggie), homemade sauce with meat and/or veggies, chicken in crockpot with jam/sauce/juice. Breakfast is usually oatmeal with fruit and nuts, pancakes, or eggs.
Would love:
-breakfast casserole/make ahead choices ( we have easy access to eggs)
-veggie and meat chilis
-a couple of great soups
-new favorites for chicken
-whatever you like to make ahead and freeze for busy nights
Thanks!

I hear ya about having big teen eaters who want meat...

Tomorrow, I'm trying something that may work for you. I'm doing a buffalo chicken basket as a sandwich. So, when you get buffalo wings, and you get carrots and celery and blue cheese to go with - that's all going on my bun. I originally thought about pickling the carrot/celery separately, but I need to "expand" the chicken, so it's going in the crock (and that's easier anyway).

So (for 6), I'll use 2-2.5/lbs of chicken thigh (boneless skinless was $1.29/lb today), about 1/2 lb of pre-shredded carrots, 2 chopped onions, and 3-4 stalks of chopped celery with s&p and about 1/2 bottle of Pete's wing dressing (those who like it hot will add extra themselves) and I'll cook it on low in the crock until it's ready to shred. Then, I've got hamburger buns and regular and vegan blue cheese dressing (I can't have dairy). The hamburger bun size limits the amount they can literally put on the bun. I'm also roasting a whole huge head of cauliflower (also on a huge sale today) with the same wing sauce, oil, and s&p, so it's veg filler that can also reinforce the dinner flavor. And we'll have fruit. And I'll have no leftovers, but it won't break the bank.

 

[tvguy]

You can do sale stuff through grocery delivery, and given the times, it's really not the time for some people to be shopping in stores.

A lot more cumbersome online. In the store I can see the various brands of whatever product I want, and pick the one with the lowest price or best value.
since the pandemic we do our weekly shopping at 7 am Sunday morning. Hit Walmart, then the local grocery chain, our favorite coffee stand and home by 8 am. Nobody in the store, masks on, hand sanitizer in use. Actually, at the start of the pandemic we were at the store at 6 am, but no need to get their that early anymore. And sadly, as people who get up at 2 am to be at work at 3 am during the week, we are actually still sleeping in on Sunday mornings.

 

[afan]

A lot more cumbersome online. In the store I can see the various brands of whatever product I want, and pick the one with the lowest price or best value.
since the pandemic we do our weekly shopping at 7 am Sunday morning. Hit Walmart, then the local grocery chain, our favorite coffee stand and home by 8 am. Nobody in the store, masks on, hand sanitizer in use. Actually, at the start of the pandemic we were at the store at 6 am, but no need to get their that early anymore. And sadly, as people who get up at 2 am to be at work at 3 am during the week, we are actually still sleeping in on Sunday mornings.

Not all stores are that way. I can shop my regular grocery store online with all the sales, see all the brands I want. I can't pick my produce or meat, but it worked fine for us until they started charging for pick up again. We don't always meet the minimum so I'm back to going early Sunday morning.

 

[tvguy]

Not all stores are that way. I can shop my regular grocery store online with all the sales, see all the brands I want. I can't pick my produce or meat, but it worked fine for us until they started charging for pick up again. We don't always meet the minimum so I'm back to going early Sunday morning.

Wow, I can't imagine how long it would take to browse the entire inventory of a store online price shopping.

 

[nycdisneygal]

OUr go to and budget friendly recipes:
We use a lot of chicken thighs in the crockpot.
We do tacos in the crockpot - thighs with seasoning and can of tomatoes with garlic -- then melt cheese in the taco shells
apricot chicken in crockpot
chicken drumsticks in instant pot.
turkey chili in crockpot - with beans, corn, carrots and bell peppers!
I try to look online at whats on sale and build menu around it. I also will freeze meat if there is a good deal.
I make a great veggie frittata with sliced potatoes at the bottom. can use any veggies- spinach, broccoli, bell peppers.
Creamy chicken marsala
made a good chicken piccata tonight
Chicken cacciatore in instant pot/crockpot
Baked pasta with chicken sausage and spinach and/or broccoli ( I am making that sunday for monday's dinner!)
Stir fry with lots of veggies-i sometimesdo beef sometimes shrimp

 

[Elephantay]

Did you know there is a cooking board? It’s a sub board in the creative community. Tons of Disney recipes plus.

I did not! Thank you! I only knew there was one for Disney recipes....

 

[Elephantay]

I'd suggest dumping the grocery delivery and going to the store and putting together your meal planning around what looks good and is on sale.
If the price is good on sale, asparagus, but the asparagus looked pretty sad, that isn't a bargain.

Due to Covid concerns, that's not happening right now. And although I find it can be frustrating when some things on my list turn out to be unavailable, I love being able to just click on past purchases and get our staples. Also, I can start with the sale items at a glance and work from there.

 

[Elephantay]

I hear ya about having big teen eaters who want meat...

Tomorrow, I'm trying something that may work for you. I'm doing a buffalo chicken basket as a sandwich. So, when you get buffalo wings, and you get carrots and celery and blue cheese to go with - that's all going on my bun. I originally thought about pickling the carrot/celery separately, but I need to "expand" the chicken, so it's going in the crock (and that's easier anyway).

So (for 6), I'll use 2-2.5/lbs of chicken thigh (boneless skinless was $1.29/lb today), about 1/2 lb of pre-shredded carrots, 2 chopped onions, and 3-4 stalks of chopped celery with s&p and about 1/2 bottle of Pete's wing dressing (those who like it hot will add extra themselves) and I'll cook it on low in the crock until it's ready to shred. Then, I've got hamburger buns and regular and vegan blue cheese dressing (I can't have dairy). The hamburger bun size limits the amount they can literally put on the bun. I'm also roasting a whole huge head of cauliflower (also on a huge sale today) with the same wing sauce, oil, and s&p, so it's veg filler that can also reinforce the dinner flavor. And we'll have fruit. And I'll have no leftovers, but it won't break the bank.

Love this, thank you! That would definitely get eaten here.

 

[Elephantay]

OUr go to and budget friendly recipes:
We use a lot of chicken thighs in the crockpot.
We do tacos in the crockpot - thighs with seasoning and can of tomatoes with garlic -- then melt cheese in the taco shells
apricot chicken in crockpot
chicken drumsticks in instant pot.
turkey chili in crockpot - with beans, corn, carrots and bell peppers!
I try to look online at whats on sale and build menu around it. I also will freeze meat if there is a good deal.
I make a great veggie frittata with sliced potatoes at the bottom. can use any veggies- spinach, broccoli, bell peppers.
Creamy chicken marsala
made a good chicken piccata tonight
Chicken cacciatore in instant pot/crockpot
Baked pasta with chicken sausage and spinach and/or broccoli ( I am making that sunday for monday's dinner!)
Stir fry with lots of veggies-i sometimesdo beef sometimes shrimp

Thank you - I would love a recipe or two of your favorites. The chicken tacos would be a hit here, how do you make your chicken chili? The veggie frittata? Sorry, but I'm one of those people who need a recipe initially

 

[TwoMisfits]

Another really simple cheap meal...the BBQ sandwich version...

Do all the same thing with the chicken thighs (crockpot on low til shredded, served on a hamburger bun) and add 2 onions and 1/2 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce with more available to put on the bun. Serve with bagged coleslaw (or make your own with Marie's dressing, a shredded cabbage bag, and a shredded carrot bag, and s&p) on top or on the side and Baked Beans, warmed with a TB or 2 of your BBQ sauce used in the chicken and a TB or 2 of bacon pieces (the salad topping - you can buy a bag from Aldi for $1.29 - way easier and faster than cooking yourself, but will deliver the meatiness the kids want). And I always add fruit, so I'd probably slice some oranges or apples.

 

[barkley]

the yummly website has allot of great recipes. you can also use the function of entering the ingredients you have on hand (or you will be buying to avail yourself of sale prices) and have just recipes that utilize those items pop up.

off the top of my heads ideas for what you are looking for-

breakfast pizza (on top of a crust put country gravy topped with scrambled eggs, crumbled sausage, bacon (or if you have it-left over ham), crumbled cheese (if your family likes mushrooms, bell peppers or onions in omletts add one or the other as well). uses less of each product than a traditional breakfast consisting of the same per serving.

chilis-i just doctor the 'brown bag' mix and go with the least expensive cut of beef (i have a meat grinder if i want ground but butchers at the nationwide grocery stores will do it free on request). we will have it over a big baked potato with cheese (makes to smaller servings of the chili vs. serving it as a separate entree).

soups-yummly has a great 'stuffed pepper soup'. very easy to do in crockpot. we serve it with a simple salad and french bread (btw-i've found walmart's french bread to be excellent, it's fresh baked and half the price of every place else).

make ahead to freeze-easy one is manwich (just have buns on hand). we also always have containers of soup (i always make enough to eat/enough to freeze), precooked/preshredded seasoned meat (if we make pulled pork, shredded beef for enchiladas...a portion is frozen).

to stretch chicken? we do it in the crockpot, shred and serve over pasta with sauteed onions and mushrooms. i wait for a sale and get our favorite jarred sauce on sale which i use sparingly b/c it doesn't have to be drowned in it (the chicken simmer sauces work well for this-just heat and put over the pasta with the other ingredients, toss, serve). i think one of the best bargains is a costco rotisserie chicken (price per pound can't be beat around us). take a look at all those premade items in the costco cold cases (chicken alfredo, chicken salad, chicken tacos...that's all made with those rotisserie chickens so you can make the same at a fraction of the cost).

 

[Elephantay]

Another really simple cheap meal...the BBQ sandwich version...

Do all the same thing with the chicken thighs (crockpot on low til shredded, served on a hamburger bun) and add 2 onions and 1/2 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce with more available to put on the bun. Serve with bagged coleslaw (or make your own with Marie's dressing, a shredded cabbage bag, and a shredded carrot bag, and s&p) on top or on the side and Baked Beans, warmed with a TB or 2 of your BBQ sauce used in the chicken and a TB or 2 of bacon pieces (the salad topping - you can buy a bag from Aldi for $1.29 - way easier and faster than cooking yourself, but will deliver the meatiness the kids want). And I always add fruit, so I'd probably slice some oranges or apples.

Thanks so much!

 

[Elephantay]

the yummly website has allot of great recipes. you can also use the function of entering the ingredients you have on hand (or you will be buying to avail yourself of sale prices) and have just recipes that utilize those items pop up.

off the top of my heads ideas for what you are looking for-

breakfast pizza (on top of a crust put country gravy topped with scrambled eggs, crumbled sausage, bacon (or if you have it-left over ham), crumbled cheese (if your family likes mushrooms, bell peppers or onions in omletts add one or the other as well). uses less of each product than a traditional breakfast consisting of the same per serving.

chilis-i just doctor the 'brown bag' mix and go with the least expensive cut of beef (i have a meat grinder if i want ground but butchers at the nationwide grocery stores will do it free on request). we will have it over a big baked potato with cheese (makes to smaller servings of the chili vs. serving it as a separate entree).

soups-yummly has a great 'stuffed pepper soup'. very easy to do in crockpot. we serve it with a simple salad and french bread (btw-i've found walmart's french bread to be excellent, it's fresh baked and half the price of every place else).

make ahead to freeze-easy one is manwich (just have buns on hand). we also always have containers of soup (i always make enough to eat/enough to freeze), precooked/preshredded seasoned meat (if we make pulled pork, shredded beef for enchiladas...a portion is frozen).

to stretch chicken? we do it in the crockpot, shred and serve over pasta with sauteed onions and mushrooms. i wait for a sale and get our favorite jarred sauce on sale which i use sparingly b/c it doesn't have to be drowned in it (the chicken simmer sauces work well for this-just heat and put over the pasta with the other ingredients, toss, serve). i think one of the best bargains is a costco rotisserie chicken (price per pound can't be beat around us). take a look at all those premade items in the costco cold cases (chicken alfredo, chicken salad, chicken tacos...that's all made with those rotisserie chickens so you can make the same at a fraction of the cost).

Thanks very much for taking the time to write and help- I appreciate it!

 

[TwoMisfits]

PS - Wanted to let you know if your added veg content gives off too much water (as mine did today), it's easily fixed by adding a cornstarch slurry to your crockpot and letting it cook off for 30 minutes (or more) - just get 1/2 cup of water and add 1-2TB of cornstarch (use more if your crock sauce is really thin, less if it's not), stir til totally combined, and then add to the crock and stir...

 

[nycdisneygal]

Thank you - I would love a recipe or two of your favorites. The chicken tacos would be a hit here, how do you make your chicken chili? The veggie frittata? Sorry, but I'm one of those people who need a recipe initially

Chili: Ground turkey with mccormick chili seasoning and 15 oz can of chopped tomatoes and can corn, diced carrots and diced bell pepper. I brown meat first if I have time. Put in crock pot for 4-6 or longer hours. Serve with tortilla chips and can have Tostitos queso cheese (warmed up - yum!!) . Sometimes ground turkey is on sale for about 3.00.

frittata: Thin sliced red potatoes. fry in non stick pan with olive oil until translucent. Then sautee 3 cloves minced garlic (and scallion if you like) and small bag baby spinach with salt and pepper and whatever veggies you like or have on hand (I do steamed brocolli and bell pepper). Make sure potatoes are laid out almost like a crust. Then add 8 whisked eggs . Top with cheese ( I do pepper jack on half and cheddar or mozzarella for the kids on the other half. Cover with aluminum and cook for 10 -12 minutes on low until set (may need longer time. When you touch you will know if its ready). I put this together from a recipe I found on allrecipes and the abigail kirsch newly-wed's cookbook. I mainly read recipes and make up my own based on ideas. Add salt and pepper to taste - we dont use much salt - mainly for the iodine though!

 

[bearzabout]

Our favorite 5 minute inexpensive breakfast is so flavorful.

Heat black beans or pinto beans in single serving size bowls. Melt cheddar cheese over them for the last 1.5 minutes. Add a fried egg, fresh onion, salsa (we use 505 hatch green chili from Costco), add sour cream if the salsa is too spicy. Add broken tortilla chips on top for crunch. You can top it with avocado or make avocado toast on the side. I prefer my avocado toast made with sourdough, with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper on top. This super easy delicious breakfast will stick with you all day.

We buy angus ground beef on sale for $1.99/lb and freeze it in meal size chunks.

We buy cooked chickens and make our own bone broth. We love to add udon noodles to our bone broth and veggies. The seasonings on the chicken make the broth taste great.

We save so much money buying our veggies from Aldis. We also love their salmon. We sous vide it then blacken it for a few minutes in a cast iron pan before putting it on a Caesar salad. Our sous vide machine yields us restaurant quality meats and it so easy to use.

If you have a bread maker, you can save a lot by making your own bread and pizza dough.