Any budget meal ideas (chicken & beef)??

[rszdtrvl]

We are a picky family. No fish, not a lot of pork. We are mostly a chicken and beef (steak & ground beef) family. Bacon is okay as well as sausage (once in a while) for pork. As well as pork chops (just once in a while).

I am running out of ideas!! Eating out is so expensive, and we are trying to reduce our debt.

Any wonderful chicken breast and ground beef recipes to share??

 

[NotUrsula]

Expand your horizons as to form, if not substance. You can buy beef sausage, you know.

Also, buy some dark meat chicken, too; it is cheaper and has a different texture that is better for certain dishes, especially those that cook slowly.
How about turkey?

Try one-dish meals that can be served with salads. Cajun and southwest dishes tend to be good choices.

This is my favorite simple cookbook author: www.hollyclegg.com The sample recipes that she has up on this site do feature a lot of seafood because she's from Louisiana, but there are also a lot of chicken and meat dishes in her books that are great. Tamale pie is a good one you can try, and it freezes REALLY well; you can freeze it before baking and just double the baking time, or even put it up in individual freezer boxes and zap them in the microwave:

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 finely chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 16 oz. jar of thick salsa
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground chili powder
1 15 oz can of corn, drained
6 small flour tortillas, cut into strips
3/4 cp shredded low-fat mexican or cheddar cheese

Preheat over to 350. In a skillet, brown the beef, onions and garlic, then drain excess grease. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the tortillas and cheese, mixing well. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with nonstick spray, then layer 1/3 of the beef mixture in the the baking pan.
Layer with tortilla strips and repeat with another 1/3 of the beef mixture, then the remaining tortilla strips, then the remaining beef mixture. Bake for 35 minutes, then add the cheese on top and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Cool for 5 minutes before cutting to serve. (Makes 10-12 servings, ~200 calories per)

 

[hemispheredancer]

Beef: burgers, stuffed green peppers, pasta w/ meat sauce, sloppy joes, tacos

Chicken: boneless/skinless...marinated then grilled, fajitas, shish kebobs, chicken marsala (my fav!!), grilled chix salad, chicken parmesan. Bone-in chicken...bbq chicken, Bisquick oven fried chicken (yum!!).

We, too, get bored with the same stuff. Periodically we have breakfast for dinner. Sausage links/patties or bacon with hash browns or diced potatoes and pancakes/Belgian waffles/French toast.

You can buy a nice round bone or English cut pot roast at a decent price. Cut up some potatoes and carrots, put in roaster with some Lipton's onion soup mix and water and let it bake for a few hours. Really good as leftovers, too!!

 

[rszdtrvl]

Thanks for the ideas.

I ended up having DH name 7 meals he likes, that he knows DS and I will eat too. We are going to have these meals weekly for a while - at least until we get sick of them. I will be doing grocery shopping weekly for a while. We are a busy family, and this should help avoid the quick drive-thru dinners.

Mon - Homemade Pizza, garlic bread, salad
Tue - Hamburgers w/ lettuce & tomato, french fries
Wed - Steak, salad, scalloped potatoes
Thu - Tacos, refried beans, tortilla chips
Fri - Chili Dogs w/ cheese & onion, potato chips, salad
Sat - Spaghetti Pie, salad/corn on cob, crescent rolls/garlic bread
Sun - Oven baked chicken (whole cut fryer), mashed potatoes/gravy, corn on cob

This should last us for a while, having the same meals weekly. At least until I can come up with more meals for the family that we all will eat. I tried to get them somewhat nutritionally balanced. And leftovers can be eaten for lunch, or we can skip a planned meal and have leftover day if we want.

 

[wishesuponastar]

We had this tonight...simple and tasty.

buy a family package of seasoned yellow rice (spanish aisle) cook the rice in a large skillet. I then add to the cooked rice, 4 boneless chicken breast that I have broiled then shredded. Feeds our family of 4.

 

[amberdburke]

I love using whole chickens. I have a recipe called "oven-blasted chicken." You basically salt and pepper the outside, put it in the oven at 450 for 45 to an hour. The outside gets really crispy, and the inside stays juicy.

I have been buying bone-in split chicken breasts (.89 a lb), and deboning/deskining myself.

Pepperoni Rice - Get store-brand pepperoni (.89 a pack at Meijer), make several servings of brown rice, cut up an onion to cook with the pepperoni, and toss in a microwaved back of broccoli.

Smoked Sausage Skillet - 1 pack of smoked sausage (I use turkey sausage bought on sale with a coupon at 2 for 3), cook and then add to a mixture of corn and zucchini.

Sometimes we do Hamburger Helper, but I make 2 boxes and only 1 lb of ground beef, which leaves enough for leftovers.

 

[szubieta]

In your spagetti pie add a jar of babyfood "squash'. Since everyone doesn't eat salad.

Chinese chicken salad is so quick and easy.
Meatloaf (good for sandwiches)
Use chicken broth or beef broth in place of water when cooking chicken or pot roast in the crockpot.
Also beef broth is better with gr beans too.

 

[maleficentmom]

buy a family pack of bonless thighs(we like walmarts brand that is hormone and antibiotic free or whatever). Make bbq or some other easy baked chicken and have that one night,the next couple of nights use the extra for pizza,tamales,enchiladas,chicken salad sandwiches,etc...we take tortillas and top them with the leftover chicken cut up,cheese,cilantro,refried or black beans,and grilled oniions and mushrooms and fold and grill and top with homemade guacamole.

 

[fakereadhed]

Not sure what your spaghetti pie is, but I usually do standard spaghetti dinner one night, and baked spaghetti another night. Or we will have chili, then a couple nights later chili mac or chili dogs or taco salad.

Also, cooking simpler meals means less ingredients to buy. I will do chicken drumsticks, thighs, or breasts in the crockpot with some condiment I get for next to nothing after coupons- Italian dressing, BBQ sauce, hot wing sauce or just herbs from the garden. I add a potato and a veggie or salad and dinner's done.

Another one from this board that's now a family favorite- tuna noodle with Alfredo sauce, noodles, frozen peas, and tuna. It's quicker than pizza delivery!

Another one for meat and potato families like mine is eye of round roast(2 in a pack at costco) in a crockpot with halved or quartered potatoes, a sliced onion, and a packet of brown gravy mix with a cup of water and a splash of vinegar. Cook on high for 4 hours.

 

[Bearshouse]

In your seasoning aisle at the grocery store, McCormicks have these prepackaged seasoning meals.

Examples:

Garlic lime Chicken fajitas
Caribbean grilled steak
Quesadilla Casserole
Chicken fettuccine
And tons more

(we usually leave out the red pepper flakes)

Then after we have tried them I just save the recipe we like and buy the big containers of the seasonings.

We also try to have on hand lunch meat or something in case the dinner has turned out to be inedible. We have had to tweak a few to our taste but the packets have been tons of fun.


Bearshouse

 

[justbishop]

I do build-your-own burrito nights often, usinnng only 1 chicken breast for DH, DD, and I. I boil the chicken (sometimes I do it in a can of chicken broth + a can of water, sometimes just water to cover the chicken) for 30-45 minutes, then shred it with forks and sauté it with taco seasoning. Because there are so many other things to put into a burrito, 1 chicken breast can go a long way!

To fill in, I do refried beans, Spanish rice, cheese (of course), salsa, and a black bean/sweet corn mixture (1 can each, rinse the beans) that I add more taco seasoning to. Everyone always leaves the table satisfied, and there are always leftovers (even chicken!)

 

[cindydare]

Crockpot chili:

1 lb ground beef (or turkey) browned and drained
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can regular diced tomatoes
1 can mexican seasoned diced tomatoes
1 to 2 cans kidney beans (depending on your preference)

place all ingredients in crock pot, stir, and cook on low for 4-6 hours

You can add additional spices to suit your family's tastes. It's nice and mild for my kids.

I usually serve it over cooked pasta (ditalini) with shredded cheese and sour cream. Leftovers are great for making nachos!

 

[ceecee]

Chicken breasts are usually on sale for $1.99 lb. I get two meal out of the package. I cook in the crock with a jar of salsa, then have 2 dinners made" burritos, burrito bowls, quasidias, salad or taco soup.

 

[lovehoney]

If you haven't already - check out the Eat at Home thread here on the budget board. I get the best ideas and lots of encouragement to eat at home.