Budget Friendly Meals - Autumn Version

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I thought I would start a list of budget friendly meals and dishes. Since the weather is starting to turn (at least in my neck of the woods) it is always great to be reminded of meals that can be frozen, large portions, and well just great home cooking... Plus it keeps us all on budget. Please feel free to list meals, recipes are also welcome!! Happy Cooking and more important, Happy Eating!!

Chili - my recipe makes 4 meals for 4 people (16 large servings) and costs approximately $8.00 or $.50 per serving...

1# ground beef
one green pepper chopped
one small onion chopped
48oz. tomato sauce
4 cans kidney beans
1 can chopped tomatoes
dash of worcheshire dash of hot sauce
chili seasoning

I take my onion, pepper, and beef and brown in the bottom of a large pot. When browned add all the other ingredients. Simmer for 2-3 hours.

Goulash - my recipe makes 2 meals for 4 people or 8 servings and costs approximately $4.00 or $.50 per serving....

1# ground beef
1 16oz box of elbow macaroni
one small green pepper chopped
one small onion chopped
3 small cans tomato sauce
dash of worcheshire, pinch or two of brown sugar, hot sauce

Bowl elbow macaroni to al dente, drain, set aside.

In a large pan brown beef with onion/pepper, worcheshire. Add tomato sauce, brown sugar, and hot sauce. Stir in elbow macaroni.


Please add more!! Diane

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Moving to the Cooking Forum.

 

[lattemomof3]

Would it pretty please be possible to leave budget related food/meal threads on the budget board? They seem to get a lot more replies over there. I love the recipes board, but budget related meals make more sense to me on the budget board.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I totally agree but for some reason all my posts are getting moved. I will just discontinue posting on the budget boards, so this should stop. Sorry for the inconvenience. Diane.

 

[sharonmickey]

I much prefer having recipe threads on the budget board. The cooking forum is too difficult to find, at least for me.

 

[Swimnoid]

I'm making beef stew tomorrow. The store had stew meet on sale in large packs; enough for two different meals. I'll just throw it in the crock pot with some onion, carrots and potatoes. Probably all together about $1 or less per serving. Most of the time I'll just do meat and carrots and have mashed potatoes. hmmmmm....maybe some apple crisp too.

I may try that goulash recipe. DH would love that!

 

[MazdaUK]

Try using apple juice, beef stock and thyme with the beef in the crockpot - toppped with cheesy bisquick biscuit My family gobbles it up double quick!!

 

[Swimnoid]

Try using apple juice, beef stock and thyme with the beef in the crockpot - toppped with cheesy bisquick biscuit My family gobbles it up double quick!!

Used beef broth, pepper and Emeril "BAM" Wish I had apple juice though! That would be good. I may have to do the cheesy bicuit topping though!

 

[MazdaUK]

I used the crockpot lady's chicken pot pie topping recipe but subbed half of the melted butter for grated cheese - it takes quite a long time to cook but as long as you put it on and can wait 7-8 hours its fine

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

I made Tuscan Soup with Tortellini from the Foodnetwork Channel last night but I made a couple of substitutions because DD19 is a vegetarian.

I used vegetable broth instead of the beef broth and I substituted Bertolli's dried cheese tortellini (1 pkg) for the frozen tortellini. I had to add 4 cups of water to make up for the pasta soaking it up.

I served it with homemade oatmeal bread (from my bread machine) and put grated parmesan cheese on the table to top it off. Yum. It really hit the spot and made enough to have leftovers to send to the inlaws today.

 

[pampam]

Bought my cabbage, now I'm looking for ideas on how to make the best ones. I read to save work you don't have to pre-cook your meat or rice, but I've never tried that.

 

[ugadog99]

Really, this needs to be back on the budget board. The cooking board just moves too slowly and this thread could be used by a LOT of people...me included!

 

[semo233]

Once I finally found this board again, I subscribed. I too have difficulty find it!

PamPam: I find the easiest way to make suffed cabbage is not to stuff it! When I make stuffed cabbage for a crowd, I use my favorite recipe, cook the cabbage first and then layer the cooked meat and rice, etc. Use the cabbage like you would lazagna noodles!

If I am making it for just us, I shred the raw cabbage and layer it, using lots of tomatoe soup, and bake it for an hour or two to make sure the cabbage cooks.

Same taste, less work!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I take a Pillsbury fridgerated pie crust (2 in a box) line a 8x8 dish with the pie crust. Place this in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and add 3 cans of Dinty Moore stew to the dish. Place the other pie crust on top. Cut some vent holds and place back in the oven for 40 minutes.
This was enough to feed us for 3 days!
I also baked some bread sticks to go along with it.
I also served coleslaw with it.
The Pillsbury website has coupons too.

 

[barkley]

this is good for breakfast too but we make it for a dinner meal-

breakfast pizza-

take a boboli crust or make your own, top with country gravy (i get the canned or dry mix when it's on sale), add pre-cooked scrambled eggs, precooked bacon (chopped into peices), precooked breakfast sausage (again cut into peices) and top with shredded cheese. put into oven and heat till cheese is melted and crust is lite brown (we make up extras to freeze).


bulk, budget items-

sheppard's pie-(i get veg-all when it's on sale and stock up, otherwise the veggies are whatever i've got on hand). i make up a big batch of the meat/veggie mixture and freeze it in gallon zip lock bags (take up less space than doing up the full blown caserole dishes).

italian meat sauce- i make up a HUGE container VERY MEATY that i break into gallon zip locks to use as the BASE for future sauces. when i defrost one i have only to add tomato sauce and paste (or whatever tomato products i have on hand or are on sale) to make a batch that lasts several days (make it up when ground beef and or italian sausage is on sale).

o.k.-here's the ones people go when mention-

london broil stroganoff, stew or soup

before you think i'm nuts, consider that london broil often goes on sale (at least where we live) for $1.99 per pound which is considerably less than i can get soup, stew or appropriate stroganoff meat for. i buy it in large quantities and just cut it up for whatever i'm making. it comes out tender if cooked properly and it costs me a fraction of the cost (i have also been known to bring the butcher at the grocery store to tears when i've handed him several stunning roasts on sale for $1.49 and told him to grind them into hamburgar-but when it ends up with the lowest fat ratio at more than a 50% cost savings even he can't argue my reasoning).

 

[etoiles]

We made a delicious hot tortilla soup you could make more spicey to heat you up in winter. Super budget friendly recipe! It was so good I made it again this week and it lasts us for a while! Topped it with avacado, cheese, and of course tortilla chips!