Cheap Meal Ideas

[nbodyhome]

I rotate quite a few recipes now - I don't know if you have seen recipezaar.com, but that is wonderful, they have like 1000,000 recipes or more!

 

[MayMom]

This is a family favorite - easy and cheap.

1 package of frozen cheese tortellini
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
2-3 slices of deli ham, shredded
1 jar of Ragu alfredo sauce

Spray a 9 x 13 dish with Pam. Dump in the frozen tortellini, peas, ham and sauce, mixing well. Cover with foil and cook 20 minutes. Take off foil, sprinkle with parmesean cheese and a little salt and pepper and bake uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I rotate quite a few recipes now - I don't know if you have seen recipezaar.com, but that is wonderful, they have like 1000,000 recipes or more!

I love recipezaar! I also like Kraft and Pillsbury websites. They have a section where you can type in what is on hand and search a recipe for that. Nice when you are in a pinch!

 

[nbodyhome]

I love recipezaar! I also like Kraft and Pillsbury websites. They have a section where you can type in what is on hand and search a recipe for that. Nice when you are in a pinch!

I haven't tried the other two, but I love being able to go to Recipezaar, type in "crockpot" and come out with like a thousand possible crockpot recipes (I love my crockpot!) I found a wonderful hungarian goulash recipe there, I would say that is a fairly cheap one (though I am not sure not as cheap as Broccoli soup!)

I found the site last year, and it's indispensible for me! I found a great fudge recipe and crockpot candy (like peanut clusters, though I've changed the recipe a bit) that I gave as Christmas gifts.

Denise

 

[OceanAnnie]

Hi Denise,

I've found some great crockpot recipes on recipezaar too. I think that website also has the feature of typing in ingredients and coming up with a dish. It's tops on my list for recipes, that's for sure.

I found an apple cobbler recipe from 1882 (sometime around that time). A fella found the recipe tucked in a book! And it was really good.

It's just a fun and informative site!

 

[dismom9761]

Two that we make and freeze throughout the winter are Mexican lasagna and Spaghetti pie. Both make way more than the two of us can eat (DD isn't old enough to eat them quite yet, but soon) so it's nice to have something in the freezer for a quick lunch, or better yet, a dinner when the budget's tight. Of course, you can always stretch these with salad or bread.

Mexican Lasagna (this was from Weight Watchers, so bonus there!)

1 lb ground beef (we use ground turkey)
1 can refried beans (fat free work fine)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder (I've added fresh garlic to the meat and that's good too)
16 oz jar salsa
2 cups water
9 lasagna noodles (we've used whole-wheat and they work fine)

Brown ground meat. Drain; add refried beans and spices and heat through.

Spray a 9x13 dish. Layer three lasagna noodles; top with half of the meat mixture. Continue layering, noodles-meat-noodles.

Combine salsa and water; pour over noodles. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 60-70minutes.

Top with sour cream, shredded cheese, and a sliced black olive (or whatever you want!). Makes 9 servings.


Kraft Spaghetti Pie (a little costlier, but freezing the leftovers helps!)
8 oz spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained (again, we use ground turkey)
2 cups spaghetti sauce
8 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese

TOSS: cooked spaghetti, Parmesan, and egg. Place in 9" pie plate. Press along sides and bottom to form crust.

MIX: Cooked meat and spaghetti sauce. Spread meat mixture over spaghetti crust. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

BAKE: at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into slices.

IJust wanted to say that I made the lasagna tonight and it was HIT.Thanks!!

 

[disneydani1]

Can you e-mail me some of your dough recipes? They sound great!
dlent@townofwappinger.us

Thanks

 

[chop456]

Just subscribing. Still need to read all of the posts.

 

[ButterflyJen]

IJust wanted to say that I made the lasagna tonight and it was HIT.Thanks!!

Glad you enjoyed it!

 

[java]

just bringing this ttt
Oh and I can't wait to try the gulumpki recipe(I know I murdered that spelling) Polish here and that is comfort food and my grandmother was the one that made it. My mom never learned how*not a cook. But now I can try to make it! Although she used to use a white sauce not the tomato but I have had it with tomato in the Ukranian restaurant we hit in the city!

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

thanks for all the great ideas. Just wanted to subscribe so I can find this easy in the future.

 

[josh0208]

Very useful thread. Please keep the ideas coming. Thanks.

 

[MayButterfly]

just subscribing!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

DH and I stumbled a upon another way to save big, especially at sit down places. You can order a meal with an extra side for cheap! How you are billed often depends on how you order your food. If one person wants the entree, and one just the soup (for example) - but soup is an option with the entree - have one person order everything and tell the wait person you're going to split it. Often they bill the meal as a meal with an extra side, which is a much better deal than the meal (for person one) and individual soup (for person 2). Just beware of places that charge extra for sharing.

This works especially well when you share one of the bigger meals on the menu over two smaller meals. Like at steak places - where you can order a really big steak, so long as you can agree on how you want it cooked.

I can never choose between two sides at certain places (Texas Roadhouse, Carrabas) - so we order a big steak with three sides.

One place I went to recently had baked potato as a side option,but it wasn't on the menu alone anywhere. I was recovering form a stomach virus, so a potato was about all I could eat. Anyhow, she only charged me like $1 for it! I was really surprised at how cheap it was, and it was a huge potato!

 

[snowwite]

We also buy the frozen chicken breast and use it in a number of recipes.

Here are a few ideas.

Chicken,Brocoli & Ziti:
Jar ragu alfedo sauce,bag frozen broccoli,2 chickne breast sauteed with 1 TBsp olive oil and 2 cloves garlic,1 box store brand or (whatever is on sale)penne,ziti or bow tie pasta

Tuna noodle:
Bow tie pasta,tuna,peas and jar alfredo sauce

chicken Pot Pie:
2 cooked and cubed chicken breast,2 cans veg-all (mixed beans,carrots and potato),1 can cream chicken soup. Mix all together and top with 1 can of refrigerated cresent rolls or bisquick biscuits.Bake 350 x 20 mins until brown.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup

BLT's

Salad with grilled chicken and baked potatoes

We also use ground turkey: wait for sales and stock up.
Make meatloaf and freeze for later
Make meatballs and have w/pasta one night and leftovers to make meatball subs another night
American chop suey:
turkey,can stewed tomatoes,onion chopped and green pepper chopped,1 box elbow macaroni
Make turkey and swiss burgers and put out all the toppings for kids to make own burgers,make homemade fries w/3 large potatoes plus 2 sweet potatoes cut and cooked in olive oil until brown.Add salt to taste

We make breakfast for dinner:
Pancakes and fruit
scrambled eggs and bacon
Omelets and toast

 

[mbw12]

Just subscribing to this thread!!!

 

[melag]

My mom makes this once a month for my dad (his absolute favorite) and it's pretty cheap...

I'll make this with between 4-8 hotdogs and add or take away potatoes to make up for them

You will need:
Hotdogs
Potatoes (really any kind)
Onions - whatevers on sale
Olive Oil (you could probably use vegetable)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic spice or salt (use less salt then)

Slice up the potatoes so their pretty samll and a little thick, sautee in olive oil for about 15 minutes then add the onions and hotdogs. Add spices. It's very easy and hard to screw up. Really you could do the onions and then the potatoes but just make sure the pot's are cooked.

Thanks for all of your recipes, you've inspired me.

 

[melag]

Can be cheap if you get stuff on sale and is a great snack

You'll need:
8 oz. block of cream cheese (I only use 1/2)
can of hormel chile with beans
3 or more cheese mexican mix

layer starting with cc, hormel, mix - micro 2-3 min serve with tortilla chips

 

[THE HAT]

just subbing to this great thread...i love cheap meal ideas!!!! more money to eat at wdw, whoo hoo

 

[budbeerlady]

I just made this and I love it. From rachael Rays magazine that I love now!!

Tomoto Tortilla soup

2 Tbls veggie oil
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 medium onion chopped
4 cup chicken broth
1 28oz can chopped peeled tomatos in thier juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Juice of 1/2 Lime
7 6inch corn tortillas torn into small pieces


Heat oil and cook onions untill clear (8 min) add the garlic. Add the chicken broth and tomatos w/ juice. Boil and then simmer for 10min. Add the cumin, salt and lime juice and simmer 3 min. Add the torn up tortilla pieces, simmer 3 min.

Run this through a blender and serve. It made a bunch that I put into tupperware to take to work this week. It is really good and thick. I hate tomato soup but I love this stuff!!!!!