Cooking Need 14 easy cheap delicious dinners

[disneyfav4ever]

This is really easy, cheap, and yummy.

2 lb pork, cubed
2 cups Coke (do not use diet)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp ginger, minced
1 bunch scallions, minced
3 tbsp soy sauce

Brown the pork in some oil, remove from heat and add Coke. Bring to a boil, then simmer 30 min, add remaining ingrediants, and simmer for an hour. Serve with rice.

I've had to use a little cornstarch before since the sauce never seems to get thick enough, but it is very easy to make.

 

[Mocharilla]

This list is awesome! We're looking to do the same thing this summer. Get a few choices of cheap and easy meals, and do them!

Today, I was so proud, we picked up food for the week, and it was $30 total!

We got sloppy joe stuff, hamburger helper, ravioli, and stuff for chicken ceaser salad. Yummy!

We'll definatly have to add a lot of this stuff!

 

[OceanAnnie]

I LOVE this thread! I need to get organized too. I see a lot of our favorites and ones we like as stand bys.

Here's some I didn't see on the lists:

BLTs
Quiche (we like ham, broccoli, & cheese, or sausage, broccoli, and cheese)
Chicken in the crock pot using salsa as a base
Chicken or Pork chops in the crock pot using gravy
Homemade chicken pot pie
Suddenly Salad Pasta (adding pepperoni, cheese crumbles, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes --good for a hot day!)
Pancakes and bacon, or eggs and bacon, or french toast
Salisbury steak & gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans
Beef stew
Chicken (brunswick) stew
Hot Dogs

*I didn't add the veggies or fruit with most of the above meals. It's the meats that are the toughie for me. The fruits and veggies not so hard to put together (and easy to change).

Thanks, OP! Great thread!!

 

[Jewel1310]

Great thread with lots of ideas. I typically shop weekly and use the preview of the weekly grocery flyer when planning meals. I then make a list in excel (3 columns Item, isle, and cost and then can sort by isle). On the right I list the meals by day and on the left I list the three columns above.

I base what we will have that week on what is on special. Some items that my family likes are:

Spaghetti
Tacos or Taco salad
Tuna casserole
Steak sandwiches
Steak and Potatoes
Chicken pot pie (PA style with noodles and potatoes)
Pork and sauerkraut
Spanish pork and black beans
Roast Chicken
Chicken and Rice
BLTs
Hamburgers, hotdogs or grilled sausage
Kielbasa with potatoes
Shepherds pie
Ham green beans and potatoes
Grilled Cheese
Chicken and dumplings

I am trying to recreate meals that are healthier but these are my standbys.

Thanks for starting the thread

 

[lisaross]

Anyone have a great Mac & cheese recipe? how about in the crockpot?

thanx

 

[OceanAnnie]

Jewel1310, how do you make the chicken pot pie PA style?
I'd love to have the recipe!

I do a "baked" chicken in the crock pot. I get a small whole fryer and clean it out and rinse. Then I rub it down with olive oil and Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Seasoning. Put it in the crock pot on low setting all day. So good! Sometimes I put oranges inside the cavity, and/or add veggies. Always tastes good and we always have leftovers for chicken salad, chicken tacos, etc..

 

[SherylWrites]

Sausage and Pasta

1 package mild Italian Sausage, cut up in chunks with casing removed
1 package fresh cheese and spinach filled pasta (we like ravioli but there's lots to choose from)
1 red pepper sliced
1 green pepper sliced
6-10 mushrooms sliced
1 onion, sliced or chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
3 or 4 sun dried tomatoes sliced
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
Pepper to taste


Heat sausage and onions until thoroughly cooked through. Drain any excess oil. Throw in peppers, mushrooms, zucchini and tomatoes and heat until tender but not soggy.

In a pot of hot water, cook the ravioli to instructions.

In a large bowl, mix the sausage and pepper mixture in with the ravioli. Add olive oil and pepper and toss it up.
Serve with a crusty loaf or a salad if you please.

Feeds four with enough left over for one lunch the next day
In Canadian Currency: $8.98
Ravioli - $3.49
Sausages - $2.99
Produced - $2.50

 

[megveg]

Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Seasoning

I LOVE THIS STUFF ON EVERYTHING!

I thought of another easy meal!
Chicken Catchatori (sp?)

Simple pasta with sauce and chopped up chicken, mmmm I love using ziti for it mmmmm

 

[Jewel1310]

OceanAnnie

I am sorry to say it isn't very healthy but here is what I do. I either use cut up chicken breasts boiled in water or a whole chicken that I have boiled in water until it is well cooked. I put the chicken and some potatoes in a crockpot with a cup of water and 2 cups chicken broth for about 4 hours until the potatoes are tender (onions and salt and pepper to taste). (Can be cooked on the stove in about 45 minutes) I then boil noodles in water. In PA typically we use pot pie noodles (large square) but I prefer bowtie noodles. Combine it all let cook an additional half an hour and serve. Very inexpensive, easy, taste's great, but not so healthy.

Your recipe sounds great!

 

[momandkidslovedisney]

In reference to the question of getting organized, I have the following system...

I know what my family likes and doesn't. I guess you will need to make a few new menu items each week and jot down the good ones...

I keep two calendar's with room to write notes for each day. First we fill the activities calendar. This is when soccer games are, dr's appts., etc. I am strict with this. If the kids neglect to tell me something and I have to change dining plans, there are consequences...

The second calendar I write out a meal plan weekly. This way I can look back at the week before and try not to duplicate too many meals. The weekly meal plan is done PRIOR to the weekly shopping (Well actually I am a monthly shopper, but most people prefer weekly). Left overs are only once every two weeks, but on the oppposite week, some meals are twofers (two meals, one preperation). Make sure to look back at monthly meals for idea's the next month. Also, peoples tastes change. Make sure to note any changes. Leftovers are great for lunches..

I put ONE, yes only ONE, yellow star on the calendar. This is for one day during the month that I can just throw in the towel and we eat out. Usually a pizza, but sometimes it is something else....

Go to the library and get simple cookbooks. If you are just starting out you are better off with Betty Crocker than Mario Batali. Keep rotating the cookbooks and write out recipe cards. Put them in a cheap photo album or 3 ring binder by category. Cookbooks made from school's and or church's seem to have good old-fashioned meals and recipes. Don't be afraid to substitute to your liking... This is from one of my other threads but thought it might help a bit, Diane.

I can purchase 1# of 90% lean ground beef for $1.99 or $.50 per person for a meal. Here are some of my favorites that enhance my budget.

Meatloaf - yes it is a small meatloaf but more that enough for a meal. Add potatoes, veggie, salad, and or fruit to have a very filling meal.

Mock Stroganoff (interested in recipe, let me know) - serve over noodles or mashed potatoes. My family loves my roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Add fruit and or a veggie.

Meatballs - One # meat makes 32-36 smaller meatballs. Ideas, spaghetti, meatball subs, swedish meatballs, and bbq meatballs. Serve with sides...Yummo!

Hamburgers - Homemade, it could be greek, italian, mediteranian, bbq, anything your heart desires - add some frozen french fries and a veggie....

Goulash - serve w/ salad and warm bread

Stuffed Cabbage rolls - use rice as a filler and serve with a veggie, salad or bread

Taco's - original or casserole - Anyone for Mexican tonight????

Hamburger/Cheeseburger casserole - with 2 sides of veggies....

Chili - Yeah a meal that serves an army...of can you say leftovers!!

Crockpot - Hamburger meat and baked beans, served over mashed potatoes. Mom called this poor week casserole!

Stir Fry - yes no one thinks hamburger and stir-fry. But it is delicious. Tons of veggies and the flavor is very good. Make sure to get out your spices.

Pizza Night - I am sure you all can do this one... So many varieties your head will spin!

Homemade Hamburger Helpers - no kits needed!!

Sloppy Joes - homemade also, no need for the processed can stuff....

And last but not least:

Hamburger Surprise - the casserole of champion's. Clean out the refrigerator day!!

See all is not lost!!

I would love your recipe for Mock Stroganoff

 

[OceanAnnie]

OceanAnnie

I am sorry to say it isn't very healthy but here is what I do. I either use cut up chicken breasts boiled in water or a whole chicken that I have boiled in water until it is well cooked. I put the chicken and some potatoes in a crockpot with a cup of water and 2 cups chicken broth for about 4 hours until the potatoes are tender (onions and salt and pepper to taste). (Can be cooked on the stove in about 45 minutes) I then boil noodles in water. In PA typically we use pot pie noodles (large square) but I prefer bowtie noodles. Combine it all let cook an additional half an hour and serve. Very inexpensive, easy, taste's great, but not so healthy.

Your recipe sounds great!

It's healthy enough! I'm going to try it!

The fryer chicken in the crockpot, if you try it make sure it's small and that you put it on first thing in the morning. Sometimes I start it out on high and turn it down to low around lunch time depending on the size. I've done it using some pats of light margarine and Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Seasoning (I love the stuff too! I use it alot!). I've cooked a whole chicken (minus innards) with a little broth, or zesty Italian salad dressing, or BBQ sauce. You name it pretty much! It's all good! Some mornings I'm bleary eyed and will try anything.

Oh, if the chicken is on the larger size you can cook it on high all day, just be sure it has plenty of liquid.

 

[Maggimus]

Anyone have a delicious recipe for homemade sloppy joes??

 

[cruisnfamily]

Mock Stroganoff (interested in recipe, let me know) - serve over noodles or mashed potatoes. My family loves my roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Add fruit and or a veggie.

I would love your recipe for Mock Stroganoff

Me too, me too!

 

[Shyest99]

:;Lurking:: I want it, too!!

 

[Mouseless2Long]

Mock stroganoff . . . sounds yummy! Please post!

 

[barbara s]

Anyone have a delicious recipe for homemade sloppy joes??

I can tell you how the Middle School here makes sloppy joes. My children LOVE them!!!!

After browning ground beef and onion, they add Heinz ketchup and cook until thickened.


I thought, what else?? But I made it at home and my teens and their friends gobbled it up!!!

Barb

 

[zoemurr]

But my best advice is to get a few cookbooks by Mr. Food. There are never a lot of ingredients, and I have always heard of them.

Here are a few of my favorites: Provolone Chicken:
Preheat oven to 425F. Place bread crumbs in a flat dish; press both sides of the chicken into the crumbs. Place coated chicken pieces in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with oregano, and top with cheese. Sprinkle with parsley and dot with butter. Bake for 20 minutes or until done.

Groovy chicken:
http://www.kikkomanusa.com/general/...+sauce&subsearch=&subsection=Soy&subsection2=

Angel hair with clams:http://www.countrylines.com/recipes/?r=angel-hair-pasta-with-clam-sauce1

Or "chicken pot pie"
Preheat oven to 400. Mix together 2 cans mixed veggies, 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 1 cup milk, and one can chunk chicken. (I mix it togther right in a large pie plate. Bake 20min. Cover top with refridg. crescent rolls and bake another 10min. I always keep ingredients for this on hand since they are things that don't spoil.

We have a lot of meatloaf and tacos too. I also love dumping chicken and BBQ sauce in the crockpot.

Have fun!

 

[fatewineroses]

I keep saying I'm going to come up w/ some sort of rotating dinner list too - my sister does and it makes her life so much easier, esp. shopping (the other sister has it REALLY easy....her DH does all the cooking/planning! )

BUT, I never know where to start , or even how to organize it all - so I'm following this closely and will take my favs of all of your lists to make my list -thanks, in advance!! (Esp to you OP.)

On that note, though, do any of you have a great way of organizing it all - ie. do you make one Word document for your shopping needs, or is there a really good on-line tool? (I tried one once it it left me too ) My sister method really seemed not good for me.... (involved using her memory,quite a bit, I lost THAT years ago!)

Great thread all!!

I'm very new to this too. I think if there were more than just myself and my DD I would have to work harder at this, but it's just us. But I'm learning! One of the things I do is that when I add a recipe to my repetoire I put the ingredients on an index card. So when I'm ready to make a list, I just pull out the cards so I can make sure I don't forget anything.

I also like using the online grocery lists makers. That way, if you work, you can access it from work to add things you forget. I do it all the time! LoL dontforgetthemilk.com is a great site. Even if you don't need to access it from anywhere, it helps you keep track of your regularly purchased items. It's FREE too!

Oh, and I don't want to stop the recipes coming, but you should do a search on this board for : recipes, dinner, meals They aren't showing up on the first several pages, but I know that there are a bunch of threads like this one!

 

[hentob]

Stuffed Cabbage rolls - use rice as a filler and serve with a veggie, salad or bread

Here, we call that Halupki It is something only a Nana can make correctly It makes your house stink, but OHHHH is it YUMMY

You can feed halupki to massive groups of people for very little money

http://www.iarelative.com/recipe/halupki.htm

"We still use this original recipe, which is sized for about 60 halupki - enough to feed 15 to 20. I've found they can be frozen about 2 months and still taste good, up to 4 months and still taste decent.


WARNING! Do not attempt this recipe with a cold or stuffed nose. Adding the dry ingredients to the meat is based on smell, not measured amounts - grandpa butchered animals on the farm and was a cook in the Hungarian Army in WW I, and he figured you can't count on the animals to give the same quality meat every time! Also, wash hands well and mix the meat with bare hands! ! ! Rubber or plastic gloves leave a taste behind, and even wooden mixing spoons just don't do the job.


Cabbage - 2 heads for this recipe
3 lb. Ground chuck
3/4 lb. Ground pork
Salt & pepper
2 eggs
Garlic powder
Paprika
1/2 of a 2" onion, sauteed in 1/4 lb. butter
just under 1 cup rice and equal amount water
1 large can (28 oz.) Silver Floss sauerkraut
1 large can (28 oz.) Hunts Tomato Sauce
1 large can (28 oz.) Hunts Crushed Tomato
Prepare the cabbage - puncture the core with a knife, and boil about 45 minutes (if using two heads, boil separately). After cooling, prepare the leaves - pull them off the head in as large a piece as you can. You'll probably have to take thin slices off the spines and thicker veins.

Mix the meat together and smell it. Remember the smell of the meat. Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper, and knead the mixture by hand. Smell again. Keep adding salt and pepper until it just barely masks the smell of the meat.

Cook the rice until all the water is absorbed. Set aside.

Mix the eggs into the meat mixture. Smell the mixture - remember the smell. Sprinkle in a little garlic powder and paprika; knead well. Keep mixing in small amounts of garlic powder and paprika until you can detect a garlic smell. Add the juice from the sauerkraut, the rice, sauteed onions, and 1/3 cup of the tomato sauce. Mix thoroughly.

Put a small amount of oil in the bottom of a BIG pot. Roll a small handful of the meat mixture into a firm oval; wrap with a cabbage leaf. Tuck the edges into the roll. Line the bottom of the pot with the halupki; cover with a little bit of the sauerkraut, some tomato sauce, and a layer of leaves.

Keep building layers, using the "bad" and small cabbage leaves for the layering. Top with the crushed tomatoes, remaining sauerkraut, and the very top is cabbage leaves. Add enough water to totally cover.

Stick a wooden spoon down to the bottom (CAREFULLY, along the side of the pot) to break any air bubbles between the layers - do NOT puncture any of the halupki! - and add more water, if necessary. Repeat this several times, because air between the layers will make a terrific mess when the pot begins to boil!

Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down; simmer for at least four hours, then keep warm until served. We always prepare the halupki the night before - simmer two hours, turn off the heat overnight (do NOT refrigerate ! ! Just leave the pot on the stove), and simmer another two hours the next morning.

Serve with mashed potatoes and milk - although a dry white wine also works well. A lot of work, but well worth it! "

 

[ajh88]

Here is a great crockpot dinner.

Crock Pot Enchiladas
1 can cream of chix soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can green chilis
few B/S Chick breasts (or leftover chicken!!)
Cook all day on low temp, then turn off & remove chicken.
Shred the chicken in the separate bowl & add some sauce to it - I sometimes add tomato sauce to the chicken.
Put a couple ladles of crockpot sauce in the bottom of a baking dish to prevent sticking.
Dredge your tortillas in the crockpot sauce - both sides of tortilla.
Put a couple scoops of chicken in each tortilla & roll up.
Fill up your baking dish with rolled tortillas.
Ladle some sauce over the top
Top with your choice of cheese
Bake for 15 minutes at 3:50, just to crisp the shells a bit & melt the cheese.
I serve with rice - whatever kind I have!

Yum - sounds delicious!