Cooking Need 14 easy cheap delicious dinners

[karinbelle]

I'm trying to come up with a rotation of 14 dinners for my family of 4 so that I can stop buying the frozen dinner options.

I want to start preparing more meals, but I'm getting overwhelmed at the options! The few things I have tried - flopped. The crockpot rotissere chicken was not met with favorable reviews LOL!

Can you help?

What is your family's favorite dish that is economical and easy to make?

 

[Plantlady]

I do this. I have a list, of foolproof meals. I have about 20 listed, but DH just recently cut out dairy and eggs, so I am down to about 7.. I need to increase my list.

here are some on my list:

spaghetti
chili
rice and beans
enchiladas
wraps
pizza
baked potato bar

 

[nikkistevej]

tacos
chili
spaghetti
chicken in a pot(chicken/cream cheese/cream of chicken soup/good seasons dry packets in crockpot over rice)- if interested in this let me know, I'll give you the full recipe)
caesar salads with grilled chicken

 

[fatewineroses]

tacos
chili
spaghetti
chicken in a pot(chicken/cream cheese/cream of chicken soup/good seasons dry packets in crockpot over rice)- if interested in this let me know, I'll give you the full recipe)
caesar salads with grilled chicken

Don't know about the OP but I'm definitely interested. Sounds like something that DD would like.

 

[dreamergirl78]

I am NOT a lover of cooking, so I am all about easy. I cook most all of our meals at home because it is so much better for us and easier on our checking account!

Home made spaghetti with lots of veggies!
Bacon wrapped BBQ chicken (SO darn good and easy)
I do make lots of steak and pork chops with various seasonings.
Fish and Chips
Pulled pork (in a crock pot)
Pot roast (crock pot)
Ribs, kraut and potatoes (crock pot)
Grilled hamburgers. I like a lot of Rachael Ray's receipes for this. She adds all kidns of goodies to her burgers. And they all taste so good.

With every meal we have salad or cooked veggies of some sort. And then a starch of some kind too. I make German potato salad alot too. We like it much better than American and it is healthier without all of the mayo. Plu sis it great with Brats for dinner and sandwiches the next day!

Good luck with your cooking!

 

[brymolmom]

I do use some frozen things....but I'll share my list anyway cuz some of them can be done without using frozen:

Meatball subs (I use froz. meatballs and put them in crockpot in morning before work with some sauce - then, when home - put on a bun with some cheese and into oven for 10 min)
taco 'bake' - brown some taco meat (we use ground turkey) - take 3 - 4 larges soft tortilla shells (can use wheat) and lay them overlapping to make one bigger one. Put meat in the middle, cover with salsa and cheddar cheese. Close the edges to make it wrapped and secure with toothpicks - put additional cheese on top - put in oven for 15 - 20 minutes.
Grilled chicken - lots of options:
- We grill chicken with extra one night - just have it grilled & marinated the first night with some veggies and fruit. next night can have grilled chicken pita sandwiches - with the chicken, cucumbers, cheese, lettuce, and feta cheese maybe some ranch dressing too) - next night can do grilled chicken on a salad with crescent rolls.

 

[tayandjensmom]

Some of the meals my family likes are:
Taco's or burritos, rice on the side
Super nacho's
Stuffed Peppers
Beef Strogenoff
Sloppy Joes
Meatloaf
Baked Ziti
Roast in the crockpot
We love casseroles, anything with noodles is a hit
Pork chops in the crock, season, pour Campbells Chicken & Wild rice soup over them, makes its own gravy, very tasty.

 

[iwannago!!]

I like to cook on the weekends & put together stuff for the week. Then a quick stop at Aldi for fresh veggies, romaine, & fruits & I am done.

* I make 2 beer can chickens on the grill - or I bake them in the oven. One is for dinner, the other I use the chicken from to put together a casserole, soup - or cut up for fajita's, chicken salad, whatever.
* I make 2lbs of taco meat at a time & use it all week for taco's or nacho's.
* I will make a crockpot italian beef sometimes, it goes a long way & everyone likes it.
* I buy thin cut pork chops (they are cheap too!) & season them up, place in a rubbermaid container with italian dressing & sweet baby rays so that they are ready to go when I am. They cook on the grill FAST & are great for a quick pork chop sandwich.
* I make a big container of pasta sald and/or potato salad to go all week - otherwise, we just have romaine with cuc's & tomatoes.

an example of my week(s)
* Saturday, steak on the grill, baked potatoes, broccoli, salad
* Sunday, roasted chicken, stuffing, baked potatoes, califlower.
* Monday, BBQ Pork Chop Sandwiches & fruit, salad etc.
* Tuesday, Taco night & fruit - Taco Salad is a winner too!
* Wednesday, Spaghetti Night (either my own sauce or a jar) with salad.
* Thursday, Leftovers or Chicken & Rice (if I made 2 chickens on Sunday)
* Friday, Burgers, Brats, Dogs on the grill - with Cantelope & Salad.
* Saturday, Shiskabobs (either chicken or steak - whatever is on sale)
* Sunday, make Italian Beef - but don't eat, SAVE.
* Sunday, Baked Chicken with corn flakes, califlower, broccoli, salad, fruit.
* Monday, Italian Beef Sandwiches
* Tuesday, Leftovers ( its a smorgasborg!)
* Wednesday, Pasta night - alfredo, tortellini, salad.
* Thursday, Fajitas or Enchilada's with rice & salad/fruit.
* Friday, Pizza night or leftovers or burgers brats hot dogs on grill with whatever we have.
* Saturday, Steak on the grill.
* Sunday, I may make a Lasagna or pasta sauce for spaghetti

I buy pretty much the same fruits and veggies every week, at least til everything is in season
* Brocolli, Califlower, Cantelope, Strawberries, Cucumbers, Tomatoes. I cut up my veggies & prep them for cooking over the weekend & put them into a ziplock so that it is quick & easy for me to prepare them after work.

good luck!

* Don't forget to mix it up sometimes with budget items. I like to sometimes polish off veggies & chicken by making a soup, then we eat it for lunches for a couple days. I try not to throw things out... leftover chicken becomes fajita's & we may eat that for lunch on a weekend or put it in a sandwich. Leftover rice goes into soup. Leftover fruit gets mixed up together & taken out for a snack. Leftover taco meat becomes nacho's for someone to eat for a snack.



I just bought the book 'Skinny *****' though, and from what I hear - I won't ever want to eat meat again! So my menu's are bound to change!

 

[iwannago!!]

I make German potato salad alot too. We like it much better than American and it is healthier without all of the mayo. Plu sis it great with Brats for dinner and sandwiches the next day!

Do you make your German Potato Salad with Bacon & Bacon Grease?

 

[Poohbug]

Chicken is great in the crock pot. Put some chicken breasts in with a can of cream of chicken soup or mushroom soup. I also make a hot dish with the chicken, cream on chicken soup, chicken noodle soup and chinese noodles.

The crock pot in great in the summer because you don't have to heat up your oven.

 

[Darcy03231]

I try to cook bigger meals and then have leftovers the next night. Some of mine are:

Lasagne - definitely good for two meals (and some lunches). I serve with a salad and garlic bread.

Ham, baked potatos and vegetable - Next night I make ham & potato casserole and serve with salad.

butter 1/4 cup
all-purpose flour 1/4 cup
salt 1 tsp
pepper 1/4 tsp
sour cream 1 1/2 cup
velveeta cheese, cubed 4 oz
coby cheese, shredded 1 cup
8 eggs, hard cooked & coarsely chopped 8
potatoes, cooked & cubed 3 cup
ham, cooked & cubed 2 cup

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and cheeses. Cook and stir over low heat just until cheese is melted (mixture will be thick). Remove from heat. Stir in eggs, potatoes and ham.
Transfer mixture to lightly greased 2 quart baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in preheated 350 F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly.


Another night I'll cook a turkey with all the trimmings. The next night we'll have leftovers. I'll make soup and turkey salad for sandwiches which we can eat for lunch.

While you'll spend a bit more for the bigger meal, the fact that you can get 2-3 meals from it will bring the cost way down.

 

[Va-bear]

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!!

 

[nikkistevej]

Don't know about the OP but I'm definitely interested. Sounds like something that DD would like.

Chicken In a Pot
Take 1 lb boneless/skinless chicken, add 3 Good Seasons dry packs to it, cook it on low in the crock pot for maybe 5 hours, Then break up chicken with a spoon- it's very tender- will break up easy, then add 1 large or 2 small cans of creal of chicken soup, or cream of mushroom- it tastes the same- I just don't do mushrooms. Also add 1 block of cream cheese, mix it up. Let this all melt, and make your rice, and just put the chicken mixture over the rice. This is really good and so easy, I make this alot, just put it on before I leave work. It is also even better the next day!! Enjoy.

 

[iwannago!!]

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!

 

[dreamergirl78]

Do you make your German Potato Salad with Bacon & Bacon Grease?

Bacon, yes... grease, no. I use lots of bacon and dill pickles! My hubby and I like it to be really sour so I use more vinegar than most people probably would. The other key ingredient is a cup or so of beef bullion. I add that before the oil and vinegar. It sounds nuts, but it makes all of the difference in the world. And it must work because it is the number one requested thing from our kitchen! I also use onions, which I know not all potato salads use.

 

[Clancycat]

I make chicken tacos/burritos in the crock pot.

Toss chicken (boneless or bone in) with a jar of your fave salsa, a can of rinsed black beans and a can or some frozen corn. Shred the chicken when it's done & serve with tortillas/taco shells & the toppings of your choice.


I also do bbq pulled chicken or pork in the crock pot.

Throw your pork or chicken in with a bottle of your fave bbq sauce. Shred the meat when done, serve on rolls for sandwiches or serve with rice or potatoes or corn bread.

 

[i<3tink]

My family loves chicken and rice. Get a whole chicken and an onion and boil in a pot, then take the chicken out and cook the rice in the chicken water, pull the chicken apart and add it into the rice when its done cooking. It usually around $4 and feed my family of 4 for dinner and enough for lunch the next day.

 

[Trish Bessette]

Shephards Pie
Chicken a la king
Chicken divine
Stuffed shells
Homemade baked beans
Homemade mac & cheese
Shredded pork sandwiches - throw boneless pork chops/ribs in the crockpot with a sliced onion and bottle of barbecue sauce. Let go all day on low. Serve on grinder rolls
Chicken or beef fahitias (spelling??)

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

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!!

 

[megveg]

my FAVORITE thing to cook (i dont cook, so this one is really the only thing I can make haha) is poppy seed chicken mmmm its SO GOOD

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
container of sour cream
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 pack of ritz crackers
poppy seeds
butter
casserole dish

Boil chicken breasts until fully done. Mix sour cream and cream of chicken soup together into mixture. Crumble package of crackers into small pieces. Melt half a stick of butter in the microwave.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop chicken into large chunks into the casserole dish. Spread sour cream and soup mixuture over chicken, completely covering it. Sprinkle cracker pieces all over the top.

Pour melted butter evenly over crackers. Sprinkle poppy seeds all over.

Bake 30 minutes, until crackers are golden brown.

Serve and enjoy!