Since we aren't eating out...Menu Ideas

[Gymbomom]

Okay I am trying to be very good and put our $100 a week budgeted for eating out and entertainment into the vacation envelopes....
I need some menu ideas for dinner.
I need to be really good about cooking, so my Dh doesn't try to get me to eat out!
What is your favorite dinner to make?
I am open to easy, kid friendly, and budget meals also!!!

 

[kimber-lilly]

My son (the world's pickiest eater EVER) loves this meal-

BBQ cups

1.5 pounds ground beef
finely chopped onion
bottled bbq sauce any kind
refridgerator biscuits (not grands)
cheddar cheese

Pat the individual biscuit dough into a flat circle and place in a cupcake pan--it should go up the sides.

finely chop the onion and saute until tender, brown ground beef and add bbq sauce.

Fill each cup with meat mixture and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. top with cheddar cheese (shredded) and bake for about 5 minutes more.

We have these with a veggie and it's a complete, easy meal.

HTH

 

[kimber-lilly]

that should say 1 to 1.5 pounds of ground beef and you can vary the amount of bbq sauce to make it as wet as you want.

 

[Gymbomom]

YUM!!! I like that one!

Ok here is something easy.

1box of chicken taquitos (I usually don't use the whole box)
Lay the taquitos out in a casserole dish.
Mix 1 (8oz) carton of sour cream with 8oz of chicken broth.
Pour over your taquitos.
Top with mozzerela cheese and Chopped green onions (optional).
Bake at 350 for 20 - 30 mins until cheese is melted.

 

[Taja]

Check out Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals on The Food Network. If you don't get the channel, check the website. She also has a couple of books out.

I usually to slow cook two or three weekends, package and freeze the results, then thaw it a day or two (depends on the item) before I plan to serve it. I tend to get home pretty late, so even 30 minute meals are pushing it. Since I'm slow cooking the food on the weekend, I don't have to babysit it, and can do the other things that can't be done during the week.

I like to make and clean up one big mess, rather than a number of small messes!

 

[ckoncurat]

I like the "Fix it and Forget it" cookbook for crock pot meals and the "Cake mix doctor" for easy desserts. Family.com also has recipes. I love to cook, so I subscribe to Cooking Light. If you are just starting out however, I would just make a master list of simple meals your family will eat (spaghetti and meatballs, grilled chicken and baked potato, etc,) and go from there.

 

[onlyoneforme]

Check out www.kraftfoods.com they have a great website with easy meals with photos and ratings of the recipes. They also have a search function that I like. Sign up for the Food and Family booklets that they send to your home each season with great new recipes and articles about menu planning, kids cooking, and entertaining ideas. You can also get a weekly email newsletter that gives me great ideas each week.

 

[wide awake]

Fried Rice...chop about 1/2 pound of bacon, and 1 bunch of green onions, add both to a wok and cook about 4-5 minutes...add 4-5 eggs that have been beaten with 1 tsp salt...cook and move around till done...add about 5 cups cooked rice, as much soy sauce as your family likes...make sure all is mixed and hot, you are done. If your kids will eat peas...add about a cup of peas when you add the rice.

Pasta with anchovies and hot pepper flakes...this is out of 30 minute meals cookbook...cook garlic and hot pepper flakes for about a minute in 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil...add 5 anchovie filets, cook till melted...mix with 1 pound of cooked pasta, chopped fresh parsley, and pepper....totally yummy.

Egg scramble...cook sausage or ham, add green onions and mushrooms (depends on your family's tastes), add frozen hashbrowns, cook, add beaten eggs and salt and pepper...serve with tortillas, salsa, sour cream grated cheese...whatever your family likes.

Giant sub...1 loaf french bread, Italian dressing, and whatever meats, cheeses, and veggies your family likes.

Seafood salad...one bag of salad, one bag of ready to eat seafood...I use shrimp or the fake crab...ranch dressing...I adore this meal.

Bean Dip...mix 1 pound of browned hamburger and onions with one can of refried beans and salsa to taste...heat, pour in a dish and arrange green onions, tomatoes, and black olives on top. Have sour cream, salsa, and guacamole or chopped avocados on hand. Serve with tortilla chips.

Fish tacos. Heat one box of fish sticks. Heat corn tortillas. Make tacos with 2 tortillas, 2-3 fishsticks, coleslaw mix, coleslaw dressing mix, pico de gallo, and a lime wedge.

I do have more, but think this is enough for one post...EXCEPT...wraps...easy and whatever your family likes.

 

[Gymbomom]

Taja
What are your favorite slow cooker meals??

 

[Gymbomom]

Ok, I loved the Kraft website, looks like very simple recipes.
I went and looked in the pantry for what I already have....
So my menu this week will be pretty basic and the next weeks I would like to add variety.
I am going to use all my items in my pantry firsy, like stove top, shake and bake pork mix, spag. sauce, noodles, I have a casserole I froze. So my bill will be WAY under the $100 budget, so I can put the rest in my envelopes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lemondog]

One of my most favorite websites in the whole world (other than the DIS, naturally) is www.recipezaar.com. Every single recipe I make comes from there, and I cook almost all our meals every week.

One thing I find helpful is to sit down with the sale flyer each week from my local grocery store and build my meal plans around that. I also clip coupons, which saves me even more money. I am able to feed a family of five for less than $100/week (average $70/week in groceries plus various odds and ends and the occasional dinner out), which is pretty darn good. Happy eating!

 

[05ChristmasSurprise]

Taco soup

(canned pinto beans, rinsed.....canned corn....rotel tomatoes or red gold tomatoes with lime and mild chiles)

Top with crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheese and sour cream!

(we double and triple this recipe often - and all you have to do is open cans)



Penne with jarred sauce - we do this once a week or so (add a bagged salad mix and frozen texas toast garlic bread) Get a good sauce - Classico makes a good tomato basil, Emerils Kicked up Tomato is good (but spicy)


Frozen stuffed shells (pasta - Rosetto brand, I think) with jarred sauce


Frozen cheese tortellini with jarred alfredo sauce or pesto


Chili (chili magic, boca or morningstar farms "crumbles", canned tomatoes)
this takes about 5 minutes to make!

quesadillas with beans and cheese

bean burritos

 

[DD2Disney]

One of my most favorite websites in the whole world (other than the DIS, naturally) is www.recipezaar.com. Every single recipe I make comes from there, and I cook almost all our meals every week.

I love this site too....I spend a lot of time there. You really should check it out.

Tricia

 

[SuzyQue]

Chicken breasts in a crock-pot, throw on your choice of canned soups (my DD's favorite is 1 can cream chicken & 1 can cream broccoli), cook on low 8 hours (high 4 hours). Mash up some potatoes, heat up a vegetable, dinner is served! ~~

 

[billwendy]

how about make your own pizzas?

kids love these,,,either make your own pizza dough, buy dough or use french breat loaves,,,put on sauce, cheese and whatever else you like, bake and YUM!!!!!

are your kids old enough to help pick out recipes for the menu? how could DH turn down meals made by those little hands?

wendy

 

[krissynkayla]

"Fix it and Forget it" cookbook Is that on the web??? Just wandering, I have the hardest time fixin stuff after I get off work in the evenings, I just hate it, been looking for crockpot ideas, that my picky daughter will like . Thanks

 

[Savin4Disney]

I know we will be eating out of the cupboards this week. I need to get some bread but other than that. If it is not here then we can't eat it. I want to pay another 50 or so on the trip. And in order to do that we have to not live off of what is in the bank.

Plus I have 3 days of bringing lunch at work and 2 meals out ..but those are free. So I am set.

Also want to really streamline my grocery budget.

 

[CheapMom]

http://www.magicmoms.net/food

I am in the middle of building my website- all kinds of budget stuff... while under construction I have added some of my favorite links to the food/cooking section--

check out the restaurant imititations links. If you have a craving for a dish from your favorite restaurant- make it at home and save a bundle!

 

[kdudley3]

I remember when DH and I were first married and $ was tight, I would make fish stick sandwiches and Mac & cheese.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Breakfast for dinner. Cut up potatoes for hashbrowns. Eggs and one meat, either sausage or bacon. I would usually be a little sparing with the meat. Give two pieces for DH and one to the kids. Or just pancakes and sausage.

I'm getting hungry

 

[Emme]

I was trying to think about "what" we eat when we eat out and am trying to make it at home so we still feel like we are having a treat !

As I read on the other thread about subs and chili taters, I thought about homemade pizza; refrig. dough (already made) sauce and cheese. There must be many others as well. Chinese food; stir fry with pork pieces, pineapple, and cookies. Italian; crusty bread, salad, and linguini with canned clams, olive oil and garlic...

I think the luxury of eating out is not only convienience but the fun of eating the food you don't always prepare at home. Point, how many people eat meatloaf when they go out...lol ?

I am going to sit down now and plan out a weeks worth of meals from what's on hand (I keep a pretty good pantry) and see if we can really do this for a week!

I'll post my menus later if any one is interested!

Emmy