What's for dinner? Was it "budget"?

[semo233]

Bubble Up Enchilada

1 pound ground beef (1.29)
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce (.89)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce(.20)
1 (4 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained (didn't use these)
1 can refrigerator biscuits (.45)
2 cups shredded cheese (1.49)

Where do you all shop? I can't find ground beef for less than 2.49, tomatoe sause for less than .50, refrigerator biscuits .99 and cheese for 2.50!! These are all approximate prices, but I just don't see them any lower!!
semo233

 

[bookgirl]

Bubble Up Enchilada

1 pound ground beef (1.29)
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce (.89)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce(.20)
1 (4 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained (didn't use these)
1 can refrigerator biscuits (.45)
2 cups shredded cheese (1.49)

Where do you all shop? I can't find ground beef for less than 2.49, tomatoe sause for less than .50, refrigerator biscuits .99 and cheese for 2.50!! These are all approximate prices, but I just don't see them any lower!!
semo233

Well if you buy meat in a tube it's really cheap. Sometimes the big family packs will break down to that little and if you freeze it individually it works well.

Wal Mart brand tomato sauce and biscuits work out to that price.

In fact the only things I can't match are the meat (I don't buy meat in a tube) and the cheese my shredded Walmart brand runs 1.69 I think,

 

[semo233]

I shop at Target once per week and try to pick up as many things as I can there, but there is a WalMart near them also....I'm going to comparison shop! It is not a Super WalMart, but I'm going to check it out.
Thanks! I'm really trying to watch what I am spending because I am out of work right now and my husband decided to put a pool in anyway!! I am the worry wart when it comes to money! But I'm also just trying to be smart with the money we have.
Thanks again
semo233

 

[merekc]

I personally use Target as my last resort for grocery shopping. In our area, they are some of the highest prices I see. I will spend at least $20 more buying the same groceries at Target vs. Walmart or my regular grocery store.

 

[Grumpy'sWife4Ever]

Our dinner is going to be "kind of" budget...... My kids all earned free mini-pizzas from Papa Murphy's for reading a certain amount of hours (summer reading program at the library) so we are going to go pick them up for them to have for dinner tonight......So that is pretty cheap...BUT we are also going to buy a large Cowboy pizza and some bread sticks for the rest of the family, so the "free" pizzas are going to cost us about $14......

 

[cinderellamom]

Bubble Up Enchilada

1 pound ground beef (1.29)
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce (.89)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce(.20)
1 (4 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained (didn't use these)
1 can refrigerator biscuits (.45)
2 cups shredded cheese (1.49)

Where do you all shop? I can't find ground beef for less than 2.49, tomatoe sause for less than .50, refrigerator biscuits .99 and cheese for 2.50!! These are all approximate prices, but I just don't see them any lower!!
semo233


I happened to luck out with the meat. I got tubes of 80/20 at Kroger in the clearance meat section. The tomato sauce is Aldi, which is a great place to get staples, and their produce is phenomenal. Walmart happened to have cheese on sale this week, and I bought the 4 pack of biscuits at Walmart, so they worked out to .45.

 

[SnowWhite607]

Spaghetti sauce from the freezer
noodles
garlic toast
and for a special treat tonight, I made creme brulee for dessert. Not too bad either, about 1.50 for the cream and 1/2 a dozen egg yolks so about 80 cents. I had sugar (1/2 c) and vanilla (1 tsp) on hand and the recipe made 4 desserts so about 60 cents per dessert. I hope they turned out good! If so I will post the recipe.

 

[semo233]

I happened to luck out with the meat. I got tubes of 80/20 at Kroger in the clearance meat section. The tomato sauce is Aldi, which is a great place to get staples, and their produce is phenomenal. Walmart happened to have cheese on sale this week, and I bought the 4 pack of biscuits at Walmart, so they worked out to .45.

I am within 12 minutes of a Stop & Shop and a Big Y. I make a once weekly trip to Targer (will add Walmart to that trip now) and can stop at "the largest dairy store in the world": Stew Leonards. I have joined COSTCO, but have not had a chance to get there as yet (it is 30 minutes away, but only 10 from the Target I go to)

Aldi's is 30 minutes away and I don't go to anything else in that area. Trader Joe's is a favorite of mine, but again, 30 minutes away.
This is the price we pay for having more than a postage stamp for a yard!

 

[sunshine1178]

I happened to luck out with the meat. I got tubes of 80/20 at Kroger in the clearance meat section. The tomato sauce is Aldi, which is a great place to get staples, and their produce is phenomenal. Walmart happened to have cheese on sale this week, and I bought the 4 pack of biscuits at Walmart, so they worked out to .45.

YMMV with Aldi produce. By me (Chicago area) it is pretty yucky. They have it all pre-packaged (so that all of the packages cost the same and don't have to be weighed at the register), and I have had several packages where the underside of the fruit or vegetable was spoiled. I do agree that it's a good place for buying canned goods, though, and I haven't had any bad experiences with their frozen foods. The produce, though, has been a big disappointment.

 

[blanq]

I am finally jumping on this thread. There are lots of great recipes here that don't break the bank, and I am going to have to try a bunch of them!

Tonight we had a super inexpensive but yummy "Lemon Basil Pasta", and then I a sliced baguette topping it with butter and lemon pepper before broiling it. We had salad and it was a great, cheap meal. I recently bought a basil plant at Trader Joes, so have been trying out new recipes that call for basil. The pasta sauce is just lemon juice, lemon rind, olive oil, basil, parmesan cheese and sea salt. It's simple and oh so good. I think next time I will add some grilled scallops to it, but then it won't be very budget friendly! If anyone wants me to post the exact recipe, just say the word.

 

[Kycha]

I am finally jumping on this thread. There are lots of great recipes here that don't break the bank, and I am going to have to try a bunch of them!

Tonight we had a super inexpensive but yummy "Lemon Basil Pasta", and then I a sliced baguette topping it with butter and lemon pepper before broiling it. We had salad and it was a great, cheap meal. I recently bought a basil plant at Trader Joes, so have been trying out new recipes that call for basil. The pasta sauce is just lemon juice, lemon rind, olive oil, basil, parmesan cheese and sea salt. It's simple and oh so good. I think next time I will add some grilled scallops to it, but then it won't be very budget friendly! If anyone wants me to post the exact recipe, just say the word.

Word! Please! This sounds like a great summer meal.

 

[blanq]

Word! Please! This sounds like a great summer meal.

Here ya go...

Lemon Basil Pasta
12 oz spaghetti
Juice and finely grated rind of one large lemon
3 T olive oil
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese (+ more for garnish)
1 C torn basil leaves
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta until ala dente. Place lemon juice, lemon rind and olive oil into a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 C of the pasta water. Return the pasta to warm pot; toss with sauce and reserved pasta water. Stir in the basil just before serving. Serve in pasta bowls and sprinkle with more parmesan cheese.

Note: The recipe did not call for the lemon rind, but I added it and really liked the extra citrus flavor. The recipe also called for 1/2 C pitted black olives, but I left those out. I would consider adding olives when I make this in the future, but I happened to be out of them when I made this last night. Since this recipe uses such simple ingredients, fresh is the key to all of them!

 

[lovndisney]

We are having bubble-up enchiladas tonight with corn (.50) and chips and salsa (2.78)

Bubble Up Enchilada

1 pound ground beef (1.29)
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce (.89)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce(.20)
1 (4 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained (didn't use these)
1 can refrigerator biscuits (.45)
2 cups shredded cheese (1.49)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef and drain if needed. Mix in a can of enchilada sauce and a can of black olives. Cut the refrigerated biscuits into fourths and stir them in the meat mixture. Then you just dump it all in a greased casserole and bake for 25 minutes. Take out of oven and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
You can make this into 6 or 8 servings.

This will definitely make two meals for us.
I can't wait. It is very delicious.

I am trying to get some "cheap" and "tasty" dinner ideas for the week before I do the food shopping tomorrow (UGH) and this one sounds delicious. How is it when its reheated, have you ever done that. I was thinking of making ahead of time so on my late night I can just reheat.

Thanks for the tasty dish !

 

[Boomdocker]

Mmm, Blanq, that sounds great. definatley one to try. Thanks.

 

[lilybeth11602]

I made this corn salad last night...it was DELICIOUS!!

Fresh Corn Salad

4 ears of corn, cooked, cooled and cut off the cob
1 tomato, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
2 TBSP fresh basil, finely chopped
2 TBSP lime juice
1/3 cup mayonnaise

Gently mix all ingredients, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve chilled.

I make one very similar to this minus the mayo and i add shrimp to it.

 

[lovndisney]

Budget meal ... last nite was not .. We went to Friendly's, but dh and I did not get desert since there was already ice cream at home. The kids get theirs free with the meal.

Tonight we are having eggs, a big bag of frozen hashbrowns ( .99) with some added onion, toast (entire loaf was .99 but we won't eat all of that) and one pack of bacon that I got during a 10 for $10 sale at the local store.

Breakfast for dinner is a favorite in my family.

 

[marcyinPA]

We had salad and bow tie pasta with pesto sauce. I'd say probably $4 for the whole dinner...not bad for 4 people (and leftovers too!)

 

[Sorsha]

Not so budget here tonight
We were at the lake, and had a picnic, but it was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing... so we stopped at the grocery store on the way to the lake and bought way-too-expensive premade sandwiches from the deli, bags of chips, bottle of juice, and some fresh fruit. Yummy, but $$$ - ouch.

 

[blanq]

Tonight we are having:

Chicken BLT Salad
Cookie Ice Cream Sundaes

We really don't have dessert that often, so it's a bit of a treat. Most everything I am using to make this meal I got on sale, with the exception of Dove Milk Chocolate Fudge Sauce. There aren't recipes for these. For the salad, I put mixed greens in a bowl, add chopped grilled chicken, cooked crumbled bacon, halved cherry tomatoes, homemade croutons and ranch salad dressing. The sundaes start with a large soft chocolate fudge cookie (I got these at my grocery store bakery, buy one pkg get one free), add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and top with hot fudge sauce.

 

[blanq]

Budget meal ... last nite was not .. We went to Friendly's, but dh and I did not get desert since there was already ice cream at home. The kids get theirs free with the meal.

Tonight we are having eggs, a big bag of frozen hashbrowns ( .99) with some added onion, toast (entire loaf was .99 but we won't eat all of that) and one pack of bacon that I got during a 10 for $10 sale at the local store.

Breakfast for dinner is a favorite in my family.

Breakfast for dinner is a favorite in my family too! I don't have time during the work week to make a decent breakfast, but I do have time when I get home from work. Breakfast food is great on the wallet too. This week, in my meal plan, we are having an egg bake, cinnamon rolls and fresh fruit salad one night.