Your family's favorite cheap meal?

[kcbean]

Circumstances in our life are making it so that we need to cut back in our grocery spending. So, I am looking for cheap meals that my kids will eat. What is your family's favorite "cheap" meal that you cook at home and how do you make it?

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

our local grocery has pizza crust mix - 3/$1. I get two and make a huge pizza - whatever toppings we have in our gargden (tomato, pepper) and some cheese, spg sauce. We have a huge pizza for a few dollars and almost every time, we have leftovers.

Also, pasta dishes are relatively inexpensive.

 

[hallie615]

real easy if I can make it

1 package of boneless breast of chicken
1 package of stovetop (chicken flavor)
2 cans of cream of chicken soup

boil chicken ( I try to boil the chicken a day or 2 before, I never have enough time to do it all in one night), when its done, shred or dice the the chicken, put it in a baking dish. (that will be the first layer) cover the chicken with the cream of chicken soup (that would be 2nd layer). Make stovetop, when its done layer the stovetop over the soup.(that would be third layer)
preheat oven to 350, cook meal un-covered at 350 for about 30-45 min.

DH loves it, it's really easy, I don't think its expensive, (I use generic soup and stuffing) and I get two meals out of it.

Hope it helps alittle

 

[mickeyfan2]

Mac and cheese with tuna fish. Sometimes we also added peas or carrots.

 

[bettyann29]

ground 1 lb hamburger meat with bell pepper and onion diced up (I buy the hamburger 5 pounds for 9.00in a family pack.. the pepper is .50 and onion costs about .50) then I buy a tube of walmart brand tube of croissant dough (about $1) each and after I cook the meat with pepper and onion then I unroll each croissant and spoon in some meat mixture, put a pinch full of grated cheddar cheese (1.96 for 8 oz.. I only use a little of it though) and then I close up the croissant and cook them.. Takes about 10-15 minutes to cook and we have dinner for around $5 and its really good!

 

[bettyann29]

also another good thing to make is taco soup.. I make a huge pot and it lasts for days....

Take 1 lb hamburger meat and cook it .. In a large pot, put 2 large cans of diced tomatoes (undrained), 2 cans pinto beans (undrained), 1 or 2 cans chili beans (undrained), 1 or 2 cans of red beans (undrained), 1 can corn (undrained), 1 can rotel (undrained) and one can yellow hominy (undrained)... Just mix all that together but dump all the can in including juice.. Put in one packet of taco seasoning in the pot.. once the meat is done put that in the pot too.. bring to boil than turn down and simmer for an hour or 2...

Its the bomb!! Its even better if you put some fritos in a bowl then spoon some of this on it and then a few pinchfulls of shredded cheddar cheese!!

This is less than $10 to make and lasts for several days.. Great for cold weather!

 

[Melissa M]

We like to have breakfast for supper. Pancakes and eggs are pretty cheap.

 

[bettyann29]

Of course there is always spagetti.. My kids like it with just noodles and sauce.. no meat.. This meal only costs me about $3 to make.. I usually make some biscuits that I buy for about .50 a tube.. so the entire meal is $3.50.. Not too shabby..

Also my kids like chicken ramen noodles with corn.. when I make my ramen noodles I dont make it soupy.. I just put about 1 cup water and make it like that.. then in another pan I pour in a can of drained corn with butter.. I let it simmer in the butter to get a buttery flavor then put them together.. My kids like it and it costs less than .75 between the corn and ramen noodles.. very cheap!

I also buy the polish kabasi (I think thats how its spelt) for $2.50 a pack.. a can of sauerkrat is about .75 and then I cut a few potatoes up and put it all in a casserole dish and bake it.. its quite good and again less than $5 for the entire meal..

I have found that I can make quite a few meals pretty cheap and we dont eat meat with every meal which has really become a lifesaver.. sometimes we just have a salad.. also dont know if you have a walmart near you but they sell a box of 32 hamburgers for about $11 I think.. I buy a box and it lasts quite a long time.. Hot dogs are always pretty cheap too..

another thing my kids like is to get the little smoked sausages.. they are not the ones that people make with bbq.. but they are in that section right by them.. they actually say smoked sausage, but they are small but a little longer.. I cook them on the stove top and then cut them up into small pieces and then make rice and mix together.. the sausage is $2.50 for 1 pack and I buy the boil a bag rice which is $1.36 for 4 packs.. I usually use 2 packs at a time.. so again another meal for around $3.50..

You can really get creative and the kids will never even notice.. Good luck

 

[2TxAgs]

Another use for ground beef:

Brown one pound ground beef (or turkey), with chopped onion if you'd like. Add a large can ranch style beans, and a can of corn. Add 4 cups water and a small can tomato sauce. Cook for 30 minutes. Add chopped veggies - carrots, potatoes, and celery. Cook 15 minutes more. Serve with cornbread muffins.

Also with ground beef: sweet and sour meatballs. Make (or buy) meatballs. Brown in a skillet and remove. Drain fat. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 T. corn starch. Add 1 can pineapple chunks and juice, 1/3 c. vinegar, and 1 T. soy sauce. Bring to a boil and turn down heat. Add meatballs back into pan, cover and cook til meatballs are cooked thru (15 minutes). Serve over rice.

We also like breakfast for dinner - french toast, pancakes with apple slices, homemade waffles, an omelet. Oatmeal and fruit is filling and nutritious.

Chicken enchiladas are good. Boil chicken breasts. When they are cool, shred or dice the meat. Dip corn tortillas in canned enchilada sauce, add some chicken, grated cheese and onion to the tortilla and roll it up. Cover with additional enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake until hot. You could use ground beef for this one as well.

TxAg

 

[AlaskaMOM]

A favorite w/ my family is stuffed baked potatoes.
Typically we use broccoli and cheese, but also use up leftover veggies, and cut up meats is also good (ham, chicken, bacon)
Another idea is grilled sandwhiches. my kids (and DH) love grilled ham and cheese. Use any cheese you have on hand, or is on sale with a couple of slices of lunch meat on tasty bread (I LOVE sourdough with havarti and ham) I have found that Costco has really good prices on luncheon meats and cheeses. I usually serve these with a salad or a can of soup.
One last suggestion: rice a roni. You can add just about anything to it to make it a meal. Chicken and broccoli in chicken flavor. leftover taco meat and corn in either beef flavor or spanish. ham chunks and mixed veggies in pilaf flavor. endless variations......
You didn't ask for this but if you're serious about cutting grocery bill: the most savings will probably come from non essentials: soda, sweets, snacks, and convenience foods. We try to use those items as treats instead of everyday things.
Good luck with scaling down your grocery budget

 

[Kay1]

Adapted from the Tightwad Gazette: We make a seafood casserole by cooking a small (8 oz.) package of any sort of pasta and tossing it with a can of tuna, salmon, shrimp, or crab, and mixing that with a mixture of most any kind of cream soup ( we use mushroom) thinned with half cup each of mayo and wine or milk, and a cup of shredded cheese. We add a teaspoon of dill and place it in greased casserole. We then top it with something we have a lot of like crushed potato chips, or buttered bread crumbs and bake it for about half an hour or so at 350 degrees.

Beyond delicious, especially if you use Chenin Blanc.

 

[maxiesmom]

Here is something really simple: Brown a pound of hamburger, drain, and add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup. Serve it on a hambruger bun. If someone else has made this, please tell me what you call it. We use "hamburger goop." Doesn't that name make you hungry?

 

[grlpwrd]

rice or bean dishes like fried rice, red beans and rice, or lentil soup

soup with homemade bread

pasta with homemade sauce - we eat pasta dishes at least twice a week sometimes without meat

vegetarian meals like stirfries

 

[disneymom3]

There have been several threads about this around here so do a search and I bet you can get even more ideas. I love these threads though so the more the better. I am always looking for cheap meals.

If you are really serious about your budget and you have an Aldi near you, that is the way to go I tell you! They are cheap! For example:

Meatball subs
1 lb bag of meatballs $1.69
Lg jar of spaghetti sauce .99c (and it's way better than Rago or Prego IMO)
Hotdog buns, whole wheat .89

Had enough meatballs and sauce leftover for spaghetti two nights later, so add in an 89c box of pasta nad that is two meals for less than $5 total. Well, no, not quite, we also had a tube of 25c biscuits with the pasta and salad both nights, but the bag of salad for both meals was less than $2

My family loves chicken and pasta with white sauce. I use about half a box of pasta, two chicken breasts and the basic white sauce recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I then throw in whatever kind of frozen vegies I have and if I bought them at Aldi that is .89c. (The white sauce recipe if you don't have one is 1 T butter, 1T flour, salt and pepper. Melt the butter over medium heat and stir in the flour and seasonings. Add 3/4 cup milk all at once and whisk. Let it come to a boil then reduce heat and stir it (a lot) until it thickens.)

We also do a lot of chilli and then a couple of days later have chilli mac. My kids don't particularly like the chilli, but they eat the salad and corn bread served with it. (Homemade cornbread is just as easy as making muffins) They all love the chilli mac which for some reason I always serve with cooked broccoli and oragne slices for the side dishes.

Sloppy joes and quick and easy and pretty inexpensive. I use hotdog buns for the kids as it is not quite so "sloppy" then.


ETA: Here, I found one of those threads for you. It's seven pages and has some good stuff http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=916535&highlight=cheap+meals

 

[Boo'sMom]

my family LOVES *Tuna-Pea Wiggle*

I have NO idea where the name came from, but it's a family favorite that I only make very occassionally.


I make a white sauce with milk, butter and thicken with flour. Then add in a can of tuna, and a can of peas. Serve over saltine crackers.


Sounds horrible, but tastes terrific.

another favorite is taco pie:

alternate layers of flour tortillas, browned hamburg with taco seasoning, and shredded cheddar cheese. Make in a casserole dish, heat until warm through.

 

[OceanAnnie]

My family loves ham steak, baked beans, mashed potatoes and biscuits.

The ham steak is very inexpensive as well as the sides. That is a no leftover night for sure.

 

[DeeDeeDis]

American Goolash

1 box noodles (ziti, penne, whatever is on sale)
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
about 1 pound of hamburg or a package of sausage
1 cup shredded cheese
9 by 13 cake or class pan
boil noodles, brown hampburg and/or sausage (cut up sausages)
mix cooked noodles with sause & meat in pan
This can be pre-cooked & mixed then popped in the oven to warm when you get home from work -
before removing from oven - top with shredded cheese -heat til melted

Chicken pot-pie (follow recpt on box of bisquet)
boneless chicken (which is about the cheapest meat you can buy today)
2 eggs/some milk
can of peas, can of carrots, two cans of cream of chicken soup (any brand)
cook chicken - mix chic with peas, carrots soup-pout into 9x13 pan/glass pan top with bisquet mix. I have a family of 5 and I usually double the recpt that is on the box. I usually put over mash potatoes either boxed or real.

both meals are fulling and go a long way in feeding a family on a low budget

Rueben hotdogs
boil hotdogs, cut lenghtwise down the middle
place on bread top with sourkuart, russian dressing, provolone cheese and grill (like a grilled cheese sandwich) serve with fries nice twist on hotdogs & beans

hope these helps

 

[lyeag]

15 bean soup w/cornbread

1 package of the 15 bean mix of dried beans
1 pack of smoked hamhocks ( or you could use left over ham)

I soak my beans overnight and rinse in the a.m. I throw them in the crockpot with the hamhocks, some garlic, salt and pepper, and a few bay leaves. Set it to cook all day ( at least 9 hours)

When you get home, take out the hamhocks and separate the meat from the bones and add the meat back into the soup. Take out the bay leaves. Mix up a batch of cornbread and a salad. My family LOVES it, and my family of 5 gets two dinners from it.

 

[ladysoleil]

My family loves ham steak, baked beans, mashed potatoes and biscuits.

The ham steak is very inexpensive as well as the sides. That is a no leftover night for sure.

And if you have an extra portion of ham steak when you cook that meal, take it and use it to flavor a pot of split pea or bean soup, or red beans and rice. Last night I made a white bean and tomato soup with canned beans, chicken broth and diced tomatoes, plus a shot of garlic and onion for extra flavor. Throw it all in the crock pot, dice the ham before serving, and it's good to go. I like to serve the bean soup over cooked white rice (leftover from another meal, again, just make an extra portion when you cook). I always cook an extra steak or buy a bigger one just so I can use it for the bean or pea soup.

Saves time and money. You can bring down the price even more by soaking dried beans and using those instead.

 

[Kimmielee]

Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup...