Desperation Dinners

[Luckybustert]

No matter how tight things get, most of us keep some staples on hand that we can throw together for a very frugal, but tasty meal. What deperation dinner do you have on hand?

[Palooka]

Always beans, rice, tortillas, and salsa for a quick bean burrito.

For dh I always have tuna, pasta, and peas to make tuna noodle casserole.

[Vanilla]

For us: eggs, rice, sausage/ham, frozen pea & carrots
All combine as fried rice, quick & easy.

[frugalfranny]

I always have eggs, some breakfast meat, OJ......and breakfast for dinner is one of my favorites anyway.

WAIT.........what do you mean???? Most of mine ARE already desperation dinners!!!

[joyofsix]

WAIT.........what do you mean???? Most of mine ARE already desperation dinners!!!

That's what I was thinking, LOL. By dinner I am desperate!

Breakfast for dinner
cheese quesadillas
anything on pasta, garlic and parmesan work in a pinch
soup~any leftover in broth=soup
breadsticks w/cheese sauce
pita bread, hummus and olives

[Darlene]

One of our fav's is:

Tomato Macaroni
8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
1 can (16 ounces) whole or diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
grated Parmesan cheese
Cook the macaroni as directed on the box. While the macaroni is cooking, heat the tomatoes with liquid, butter, salt, pepper and the oregano to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Arrange in a serving dish, pour sauce on the hot macaroni, and serve with Parmesan cheese and a tossed salad. Recipe is easily doubled to feed more.

[Josephhgoins]

for me its dry beans. I keep a good selection and lots of um. I put them on after lunch in the crock pot or 45 min before I need them in the Pressure Cooker. I serve with homemade pickles or chow-chow and home made biscuits.

very inexpensive meal and have everything I need to make it on hand 90% of the time. Sometimes I don't have milk, buttermilk, or sourcream that I can make the biscuits out of so I have to sub rolls, or loaf bread.

[mrsfoamy]

Def. quesadillas. Tortillas, cheese and whatever leftover meat in in the fridge.

[nancycg56]

I always have spaghetti sauce and some kind of pasta for a quick meal. Breakfast stuff is always around, too

[daughter of pearl]

Pasta and sauce or my favorite (desperation, yes, but comfort food too!) is poached eggs on toast...mmmm...

[Contrary Housewife]

I stock up on kielbasa when it is on sale, and keep a couple frozen pot pies on hand. Also eggs.

In the pantry we have rice and dried noodles, beans and canned tomatoes, and I usually have frozen vegetables, too.

Combined with whatever is left in the fridge I can usually come up with something. Fried rice, kielbasa and noodles, quiche, soup...

[Mom2-3]

I always have some sort of noodle and sauce in the house. That with breakfast stuff. Those are major staples in this house! lol

[Libby]

for me its dry beans. I keep a good selection and lots of um. I put them on after lunch in the crock pot or 45 min before I need them in the Pressure Cooker. I serve with homemade pickles or chow-chow and home made biscuits.

What's 'chow chow'? Just curious

My quick fixes:
eggs w/toast or fried egg sammies
pb sammies/toast
toast w/soup
cheese sammies, grilled cheese
cheese, crackers & tuna with pickles/olvies
cottage cheese in a celery/bell pepper
frozen dinner
instant (ramen?) noodles
frozen wontons/dumplings/pot stickers
mixed bean salad (canned beans, not dressed) and I can pick my flavourings, add diced veggies as desired

[Maine Girl]

a box of mac n cheese
tuna
tomato soup
grilled cheese
hot dogs
french fries
french toast
quesdilla

[pollypurebred39]

By desperation I'm assuming you mean I don't know how I'll put food on the table this week kind of recipes.

When my husband first lost his job we were not too worried because in construction this was normal, and besides I had a pretty good stockpile set aside. As the months past and the stockpile dwindled I realized that we were in trouble. I had to figure out how to feed my family from our garden and basic staples or we were going to go hungry. The money I had to go towards grocries went for things like flour, dry milk, sugar, shortening, oil, rice, eggs, corn meal, you know the very basics of a well stocked pantry. I started searching the web and made up a recipe folder on the computer. What follows are just some of the recipes that kept us from going hungry, funny thing is everybody here just thought I was the best cook ever.

Spanish Rice

6 slices chopped bacon
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green peppers
2 cans canned tomatoes
3 cups cooked rice
1 cup uncooked rice { makes about 3 cups of cooked rice }
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Fry bacon until crisp, remove bacon, then cook onion and green peppers until the onion turns a yellow color. Add all remaining ingredients to the bacon and onion mixture. Bake in greased casserole dish, at 350/o for 30 minutes.

Mashed Potato Cake

4 eggs
1 scant cup of butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup chopped nuts (I used nuts from our walnut tree)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour

Mix together eggs, butter, sugar until creamy. Add the mashed potatoes, blend well. Sift the flour once add the baking powder sift again, then add the cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, to the flour, add alternately the flour mixture and milk to the first 4 ingredients. Mix well add the vanilla and the nuts stir until all are blended. Pour into either loaf or cake pans that have been greased. Bake in a moderately hot oven at 350/o for 35 to 45 minutes, or until when checked with tooth pick comes out clean, or when press with finger on top of cake and it springs back.

Rice Pudding

1 quart scalded milk
1 cup boiled rice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

Rice may be cooked in either water or milk. Stir into milk, add sugar,salt and eggs yokes, slightly beaten. 1 tablespoon butter my be added. flavor as desired. Bake or steam in buttered shallow dish, till firm.

Cream Puffs

1/2 cup butter
4 eggs
1 cup boiling water
1 cup flour

Pour butter and water in saucepan and place on front of range. As soon as boiling point is reached, add flour, all at once, and stir vigorously. Remove from the fire as soon as mixed and add unbeaten eggs, one at a time, Beating until thoroughly mixed between additions of eggs. Drop by spoonsful on aa buttered sheet, one and a half inches apart shaping with handle of spoon as nearly circular as possible, having mixture slightly piled in center, Bake 30 minutes in a moderate oven. 400/o. With a sharp knife make a cut in each large enough to admit of filling or whipped cream, sweetened and flavor to taste.


Apple Dumplings

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup milk
4 apples (from our apple tree)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; rub shortening in lightly with finger tips. add just enough milk to make a dough. Roll out 1/8 inch thick on floured board; divide into four parts; lay on each part an apple which has been washed, parred, cored and sliced; put one teaspoon sugar with 1/4 of butter on each; wet edges of dough with cold water and fold around apple, pressing tightly together. Place in pan, sprinkle with cinnamon, remainder of sugar and put 1/4 teaspoon butter on each dumpling. Bake about 40 minutes in moderate oven 350/o.

Old Fashioned Corn and Potato Chowder - 32142 - Recipezaar

Cream of Tomato Soup - 257656 - Recipezaar

Cream of Potato Soup Pre-1940's - 257518 - Recipezaar

Cornmeal Griddle Cakes (Pre-1940's) - 257217 - Recipezaar


1940's Coleslaw - 42363 - Recipezaar

Link for FRY BREAD. I served it with dried beans that I cooked with Mexican spices, diced tomatoes, lettuce, onions.

Fry Bread Recipes


Rolled Dumplings - All Recipes

Wacky Cake VIII - All Recipes

Great Recipes Here. I use this site a lot.

Vegetarian Times - Great Food, Good Health, Smart Living

I also fried cabbage, which is just cabbage sliced thinly and then pan fried in a skillet till tender. Sweet just a touch with sugar or sweet-n-low