Some Cheap Meal Ideas

[sunshine]

some cheap meal ideas:

Thrifty Sloppy Joes

1 cheap tough roast
1 can Coke
1 small bottle cheap catsup
Minced garlic and diced onion are optional depending on your family's
tastes.

Trim big chunks of fat off of roast. Place in slow cooker, pour coke over
roast, then bottle of catsup. Cook on low all day. Serve over rice, buns,
potatoes or noodles.

Thrifty Chicken, Bacon and Pasta

1 boned and skinned chicken breast, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 pound bacon, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 pound pasta - your choice of shape
1/2 Cup Romano cheese
2 Cups half and half

Fry bacon until crisp; remove and drain on paper towels. Using about 2
tablespoons of the bacon drippings, saut� the onion until transparent. Add
the chicken and cook until the chicken is done. While the chicken cooks,
prepare the pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is al
dente, drain, rinse and return to pan. Add the onions and chicken and mix
well. Stir in the cheese and half and half. Put over low heat until
mixture is heated through. Add the drained bacon and mix well. Sprinkle
with freshly ground black pepper and serve hot. Serves 4.

Thrifty Meal In A Casserole

2 medium onions, chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 cups whole kernel corn, frozen, or canned (drained)
1 pound lean ground beef or bulk sausage or lean ground pork
1 Cup tomato juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole and put ingredients into it in the order
given. Make patties or your choice of meat and precook them to get the fat
out before putting on top of the other ingredients. Pour the tomato juice
over all, cover the casserole and bake at 375� for 45 minutes. Remove the
cover and bake another 30 minutes until done and nicely browned and potatoes
are tender. Makes 4 servings.
Thrifty Ground Meat Vegetable Meal

1 pound lean ground pork or beef
1/2 Cup onion, finely chopped
1 Cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 14 - 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 ounces processed cheese, cubed
1 15 oz. can hominy or whole kernel corn, undrained
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Brown meat and drain. Add onion and cook until transparent. Stir in
remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 - 35
minutes or until macaroni is tender. Makes 6 servings.

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

1 hour
This recipe serves 4 as a main dish (perfect with a salad), or 8 as a side
dish.

1 box macaroni and cheese
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. margarine
2 c. broccoli florets
3/4 c. diced onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
1 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp. dry bread crumbs

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
~ Make the macaroni and cheese according to box directions.
~ While macaroni is cooking, saut� onion in olive oil until softened.
~ Add broccoli, onion and 1/2 c. cheddar to macaroni and cheese, mixing
thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
~ Put mixture in a casserole dish, smoothing the top.
~ In a bowl, beat milk and eggs until combined well.
~ Pour milk mixture over macaroni.
~ Sprinkle top of casserole with remaining 1/4 c. cheddar and bread crumbs.
~ Bake 40-45 minutes, or until surface turns golden.

Thrifty Taco Soup
- cheaper than chili, a super make-ahead and freeze.

To make this even cheaper, use dry beans you cook ahead on an earlier night.
One night when you make a dish with ground beef, cook extra for this recipe.
Then mix this soup up and let it simmer while you finish dinner and eat -
then put in containers and freeze, you'll have instant dinner one night.
Serve with grilled cheese-on-tortillas sandwiches or just tortilla chips and
a salad. For young children, omit the hot peppers and cayenne and chili
powder, package theirs, then add the peppers and spice to yours and cook at
least 15 minutes. Be sure to mark the packaged appropriately.

1 lb. ground beef (you can get by on less, particularly if you use more
beans)
1 chopped onion
4 garlic cloves
2 15-oz. cans corn or equivalent frozen
2 15-oz. cans kidney and/or pinto beans
1 can chopped green chiles (can be omitted, but they do add lots of flavor)
Jalapeno slices (from jars or cans) to taste
1 46-oz. can V-8 juice (or any generic brand)
Favorite home-made taco seasoning (cheaper than packaged seasoning)
(I use salt, chili powder, cumin, cilantro, and cayenne, all to taste)

Brown ground beef in a soup pot. Drain. Saute onion and garlic till
softened. Add rest of ingredients (minus hot stuff for kids) and bring to a
simmer. With lid on, simmer from 15 minutes to 1 hour. (Separate kids
portions and add hot stuff for the adults.) Serve. This is excellent for
freezing. Cook ahead and freeze. To use, just heat up. Garnish with
shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese. Although cheese adds cost, as a
garnish you only need about a tablespoon per serving and it adds lots of
flavor.

[guest7]

I'm saving this one

[FreesiaE]

Thank You!

[FrugalMomof3]

Thanks! They all sound so yummy!

[Hardy1]

wonderful ideas. I'm saving it too and will make and freeze single portions for when I'm on my own and come in from work STARVING!! Many thanks
W

[sunshine]

[struglew3kids]

Poor Enchiladas

1 can of enchilada sauce red or green.
Tortillas
homemade or packaged mash potatoes

The following are optional:
Mexican mix cheese
Olives
Onions
Sour cream
Lettuce

I warm up my tortillas and dip them into a pan with hot oil. Take them out and then dip them in room temp. enchilada sauce. Take them out and place on a plate. Add mash. potato mix and roll up the tortilla. Repeat as necessary. Tope with onion and cheese and heat up in micro to melt the cheese. Add rest of the ingredients.

[struglew3kids]

Chilaquiles

Corn Tortillas
1 large can of enchilada sauce
Cheese Mexican mix
or Fetta
Scrambled Eggs

Cut tortillas into small chip like sizes. Fry in oil til they are nice and firm. Once you take them out put on paper towel to drain the excess oil. Place chips in pot (make sure it has a lid). Add one large can of enchilada sauce. Simmer in low. Tortillas will become soft. I also make some scrambled eggs. Once the tortillas are nice and soft, I remove from stove. Serve on a plate and add top with egg. you can add cheese, olives, onions and sour cream. My kids love this for breakfast.

[ravenmaniac]

Thanks for the recipes. I love it when people share.

[amecoy75002]

Yummy! Thanks for the recipes!

[druidessemily]

What we did tonight:
Browned up one pound of hamburger ($2). In a separate pot, made a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese (50 cents). Then mixed the two together. It is so good and super cheap!

[starsapphire]

(reposted from kitchen basics)

Mexicali Pasta Sauce

1 can stewed tomatoes - broken up
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (or cook some dry ones up)
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 11oz can corn, drained
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp cumin

Combine everything in a saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10-15 minutes. Serve over rice, pasta or in tortillas.

This is very delicious and cheap!

[danimarie0820]

We have made what we call chili mac... make mac and cheese and throw in a can of chili. It's pretty good and cheap.

[cdmom]

1 lb Ground beef
1 large can mixed vegetables
1 can diced tomatoes

Brown beef and season with Adobo OR salt and pepper. Add other ingredients and simmer 10-15mins. Add a little water if neccesary.

[sdrjeolsen]

Thanks! Yummy ideas.