I'm really trying!

**itsahumanzoo** · 06-21-2007, 07:56 PM

So today I decided to make meatballs. It's easy to make, and DH and DS absolutely LOVE them.

Usually what I do when I make them, is I make a HUGE batch of meatballs and sauce, and eat it for leftovers for the next week. And I get tired of it, and I waste quite a bit of it.

So here's what I did this time.
I thawed 1lb of ground beef
I mixed it with 3 medium eggs, about 1 cup of sauce and probably 1 or 2 cups of breadcrumbs. And seasonings. The breadcrumbs and eggs really stretch out the meat.
I put 14 meatballs in a pot with sauce. That's for dinner tonight. Plenty of food for the three of us
I took the rest of the mixture and rolled the meatballs out on a tray, and put them in the freezer. It made about 16 more meatballs. When they're done, I'll put them in a freezer bag. Next time I don't have anything in mind for dinner I can just throw them in a crockpot with sauce and voila!

I'm really trying to make the most out of what we have. It's getting closer and closer to vacation, and I want to make sure we have plenty of money saved!

And hopefully the habits I'm making will stick with me even after vacation.

**Mom23boys** · 06-21-2007, 08:27 PM

I may have to try your meatball recipe. I am always looking for new ways to stretch the food budget, but I hate making the same meals over and over. This one sounds frugal and simple enough for me. :-)

I think you are doing great with sticking to a budget and using up what you have.

**Edna_E** · 06-21-2007, 08:57 PM

Sounds good. you can also use rice to stretch your beef. Look for recipes for "Porcupines".

**MarshHen** · 06-23-2007, 03:27 PM

You could also add a little sauce to your meatballs and make meatball subs with some yummy, smoked provolone cheese melted on top. It's about time I make up another big batch of meatballs for the freezer. I've been cheating by buying them at the store. But, I did buy them on sale. As a matter of fact, I have a bag in the freezer now.

I cut potatoes into wedges, coat them with a little oil, and then season them with dry ranch salad dressing mix. Pop them into the oven and bake until done. We love em with our subs. You can also sprinkle the potatoes with some seasoned salt instead of the ranch mix. They are great too. Lipton dry onion soup mix is good too.