Cheap meal ideas..

jillian1527 · 08-13-2007, 11:01 PM

so we went way over budget this paycheck with school stuff to buy. ( I am sure I have mentioned that I am a procrastinator and we suck with $$)
so I now need meal ideas that aren't pricey and that will feed a famiy of 5. any suggestions?

Koloe · 08-13-2007, 11:09 PM

There is always Ramen Noodles.

Eggs,
Pancakes
French Toast
oatmeal
spaghetti - light or no meat
hot dish - light meat, heavy on the noodles
Popcorn - homemade - not microwaved (Though my sister put popcorn in a brown bag, closes it with a nonmetal clip and microwaves it. Works well for her)

Mommy2Meghan-Caleb · 08-13-2007, 11:50 PM

Spaghetti is always good. Lasagne is pretty inexpensive as well. Sandwiches, soups, and baked potatoes are inexpensive and quick. I am game for anything that costs less and can be made quickly! So keep bringing on the ideas!

Suzanne

sweetsarah · 08-14-2007, 11:58 AM

ground beef tacos, meatloaf and potatoes, crock pot recipes work well with cheaper pieces of meat and make the house smell great!

Beef Paprika - serves 2

3/4 pound beef stew meat
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup water, divided
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Dash cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Hot cooked egg noodles

Place beef in slow cooker. Mix 1/2 cup of water, ketchup, brown sugar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt, mustard, garlic and cayenne together, pour over the beef cubes, place lid on slow cooker, cook on low heat setting for 6 hours or until beef is tender.

Remove beef stew meat, reserving the sauce, combine flour and remaining water, mix until smooth; stir into the sauce mixture. Stir until thickened. Serve beef and thickened sauce mixture over noodles.

Cranberry Pork Roast
From Taste of Home

"Guests rave about this tender roast, and I love preparing it because it's so simple," relates Audrey Thibodeau of Mesa, Arizona. "The gravy is delicious over creamy mashed potatoes.

INGREDIENTS

1 boneless rolled pork loin roast (2-1/2 to 3 pounds)
1 can (16 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
Salt to taste

SERVINGS 4-6
CATEGORY Main Dish
METHOD Slow Cooker
PREP 5 min.
COOK 360 min.
TOTAL 365 min.

DIRECTIONS
Place pork roast in a 5-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, mash cranberry sauce; stir in the sugar, cranberry juice, mustard and cloves. Pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.
Remove roast and keep warm. Skim fat from juices. Pour into a 2-cup measuring cup; add water if necessary to measure 2 cups. Pour into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into pan juices. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt. Serve with sliced pork. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Maple-Orange Chicken with Acorn Squash and Sweet Potatoes

1 small to medium acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 leeks, rinsed and chopped
5 (5-ounce) skinless chicken breast halves (with or without bone)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
For the garnish:
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Place squash and sweet potatoes and leeks in the slow cooker. Season chicken all over with salt and black pepper and place on top of vegetables in slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine orange marmalade and remaining ingredients. Pour mixture over chicken and vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Also, go to campbells.com to get alot of their quick recipes with their soups as the flavoring

Tricia · 08-14-2007, 12:29 PM

We made a shepards pie the other night that was Rachel Ray's recipe. SO GOOD> Plus 1 can of corn and mashed potatoes cost NOTHING> then the meat you can spread that out w/ more corn and potatoes. I will look for the recipe for you and post it.

Lisa · 08-14-2007, 12:42 PM

This is my dh's fav......

Deep-Dish Pizza Casserole

Recipe Rating:

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 30 min
Makes: 4 servings

1 pkg. (12 oz.) VELVEETA Shells & Cheese Dinner
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (8 oz.) pizza sauce
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Prepare Dinner as directed on package. While Macaroni is cooking, brown meat with green pepper and onion in large skillet; drain. Stir in pizza sauce.
SPOON prepared Dinner into 8-inch square baking dish; top with meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese; cover.
BAKE 20 minutes or until heated through.

KRAFT KITCHENS TIPS

Great Substitute
Prepare as directed, substituting thawed frozen LOUIS RICH Pure Ground Turkey or using leaner cuts of ground beef, such as ground round or ground sirloin.

Use Your Microwave
Assemble recipe as directed in 1-1/2-quart microwavable dish. Microwave on HIGH 6 to 8 minutes or until heated through, turning dish every 2 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 550 Total fat 25g Saturated fat 10g Cholesterol 90mg Sodium 1150mg Carbohydrate 44g Dietary fiber 3g Sugars 8g Protein 36g Vitamin A 15%DV Vitamin C 30%DV Calcium 25%DV Iron 25%DV

I make it with more ground beef and use the family size shells and cheese, I also add turkey pepperoni to it....that way it is personalized and I have plenty to use for lunches.

Tricia · 08-14-2007, 01:42 PM

Here is that Shepards Pie recipe

Minute Shepherd's Pie Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.
While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
User Rating:

WE did cheese on top (not much) no paparkia