Nsaifr: Favorite budget-friendly meal?

GuitaristsGirl · April 2012

2 birthdays back to back and unintentionally hosting the family for Easter have done a number on our budget! I'd love to see how much damage control I can do by being really deliberate with groceries/ meals these next 2 weeks.

Anyone have a favorite budget-friendly meal or recipe?

CallMeAl · April 2012

Chili is dirt cheap. So is spaghetti. Those are my go to meals when we have zero budget left. Sometimes I even split a pound of turkey or beef between the 2 meals to make it even less expensive.

MonkeysGirl05 · April 2012

I have a recipe for spinach pie (kinda like a quiche, but not as egg-y) that is really good. Even Henry gobbles it up. I found it in Parents magazine. The magazine suggested serving it with butter/brown sugar glazed carrot coins (a new favorite of mine).

You can make homemade pizza on the cheap too with a simple side salad.

As a kid, some weeks we lived off of spaghetti and tuna noodle casserole.

Also, I can sometimes find good deals on chicken legs or thighs. Making homemade chicken soup or chicken and dumplings is also budget friendly.

krissyh21 · April 2012

I usually buy a family pack of ground beef or turkey and divide it up for go to cost saving meals. Tacos, lazyman lasagna or american chop suey, burritos, chili etc.

kimarino13 · April 2012

brown rice, pinto beans, cheese, sour cream, salsa

GuitaristsGirl · April 2012

Oh, yeah, AND leaving an entire bag of organic fresh produce and dairy products in the car overnight

I cried.

Thanks for the ideas so far, keep em coming!!

t.bird · April 2012

pretty much pasta anything. i'll also split a lb or hamburg or chicken between 2 meals to stretch it.

i've recently started watching my calorie intake too & damn- i'm basically cutting meals in 1/2 these days- i really had no idea how much we were really eating- so i'm thinking that's going to cut down on our bill quite a bit.

& my fav- cook a whole chicken in your crock pot- you'll have more than enough for dinner that night + enough for chicken salad for 2 more days.

beebe929 · April 2012

Chicken anything

chili, and type of bean dishes.

You can brown a bunch of on sale ground meat and make chili, pasta sauce, burritos...

SeaSoul · April 2012

we've tried most of these meals and they're quite good! we especially like the salmon cakes!

12 Meals that are Easy, Cheap, and Healthy

pandabearlover · April 2012

My easy, cheap, go-to meal is chicken tenders and a can of cream of mushroom soup on the stovetop. We had it last night.

It's yummy and cheap!

Soon2beMrs.Sivert · April 2012

A favorite for us is rice, black beans and corn salsa with cheese and sour cream.

This site is also good for recipes:

https://family.go.com/food/pkg-low-cost-recipes-from-a-real-mom/

sescms2004 · April 2012

A bag of frozen cheese ravioli or tortellini and jar of pasta sauce. I used to buy the fresh Buitoni ravioli, but I love my grocery store's frozen brand more, and it's less than $3 for a huge bag that lasts us two meals. Add some french bread & salad. Fresh asparagus is also cheap and in season right now, so I sometimes buy that, chop it up, steam it in the microwave, and add to the pasta. Our LO's love this kind of pasta.

togo · April 2012

French toast and homefries, omellets, huevos rancheros https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/huevos-rancheros-recipe/index.html

Pasta with chickpeas, chicken and dumplings made from chicken legs and/or thighs, brown rice with beans is another yummy dish.

LadyGolfer523 · April 2012

a giant pot of homemade chicken noodle soup

english muffin pizzas

pulled pork in the crock pot (we get about 3 big meals from one shoulder)

spaghetti

breakfast for dinner (we just made really good carrot cake pancakes that were dirt cheap since I had all of the spices around the house).

BLTs

Hot dogs and mac & cheese

emmyloustu · April 2012

Soups

Roast a chicken with a bag of baby carrots & potatoes - use the leftovers to make chicken salad.

Pasta & sauce & ssalad

Breakfast for dinner

soccerwife · April 2012

BJ's/Costco have yummy rotisserie chickens for $5. Great with baked potatoes and a salad - all for under $10.

ladychicago · April 2012

We go to beans when we need to have cheap meals. Black bean burgers, bean and cheese burritos/black bean and sweet potato burritos, white bean soups and stews, chili, etc. that, and I buy frozen chicken for when we do eat meat. Frozen chicken breasts can go straight into the oven or crockpot for easy meals.

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12 Meals that are Easy, Cheap, and Healthy

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