August 2012 Moms
Bemyselfandi
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Super tight budget (Dinner ideas needed)
Bemyselfandi
member
We had an unexpected payment this month so we are on a tight budget for the next two weeks. I'm making the grocery list. We have a toddler, so anything we eat, he eats. Toddler "friendly" meals are a must. But we need some ideas. Help!
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Re: Super tight budget (Dinner ideas needed)
Baked potoato with or without meat
Quiche, I usually use leftover veggies and or meat.
Tomato basil soup grilled cheese
A lot of crock pot meals a cheap maybe try to google them. I have one from the family circle mag that uses dry beans, canned tomatoes, dried herbs, broth and its really good.
I totally second the baked potato idea, esp if you add some chili and cheese on top, it makes a little can of Hormel chili go a long way.
I love chick peas, so I make them often, usually with a curry yogurt sauce- I'm not sure how adventurous your toddler is but it doesnt have to be spicy
Fried rice with some eggs and veggies can go a long way
Breakfast for dinner, esp if you make pancakes from scratch
Pasta has always been a go to when my funds are tight too
BFP#1 10 wk missed mc
BFP#2 DS born at 40+2 on 8/14/12 BFP#3 DD Born at 39+3 on 5/13/14
Spaghetti, jumbo pigs in a blanket, if chicken breast or ground turkey are on sale you can do salsa chicken or stuffed peppers in the crock pot, quesadillas/grilled cheese/paninis, breakfast for dinner, BLTS, french bread pizza, bean and cheese enchiladas...hmmm I'll keep thinking
ETA: A big salad with corn bread on the side, baked potato soup, vegetarian gyros/wraps with grilled veggies
Can't wait to meet my baby boy!
Fried rice is a great idea!
Talk of chili and baked potatoes gave me another idea for homemade french fries smothered in chili and cheese. Mmm
Can't wait to meet my baby boy!
Probably not so toddler friendly but brown rice with vegetables always tastes refreshing to me!
A pot of chili is inexpensive and can last really well.
Also campbells kitchen website has a bunch of casserole recipes that are easy and inexpensive.
Tater tot casserole is delicious.
i was suprised, tuesday night for $10 @ the meat market i got 2 pork steaks, 3 ears of corn and 3 potatoes! grilled the pork steak, did the corn in foil on the grill and diced & seasoned potatoes added oilve oil and put them in a corning wear in the oven!
last night we did a rotissery chicken (cold saves $2 @ our store), a can of green beans and a packet of instant mashed potaotes! again, under $10!
Raviolis are cheap and easy for kiddos to eat. Frozen pierogies are too.... You can also take a can of chunky beef stew and a bag of egg noodles and combine the cooked pasta in the soup.... makes it pretty good. uuummmm.... BLTs are fairly cheap to make, but I don't know how LO does with sandwiches. Spaghetti is cheap for sure. I don't know what else is cheap and kid friendly... But hopefully those suggestions help some.
You can get a whole chicken for a few dollars. I'll roast it and have that for dinner with mashed potatoes and a veggie.. then boil the bones and scraps to make broth for chicken noodle soup (or any soup that uses chicken broth) for the next day.
Another meal that DH's southern side of the family loves and is super cheap is beans, cornbread and fried potatoes. Boil a bag of beans (only a dollar or 2) for a few hours add butter, salt & pepper. Make a box of jiffy cornbread (like 50?) and fry up some sliced potatoes. DS is super picky but even he likes it. Plus, it's a lot of food, so you'll have leftovers.
DS2 8/21/12
DD 9/26/14
Baby #4 edd 2/11/19
Beans and rice are a staple at my house. You can do black beans and rice with veggies or salsa and make burritos or eat with cheese quesadillas. I do lentils and rice with curry and coconut milk and carrots and celery. I like red beans and rice with green bell pepper, celery, and onion and cajun seasoning. If you have enough money, add ground beef, ground turkey or sausage.
Eggs and pancakes are cheap and easy if you like dinner for breakfast. Potatoes and eggs are also simple. I sometimes do a scramble where I lightly pan fry potatoes and dump over eggs, meat if I have it, whatever leftover veggies I need to use and eat with cheese or salsa.
Making a whole chicken as the previous poster suggested is a favorite of mine as well. If there are cheap chicken pieces on sale, barbecue chicken drumsticks are yummy and go well with all the fresh corn I've been seeing on sale lately.
Mac and cheese from scratch is easy and cheap if you're willing to grate up a block of cheddar. Add ham or cheap sausage if you like.
Stew meat goes on sale frequently where I live so I sometimes make stew meat, cream of mushroom soup, some beef broth and spices in my slow cooker. I let it cook all day until it's falling apart and serve over egg noodles. At the last minute, I toss in frozen peas to add a green veggie.
Stir fry can be a quick cheap meal if you choose your ingredients based upon what is affordable. I make a lot of broccoli and chicken thighs in garlic sauce.