Challenge: I have $10 and the following ingredients. What would you make?

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Jase

Assistant Cook
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May 3, 2011
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8
I have about $10 to last me the next few days. Luckily, I have some meat in the freezer, some food in the pantry, and some leftovers in the fridge. I would love to hear some suggestions on what I could make.

Here's what I have:

As far as meat goes, I have some ham in the fridge that I have to use before it goes bad. In the freezer, I have two whole chickens, five Italian sausages, several packages of ground breakfast sausage, a pound of ground pork, two pounds of ground beef, several pounds of ground venison, a 1.7lb package of beef short ribs, three cod fillets, some chicken stock, and a ridiculous quantity of ham. I also have a lot of bacon drippings in the fridge that I've saved up over the last few weeks.

For fruit and vegetables, I have a lot of frozen corn and green beans in the freezer. I also have a ton of onions for some reason. I have garlic. I have a bunch of frozen fruit, like blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. I also have fresh strawberries, grapes, apples and bananas. Plus canned tomatoes (a lot of them, including fire-roasted), green beans, refried beans, garbanzo beans and peaches.

In the pantry I have a few different kinds of pasta and a decent amount of brown rice. I have a five-pound bag of dried pinto beans. I also have some chips and crackers and stuff like that.

In addition to these things, I have all the standard spices, condiments and all that stuff. I have eggs, milk, butter, oil, sugar, flour, baking soda, etc. I also have all the equipment you might expect someone to have, including a grill and some charcoal.

I'm feeding a total of three people for a few days. What should I make?
 
You didn't say how much ham you have. I am assuming you have rice. You could make a rice ham-green bean casserole. If you don't have a creamed soup, you could make your own white sauce and add some seasoning. I'd roast a chicken and then make stock from the bones. The first night I'd do roast chicken, the next maybe pot pies or a hearty chicken soup--maybe do a twist on a chicken tortilla soup with some canned tomatoes, garbanzo beans, onion, garlic, seasonings. It sounds as if you don't need to spend your $10 on groceries. Make a sorbet with the frozen fruit...
 
Buonasera Jase,

I would prepare a wonderful Bolognese Sauce with the ground beef and ground pork ( 1 pound each ) and the canned tomatoes, onions ... You have pasta for the sauce and what I do, is jar the sauce in little jars ... I always have home made Bolognese ...

From my viewpoint, with the other pound of ground pork and ground beef, I would devise a half and half Meatloaf ... One can use a little of the Bolognese to flavor the Meat Loaf ...

A Roast Chicken sounds wonderful, and of course the Chicken Stock that can be prepared from the bones and skin ...

The fresh strawberries have a short shelf life, and thus, enjoy ...

Hope this has been of some help.

Ciao, Have nice wkend,
Margaux Cintrano
 
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Ditto to both the above posts. In addition: Bean soup. Fruit salad. Pasta y Fagioli.

You can probably save your $10, sounds like you have plenty of food!
 
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You can probably save your $10, sounds like you have plenty of food!
Ditto.

Three people should be able to live a full week on the stored food mentioned in the OP.

The $10 could be used for a few fresh ingredients, like lettuce, tomato and onions for a salad, maybe salad dressing if you don't have the necessary ingredients to make one (oil, vinegar, maybe some mustard).

Get some hamburger buns. Use the ground beef for hamburgers and some of the salad ingredients (lettuce, tomato, onions) to serve with.

Maybe get some cereal for breakfasts.

I think three could eat for a week on those ingredients plus $10 spent carefully at the market. It might not be a gourmet week.
 
I have about $10 to last me the next few days. Luckily, I have some meat in the freezer, some food in the pantry, and some leftovers in the fridge. I would love to hear some suggestions on what I could make.

Here's what I have:

As far as meat goes, I have some ham in the fridge that I have to use before it goes bad. In the freezer, I have two whole chickens, five Italian sausages, several packages of ground breakfast sausage, a pound of ground pork, two pounds of ground beef, several pounds of ground venison, a 1.7lb package of beef short ribs, three cod fillets, some chicken stock, and a ridiculous quantity of ham. I also have a lot of bacon drippings in the fridge that I've saved up over the last few weeks.

For fruit and vegetables, I have a lot of frozen corn and green beans in the freezer. I also have a ton of onions for some reason. I have garlic. I have a bunch of frozen fruit, like blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. I also have fresh strawberries, grapes, apples and bananas. Plus canned tomatoes (a lot of them, including fire-roasted), green beans, refried beans, garbanzo beans and peaches.

In the pantry I have a few different kinds of pasta and a decent amount of brown rice. I have a five-pound bag of dried pinto beans. I also have some chips and crackers and stuff like that.

In addition to these things, I have all the standard spices, condiments and all that stuff. I have eggs, milk, butter, oil, sugar, flour, baking soda, etc. I also have all the equipment you might expect someone to have, including a grill and some charcoal.

I'm feeding a total of three people for a few days. What should I make?

How did you get in my house and what the heck are you doing messing around in my deep freezer?:LOL:

You left out what spices you have about! No spices means no direction to go!:ermm:
 
Since the ham needs to be used, I'd recommend Pintos and ham casserole or stew. Make biscuits or cornbread to serve on the side. For a weekend breakfast, an overnight ham and egg / carmelized onion strata, the kind where you layer in some bread or just ham and eggs.
 
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Ideas:
1. Peel and dice one onion. Heat 3 tbs. bacon grease in a 2 quart sauce pan over medium heat. Add 1-1/2 cups of brown rice, and the diced onion. Stir until the rice turns translucent. Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Season with 1-1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp minced sage or thyme. Cover and turn down to a simmer. Serve with green beans and baked chicken.

2. Peel and dice one onion. Skin chicken and place in a 2 quart pot. Fru until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Lightly salt. Remove the skins to cool. Bone the chicken and throw the bones into the pot with 2 cups water. Boil to make a good broth. Season.

When the broth tastes great, add onion, sliced carrot, sliced celery, and 3 or 4 tsp. pearl barley. Cover and let simmer until the barley is tender. Cube the chicken and lightly sautee in butter until just cooked through. Either add noodles, or make a biscuit dough for dumplings. Serve hot.

3. Diced ham with beans is always a winner.

4. Ham slices on English muffin with a properly poached egg, and good, semi-soft cheese makes a great meal. Or, substitute breakfast sausage patties for the ham, or use the ham, or baconi, with the poached egg, and ladle home-made Hollandaise sauce, you have Eggs Benedict.

5. Make your favorite recipe for French toast. Cook only one side of two slices. Flip one slice and place Swiss cheese, and ham on top. Cover with the other slice, cooked side down, and finish as with grilled cheese. Serve with warm maple syrup. Love those Monte Kristo sandwiches.

6. Tomato Sauce, salt, oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, minced, or powdered garlic, diced or chopped onion, and ground beef, or sausage, combine to make a great marinara sauce for pasta.

7. You have the makings for all kinds of soups, stews, and casseroles. Use your imagination.

8. Ever make stuffed burgers? They are delicious, and easy to make. Simply stuff with what you like, press together the edges, and broil or grill.

9. Your fruits can be placed into rectangular, greased cake pan. Top with a mixture of: 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp salt, and 1 stick of melted butter. Spread evenly on top of the fruit. Bake at 350' for 45 minutes.

10. Pancakes with fresh fruit on top.

11. Dutch babies with freshly sliced fruit.

12. Stir fry's of all kinds

The list could go on for two more pages.:LOL:

You have enough ingredients in your home already that you shouldn't have to spend a dime, except for something like milk to wash all that food down.;)

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind fo the North
 
Halve or butterfly the chickens, rub with sage, S&P. Then take several onions (don't know what size they are), cut in wedges or slices, and put them in a strong aluminum foil packet with a couple of cloves of garlic, S&P, and a chunk of frozen butter/margarine, a clump of the bacon fat, or a generous tossing with olive oil. Grill them all over charcoal. Over-do the onions, because they are great to have on hand to toss with rice or pasta. Meanwhile make a salad and starch of your choice.


The ham, ham and more ham can be put out with bread, condiments, and a bag of chips for an everyone make your own sandwich lunch. You can also finely chop and add mayo or MW, onion (onions yet again), seasonings, pickles, etc, for a ham salad sandwich spread. I'm not a big breakfast eater, but often my guests are, and I've been known to invite them to cook! put the frozen sausage and ham in the back of the freezer to make sure the ham that needs to go, goes first. As others have mentioned, ham can replace almost any other meat in almost any casserole.

Make a big pot of pinto beans using the ham and onions liberally. Once the beans are tender, also dump in a can of the tomatoes. The fire-roasted would be especially good with the beans and ham.

I agree, use the ten bucks on a few well-priced fresh ingredients, vegetables or dairy. I don't think I'd bother with tomatoes this time of year (don't see where you're from), just whatever looks good and is in the ballpark for price.

Pasta tossed with the green beans and sauteed onions (or better yet, the onions left over from cooking over charcoal) .... yum.

The Italian sausages, onions, canned tomatoes and pasta are a no-brainer.

You should have no problems at all; I seriously think I've done more with less (in other words, I wouldn't bother to go to the store at all, and pocket the $10 for emergencies).
 
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