ISO cheap and easy recipes

[cupcakesprinkle]

Oven roasted potatoes are really good. I usually half baby red potatoes and toss them with olive oil and rosemary. Its a pretty good side to a whole bunch of dishes.

 

[SierraCook]

Here are a few of my favorite recipes that I made while in college. Buy chicken and beef in bulk and divided it up into smaller quantities and then put in the freezer. That will help save some dollars.

Ground Beef Chop Suey

1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion cut into 6 wedges
3 medium ribs celery cut into ¼ inch pieces
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 lb. fresh bean sprouts
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup water

In large skillet brown ground beef. Drain. Return beef to skillet with onion, celery, beef broth, and soy sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes until onions and celery are crisp and tender. Add bean sprouts and cook for 3 minutes until heated through. Stir in cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened. Make 4 servings.

Mexican Spuds

4 russet potatoes (8-10 oz., each), scrubbed
1-lb. ground beef or turkey
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 cup medium tomato salsa (Pace Picante Sauce)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped tomato
½ cup thinly sliced green onions, including tops
1 can (4 oz.) sliced black olives, drained
Guacamole, optional
Sour cream, optional

Pierce potatoes with fork. Cook in a microwave oven on full power, turning over once, until potatoes are tender when pierced, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a 10 to 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat, stir beef until crumbled and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain and return to skillet.

Add chili powder to beef and stir 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and salsa. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, to blend flavors for 5 minutes.

Cut a slit in each potato lengthwise and push ends to make a pocket. Spoon meat mixture into pocket of each potato and top each equally with cheese, tomato, onions, and olives. Serve with guacamole and sour cream, if desired.

Chip-N-Chili Pie

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 white onion, chopped
1 green onion bunch, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
5 cups regular size Fritos corn chips
1 (40 oz.) can chili with beans
2 ½ cups shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400º. Butter or spray with cooking spray a 2 quart baking dish. Sauté white onion in butter until clear. Remove from heat and stir in green onion and chilies. Crush 4 cups Fritos, coarsely, to make 2 ½ cups. Crush and reserve the 5th cup. Line bottom of dish with half of the crushed chips. Carefully, spread half of the chili over the chips. Layer half of the cheese, press down slightly, and half of the onion/green chile mixture. Repeat layers. Garnish with the reserved cup of crushed Fritos. Bake 20-25 minutes. Serves 6 -8.

Mexican Pizza

1 16 oz. can refried beans
3/4 cup picante sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tomato chopped
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
1 4 oz. can sliced olives
1 baked pizza shell (Boboli is what I use)

Mix together refried beans and picante sauce. Spread on pizza shell. Layer other ingredients on top of refried bean mixture. Bake at 450 degrees F. for 10 to 15 minutes or until bubbly.

Chicken Stir-fry with Soy Sauce

3 - tablespoons soy sauce
2 - tablespoons dry sherry or rice wine
1 - tablespoon corn starch
2 - cloves garlic, minced
1/4 - cup water
2 - tablespoons olive oil
2 - whole, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 - small onion, thinly sliced
1 - carrot, pared and thinly sliced
Cooked white rice

Combine soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, garlic, and 1/4 cup water; set aside. In wok or large skillet, stir fry chicken in hot oil for 2 minutes. Add vegetables; stir fry 4 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture; cook and stir until slightly thickened. Serve over rice.

Asian Foil-Wrapped Chicken

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
4 (5oz) chicken breast halves
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and sliced ½-inch thick
½ lb. snow peas
½ cup sliced water chestnuts
2 scallions, chopped
2 cups hot cooked rice

Preheat oven to 500ºF. Spray four 12-inch square sheets of foil with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Place 1 chicken breast half on each foil square and fold edges up but not over the chicken. Scatter red pepper strips, snow peas, water chestnuts, and scallions evenly over each 4 chicken breasts. Spoon equal amounts of the soy sauce mixture over the vegetables. Fold the foil over the chicken and roll edges up tightly to seal. Place the foil packets on baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Check for doneness by opening one of the foil packets to see if the chicken is firm and juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife. Serve with rice.

 

[expatgirl]

Another easy dish is simply to layer Mexican refried beans (I use the fat free in a can --Rosarita brand is what we buy here in Houston) shredded lettuce, red onion, shredded cheese, olives, tomatoes, salsa, and sour cream in a tortilla. Of course if you have some leftover beef or chicken you can add that as well. Or if you want basics basics canned beans and tortillas. Since it's post-Thanksgiving shredded turkey would do just as well.

 

[larry_stewart]

I remember when i was in college , or even pre college learning to cook, id just take ready made foods and just kind of add to them until they became my own. Not gourmet, but cheap and easy

The few I remember are:

Chunky Sirloin Burger Soup, to which I'd add egg noodles, a little wine, slice mushrooms and serve in a bowl on top of white bread. Id probably still eat it today if I wernt a vegetarian ( although maybe thats what caused me to be a vegetarian )

Lipton Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese rice, to which Id add some fresh cheese, fresh broccoli and a little white wine as it cooked.

Ramen noodle soup ( or any asian noodle soup) Id just buy some canned baby corn, bamboo shoots, water chesnuts, straw mushrooms and what ever chinese vegetable i could find and just toss it in

Id do the same with the crappy jarred tomato sauces.

Slowly, over time, Id do more of my own thing, and buy less prepared foods .

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Soups and salads are both very healthy, cheap, easy to make, come in wondrous varieties, and are quick to make.

For non-nutritious, cheap, and easy, that will fill the tummy in a hurry:
1 can potted meat, 2 tbs. pickle relish, 1 tbs. Miracle Whip, two slices of whole wheat bread. Copmbine the first three ingrediants and place between the bread slices.

But seriously, sandwiches can be nutritious, cheap, and quick, with readily available ingrediants, as can be various wraps. Use shredded Romain or Savoy lettuce instead of iceburgh though as it is far more nutritious. You can include things like garlic, onion, sliced roasts of any kind of meat you like, various cheeses, tomato, olive oil, peppers sweet or hot, and healthy breads. Use condiments like mustard and well-flavored extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dill pickles, etc.

Another very healthy, deliscious, and cheap meal, in-a-glass, are tofu/fruit smoothies. These pack a nutritious wallop, are quick and cheap to make, and taste amazingly good. Just take one brick of silken tofu, a banana, one or two pears, or apples, water, maybe a few fresh blueberries, or strawberries, or pitted cherries, kiwi, etc. and enough water to make it all blend smoothly. I add Splenda to mine, but you can rely on the natural sweetness of the fruit.

These smothies are also great with combinations of citrus, such as, but not limited to - lemon, lime, oranges, grapefuits, blood oranges, tangerines, clementines, etc.

I also throw freshly peeled, washed, and sliced carrot into my smoothies. You can also add spices such as nutmeg, cinamon, mace, allspice, etc.

Hope this helps.