Meal Challenge

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abjcooking

Head Chef
Joined
Sep 18, 2004
Messages
1,460
Location
New York
Does anyone have any good recipes that cost under $10 and makes enough for leftovers the next day.

My friend and I had a competition once to see who could come up the the best ones. But the trick was on the leftover day you wouldn't have to alter the dish. This was for 2 people.

Here are some of them that we came up with. It was quite a challenge, but a lot of fun. We got together one weekend and cooked several of the dishes and had friends over to taste them. It made for a fun party.

Corn Chowder
2 slices bacon
1 onion
1 can cream style corn
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can milk

Brown bacon. Remove. Add chopped onion. Saute until soft. Add the rest of ingredients with crumbled bacon. Heat through.
- I sometimes add ham

Beef tips on noodles
2 lbs. boneless stew meat
salt and pepper
seasoned salt
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can water
Noodles or rice

Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Pour in soup and water. Cover and bake at 400 for 1 hour. Turn oven down to 300 and continue baking for an additional 2 hours.

Chili Mac
1 pkg. (16oz.) noodles
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can tomato sauce
1 lb. hamburger meat
onion
cheese grated
salt
mexicorn
-later I decided to add a taco seasoning packet to meat.

Cook noodles. drain. Mix all ingredients. Bake 350 until onions are done.

Rancheros Casserole
1 pkg. au gratin potatoes
2 1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup canned corn, drained
2/3 cup milk
1/2 lb. lean ground beef, cooked and drained
1 cup shredded taco-seasoned or cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 400. Mix potatoes, sauce mix, water, corn and milk in ungreased 2 qt. casserole. Stir in beef and 3/4 cup cheese. Bake, uncovered 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand a few minutes.

Orange Chicken over Rice
2 lb chicken breast, boned, skinned and cut into strips
1 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup orange juice
6 cups rice, cooked
cooking spray

Brown chicken in skillet or wok coated with cooking spray. Combine marmalade and orange juice, and add to skillet and chicken. Stirring occasionally, cook about 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Serve warm over rice.
 
That's a really good idea you have!
Taste of Home has a section each issue devoted to
the same type of thing. It's heading is usually
something like "feed your family for $1.92 per plate"
and it's an entree, salad and desert, usually.

It's always so nice when we can cook and save money
at the same time! It also helps us budget when
we want to splurge on expensive cheeses and meats!
 
Some ideas.

Cheeseburger Chowder
1 lb Ground beef (can also use ground turkey)
2 Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 c Onion, chopped
1/2 c Celery, chopped
1 c Beef broth
1/2 c Water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 c Milk
3 tb Flour
1 c Cheddar, shredded

1.In large pot brown beef, drain. Stir in veggies, broth and 1/2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper.
2.Cover and cook until veggies are tender, 15-20 minutes.
3.Blend 1/2 cup milk with the flour. Add to saucepan along with remaining milk. Cook and stir til thickened and bubbly. Add cheese. Heat and stir until cheese melts.

Dirty Rice Casserole
1 1/2 lb Ground beef or pork sausage (can use a combination)
1 Onion, chopped
1/2 Bell pepper, chopped
1 Rib celery,- chopped
1 can Cream of mushroom soup
1 can Cream of celery soup
1 can Cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 c Raw rice

Preheat oven to 325F
1.Saute ground beef and or pork sausage; pour off drippings.
2.Saute onion, bell pepper and celery. Add all cream of mushroom soup, celery soup, chicken soup and rice.
3.Pour into greased 13x9 baking pan. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Wild West Casserole
1 1/2 lb Ground beef
1 Onion, chopped
1 can Ranch-style beans
1 can Enchilada sauce
1 can Cream of chicken soup
1 c Cheese, grated
1 can Rotel, any style
1 can green chilies
Flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350F
1.Brown meat and onion; drain.
2.Line 13x9 pan with tortillas. Pour in meat. Layer with beans and then pour sauce and soup evenly over the top.
3.Top with cheese and another layer of tortillas. Pour Rotel over the last layer of tortillas and bake for 45 minutes.

Apple Noodle Kugel
8 oz Noodles, cooked & drained
1 can Apple pie filling
6 Egg whites
3/4 c Sugar
1/2 c Orange juice
1 ts Lemon juice
1/2 c Raisins
1 c Walnuts (opt)
1/2 stick Butter, melted
1 1/2 tb Sugar
3/4 ts Cinnamon
1/2 c Walnuts (opt)

Preheat oven to 350F
1.Mix noodles with melted butter. Add eggs, sugar, apples, juices, nuts & raisins to noodles. Mix well.
2.Spread mixture in a 13x9 pan. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; sprinkle over the noodle mixture. Top with 1/2 c walnuts, if using.
3. Bake for 1 hour - let stand before serving.
 
Okay, I'll give this thing a stab (while noting that Audeo's Texas Chili recipe will kick my butt, but perhaps they will eat it all, leaving no leftovers, and disqualifying her!)

Okay, Lancastshire Hot Pot...

2 lbs of the very cheapest beef or pork you can find...I'm looking at beef shank, normally a quite undesireable cut, or blade steak, if you have a nickle or two extra...cube this into 2" cubes, and flour well with a half cup of flour...

4-6 medium potato's, skinned and cut into 3/8" slices

2-3 medium onions, skinned, and sliced 3/8" thick, separated

4-6 carrots, peeled and chopped

a can of cheap consomme or onion soup

1.5 cups water
1/3 cup of margerine
Salt and pepper...

In a dutch oven, layer in the potato slices, one slice thick..

Ad 1/3 of the onion and carrot pieces, then 1/3 of the meat...

Add salt and pepper judiciously, then repeat, twice...

Boil the water, add the soup, or soup mix, and dissolve and mix...pour this over the meat and veggie mix...

Dollop on the margerine, then cover and cook at 325 for about three hours...

Should feed four two meals, provided you don't kick it up, and use a good seasoning salt, chopped kidney bits, honest beef stock, garlic, etc...and make it REALLY tasty! (Sorry, had to keep it on budget!)

Lifter
 
what a good idea. Here are two I can think of. I am sure I can dig up many more but here are two for starters:

Spinach and Pasta

Frozen Chopped Spinach - 2 packets
Packet of shell pasta
6 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tsp of red dry chilli flakes
olive oil about 2 tbsp
water to boil pasta
salt to taste
grated parmasean to sprinkle
Garlic Bread for accompainement or a readymade salad in a bag

Place the water to boil. Add salt and pasta and spinach to the boiling water. Cook until pasta is aldente. Drain in a colander (the spinach will stick to the pasta)

In another pan, add oil. When it's hot add the garlic and red chilli flakes. Saute for a few minutes. Next add the drained pasta and spinach. Stir to combine. Add grated parmasean and serve with garlic bread or salad.

Spicy Potatoes

Potatoes - About 4 large ones boiled and cut into small cubes
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 jalapeno pepper chopped
1 tbsp of curry powder
1 tsp of cumin seeds
juice of a small lime
1tsp of salt or to taste
pinch of sugar
2 tbsp of oil
2 cloves of chopped garlic
cilantro for garnish

Add oil to a pan. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds. Reduce the heat and add the garlic and jalapeno. Saute for a minute or so. Next add the onions and cook until they are translucent. Now add the potatoes, curry powder, salt, sugar, lime juice and stir everything to combine.

Cook covered for 15 minutes on low.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with pita bread.
 
cabbage and noodles (just wide pre-cooked egg noodles, sliced cabbage, lots of butter, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt all fried together.)

pierogy casserole:
layer cooked lasagna noodles, mashed red potatoes, cheese, sauteed onion, garlic, sauerkraut if you'd like, and dot with lots of butter. bake at about 350 till warm and browned.

i have a bunch more. i'll post them if i think of it later.
 
A platter of boiled potatoes halved,, boiled eggs halved, sliced red onion, sliced avocado, lots of green olives, sprinkled with season salt of garlic and pepper or ADOBO and covered in olive oil. What a great Latin meal.
 
Homemade Chicken Noodles with Mashed Potatoes.....even better the next day in my opinion

Ham & Beans and Corn Bread.....dirt cheap....filling and always leftovers. I should know we were served this a lot as kids :D ...there were 6 of us kids. I eat them maybe twice a year now :D
 
navy bean or Great Northern bean soup:
-dried or canned beans (prep the dried ones as the package calls for; rinse the canned ones)
-quartered white onions
-ham steak or frozen leftover Holiday ham
-ham base
-lots of black pepper
-water
-bacon fat or butter

soften onions in a little butter or bacon fat. make your broth from all other ingredients except for the beans and ham. when broth is right, add the beans, shreds of ham and water as necessary.
serve with big hunks of hearty Italian bread w/ butter.
 
Make a Spanish tortilla. Fry some potatoes and onions. Take out of skillet. Put beaten eggs in same skillet. When they are halfway cooked put the fried potatoes and onions on top of the eggs. Take a plate on top of the skillet and flip the skillet. Put what is on the plate back into the skillet to cook for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

A tasty thrifty dinner that comes to mind is any kind of legume soup. Add water and/or broth to soaked legumes (lentils and split peas do not require overnight soaking). Add chopped vegetables to beans. Cook all 'til beans and vegetables are tender. If not cooking a grain in the legume soup serve with rice or bread.
 
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