I am on a tight budget this week for grocery shopping. Does anyone have any ideas on what I can make that is inexpensive but still healthy? I am definately making a vegetarian chili this week, but we do eat chicken, and pork, fish, and pasta. However fish is out of my budget this week. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Inexpensive menu ideas
- Thread starter amber
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PA Baker
Master Chef
How about breakfast for dinner. Omletes, toast, some fried potatoes. That's all pretty economical.
mudbug
Chef Extraordinaire
Dried beans or peas of all kinds make excellent soups. Rice is also a bargain.
DampCharcoal
Executive Chef
Using mudbug's examples you could make a beans and rice dish with chicken. Just my two cents. I'm a huge sucker for beans and rice!
crewsk
Master Chef
Dried beans, like pintos, cooked in the crockpot with an onion & whatever spices you like & if you can fit it in your budget, a ham hock or other cheap slice of ham or even some thin pork chops, you don't have to have the meat if it dosen't fit in the budget, is a great cheap meal served with cornbread or even saltines. We have this a good bit when $ is running low.
choclatechef
Washing Up
For real mudbug. Cheap and delicious.
Red bean and rice; Black beans and cornbread; Butter beans sliced tomatoes and corn on the cob -- Foods of the gods!
Red bean and rice; Black beans and cornbread; Butter beans sliced tomatoes and corn on the cob -- Foods of the gods!
crewsk
Master Chef
Blackeyed peas over rice with hot buttered cornbread is one of my weaknesses!! I think I know what's for dinner now!! 
mudbug
Chef Extraordinaire
amber, you will not be eating cheap - you will be eating GOOOOOD!!
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
if you want a cheap fish dish, try linguini with white clam sauce. a box of sketti, 2 cans of clams, 1/4 stick of butter, olive oil, half of a head of garlic, a cup of diced onion, and grated parmesan cheese is all you need. it's filling, and inexpensive.
abjcooking
Head Chef
There should be some ideas for you under the misc section titles "meal challenge".
abjcooking
Head Chef
I have been recently spending about $5 a night for dinner for 2. Here are some ideas I came up with.
One week I was able to get some rice a roni on sale, 3 for $3. Bought a stew chicken and some vegetables. You can cook the rice and mix in the ingredients that you like the best. The chicken should be enough for at least 2 dishes. Add a ton of veggies and you have a bundle of food.
Bought tuna on sale for $1. Made tuna salad and put it on a hogie roll. If you have a little extra salad serve it with that.
This batch of soup will feed you for the whole week. It has a lot of flavor and is good for a chilly night. Price wise it does help if you alredy have some of the spices.
Vegetable soup
3 quarts water
soup meat (any amount), uncooked- I usually do 2 packages because I like meat
2 packages (1 box) lipton onion soup mix-original
1 pound (14.5oz) can tomato sauce
1 pound (14.5oz) can tomatoes, cut up- I like the petite diced
1 1/2 t. marjoram
1 1/2 t. basil
1 1/2 t. pepper
1 t. garlic powder
1 T. Salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 t. parsley flakes
2 bags frozen vegetables. Your favorite kind. I like the one with beans, carrots, corn and then I fresh chopped potatoes.
Boil meat in water and onion soup mix for 25-30 minutes
Add next 9 ingredients and cook on simmer for 15 minutes
Add frozen vegetables and let cook covered for 2-2 1/2 hours
Serve plain, sprinkled with parmesan, or my favorite with a slice of american cheese. Enjoy
One week I was able to get some rice a roni on sale, 3 for $3. Bought a stew chicken and some vegetables. You can cook the rice and mix in the ingredients that you like the best. The chicken should be enough for at least 2 dishes. Add a ton of veggies and you have a bundle of food.
Bought tuna on sale for $1. Made tuna salad and put it on a hogie roll. If you have a little extra salad serve it with that.
This batch of soup will feed you for the whole week. It has a lot of flavor and is good for a chilly night. Price wise it does help if you alredy have some of the spices.
Vegetable soup
3 quarts water
soup meat (any amount), uncooked- I usually do 2 packages because I like meat
2 packages (1 box) lipton onion soup mix-original
1 pound (14.5oz) can tomato sauce
1 pound (14.5oz) can tomatoes, cut up- I like the petite diced
1 1/2 t. marjoram
1 1/2 t. basil
1 1/2 t. pepper
1 t. garlic powder
1 T. Salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 t. parsley flakes
2 bags frozen vegetables. Your favorite kind. I like the one with beans, carrots, corn and then I fresh chopped potatoes.
Boil meat in water and onion soup mix for 25-30 minutes
Add next 9 ingredients and cook on simmer for 15 minutes
Add frozen vegetables and let cook covered for 2-2 1/2 hours
Serve plain, sprinkled with parmesan, or my favorite with a slice of american cheese. Enjoy
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
Amber - I don't know if you do this but I like to occasionally put chopped up zucchini in my chili - it adds a nice texture to the chili and you get your veggies in! lol
Take some kind of chicken and bake in oven or however you like. If your family likes brown rice make some of that and caramelize an onion to add to it once cooked. I also like to add a chopped up red pepper but that may be out of budget - those things can be expensive. You can add some peas to the rice, the caramelized onions, chop the chicken in it and add a few scallions (check to see if you have soya sauce and make a fried rice or just the flavors mentioned with some salt and pepper are wonderful).
Take some kind of chicken and bake in oven or however you like. If your family likes brown rice make some of that and caramelize an onion to add to it once cooked. I also like to add a chopped up red pepper but that may be out of budget - those things can be expensive. You can add some peas to the rice, the caramelized onions, chop the chicken in it and add a few scallions (check to see if you have soya sauce and make a fried rice or just the flavors mentioned with some salt and pepper are wonderful).
chez suz
Senior Cook
If you eat pork you probably eat beef..there is always a meatloaf..good for dinner and leftover sandwiches..I make mine w/ground chuck..cheap and full of flavor.
Pasta dishes also go a long way..the list is endless, toss a salad and your good to go.
Tuna caserole..never had one..but I know lots iof people like them.
Pasta dishes also go a long way..the list is endless, toss a salad and your good to go.
Tuna caserole..never had one..but I know lots iof people like them.
-DEADLY SUSHI-
Washing Up
Thai food is usually quite healthy. But I cant think of a dish.
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
Easy chicken curry:
Brown chicken pieces - salt
Brown chopped onion and carrots - salt
Add back chicken to skillet. Add about 6 cups of water and 2-3 TBS of curry powder. Adjust salt and add pepper. Let cook for approximately 30 minutes covered or until done.
Serve over rice.
Brown chicken pieces - salt
Brown chopped onion and carrots - salt
Add back chicken to skillet. Add about 6 cups of water and 2-3 TBS of curry powder. Adjust salt and add pepper. Let cook for approximately 30 minutes covered or until done.
Serve over rice.
norgeskog
Washing Up
Amber, if you have a honeybaked ham shop or similar one, buy one of their ham bones. I did last week and I had two meals of ham and lima bean soup, two meals of split pea soup, three breakfasts with the ham, and four days of sandwiches. The bone cost $4.99, no tax here in Oregon. It is the greatest. Good luck. ALSO, my mom used to make something she called Eggs Ala Goldenrod, know not from where it came. However, she would hardboil how ever many eggs she would need and when cool to the touch, would peal and separate yolk and white. She made a white sauce and added the whites coarsly chopped, onions, garlic, and cheese. She served this over either toast that was sliced into little squares or rice (my favorite was the toast squares) and then ran the hard boiled yolks through a sive to shred and spread over the egg white mixture and top with chopped parsley. It was very good. I did not know it was an economical dish, cause I really loved it. Add a salad or green vegetable and it is good and very filling.
Some months ago I did a line on how to do the very best baked beans...
6 slices bacon, cut into 3-4 pieces, fried lightly...
Add 1/2 and onion, cubed...
1-3 tspns chopped or minced garlic
Saute, stirring until blanched...
Add your beans, hopefully the "campfire" kind that include red kidney beans!, stirring carefully...
Add (optional) a half stalk of finely sliced celery, sweet or hot peppers to taste, a good dollop of hot mustard, a quarter to half cup of ketchup and/or BBQ sauce, a quarter cup of maple syrup or brown sugar, and between a quarter and a half cup of (TRUST ME!) applesauce, or equivalent fruit compote...
Mix thoroughly over low heat until done, a dash of cayenne, mixed through, served with buttered toast...a meal made of dribs and drabs that are likely present in any kitchen, but fit for Kings!
And healthy, too!
Lifter
6 slices bacon, cut into 3-4 pieces, fried lightly...
Add 1/2 and onion, cubed...
1-3 tspns chopped or minced garlic
Saute, stirring until blanched...
Add your beans, hopefully the "campfire" kind that include red kidney beans!, stirring carefully...
Add (optional) a half stalk of finely sliced celery, sweet or hot peppers to taste, a good dollop of hot mustard, a quarter to half cup of ketchup and/or BBQ sauce, a quarter cup of maple syrup or brown sugar, and between a quarter and a half cup of (TRUST ME!) applesauce, or equivalent fruit compote...
Mix thoroughly over low heat until done, a dash of cayenne, mixed through, served with buttered toast...a meal made of dribs and drabs that are likely present in any kitchen, but fit for Kings!
And healthy, too!
Lifter
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
Lifter - while reading your post I was screaming "where's the applesauce"?? But, you finally go to it. I can't explain the taste but it is definitely a great one!!! And it adds a different texture too (I think anyway) - all I know is that it was great!!!!!
I even left off the bacon the first time - a couple cans of Bush's - one the home style and the other the onion - then added mustard, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, applesauce - it was great!!! But I'm sure if you just added the applesauce and nothing else it would be good.
I even left off the bacon the first time - a couple cans of Bush's - one the home style and the other the onion - then added mustard, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, applesauce - it was great!!! But I'm sure if you just added the applesauce and nothing else it would be good.
Sorry for "holding out on you", KitchenElf....but nobody believes it until they try it....in a pinch, just about any fruit "compote" that is comparable to applesauce will work, too...
I was trying to help the member find "stuff" in her kitchen that would work together, without going to the store, until the payday came, and they bought groceries...
Otherwise, my original recipe gets a bit "demanding" on components....
Personally, I think that maple syrup gets it done far better than brown sugar...but as I've said elsewhere, its where "your" electrolytes are at that minute where you eat stuff...
I could laugh out loud at this whole exchange, if I was about 30 years younger..."WHERE's THE APPLESAUCE!!!???", indeed...and I don't even know if you were TRYING to be funny!
Anyways, its pretty good meal, without a lot of costs, beyond whats already in the pantry or fridge...
Lifter
I was trying to help the member find "stuff" in her kitchen that would work together, without going to the store, until the payday came, and they bought groceries...
Otherwise, my original recipe gets a bit "demanding" on components....
Personally, I think that maple syrup gets it done far better than brown sugar...but as I've said elsewhere, its where "your" electrolytes are at that minute where you eat stuff...
I could laugh out loud at this whole exchange, if I was about 30 years younger..."WHERE's THE APPLESAUCE!!!???", indeed...and I don't even know if you were TRYING to be funny!
Anyways, its pretty good meal, without a lot of costs, beyond whats already in the pantry or fridge...
Lifter
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