How to Feed Company Cheap

Love Toni V suggestion and the other one for the food bars. I would hope that for 10 days these guests staying with you will help pitch in???!!! I would also buy generic labels for food as well. Bulk pots of food go along way too. Soup, Chili, Spaghetti. Definitely do taco, salad, and potato bar.

Bisquick pancakes for breakfast, rice and beans for dinner. You can dress up the rice and beans different each time too. Make chili, or spanish rice. Dress with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and/or salsa.

Breakfast options - grits and eggs, oatmeal and fruit
Dinner options - red beans and rice, jambalaya, spaghetti or other pasta
Lunch - leftovers from the previous night's dinner

Are you close enough to let them know it would be helpful if they pitched in on the grocery bill or brought a few things from their pantry when they come...things that might spoil anyway while they are gone...or pasta, rice etc.?

Eggs, potatoes and toast, pancakes or french toast dusted with powdered sugar (only bacon/ham/sausage one Sunday, if you can afford)

Tuna, chicken or egg salad sandwiches for lunch - (or meat sandwiches if you can afford)

Pasta w/meat sauce (I would splurge a little on the cheese) - garlic bread and a big salad with home made dressing (I like ranch or Italian).

Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, salad - garlic bread.

If you buy a BIG ham, you can make many dishes for all meals....that is if your family and company like ham and won't get tired of it.

potato or macaroni salad go a long way and aren't too expensive to make.

If you have a Costco or Sam's Club, you can usually pick up a few whole chickens at a good price. Roasted, fried or BBQ chicken are always a winner.

Chuck roast, potatoes, onions, carrots and GRAVY, salad and rolls..Yummy! I make hash (dices potatoes, celery, onion) or crispy taquitos with guacamole and salsa w/ left over roast.

If you can make good biscuts, there are always a welcome addition to a meal. If your not good at it Bisquick has a good solution, but its more expensive.

Last but not least - A big pot of pinto beans, onions, ham hawks with good chicken or beef stock and water. I use Knor bullion cubes to enhance the flavor, usually 3 at a time and then taste to see if additional cubes are needes. Once the beans are done you can add sea/kosher salt to taste. I also pull the ham hawks, let them cool then shred and put only the good meat back in the beans. I serve them with a big pan of corn bread.

All these meals are cost effective and the left overs can be made into something new in most cases.

Have good visit with your company.... I take my hat off to you for doing 10 days with them....I usually prefer just two or three before someone else in the family takes their turn.

DRINKS: Sun tea and Koolaid --- adult drink, I make a mean Long Island ice tea out of vodka, simple syrup (sugar/water) some sun tea and a splash of Squirt soda....put a sprig of mint on it (if you want) and your guest will think they are really on holiday! PS, you can use the simple syrup for sweetening the kids Koolaid and also make popsicles too. (AHH brings back memories of childhood.

Blessings.

stirfry
make your own taco or fajitas bar
make your own salad bar
make your own baked potato bar

These are good ideas for picky eaters as they can customize what the want on their plate.

I go to the store and see what is on sale in the meat section.. Chicken, legs and thighs, make great BBQ. Potato salad.

Ground turkey, burgers, or meatballs. Hand cut, Oven fries with sweet potatoes and regular potatoes.

Sausage wraps with an assortment of sausages and tortillas. Fruit salad.

Peanut butter sandwiches, Peanut putter cookies.

Chicken can make pot pies or chicken and dumplings.

Also be honest with your guests that this year money is tight so they will be welcome to purchase and prepare food or they can pitch in money.. I would NEVER expect anyone to provide food for us for 10 days, and I would make it very clear that the other family needs to pitch in.. I would not be embarrasse even one second about it..

What's wrong with cereal??? We love it! Bagels, frozen waffles, buy some muffin mix and make muffins, hard boil some eggs, english muffins. All those things are pretty cheap.
Lunch.....peanut butter and jelly, get some deli meat and cheese for sandwhiches (also get some lettuce and tomatos...that always makes it "seem" classier! lol), pizza, whole wheat tortillas and sandwhich rolls.
Dinner.....pasta, pizza, enchiladas (you can make them from scratch and they are pretty cheap, buy a rotissery chicken at your local store (they are about $5 here) and debone the chicken. Use the chicken for tacos! YUM! BBQ up some hot dogs.
If these people are good people they wont care what you feed them. They love you and know your financial situation. Give what you can and they will totally appreciate it.
L.

You could cook a turkey and a ham. They have a lot of meat for the money and can be used for all kinds of things as leftovers. Ham and eggs, ham mac and cheese, turkey pot pie, sandwhiches, turkey with rice or noodles... the list is endless! Also, don't forget things like snacks to fill in the empty spots. Homemade popcorn is cheap and yummy. A good bowl of apples, bananas, pears or whatever is cheap is good to keep around too.

Have a few boxes of cereal on hand... then cereal, eggs, or pancakes for breakfast. AKA always let cereal be an option. Just ask if they want Cereal or Eggs? Cereal or Pancakes? Serve with whatever fruit happens to be in season/on sale. One morning, an egg caserole with sausage. Buy a "crate" of eggs (120). Costs about as much as 2 18 packs. I know. Crazy. SUPER cheap to make your own pancake batter mix. Instead of juice with breakfast... serve cucumber/lime water. PRETTY! And tastes great. And a fraction of the cost of juice. Less than a $1 a day for a never ending suppy) For 10 people for 10 days... breakfast = apx $30.

Dinner. Preferably cook either a turkey or a ham one night. That becomes lunchmeat the rest of the week. SUPER cheap lunchmeat, as turkey at it's most expensive is less than $2 a lb in our area (and as low as 11 cents a pound). Whether ham or turkey, you don't need to thanksgiving it out... turkey, stuffing, and whatever veggie is on sale (corn right now is 4 for $1, for example). ((I'll come back to Dinner in a moment))

Lunch: Sammies... using the meat you cooked for night #1, PB&J, tuna, and egg salad as the options. ALSO lunch is the perfect time to serve the "hotdogs & mac'n'cheese" option. If you make a big soup or chili for dinner one night, lunch gets the soup and half a sammie option tacked onto it.

Holy Potatoes!!! 10lb bags of potatoes are cheap (often cheaper than 5lb bags. 20lb bags are even cheaper. It's a bit of a pain, but with a sack'o'potatoes one can make

- Mashed (plain, or garlic, or ginger, or ginger garlic)
- Potato salad
- fries
- hashbrowns
- roasted w/ rosemary & garlic
- baked potatoes (if you make chili one night, make baked potatoes the next, because chili on top of baked potatoes is almost sinfully good)

((Shoot! I have to run... I'll update more ideas later tonight!!!)

Cheap, filling staples like potatoes, pasta, beans and rice.
Cheap, in season produce, very little meat.
You should be able to make some good soups, stews and pasta salads which will go a long way. Use the crock pot if you have one!
Jello makes for a fun, inexpensive dessert. Pancakes and oatmeal are also good, filling and not too expensive breakfast options.
Don't buy beverages, they add up. Just offer water and maybe iced tea. Hopefully your guests will arrive with a few bottles of wine ;)

breakfast- store brand bagels & cream cheese, bake quick breads like banana bread, buy a large watermelon for fruit (usually on sale @ Walmart), bananas, oatmeal, yogurt, cereal

lunch- deli ham is usually inexpensive if on sale- use for sandwiches, tuna salad, egg salad, carrot sticks/celery & dip, pasta salad

dinner- spaghetti, sauce, salad, garlic bread/ beef stew and rolls/lasagna/grilled chicken, corn on the cob/ instead of hotdogs buy turkey sausage??, make pizza (just buy the dough, sauce & chz)

Vegetables are usually on sale this time of year so buy what's on sale and incorporate into your meals. I also think it's fine to serve hotdogs/mac & chz/pb & j

Our new family fave and so cheap is tostadas! Premade shells are about $2 for 24, a couple cans of refried beans (.99 each), shredded lettuce ($1.29 per head) and shredded cheese ($3 for 4 cups). And some salsa if you have it and/or hot sauce.

cook a bunch of cheap boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the crockpot with a little seasoning, like taco. cook on low all day. Shred/cut up and put bbq sauce in and serve on buns. Use meat also for tacos and/or chicken salad. You can also do this same thing if you find boneless pork chops on sale. also beef roast.

My family LOVES scrambled eggs with cheese and homemade hash browns (cheap!!) for breakfast. Also, check your grocery stores bakery for clearance stuff. I get all kind of cakes, donuts, rolls, etc for more than 50% off. And there's nothing wrong with cereal for breakfast. Don't feel like you have to be a gormet cook for these people, I'm sure they just appreciate spending time with you and what you are doing for them. Everyone knows its hard right now.

Every time I go to the store I go up and down each isle and look for the sales tags and that is what I buy. And if our faves are on sale then I load up on them because I know we will eat them. So really you could just build your menus on what is on sale for those 2 weeks. Good luck!!!

All the food ideas sound great! I think eggs, pancakes for morning are great. Pasta and rice dishes will save lots of money. Your guest are coming to visit you so they will not be concerned about the food at all. Just relax and enjoy your time together no matter what there may be to eat; it will all work out.

10 days--wow! God love you!

There is nothing wrong with a continental type of breakfast--cereals, juice, fruit and muffins.

Maybe pancakes O. day and waffles another?

Lunch--no clue--sandwich ring?

Dinner: Pasta & meatballs, grill burgers and/or dogs, pulled beef from a large chuck roast, Brown sausage, then put that (sliced), cubed potatoes, onions, peppers in a baking dish & bake til potatoes are tender....

Beans make a very nutritious and hearty meal and are very economical. Chilis and minestrone, a vegetarian lasagna in your crockpot, spaghetti and salad--make the sauce homemade and simmer for a few hours on the range, homemade tomato soup with a salad. It can be a family activity to make homemade biscuits and they are so fun and easy to make. Even add them to your breakfast meals too. Oatmeal ! And don't forget oatmeal cookies! Homemade bread but make a couple loaves at a time to minimize the effort and maximize the output. PB and J sandwiches too. For snacks, fresh fruit is filling and nutritious. If you want to make pinto beans or legumes with no ham hock, get some "liquid smoke"...it will flavor the soup nicely !

black Bean and cheese quesadillas - could add any leftover meat from something else if you had it. But they are really yummy just beans and cheese.
bbq chicken sandwiches - chicken in crockpot with a bottle of bbq sauce (beer if you have it) and cook until falling apart. Shred it up and put it on buns.I serve it with cole slaw
breakfast for dinner. Eggs and waffles/pancakes and some fruit.
Good luck!

I love mexican food for that. Make a large batch of pinto beans and you can do tostadas and burritos. I love to do a mexican salad over chips beans and rice!
spaghetti and salad and peas (add some fresh tomato and red bell peppers to the sauce and simmer to make it a little more gormet) or make some meat balls
chili and corn bread
oatmeal with a little fresh fruit and nuts
egg salad sandwichs
pancakes
Cheap is okay. Non nutritional is not. In the old days, it was not expected to eat meat everyday when money was tight. Things are going that way for us again as America is in decline. Don't be afraid to make a lot of vegitarian meals, it will save you a lot of money.

Great tips already..but you should check out a local Bakery Thrift Store. You can get lots of great bread items for super cheap. Or shop early in the morning for the day old marked down bread which is still fresh and tasty.

Definitely buy fruits and veggies in the bag....apples, oranges, carrots, or large fruits like watermelons and cantaloupes.

Buy bulk items like rice, beans, potatoes.

Buy only seasonal items and on sale items. Get your grocery flier and plan around what meats are on sale.

You know, 10 days is a really long time to feed other adults. Can you ask them to share in the meal planning? Or take turns preparing meals? If you enjoy their company and help so much, you want to plan so you don't burn yourself out with all the non-stop cooking and then resent it down the road.

Another cheap favorite in our home:
Red Beans and Rice

Make a big batch of chicken or turkey soup. Turkey makes more, serve with bread and a simple desert.
Big pot of pasta sauce. Spaggetti dinner one night, French bread pizza another, poor mans lasgne (layer sauce, cheese, elbow mac in casserole end with sauce and cheese.)
I also make ground turkey brown and crumble add onion and green pepper, add a bag of frozen mixed veggies, season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, add 2-4 cups water add 1-2 cups uncooked rice. When rice and veggies are done add a thin white sauce.
You can also make pasta salad, cook up 2-3 cups of elbow macroni add tomatoes, green pepper, celery, black olives, cucumber, baby carrots cut in half. I use either Italian dressing or Wish Bone seasme, ginger vinegrette. Makes a lot and it's good with tuna or canned salmon added.

A pasta casserole. Cooked pasta, browned hamburger (get the cheap stuff - you cook off all the fat anyway), mix it with some pasta sauce, cheese and seasonings to taste and bake it. It's yummy and cheap. Same with breakfast - egg casseroles are yummy too. You can make 10 lbs of potato salad for pretty cheap too and that will last to eat with sandwiches for lunch. Lunch meat that is store brand and on sale is good too.

Also, banana bread - if you have a few bananas that are about to go bad throw them in the freezer and defrost them when you are ready to make it. Then you just need the usual ingredients for breads - flour, sugar, eggs etc. Great for breakfast.

If you want any recipes for any of this, send me a message and I'll be happy to share.

For breakfast, there is always pancakes you can make with a mix, if you are looking to cook, or omelets are pretty easy and depending what you put in them they are on the low end for cost.
I saw pasta casseroles on here, which are great! Another twist on that, is instead of using pasta is to use rice.
One that I do that my husband LOVES it is:

2 cups dry rice
1lbs spicy sausage (if you don't like spicy foods, you can use mild sausage, or just ground beef, it is yummy with any of those)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
half of a bag of frozen peas
half of a bag of frozen corn
2 to 3 cups shredded cheese
salt and pepper

cook up the rice, brown the meat. Mix together the cooked rice and cream of mushroom soup, then mix in the meat, peas and corn and about a hand full of cheese, salt and pepper to taste. pour into a 9x13 casserole pan then put the remaining cheese all over the top. put into a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted and starting to turn brown. Take it out and let it cool for atleast 10 minutes before cutting into it.
It is cheap to make, it tastes good, and has always always been a huge success when I have made it for company!

You have gotten so many good ideas so far! For breakfast, you can get the pouches or boxes of muffin mix that are super cheap, like blueberry or strawberry, to offer if they get tired of cereal or pancakes. Cream of wheat is another alternative, and you can get or make the chocolate flavor if people don't like the plain. My hubby makes it with a little milk, sugar, butter, and cocoa and it is gobbled up. If you do a ham, you can make scalloped potatoes and ham for another dinner (or cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham, yum!). You could also do ham and cheese omelets with the leftovers as well, either for breakfast or dinner. Grilled cheese is cheap and you can also have soup with it. You can buy the bags of tater tots and bake them up with onion, green pepper, cheddar cheese mixed in. You could probably add in a meat too and make it a meal bake. You could buy whole or cheaper cuts of chicken and make a chicken and rice dish baked, using cream of mushroom or other cream soup. The taco or tostada idea is good, too, and you can mix in some beans with the ground beef to stretch it and make it filling.

Be honest and let them know you need help with food. In this economy everyone can understand that. If you are uncomfortable with that, then bagles breakfast, sandwiches lunch, and some kind of chicken for dinner. Beans and weenies are always good in the summer. Fruit is always good and if fairly cheap.

BREAKFAST: banana bread, scrambled eggs, hashbrown tacos
LUNCH: leftovers with cooked chicken (see "dinner") - chicken salad, potato salad, deviled eggs, pasta salad
DINNER: Cook 2 chickens at the same time. Eat that for one meal. All leftover meat, make enchiladas the next night, fried rice with meat and eggs and veggies the next night, chicken with BBQ sauce on bread the next night. Cook 2 chickens AGAIN when you run out of cooked meat. (We do this all the time and it saves us lots of money. Yes chicken is boring. Have chili dogs after a couple of days to change it up. Make ground beef tacos another night to change it up again.

one bag of russet potatoes (usually $4.00)
hamburger on sale (it should be on sale now for the 4th)
4 whole chickens
1 whole turkey
one watermelon
one cantalope
2 dozen eggs
block of cheese

breakfast can be
eggs and english muffins or toast
pancakes
waffles
fresh fruit
cereal (you don't need to fix a big breakfast every day and it's NOT tacky) you can couple it with fresh fruit and muffins or toast)
oatmeal
grits

lunch
sandwiches - leftover chicken
macaroni and cheese with hot dogs
fresh fruit
dinner
whole chicken with mashed potatoes
mexican night - tacos, burritos or enchiladas -
spaghetti with garlic bread and salad

clip coupons!!! How great that you have this opportunity!!

boneless, skinless chicken thighs are cheap and awesome for the grill!

Use coupons. You can save tons of money and get a lot of stuff for free or close to it. There are website that tell you exactly how to use them, where to find them and what store to go to at a time to get the best deal.
try www.mashupmom.com or www.thekrazycouponlady.com or www.dealseekingmom.com

my favorite feed a lot of people meal is baked pasta

1 lb mosticolli or penne rigotte cooked according to al dente directions
1lb ground beef browned
1 onion chopped and browned with beef
1 large or 2 medium sized jars of pasta sauce (I use whatever is on sale)
1 2 cup size package of shredded mozzarella cheese

after making the pasta drain and put into a baking dish
layer on the ground beef /onion mixture
pour on the pasta sauce
bake for about half an hour at 350 pull out and layer cheese on top put back in oven to melt the cheese I brown it just a touch. serve with garlic bread and salad and you have a hit.

10 days is a really, really long time. I'd mention that if they'd like you to fix something they love, that you'll make out a grocery list for them and they can pick up the ingredients..
A dish that goes a long way....A sort of Tex-Mex casserole:
2 cans of chili with beans
1 or 2 green peppers chopped
1 or 2 pkgs frozen corn
grated cheese
2 Jiffy Corn Muffin Mixes

Heat the chili, pepper, corn and cheese until cheese is starting to melt. Put it all in a 13 x 9 baking dish. Fix the muffin mix according to directions, spread over the top and bake until the muffin mix is golden brown. Bread and salad (or jello salad) and you have a meal which will have left-overs.

You can add as much or as little of any of the ingredients that you like and it will turn out just fine...
ALSO, a big pot of Navy Beans, cooked with a ham bone for flavor...makes a great soup with lots of left overs. Serve with Corn Muffins...toss in a can of green chilis for extra flavor.