Cheap Dinner/ Lunch Ideas

I just posted this on another post. Tostadas! The shells are cheap, a can of refried beans, shredded lettuce and some cheese. Hubby and the kids love them and its NO COOK so us in the desert like that too!

I decide on our meals based on what the specials are at the grocery store.
2 weeks ago asstd pork chops for $1.99 lb. I grilled up a lot of them. (Froze extra for later) served with squash and dresing

This last week it was fajita meat for 2.97 a lb. (freeze great) Served with a pot of beans

This weekend it was buy 2 pkgs hot dogs (freeze great), get all of the trimmings free.

Pasta with sauce instead of meat use zucchini
Rice with grilled chicken
Fried rice
Homemade pizzas stale french bread makes a great crust
Sausage wraps
Breakfast for dinner
BBQ chicken legs and thighs
Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Chicken and dumplings
Turkey Meatball sandwiches
Turkey Chili with corn bread or chili beans with corn bread

Shop the sales & specials. Read the circulars. Look for bargains on the high shelves and low shelves, not at eye level. Buy generics/store brands. Use coupons only if they lower the price of a "name brand" below the generic. Look on the "price reduced" shelf for things the store isn't going to carry or for bread/rolls that are close to their expiration date. If you can use it that day, freeze it so it doesn't get stale or moldy. Don't use up your savings on full price or overpriced accompaniments. Use meat alternatives (beans, etc.) for lots of protein at lower prices. Buy larger portions and use for 2 recipes - for example, use a large quantity of ground meat for half burgers, half meat sauce for pasta, or half meatloaf and half taco/enchilada filling.

Pass up things like paper towels and use absorbent cloths that go in the wash for re-use. Better for the environment anyway. Cut up your own fruit, veggies and chicken instead of paying the store to do that. (Don't buy baby carrots, for example.) Make your own spaghetti sauce with crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce/puree, and dried seasonings instead of buying ready-made. Cook chicken parts in water and use the stock in other recipes instead of buying chicken broth. Use leftovers creatively - use wrinkly or softening green peppers or leftover chicken in spaghetti sauce or enchiladas, use leftover spinach, cheese or tomatoes in omelets/frittatas, or put almost anything on a pizza. Fuel costs are rising so don't pay extra for fresh foods that have been trucked across the country - frozen veggies have the same nutrient value as fresh picked, often more since they haven't been sitting in a produce truck for weeks.

Do not buy 100-calorie snack packs or drink boxes. Incredibly wasteful. Buy large bags or bottles, then put them in your own snack bags or the kids' water bottles. Never, ever buy bottled water. If comes out of your tap for pennies. If your water has a small aftertaste, put 4-6 cucumber slices in a pitcher, or a few slices of lemon, and wait an hour.

Tuna sandwiches. Pancakes (who says you have to only eat them at breakfast?). Hash (Precook meat and potatoes, and then dump them all into a pan to warm together, add salt and pepper - or other spices if the mood strikes you - to taste. You can cook the meat and potatoes ahead of time, if you need it to be quick. Cubed and boiled potatoes or hash browns - whichever is cheaper, and leftover pot roast, or browned ground beef, again, whatever you've got. The proportions are open to your preference.) Or, slice a hotdog longways, not quite through all the way, and stick a bit of sliced cheese in the slit. Heat in the toaster oven. Still just a hotdog, but the presentation is different, and a bit more fun: gives the illusion of something different.

Also, what day is re-stocking day at your grocery store's meat department? Go the day before, and step back a little bit from the display: do a quick scan for a bright colored label (our grocery store uses neon orange). This is typically going to be meat whose "sell-by" date either that day or the next, will be heavily discounted, and in our house, is going to be cooked as soon as I get home (whether that day's dinner or frozen for future quick meals). Bonus if it's tonight's dinner, AND it reheats well: you've got lunch tomorrow, too.

spaghetti is my cheapmeal we have pb &j every day for lunch

Bean Chili

3 cans of beans (Great Northern, black beans, pinto beans, or whatever you have)
frozen or canned corn
1 sweet potato cut into small cubes
1 jar of your favorite salsa
packet of taco seasoning

Put in crockpot and cook on low for six hours. Can be served in tortillas if thick, otherwise add a little water.

Bean Enchiladas
3 cans beans (whatever you like)
1 can nacho or regular cheese soup
corn or flour tortillas
one can enchilada sauce
tomato sauce

Mix beans and cheese, spoon into tortillas, roll up and put in large cake pan side by side, opening side down. Mix enchilada sauce with some tomato sauce and pour over all. Bake in oven until hot through, sprinkle a little cheese over, maybe some black olives and serve. Leftovers heat up nicely.

This is my kids' favorite. Sloppy Joes - homemade

1 lb hamburger
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP Worchister
1 can of Tomato soup

Brown up the hamburger with the onions. Drain the fat. Add the tomato soup, brown sugar and worchister, mix well cook medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes. Super yummy and simple!!

Beans and Rice. I use the following recipe and make a little extra to freeze for reheating. With the left overs you can make burritos adding cheese and meat as desired.

http://www.food.com/recipe/pinto-beans-and-rice-in-a-croc...

J.,
I have a lot of inexpensive, healthy and fun recipes listed on my web site at www.artfulveggie.com. Check out the salads, soups, sides and sandwiches.

Be sure and USE YOUR LEFTOVERS. But be creative, don't just reheat. Last nights tacos can be tomorrow's taco pizza or tortilla soup. Last nights roast or chicken can be shredded and made into BBQ sandwiches or BBQ pizza. Lots of Leftovers can go into home made soups, Frittatas, omelots, pizza or stir frys. Someone gave you a sloppy joe recipe-- our FAVORITE pizza is just a crust, leftover sloppy joes and cheddar or cojack cheese

Have you ever heard of E-mealz? For $5/mo. they give you a complete meal plan for the week based on what's on sale that week @ the store you choose.
I heard Dave Ramsey advertise it on his radio show. Haven't tried it myself yet.
http://e-mealz.com/index.shtml

I just blogged about this: http://heyyougetreal.com/momblog/how-can-i-feed-a-family-...

You can contact me for my menus if you want.

B.
Family Success Coach

Pasta - you can make ziti just with sauce or you can add some meatballs or meat sauce, a tuna mac salad, or a pasta salad
Chicken - in our area you can get boneless breast for $1.89/lb on sale, - grill, add to a pasta salad, cube and use for fajitas
Eggs - egg salad - omelettes (good for breakfast, lunch or dinner)
Pork Loin - it's $1.99/lb, but you have to buy in bulk - make a roast - slice and grill - put in the slow cooker for pulled pork
Stir Fry - use what ever meat and veggies you like and have on hand, and serve over rice
Chicken Oven Stuffer Roaster - roast chicken one night, some left overers the next day, and use the bones to make some soup
Carrots - they're usually inexpensive, make some carrot sticks for snacks - cook for a side dish - shread and add to pasta salads or potato salad

I think this gets asked twice a week now. Check back a few days and I bet there is a BUNCH of ideas already. :)