Budget Meals

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:12 PM

Ok, let's say it's the day before pay day, and you're broke. The cupboards are almost empty.

What is your favorite "Bare Bones" Recipe or meal? Most people have some stock items they try to -always- have on hand, whether it's canned mushroom soup, or instant rice, or condensed milk, or whatever.

What could you come up with if you only had a few items on top of your stock items? Cheap easy meals that you can scrape together from the pantry!

Please share with us!

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**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:13 PM

Re: Budget101.com : Budget Meals

Pasta
Grilled chhese sandwiches & soup
Baked potatoes
PB & J
Pancakes
Biscuits
Waffles
Eggs
Oatmeal

Herlean

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:13 PM

Crackered Noodles!

Egg Noodles (Quantity varies on your family size)
1 stick of butter
1 sleeve of saltines, crushed (1/4-1/2 if you are only cooking for 1 or two)
Salt and Pepper

Cook the egg noodles. When they are close to being done, melt the butter/margarine in a skillet. Once melted, put the crushed crackers in and lightly brown. Drain the noodles then mix the cracker/butter mixture through thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste. Very high in fat but very tasty....

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:14 PM

Re: Budget101.com : Budget Meals

We usually have burritos, or chili and corn bread. If either of those
fail... I go to the fridge and freezer look at the leftovers and start
tossing it in my crockpot. I then go to my pantry for added ingredients
to make it look like I *planned* something

"One of the advantages of being disorderly
is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." A.A. Milne

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:15 PM

Re: Budget Meals

ok I keep a can of mixed vegies in the cabinet and some ground meat
frozen in the freezer and just put them together in a pot with any
seasonings you have hanging around and presto---soup in 5 minutes.
lol or you can make a gravy with flour and put the ground meat in
when it is browned, season to your taste, and serve over rice or
noodles

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:15 PM

Re: Budget101.com : Re: Budget Meals

I nearly always have $1 a pound ground turkey in the freezer, so I would be able to throw together:
chili,
taco soup,
a dish affectionately called, in our family, "ramen stuff",
tacos &/or tacoritos (flour tortliias with taco fillings),
macaroni casserole.
I always have spaghetti & other pastas around. Macaroni with just a can of diced tomatoes & tomato sauce has always been a favorite in our family, since I was a kid.

Omelets,
French toast

Grilled cheese sandwiches

Ramen Stuff (serves 8)

2 pounds ground turkey
2 C water
4 packages of chicken or beef flavored ramen noodles
Frozen veggies

In a large skillet or dutch oven, brown the ground turkey until done. Take the meat out of the pan, set it aside (keep it warm)& remove any grease. In the same pan, bring the water & the contents of seasoning packets to a boil. Add the noodles &the frozen veggies.
Cook until the water is almost boiled away, turn off the heat. Stir the meat into the noodles & veggies & serve.

Be creative... this is a great way to use leftover meat & veggies~ just add them, already warmed, to the cooked noodles.
The trick to this recipe that makes it quick is using only half of the water called for on the noodle package. The noodles cook quickly, & the rest of the water boils off. I find that ground turkey will go well with either the beef or chicken flavors & there is no grease left in the pan, but you can use ground beef. If you don't have frozen veggies, you can make it without & serve this with a salad or raw veggie plate!

* * dee * *

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:16 PM

Re: Budget Meals

Here is one of our Budget Helper Meals

Chicken and Rice

1 can crm. of mushroom soup

1 can crm. of chicken soup

1 pky onion soup mix

2 cups long grain rice, or 2 pkgs of whatevcr rice mix. I have used
wild rice, or spanish rice. Whatever was in the pantry.

Chicken parts-any that is still in the freezer, or you can use leftover
porkchops.

Mix together soups, dry and wet, and rice, then add 2 cups water.

Pour in covered casserole or small dutch oven, then bury the chicken in
the liquid.

Bake for 1hr to 1hr and 15 minutes at 350*

Serve with Salad, or whatever veggie on hand. Yummy!

Hope you enjoy!

Tina

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:17 PM

Re: Budget Meals

My favorite bare bones meal is instant mashed potatoes served with
canned beef stew. Another one of my favorites is boxed macaroni with
canned tuna mixed in. I try to keep these on hand at all times

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:18 PM

RE: Budget101.com : Budget Meals

Favorite easy food is rice and mushroom gravy (used with cream of mushroom soup). If we have meat on hand we throw that into the gravy. Everybody always raves about this recipe when we make it for guests.

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:19 PM

I remember my grandma making them but I think she used leftover mashed potatoes. Yum Yum!!!

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:19 PM

Re: Budget Meals

Myself, I could live on potatoes and eggs. I make potato pancakes all
the time, just grate a potato or two, mix with a handful of flour and
some ground pepper and fry in a hot pan with cooking oil (about medium
heat). It's so golden and crispy, fatty but if you use something with
an omega oil in it then it's brain food!

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:21 PM

Re: Budget Meals

We make taco soup either from leftover taco night or
1 lb hamburger or turkey meat
1 large can of tomatoes any kind
1 can whole corn
1 can ranch style beans or leftover beans
taco seasoning
make it like soup
Donna

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:21 PM

Re:Budget Meals

Since we grow a lot of our food I am very seldom without green beans, corn, squash, zucchini, potatoes, onions, and frozen apples. That said I always keep a couple of cans of Salmon in the pantry for quick meals. My favorite bare bones meal is pinto beans (soup beans), cornbread, and potatoes. Then I take the leftovers and fix refried beans for burritos and taco the next night. Then if I still have leftovers I use the pinto beans with some veggies and Salm0n patties. I am one of those people who can eat the same thing for several days and not get tired of it. Of course, I love vegi nights. They are CHEAP and a way to eat healthier one or two nights a week.

Jennifer, KY

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:22 PM

I need a good refried bean recipe. Can you share yours?

Cassie

**BiggerPiggyBank** · 03-09-2007, 04:22 PM

Re:Budget Meals

A very simple budget meal for us is Creamy Vegetable Soup. I use a can
of cream soup - mushroom, chicken, celery, whatever I have. Add a can
of milk and the equivalent of one soup can (sometimes more) of frozen
mixed veggies, and salt and pepper. Serve with biscuits, grilled
cheese sandwiches, poured over toast, etc.

Emily