frugal one pot meals

[mum21andtwins]

I'd love your best made from scratch frugal meals that can be cooked in one pot or a slowcooker.

my current fave is 250gr green lentils with some soked paprika and a tin of tomatoes cook them for 20 mins. top with a good layer of carrots and a layer of sliced potatoes some cheese over the top and pop it in the ovenon 180c for 40 mins-hour depending on the oven.

[HydeParkB]

I posted this in the crockpot thread in November:

I made Easiest Black Bean and Brown Rice Chili on Election Day, to have something filling for when we got home from volunteering. We had it with avocado slices and grated cheddar. It's from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker," which is a pretty good cookbook so far.

Since it's in a book, I'll give you a link:
http://books.google.com/books?id=cDN...esult&resnum=1

We throw the unused chipotle chilies in the freezer for future batches. You can top with whatever you want - cheese, sour cream, salsa. Cooking your own beans instead of using canned also saves money.

[Kimchee]

Tomato-lentil soup
approx. 1 litre (about 4 cups) stock (I used chicken stock)
one large (793ml?) can diced tomatoes
one cup red lentils
one large onion
one carrot
1/4 cup butter or margerine
Bring the stock to a boil and add the lentils; let simmer about 20 minutes until cooked to a mush. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and carrot, and saute in the butter/marg until the onion is soft. By this time your lentils will be cooked, so add the tomatoes (including any liquid in the can) and your sauteed onion/carrot/butter to the lentils/broth. Bring the soup to a simmer; add salt to taste. [It can be made on the stovetop in ONE pot if you saute the onions in your soup pot FIRST, then add the broth, bring it to a boil, cook the lentils, and lastly add the tomatoes.] This is one of my favourite last-minute lunches/dinners, as it is ready in a half-hour. If you are a meat-eater, it is wonderful with the addition of sliced or crumbled (cooked) sausage. I ate gallons of this soup when I was pregnant -- it keeps well in the fridge or freezer and tastes even better when reheated.

[mum21andtwins]

Originally Posted by HydeParkB

I posted this in the crockpot thread in November:


We throw the unused chipotle chilies in the freezer for future batches. You can top with whatever you want - cheese, sour cream, salsa. Cooking your own beans instead of using canned also saves money.

Thanks! that sounds great

Originally Posted by Kimchee

Tomato-lentil soup

I do something similar to that I add some spinach to it if we have it in the garden it great!

[FitMOmmyOf2]

Subbing!:

[chaoticzenmom]

I make an "empty the fridge/pantry" soup. Go through your beans and soak about a cup and a half of various beans or one kind, or whatever. I always have onions on hand, so I saute onions in a pot. Then, if I have garlic, I add crushed garlic. I go through my veggie drawer and pull out anything that will spoil or that I can't seem to figure out how to use and I chop it and add it to the pot. If I have tomatoes or canned tomatoes or even tomato paste or spaghetti sauce I need to use up, I throw it in. Add water and the beans and let cook until the biggest beans are soft. Sometimes, I'll add a little rice or pasta. Lately, I also top the whole thing with chopped kale in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

You can add finely cut meat to this as well.