Meals on the Cheap - under $2 meal ideas - Page 18

[bstandlee]

Originally Posted by Rebecca

Stratas are cheap and easy. Delicious too.

Cube a loaf (or however much you need) of bread and cover the bottom of a baking dish, a few inches deep.
Chop whatever veggies you like in an omelet. Broccoli and onion and mushroooms are particularly good IMO. DH likes peppers. Sprinkle them on top of the bread cubes. My family likes cooked sausage with the veggies.
Shred some cheese. A cup? A few handfulls? Depends on how much you like. Spread it on top. Beat about 6 eggs. Pour it over the entire thing. Refrigerate overnight.

Bake an hour at 350.

Ooh! I never would have thought of this but what a great cheap tasty idea. I can't wait to make one! Thank you

[greenluv]

This is a great thread!

I have to do some figuring and see how I came out in my Great Spaghetti Sauce Experiment to see if I was really as cost effective as I thought I was.

[Tilia]

bump!

[RoundAbout]

We had these homemade veggie burgers for the first time last night. They were incredible tasting and well under $2 since the main ingredients are pureed beans, brown rice, and oats. The cup of cornbread stuffing really makes the recipe zing, but I bought Stove top on sale - you could also probably do homemade. There is no soy or egg so I think these are great for people with allergies. We served them without a bun and with carrot sticks and potatoes on the side.

My toddler gobbled his up and these are much cheaper than the Boca burgers I've been buying. And I like the fact that I know whats in them.

[p1gg1e]

Bump!

I'm boiling beans right now for the Italian white bean soup! MMMmmmm...

[Blooming]

Originally Posted by p1gg1e

Bump!

I'm boiling beans right now for the Italian white bean soup! MMMmmmm...

I have lots of white beans, want to share your recipe?

[p1gg1e]

Originally Posted by normajean

This is a new one I just tried out & its yummy. I doubled everything but the beans & the spices. As written it serves four.

Italian White Bean Soup

1 Tbs extra virgin Olive Oil,
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 15 oz cans white kidney beans, undrained (use dried beans cooked insetad of canned)
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp sage, dried
1/2 tsp basil, dried
salt to taste
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup fresh spinach, finely chopped or frozen chopped spinach
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Heat oil in a large saucepan, sauté the garlic and onions for 2 to 3 minutes. Add celery, carrots, sage, basil, beans, water and salt. Cover, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add black pepper and spinach. Simmer 2 minutes.

There you go!!

( I add bacon to mine : and didn't have sage and its still super yummy with cheese on it )

[Blooming]

Thank you so much. Guess what we'll be having for dinner this week. :

[beansricerevolt]

Still have leftover Ham from the holidays sitting in the freezer?

Very very yummy White Bean and Ham soup Thanks to "For the love of cooking" blog

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow sweet onion
1 cup of carrots sliced
2 stalks of celery sliced
1 clove of garlic minced
1 1/2 cups of cooked diced ham
4 14oz cans of white beans or navy beans (rinsed & drained) I used dry beans to bring the cost down
3 cups of chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Heat large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, carrots & celery. Cook until tender. Add garlic and ham and cook for 30-60 seconds before adding stock, 2 cans of beans, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium low heat for at least 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaf and blend soup in pot with immersion blender (use regular blender if you don't have an immersion blender). Add the remaining 2 cans of beans to soup & simmer for a bit longer.

[madskye]

Split pea soup

1 lb split green peas
8 cups of water
diced onion and garlic sauteed in olive oil with dried herbs like rosemary.

Cook until green peas are the consistency you like.

[happyhippimama]

LOL!! I came here hoping to find something easy with split peas. I have been craving them and have a bag in my cupboard. THANKS!!:

[transformed]

Originally Posted by beansricerevolt

Very very yummy White Bean and Ham soup


Remove bay leaf and blend soup in pot with immersion blender (use regular blender if you don't have an immersion blender). Add the remaining 2 cans of beans to soup & simmer for a bit longer.

This recipe looks yummy.

Is it just any bean that is white? I usually stock northern beans in my cupboard.

Just a note on my highlighted portion - I wanted to warn anyone who doesnt use a blender regularly on hot stuff, only fill it up like half way with liquid or it will explode hot liquid all over you and your kitchen when you turn it on. That would suck. (It does suck.)

[beansricerevolt]

Originally Posted by transformed

This recipe looks yummy.

Is it just any bean that is white? I usually stock northern beans in my cupboard.

Yup. I use white northern too

[Theoretica]

subbing

[Leta]

Eggplant Canneloni/"Spinach" Lasagna

a can/jar of marinara- homemade, or the $1 tall can from Hunt's

a box of lasagna noodles, or 3-4 eggplants if they are in season/in your garden/cheap

ricotta cheese- use the "Curds and Whey" recipe on Hillbilly Housewife- it's WONDERFUL! Also super cheap- only milk (powdered milk and water) and white vinegar, plus a little heat

greens- frozen or fresh spinach, kale, chard, etc.

Onions, garlic, spices, fat, and whatever other veggies you want to include- mushrooms are good.

Prepare your noodles per instructions, or the eggplant by slicing longways, salting, allowing to sit for 20 minutes, and then baking at 250 for 20 minutes.

Wash, drain and squeeze your greens.

Make your ricotta.

Get some hot oil or butter in a large sautee pan. Cook chopped onions, garlic, greens, spices, and whatever else goes your yummy goodness.

Mix the cooked veggies and the ricotta to make the filling. Add and egg or two if needed- I usually do this, it helps to hold everything together.

Now assemble. Pour some marinara in the bottom of a buttered casserole dish, and layer noodles or eggplant and filling until you have filled your dish. Pour the rest of the marinara over the top. Cover the top with shredded mozzarella if desired. Cook on 375 for about 40 minutes.

This will feed three hungry people for three or so meals, or six hungry people over two meals. It freezes and reheats beautifully. I often do it in four bread pans rather than one giant casserole.

[freespirited]

Oh, thanks for this thread!

How about a whole chicken, if on sale you can get a good-sized one for $3 and make 2 meals out of it, a chicken soup with potatoes and veggies thrown in, and then use the extra meat for chicken salad, enchiladas, burritos etc.

Last night I made a delicious red lentil soup that everyone loved. It was just made with chicken broth, water, a tbsp of tomato paste, an onion, couple cloves of garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne or chili powder, and then drizzled with lemon juice. Yum.

We make brown rice a lot, it is meatier so it's more filling. I open up a can of black beans, and add it to a diced onion I caramelized in coconut oil, and I add the whole can with the juice and let it reduce while simmering. I add salt to taste, it's fantastic and cheap. I pay .58 cents a can. The onion is about 30 cents, and the rice also cents per serving. Kids love it too.

[jeliphish]

Bear Creek Soups... They are about $6-$7 but they make a half gallon of soup and can feed a family of 3 for three nights at least. They are very very very tasty!!

[inquisitive momma]

Originally Posted by transformed

This recipe looks yummy.

Just a note on my highlighted portion - I wanted to warn anyone who doesnt use a blender regularly on hot stuff, only fill it up like half way with liquid or it will explode hot liquid all over you and your kitchen when you turn it on. That would suck. (It does suck.)

Where were you 4 years ago? First time I made split pea soup I ended up with burns all over my face and chest. I just can't bring myself to make it again and my DH loves it.:

[Mirta]

thanks so much for this thread!! I hope it will help reduce my grocery bill by a LOT!!: I'll let you know!!

Kym

[p1gg1e]

Bumping!

I wonder if we could get this stickied?