Meals on the Cheap - under $2 meal ideas - Page 19

[transformed]

I did the ham and bean soup the other day and my KIDS EVEN ATE IT! it was fantastic! I am actually typing this from the floor which is where I fell to when my kids ate pureed soup. :

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.

[Thystle]

Was this moved from F&F?

[flminivanmama]

yes, I am pretty sure it was in F&F last I saw it

[luv-my-boys]

Bean soup

1 carton of organic beef broth
1 package of dry mixed beans (soaked)

little cut up onion,salt,garlic,pepper to taste. hearty meal and most times I just set up in my crock pot.

[p1gg1e]

Sigh I was hoping it would get stickied in FF.

We still love the Italian white bean soup.

[Mirta]

Thread compilation

I'm presently working on a compilation of this thread.. I went through and cut and pasted everyone's meal suggestions and recipes into a word document, but I ended up realizing that the 54 page document as a bit overwhelming and too disorganized to do me any good, so I'm now trying to organize it by recipe/suggestion type (ex: Mexican foods, pastas, soups, etc..) Because the project is so time consuming I have decided that once I finish it I am DEFINITELY going to be sharing it with friends, family and of course all of you, since you inspired it! :

My question is, somethings could go in two or more sections, such as Beans, Mexican and/or Casserole, but because I want to be able to mail this to people I need to keep the document as short as possible since some people's email programs won't handle really large attachments, so which would you prefer the recipe was under, Beans because it is the main ingredient, Mexican because it is the style, or casserole because it is the way it is cooked? Or am I over thinking all of this?!

Thanks in advance...
Kym

PS... Feel free to add more meal ideas and recipes and I will include them in the compilation!! I think the thread is invaluable which is why I'm doing this, and the more ideas, the better!!!

[KathinJapan]

when I am cooking cheap, which is almost always I cook by what I have on hand.
So for me putting it under the main ingredient would be most helpful.
Thanks for doing this:
Kathryn

[mellowyellowmama]

Mirta, you rock mama!

[MyLittleWarrior]

Originally Posted by KathinJapan

when I am cooking cheap, which is almost always I cook by what I have on hand.
So for me putting it under the main ingredient would be most helpful.
Thanks for doing this:
Kathryn

This for me too. That's awesome what you're doing. I can't wait!

[Mirta]

BEAN Section!!! :D

I dedicate these pages to all the women on Mothering.com who have taught and inspired me over the years. I’ve learned so much from all of you, about mothering, frugality, cooking, writing, etc, etc, etc..lol This was a work of love for all of you and for my friends and family; I pray it will bless each and every one of you and your families. A special thanks to all those who posted the recipes below. ~~Kym Stevens Aka Mirta & Alexmom. 

Notes: 1. under $2 is relative, It is based on how the person who posted the recipe interpreted the idea.. Some based it the whole recipe, some based it on cost per person...also, the thread originated in 2006 when prices were cheaper for some items.
2. In some places people listed only the names of recipes and not the recipes themselves. I've gone ahead and included these to give you more ideas of things you can cook. Google these and find the recipe that most appeals to you. Remember if you can "shop" from your pantry/fridge/freezer vs going to the store for new ingredients you're saving money!!

I hope you find the recipes delicious and inspiring. Enjoy some frugal cooking!


Under $2 Meal Ideas

I always make extra and plan to serve it again. (The way I look at it, I've paid for the first meal's worth of ingredients, so the second meal is free.)

From sophmama: In general, any recipes that contain mostly: Beans (dried are cheapest and there are a lot of varieties), Rice, Eggs, Veggies, and don't use a lot of expensive meats are cheap. (I also use 1/4 lb. of meat where recipes call for 1 lb.) I've decided to switch to powdered milk for cooking - save $.
From madskye: Also, I will add a can of white beans to almost everything I cook if it goes for the extra protein. That might push you over $2 on this recipe, though.

One week of meals
Posted by Realcraftymama
Day One: Baked Chicken, salad, homemade bread, veggie of choice.
Day Two: Chicken carcass, slow boil all day, strain and add carrots and celery - leftover veggies, salad w/croutons made from leftover bread and garlic powder.
Day Three: Pasta, sauce w/ground turkey, salad, homemade bread.
Day Four: Leftover sauce, kidney beans, chili seasoning, ground turkey, cheese and sour cream.
Day Five: Roast beef w/potatoes, carrots, onions, homemade bread and salad.
Day Six: Hot roast beef sandwiches on leftover homemade bread, salad.
Day Seven: Pancakes, turkey sausage, eggs, hash browns from leftover potatoes plus green pepper, onion and cheese.
This is a typical week of meals around our house, under fifty dollars for the four of us, including two boxes of cereal for the finicky.

Here are our dinners for the week:
Posted by dharmamama
Lentil Potato Soup (twice)
Beans and cornbread with broccoli
Spaghetti with tomato sauce and Lima beans
Irish Potato Meal I got from this thread
TVP Macaroni and green beans
Veggie/tofu stir-fry with brown rice

I spent $102 for groceries this week for a family of five. That includes $3 for sparkling cranberry juice I took to a holiday party, $11 for milk (due to allergy, we drink rice and almond milks, which are pricey), organic oranges, pears, apples, and bananas, lunches for my dh to take to work, and a "stock-up" at the local bulk foods place, where we buy lentils, spices, flour, oatmeal, dried beans, rice, etc.

I can at times get our grocery bill as low as $80 a week if I am not replenishing my stocks of things. I know it would be lower if I shopped at ALDI or Save-A-Lot, but I do the bulk of my buying at Trader Joe's and buy as much organic as I can.

This website is good for frugal meals: http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com
I also wanted to mention this blog here, because he has some very good ideas for cheap meals. It's called Cheap Eats. Here's the link: http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/
Posted By merrijayne: Anyone ever read the MORE WITH LESS COOKBOOK it is a great read with lots of ideas. Published by the Mennonite community.
wife&mommy’s blog http://cookingformyfamily.blogspot.com/


BEAN DISHES
(Dried are cheapest and there are a lot of varieties)
Tip from my brother--When cooking beans, the addition of kombu is particularly recommended because it helps soften the beans, reduces cooking time, and makes them easier to digest.

Addasi
Posted by UmmIbrahim
A super cheap and quick Iranian recipe. (Can add ground meat if you want, we normally just eat it with fresh plain yogurt)
-Basmati rice
-Brown lentils
*optional*-Mung beans
-Butter
-Salt
In a pot put in about 1 cup of washed lentils, add enough water to cook till 1/2 done. Take pot off and strain lentils in a colander but SAVE THE LIQUID!!! Now, take 2 cups of basmati rice or 1 and 1/2 cup depending on how many will eat it and wash it really well. Place washed rice in a pot and add the lentils. You will need to have in total 4 cups of liquid for the rice (if using 2 cups of rice or 3 cups of liquid for the rice if using 1 & 1/2 cup of rice, add 1/2 extra for the lentils-this is where the water you cooked the lentils will come in). Turn on the fire, add a tablespoon of butter-or olive oil and enough salt so the water is *just* salty tasting...anything more and it'll be too salty, anything less and the rice wont fluff. Turn to medium and let cook until almost all the water is gone save a small film of water on the top, turn to super low and cover, it will now steam for 30-40minutes. Because of the water the lentils cooked in, the rice will be a brownish color and if you used both mung beans and lentils it'll be greenish-brown. This is SOOO good and is eaten with a lot of yogurt and Nan (bread) if you want add ground meat, pre-fry it, drain off the oil and add the cooked ground meat to everything when you turn it on to cook.

Baked Bean Casserole
Posted by Groovy Mom
1 can of baked beans and 1 can of the pre-made biscuits is a good casserole. A little over 2 bucks, add on some meat if you want, or mix some chick peas. You just pour the beans in a casserole, add cooked meat and top with buns. Bake at 350 until the buns are brown.

Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

Bean and Cornbread Casserole
Posted by zmom
Here's a casserole that is cheap and easy. When I have leftover beans, I put them in a layer on the bottom of a casserole dish. Then I sauté whatever veggies I happen to have in the fridge and layer them next. If I have cheese, I'll grate some and put that next. Then finish with a layer of cornbread mix. Cook according to the cornbread directions. You can top the cornbread batter with cheese too.

Beans and Rice

Bean Burritos with chips and salsa from the local discount grocery outlet

Bean Soup
Posted by rgarlough
Got a bag of beans, mine is called 15 Bean but there are other varieties = $1.09. Got a 3 pack of smoked ham hocks although they can be left out for a veg dish. I'm using 1 for this batch = $.60/hock. I have carrots, celery, and onion already. I have a large Crockpot and this one batch will be enough for all 5 of us for Sunday dinner and leftovers for my work lunches for a few days.

Bean Soup
Posted by BusyMommy
-2 c. beans soaked overnight and drained
-1 big cooked sausage cut up
-Big can diced tomatoes
-Small can tom. Sc
-Onion
-Bay leaves
-1 big box of CostCo organic (no MSG) chicken broth
Crockpot on high all day. Throw in any veggies; i.e. big Bell peppers. Teaspoon + sea salt. Pepper Maybe not $2.00 but close and if you have your own broth, closer. Can eat alone or served over rice

Bean Soup
Posted By luv-my-boys
-1 carton of organic beef broth
-1 package of dry mixed beans (soaked)
-Little cut up onion, salt, garlic, pepper to taste.
Hearty meal and most times I just set up in my crock pot.

Beans Tortillas and Cabbage
Posted By spring978
-Homemade tortillas for 5 about 30cents
-1lb pinto beans $1
-1/4thinly sliced cabbage 25 cents
-1/2c. Grated cheese $1
-Onion 50 cents
So about 3.00 for 5 adult servings and 1 toddler plus enough beans leftover for 6 more servings.

Black Bean and Cheese Tortillas
Posted By melissel
When the ingredients are bought on sale, our black bean and cheese tortillas are under $2 for the 4 of us, and that includes the sour cream ( sour cream!). If I could find the time to make the tortillas myself it would be even cheaper. I'm not exactly sure if this is under $2-- but its close!

Black-Bean Burritos
Posted By kandkrose
-1 small can enchilada sauce (about 60-cents for old-el-Paso)
-Vegetable oil, Crisco, butter, or olive oil - whatever you have on hand that you can fry with - can be frying oil from another fry....
-1 can black beans (about 50-cents)
-8 large tortillas (cheaper if you can make them at home, but we don’t so it comes out to about $1.08 I think?)
Total $2.18
Make black-bean burritos with the tortillas. Heat oil in skillet on stove on med heat - with tongs, gently place burrito seam-side down in oil. Flip when golden. Remove from heat and allow oil to drain 2-3 min on paper towel (or even junk mail hehehe) to absorb excess oil. Top with enchilada sauce. These are SO GOOD. I get rave reviews every time I make them. They’re not the healthiest things on earth but you could definitely health-them-up by grilling the burritos instead of frying them - or just lightly frying them in non-stick spray (fat free), and adding any veggies you have on hand or salsa. Super delish!!! It serves 8 also (one burrito will seriously fill you up). I usually serve with a side of corn (50-cents for a can) or rice (super duper cheap). Since we usually eat this for 2 meals, it comes out to under $2 per meal.

Black Beans, Corn, Egg, and Rice
Posted By melissel
I posted a similar version of this on another thread, but sometimes I combine one can of corn (drained, or an equal amount frozen or fresh, cooked), one can of black beans (drained), and half a jar or a whole jar of salsa, heat it all up in a pot, and combine it with rice. Then dish it out and put the eggs over top. We also add a liberal dose of Tabasco on top!

Black Beans, Onions, Tomatoes and Sofrito
Posted By MaShroom
Here is something I picked up from my BIL who would eat black beans for every meal if my sister let him. You can use chicken in it too, but I don't. If you do, just precook and cube or stick a filet on top or the side. It is super cheap and easy and even the people in my family who don't like onions chow down. I don't ever measure anything; I just guess and always cook extra so I can have leftovers so this is subject to any quantity you want. It turns out different every time, but always good! The following will feed 4 normal people which means it will feed 2 people in my house. Caramelize an onion in oil. Throw in a regular size can of tomato sauce and some jarred sofrito. Add the sofrito to taste, a couple of tablespoons is good to me. Add a can of black beans and simmer for a few minutes. Serve over rice and yuuuuuum!

Black Beans, Rice, and Egg
Posted By melissel
This reminds me of my DH's all-time favorite meal (for breakfast, lunch, or dinner)--black beans and rice in any form with an over-easy egg or two over top. The egg yolk breaks down into the beans and rice, which at first, I thought was soooo gross. Boy was I wrong.

Black Bean Soup
Posted By BeauGeek
-1 can of black beans
-1/4 cup of salsa
-1/2 cup of chicken stock
Blend everything together and heat.

Black Bean Soup
Posted By Attila the Honey
The only thing I add to our black bean soup is vinegar, spices (bought in bulk, pennies), salt, a chopped carrot or two ($2/5lbs and I use maybe 1/10th - 20 cents?), a chopped onion (.99/3lbs and again, maybe 1/10th of the package - 10 cents?), a couple cloves of garlic (IIRC it's usually 3 heads of garlic for $1 and I used maybe 1/2 of one head- so 16 cents?). Even with the plop of sour cream I like on top (15 serving/1.59 container and each person gets one serving on their bowl of soup - 10 cents) and with a cornbread on the side (from scratch, bulk ingredients) it doesn't come in over $2! Heck, I could add brown rice to the soup and still come in under $2, I bet.

Black Bean Vegetable Soup
Posted By bright_eyes
Here is one of our favorite meals. It is really good with grate cheese sprinkled on top and a bit of plain yogurt. I tend to use 1 pound of dried black beans when I make the recipe, so 1 traditional sized package of black beans
-1 tbsp vegetable oil
-1 onion, chopped
-1 clove garlic minced
-2 carrots, chopped
-2 teaspoons chili powder
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-4 cups vegetable stock (I make it w/ chicken stock)
-2 (15 ounce) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
-1 (8.75) can whole kernel corn (I use frozen)
-1/4 tsp ground black pepper
-1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
In a large saucepan, heat oil over med. heat; cook onion, garlic and carrots, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add stock, 1 can of beans, corn and pepper, bring to boil. In food processor or blender, puree together tomatoes and remaining can of beans; add to pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Burritos
Posted By caiesmommy
-I use store bought tortillas (DH LOVES taking them to work)
-Refried beans
-Onion
-Garlic
-1/2 can corn
-1/2 carrot
-Celery
-Salsa
-Tomato paste (use up leftovers)
-Whatever vegetable you have on hand really
Mix some not all salsa with about 2 TBS tomato paste. Mix with all veggie. Place some bean on tortilla. Place vegetable/salsa mixture and roll up. Place in greased casserole dish. Pour salsa on top. Bake for 15-20 min

Chickpeas and Cheese
Posted By Groovy Mom
We eat chickpeas for lunch sometimes. Open the can, drain, heat and eat with Olive Oil and grated cheese

Chickpea Salsa
Posted By rainy32
Rinse 2 cans of chickpeas (59 - 80 cents each) and throw them in the blender or food processor with 5 cloves of garlic, a handful of chopped parsley, and half an onion. Coarsely chop this -- don't puree. Fry this coarse mixture in a couple teaspoons of oil (olive, canola, safflower), until a little golden and crunchy. Pour the warm chickpea mixture over bowls of romaine lettuce (1.00 a head). If you've got them on hand, add a couple tomatoes or cucumbers. Squirt some lemon juice over the whole thing. Then (DH’s inspiration) add some ranch dressing (which is free, because you already have it on hand). YUM. And healthy. And good protein.

Chili
Posted By Scribe
First, soak 1 cup of bulgur in 1 cup of liquid. Tomato juice is great, water is fine. While that is soaking, dice up an onion about four cloves of garlic, then cook them up in some olive oil until they're soft. When they're soft, add a big can of tomatoes (crushed or whole ones crushed up w/ your hand) with the juice and three smaller cans of beans. I used red beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans this last time and it was very good. Add all the bean liquid as well. Then add the bulgur, some salt and pepper, and whatever else you have around for spices (cumin, chili pepper, cayenne, etc.). Simmer for a bit and voila, dinner (and two days of lunch, at my house). Good with crumbled cheese in it and crackers or cornbread if you've got it.

Chili
Posted By Red
I use 3/4 of a lb of dried beans to make a BIG pot of chili. With a can of tomatoes at .99 (I get them for less on sale), a bit of chili powder, and an onion, it costs about $2. Since it feeds me, DH and two teens, twice it's actually a one dollar meal. So, I can add some cheese ($1.50 for 8 oz block) 1/2 a block is $.75.

Chili and Cornbread
Posted By ***Heather***
Assorted dried beans, some hamburger meat, can of diced tomatoes, onion, green pepper, mushrooms, garlic. Cornbread made from scratch

Chili Dogs
Posted By Dezimber
My nephew adds the cheese into the chili while it is heating up

Cuban Breakfast
Posted By Rebecca
-1 can black beans (spiced with taco seasonings, onion and garlic to taste)
-2 plum tomatoes, sliced
-2 slices mozzarella cheese
-4 eggs cooked over easy
-Dollop of sour cream
Cook the beans however you like them seasoned. I like this dish with a Mexican flavor, so I use cumin, garlic, onion (taco seasoning, essentially). Spoon the beans onto a plate with a slotted spoon. Put a few slices of tomatoes on the beans, and the mozzarella cheese on the tomatoes. Cook the eggs either sunny side up or over easy if you don't love runny eggs. Pile them on top on the beans/tomatoes/cheese, and put it all under the broiler for a couple mins, until the egg firms up and the cheese is melty. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a hearty side of toast.

Easy Spiced Lentils and Brown Rice
Posted By aurinia
-3/4 cup brown lentils
-1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
-2 2/3 cups chicken broth
-1/4 cup white wine (I just use more chicken broth...cheaper that way)
-1 medium onion, diced
-1/2 teaspoon dried basil
-1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
-1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
-1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
-Salt and pepper to taste
-1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Swiss or parmesan are all good)
Mix everything except 1/2 cup of the cheese together in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and let sit covered for a few minutes until the cheese melts.

Eating Well Sweet Potatoes with Warm Black Bean Salad
Posted By wife&mommy
OK this has to be close to $2 if you already have the spices... not sure on exact amount.
-4 medium sweet potatoes
-1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
-2 medium tomatoes, diced
-1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1 teaspoon ground coriander
-3/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
-1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork in several places. Microwave on High until tender all the way to the center, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place in a baking dish and bake at 425 degrees F until tender all the way to the center, about 1 hour.)
2. Meanwhile, in a medium microwaveable bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, oil, cumin, coriander and salt; microwave on High until just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. (Alternatively, heat in a small saucepan over medium heat.)
3. When just cool enough to handle, slash each sweet potato lengthwise, press open to make a well in the center and spoon the bean mixture into the well. Top each with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.
Yield: 4 servings Active Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Ease of preparation: Easy Per serving: 295 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 52 g carbohydrate; 8 g protein; 9 g fiber; 572 mg sodium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (450% daily value), Vitamin C (45% dv), Fiber (38% dv), Folate (25% dv), Iron (15% dv), Potassium (15% dv). Source: EatingWell Make It Tonight

Garbanzo Salad
Posted By BetsyS
Easy but I don't have measurements. You take a few cans of garbanzos and drain them, but reserve the liquid. Put the beans in a bowl with a chopped tomato, a chopped bell pepper, a chopped onion and several sliced anchovy-stuffed green olives (use regular if you must, but you're missing out). Mix that all up. Then you take about a cup of the reserved liquid and add a cup or so of olive oil to it, white vinegar to taste, salt and pepper. Put it through the blender until it is thick and milky, and then pour it over the garbanzo salad. Let it marinate in the fridge for a bit before eating, and get GOOD BREAD, not crappy stuff, and dunk it in the sauce.

Honey-Baked Lentils
Copied from http://happyfoody.blogspot.com/2006/...d-lentils.html she originally got the recipe from MDC!!
-1 cup lentils (I use red)
-2 cups water
-2 tbsp honey
-2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1/2 tsp ginger
-1 clove garlic
-1 small onion
-salt & pepper to taste
Bake in a covered dish at 350 until tender (about an hour and a half). You could also substitute 1/3 cup of rice or barley for some of the lentils...and add whatever "winter" vegetables you have on hand. When I made it, I used squash and potatoes. It was delicious. We ate this as a soup, but it could also be eaten over brown rice or quinoa, or on some flatbread. We eat it as the main dish, but it would be a great side dish as well. Can't wait to make this again!
MissLotus: I just made a cheap recipe I got from a link off the Nutrition & Good Eating forum here at MDC . http://happyfoody.blogspot.com/2006/...s.html.....for Honey-Baked Lentils: It took maybe 3 minutes to put together...you don't even have to chop anything up! And I only baked mine about 35-40 minutes and it came out perfectly. It honestly is delicious!
kijip: I made a double batch of this tonight, all organic, plus greens, for less than $4 and I did not have to leave the house. Thanks for posting it. It is delish.
formerluddite: something easy enough for me to make! and we have red lentils (aka: dal) around the house because dh is indian. this was a big hit on a group trip last weekend. i threw in kabocha squash (doesn't need to be peeled), swiss chard, barley, used maple syrup since it mixes in well (honey clumps), fresh ginger, and teriyaki since that was what was in the fridge. after baking/cooling i filled a half gallon container with it and tossed it in the cooler for the trip, nuked it at the cabin. it was even better than the day i made it.
Mom2Joseph: To die for!!! Honestly, even my DH loved this and he hates to eat beans. I could live on this all week. I'm going to figure out how to make a huge batch in my crock pot!!! oh, and it was so easy, my 3 year old made it! (with only a little help from mama)
ScribeThe Honey Baked Lentils ARE good! I used sesame oil rather than olive oil for a little kick, and they're awesome.
mimiharshe also, I made the honey baked lentils and I must have overcooked b/c they were mooshy...SO I added some flour to thicken a little more and made 6 "balls" and fried them up....honey baked lentil patties. YUM!

Italian Split Peas
Posted By USAmma
We just had this for dinner! It was $2 something for the package of mixed yellow/green split peas, one onion, 2 carrots, and I cooked it in veggie broth and some Italian spices and salt. It was pretty good, and we have enough left over for my lunch tomorrow, and 1/3 of the package of peas is still in the bag.

Italian White Bean Soup
Posted By normajean
-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 instead 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.
p1gg1e (I add bacon to mine and didn't have sage and it’s still super yummy with cheese on it.)

Lentil, Chickpea, and Rice Dish
Posted By caiesmommy
-Lentils (about 1/2 cup for 2)
-1/2 can chickpeas (I use leftovers either for curry...or HUMMUS MMMMM)
-1/2 can corn (use leftovers from first salsa dinner)
-1 1/2 TBS tomato paste
-1 cup rice
-Salsa
-Garlic to taste
-Chili pepper
-1 cup fresh cilantro
-Chopped mint to taste (if you have)
-1/2 carrot
-Celery
-Onion
-Cumin to taste
Cook lentils. Cook rice. Place salsa, cilantro, tomato, cumin, garlic in blender and puree until smooth. Heat oil (I use chili or olive) in pan. Add onion, carrot, celery, cook until a little soft. Add pureed mixture, rice lentils and chickpeas. Heat through!

Lentils and Rice
Posted By zmom
The trick is to top it with an onion or two that have been caramelized. Sounds super plain but the onion really adds a lot!

Lentil and Rice Salad
Posted By marybethorama
I cooked some lentils and rice with some carrots and onion. I did add spices since I already had them. They were okay but kind of bland TBH (the Hillbilly Housewife). So today I mixed the leftovers with some Italian dressing to make a cold salad. It was delicious. I had to stop myself from eating it all myself. I did add some black olives (half a can) which may put it over 2 dollars but not by much since the lentils and rice were so cheap.

Lentil Soup
Posted By *MamaJen*
I also like making lentil soup (a bag of lentils, some onion and garlic and celery, some herbs and salt and pepper and a cup of rice). It winds up being about $2 for ten servings.

Lentil Soup
Posted By PumpkinSeeds
The best cheap and easy lentil soup:
-Olive oil
-1 large chopped onion
-2-3 garlic cloves chopped
-2 tsp. ground coriander seed
-1 tsp. ground cumin seed
-1 bell pepper or chili pepper chopped
-2 cups lentils
-6 cups water or stock
-1 can chopped tomatoes
-Juice from one lemon
-Salt and pepper
Heat some oil in a pot. Add onion, garlic, coriander, cumin and bell pepper and sauté over medium low heat for 10 minutes (sometimes I do even 15 minutes).Add lentils, water and tomatoes. Bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat, simmer for 45 minutes. Take soup off heat and add lemon juice, salt and pepper. You can add any vegetables with the lentils, water and tomato. I sometimes clean out the vegetable drawer with this soup.

Lentil Stew
Posted By amyamanda
Here's my cheap lentil stew recipe, which gets rave reviews every time I serve it (even to company, LOL):
-1 c brown lentils
-1/4 c brown rice
-1 med onion, chopped
-1-2 cups carrots, chopped small
-1-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. oregano
-1/2 tsp minced garlic (optional)
-4 c water or broth (5 c if you prefer it "soupy")
Sauté onion in bottom of large pot in a little oil. When onion is soft and getting brown, add water and then add other ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook until the rice is soft (maybe 45 min? though it isn't hurt by longer cooking). That's it. It's even better as leftovers.

Lentil Taco
Copied from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tasty-L...os/Detail.aspx
•1 cup finely chopped onion
•1 garlic clove, minced
•1 teaspoon canola oil
•1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
•1 tablespoon chili powder
•2 teaspoons ground cumin
•1 teaspoon dried oregano
•2 1/2 cups chicken broth
•1 cup salsa
•12 taco shells
•1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
•1 cup chopped fresh tomato
•1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
•6 tablespoons fat free sour cream
1.In a large nonstick skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly.
2.Stir in salsa. Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.
frogguruami I like to use this for burrito filling on homemade flour tortillas and a little cheese. (That one may end up being more than $2)

Mujadarrah
Posted By snowbunny
-1 Large Yellow Onions ($.89)
-2 T Olive Oil ($.38)
-1 C Lentils ($.47)
-1 C Brown Rice ($.23)
-Salt and Pepper to Taste
Boil lentils until tender--about 45 minutes. Cook rice in a rice cooker until done--if you don't have a rice cooker, cook it as you normally would. While rice and lentils are cooking, slice the onions very thin and then fry it in the oil until they're well-browned and slightly crispy on the edges. Drain lentils, serve over rice and top with fried onions. If you have some tomatoes and parsley from your garden, it makes a nice addition. The cost estimate is based on prices in my area (100% organic, with everything purchased in bulk through our buying club except for the onions).

Pintos and Cornbread
Posted By Cassifrass
No real recipe for this... but here's my meal for tonight:
Crockpot pintos ($0.79 for one bag)
Cornbread muffins ($1.00 for cornbread mix)
Sliced tomatoes and whole green onions from neighbor's garden (free!)

Pinto Beans with Smoked Sausage

Pizza Beans
Posted By rainbowmoon
This is a favorite here of my kiddos
-2 c. beans (cooked)
-1 c. pizza sauce*
-1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
-1 bell pepper & 1 onion chopped
Lightly oil a pie pan. Spread beans evenly in the pan then top with remaining ingredients. Bake at 375 degrees (uncovered) for 20 min. Serve over cooked rice, pasta, baked potato, on a sandwich roll etc. (very versatile) May not be exactly a $2 meal but very cheap, especially if cooked in bulk and frozen! *for my sauce I use a can of tomato paste mixed with water (until the desired constancy is reached) then add spices-oregano, basil, garlic powder, etc). You can use leftover spaghetti sauce too.

Polenta and Black Bean Casserole
Posted By caiesmommy
-1 can of black beans (dried are cheaper...I use 1/2 can for two people)
-Cornmeal (follow package to make polenta)
-Garlic cloves (as many as you'd like)
-1/2 carrot
-1 stalk celery
-1 onion
-1/2 can corn (for two of us)
-Salsa (this is where it gets expensive...I buy the cheapo biggest jug of salsa around 7 bucks here and it lasts like 5 different meals where I use salsa!)
Make the polenta (season with chili, oregano, anything you have on hand)
Put the polenta into a casserole dish, bake to harden (15 min)
Dice garlic, carrot, celery onion, mix corn and beans all together. Pour on top of polenta then pour salsa on top and bake!! My DH LOVES this!!

Pork and Beans Open Face Sandwich
Posted By Dezimber
Layer beans, cooked bacon, and cheddar or American cheese. Heat in oven until beans is warm and cheese is melted.

Red Lentil Soup
Posted By freespirited
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.

Rice and Beans
Posted By kidspiration
We’re fans of black beans and pintos around here, cooked with some garlic and cumin and a touch of salt, spooned over steamed brown rice with whatever cheese we might have on hand, a dollop of salsa, some chopped cilantro and plain yogurt if we have some. Yummy, filling, easy, cheap and ohsogood.

Rice, Salsa, Refried Beans, and Cheddar Cheese
Posted By Blooming
Cook rice, spread in bottom of baking dish, layer with beans, the salsa, and sprinkle with cheese. Stick in oven till heated thru and cheese melted.

Sloppy Joes with Lentils
Posted By zmom
I make sloppy joes with lentils. (We're vegetarian.) Cook 1/2 a pound of lentils then follow the directions for the sloppy joe mix. We put it on whatever bread we have around or I'll buy a pack of the buns at the store and freeze them so we have them available when we make sloppy joes. It's a one pot meal and it's cheap.

Spicy Pakistani Chickpea Stew Posted by *MamaJen* -- See Middle Eastern Dishes

Split pea soup
Posted By madskye
-1 lb split green peas
-8 cups of water
-Diced onion and garlic sautéed in olive oil with dried herbs like rosemary.
Cook until green peas are the consistency you like.

Sweet Potato Burritos
Posted By LeahC
-1 tablespoon vegetable oil
-1 onion, chopped
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-6 cups canned kidney beans, drained (I use black beans and use dried)
-2 cups water
-3 tablespoons chili powder
-2 teaspoons ground cumin
-4 teaspoons prepared mustard
-1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
-3 tablespoons soy sauce
-4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
-12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
-8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and sauté onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.
3. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.
aprons_and_acorns: This recipe is a favorite at our house too! It is so yummy and it freezes really well, too.

Taco Casserole
Posted By shelbell
One of my favorites is Taco Casserole; 8 servings for $2.02. Not super-healthy because of the canned items, but better than Taco Bell!
-2 Cans Black Beans (.43 ea)
-1 Can Yellow corn (.33)
-1 Can Mexican-Style Diced Tomatoes (.50)
-1 C. Rice (0.00 -- I usually get it free after coupons)
-1 Pkt Taco Seasoning (.33, but I make mine from a recipe on allrecipes.com so really .20 or so for the spices at home which would bring the total to 1.89)
-Water
Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Dump all ingredients (including liquid in cans) except water into dish and mix. Add in a little bit of water (usually 1/4 c. to 1/2 c.) until the ratio of liquid to rice "looks right" (real scientific, I know!). Bake at 375, stirring every 15 mins, for about 45 minutes or until rice is fully cooked. If desired, top with cheese or nutritional yeast after last stirring. My SO loves that casserole, especially when served with chips, salsa, sour cream and jalapenos. All of that would make it more than $2, but that's HIS fault, not mine!
aircantu1: This was dinner last night. Only I added 3/4 of a pound or so of ground beef. It was good too.

Tamale Casserole
Posted By Attila the Honey
Quick and easy and CHEAP.
First in a cast iron skillet I sautéed onions, garlic and a bell pepper in olive oil until soft. Then I added about 1/4 bag of frozen corn and maybe a cup of pinto beans from the freezer. I added some salt, pepper and chili powder and a small baggie of tomato paste from the freezer (maybe 2T) and some water and simmered until everything was warmed and mixed.
In the meantime I made a pot of cornmeal mush - 4C water and 1C of cornmeal, simmer until thick. I put half aside to warm up for breakfast today, the other half I salted and peppered and poured over the veggies in the skillet. I topped the cornmeal with 1/3 of a pound of shredded cheddar cheese and I stuck it in the oven until bubbly and the cheese has melted.
I was pleased because it used up one of my red peppers (I got 8 for $2 in the damaged produce bin, they were a little smooshed but very firm and fresh) and it used up one of my many baggies of leftover tomato paste. The 25 cent red pepper was probably the most expensive part of this meal, and we have enough leftover to eat for lunch today

Veggie Burgers
Posted By 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 what’s in them.
Copied from http://www.recipezaar.com/Va-Voom-Veggie-Burgers-38532:
-1 cup cooked pureed white beans, including some liquid or beans, of your choice (try Bush's baked vegetarian beans!)
-1 cup cooked brown rice (try yellow rice!)
-1/2 cup uncooked quaker multigrain cereal (or oats)
-1 cup cornbread stuffing mix (Pepperidge Farm is good)
-1 tablespoon parsley
-1/2 cup chopped onion
-1 tablespoon soy sauce
Mix ingredients all together. Shape into patties. Fry on low heat in olive oil, till each side is browned. Serve with lettuce and tomato and grilled onions on a bun, with your favorite toppings.

White Bean Soup
Posted By Tilia
-3-4 carrots, peeled, sliced medium (0.40)
-5 stalks of celery, sliced medium (0.40)
-1 can of Navy beans, undrained (0.50)
-1 can chicken broth (0.50)
-1 package Ramen noodles, no seasoning packet, noodles broken up (0.13)
-1 teaspoon cumin (0.05)
-1/2 tsp garlic powder (0.05)
-1 tablespoon minced onion (0.05)
-1 tsp pepper (0.05)
-Enough water to make it soupy
$2.13 (a little over)
Bring the broth and water to a boil while you chop the veggies. Toss them into the boiling broth. Add the beans and seasonings. Simmer on medium for about 20 minutes (until the carrots are soft enough for your taste). Add the crunched up ramen and boil for 3-4 minutes. Recipe makes enough for 4 big bowls, more if you keep adding water!

White Bean and Ham soup
Posted by beansricerevolt
Very very yummy 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.
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 Just a note - I wanted to warn anyone who doesn’t 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.)

Yummy Lentil Potato Soup
Posted By dharmamama
-2 c lentils
-3 medium potatoes, cubed
-3 ribs celery, diced
-1 T salt
-1/8 t pepper
-7 cups water
Throw it all in a pot and simmer until lentils are tender.

[Mirta]

Compilation part 2 -- updated 5/13/09

PANCAKES
Pancakes from numerous people: Huge money saving dinner option for us. I live in an area w/an abundance of blueberries when they're in season, so we can get them very cheap and have blueberry pancakes often!
You can spread them with jelly, sprinkle them with sugar, put honey on them, or real homemade maple syrup! Posted By crayon: ANOTHER ONE FOR PANCAKES! What we do is take a browning banana and mix it with some dry mix and a bit of water until smooth. Then I mix half a box of mix with water and add 1/2 a teaspoon of Almond extract and a tad of sugar. MY KIDS EAT IT UP! It is by far one of the best meals we have.

Apple Cinnamon Raisin Pancakes
Posted by Thursday Girl
1 cup Oat bran
1 Tbsp Baking powder
1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 Apple diced very small
2 handfuls raisins boiled and drained
1 cup sour milk*
Whole wheat flour to thicken mix
Mix the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to sour milk. Add apples and raisins to dry mix add wet mix. Stir. Add whole wheat until mix is the right consistency. Cook top with cream cheese and honey. Enjoy (they are very filling so for our family of four they make a meal and then are good for snacks later. especially great plain as snacks while you are out)
*sour milk 1Tbsp lemon juice or key lime (we have a key lime tree so we replace all lemon juice for this) enough milk to make that 1 C let sit 15 min
You can also use vinegar and it only needs to sit for 5 minutes or so.
SusannahM: Or you can just use plain milk in baking instead of sour or buttermilk and use baking powder instead of baking soda, most of the time. Then, the cream of tartar in the baking soda is acting as your acid.
Oh, btw, anyone using baking powder who doesn't like aluminum in your food, either check the label very carefully and get a brand that doesn't contain aluminum or use a combination of baking soda and cream of tartar instead of the baking powder to ensure you're not getting anything in your food you don't want.

Giant, Giant Pancake
Posted By papschmitty
3 T. margarine
3 eggs
1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
Powdered sugar (optional, we never use)
Preheat oven to 45o degrees. Melt margarine in 10 inch skillet (we use a cast iron skillet). Beat eggs; add flour and salt. Beat smooth. Stir in milk and melted butter. Combine well. Pour batter back into skillet. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and leave in 5-10 minutes longer. Sift powdered sugar over (if you're using). Serves 4. We top with syrup, jam, fruit, etc.

Puffed Oven Pancake
Posted By Let It Be
Here's a variation on the pancake idea (still cheap, but not as heavy):
2 tbs butter
3 eggs
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. orange marmalade (or substitute any flavor jelly, jam, syrup, etc.)
Sliced fruit (fresh or frozen)
Put butter in a 10 inch skillet or small round cake pan. Place in 400 deg. oven until butter melts. Meanwhile, beat eggs and add flour, milk, and salt. Stir until smooth. Pour batter into hot skillet. Bake for 20-25 min (well browned).
In a separate saucepan, melt the marmalade or jam or warm the syrup over low heat. Cut the large pancake into wedges, cover with sliced fruit, and add warm topping. Also top with powdered sugar, if desired.


POTATOES DISHES
Baked Potatoes
Ideas from numerous people
I did a potato bar for DH's birthday party. It was a cheap, great way to feed a LOT of people! YUMM!!! And it was super easy to make them bulk. You cook them wrapped in tinfoil for about 45 minutes, then put them in a cooler packed in tight next to each other. They will finish cooking themselves in the cooler and stay warm for the party for hours! It worked great!
You can let folks pile on whatever toppings they want. I can think of scallions, sour cream, tomato, cheese, etc. It sounds yummy.
Come to think of it, I went to a posh wedding where baked potato was served in martini glasses. Then, you picked what you wanted to put on top. You could make this fun for kids by serving them in parfait glasses.
Our favorites are chili potatoes or "pizza" potatoes. We top our microwaved potatoes with chili (and cheddar, sour cream, etc) or with spaghetti sauce (and mozzarella, pepperoni, etc). Sometimes I do cheddar, broccoli, and ham, too.

Baked Potato Soup
Posted By beansricerevolt
2 large potatoes
3tbsp. butter (we use soy butter)
1 large onion
2tbsp. flour
4 Cups veggie stock (I use cubes to bring cost down)
2 cups water
4tbsp. cornstarch
1tsp. salt
3/4tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. thyme
1 cup of soy milk (or reg. milk)
1 1/2 cup of instant mashed potatoes
Bake potatoes at 400 for 1 hour and allow to cool melt butter in large saucepan and sauté onions until translucent. Add flour and stir to make a roux add stock, water, cornstarch, instant mashed potatoes, and spices and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Cut cooled potatoes in half and scoop out the contents. Chop potatoes into bite sized chunks and add them, along with soy milk, to sauce pan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15mins. We garnish with cheese & green onions.

Baked Potato Wedges and Garlic Mayonnaise
Posted By nicoley73
Peel potatoes and cut into wedges - 6-8 per potato. Toss with oil (I use olive oil), salt and pepper, and throw in some unpeeled garlic cloves. Bake in a 450 degree oven until crispy - you'll need to turn them once. Watch the garlic - it needs to come out when soft and it's usually done before the potatoes. Peel the garlic and mash into mayonnaise to use as dip. I serve it with a green salad - it's not a nutritionally complete meal but it's really yummy.

Corny Mashed Potatoes
Posted By ~Megan~
This is what we did tonight. It’s not the most nutritious but I'm thinking if we added some spinach it might be really tasty. I just discovered that potato flakes are really good and much less work than raw potatoes before I had spurned them. I made up 2 cups worth of mashed potatoes and covered them with the following in individual bowls. One can of corn drained and heated. Half a handful of shredded cheese. Leftover finely chopped taco seasoned chicken. DH and DD loved it. I'm taking some for dinner at work tonight. I've had something similar before but they used chicken gravy over the top. I bet this would be great if you subbed peas for the corn.

Fried Potato Sandwiches

Knishes
(to eat with lentil soup).

Peasy Potatoes
Posted By amyamanda
Probably my cheapest meal:
Sauté several sliced onions (or leeks, if you grow them) in the bottom of a large stockpot in a bit of oil or fat. When they are soft and turning brown, add water - or broth if you have it! - And a few pounds of chopped potatoes (peeled is yummier but unpeeled is fine). Water should just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, cover, then turn down and simmer for about 20 minutes. Drain off most of the water (save it, though!) and mash potatoes and onions together. (Leave it a little lumpy for texture, if you like, so you can enjoy the onions.) Add a little of the potato water back in at a time if you need it to make the potatoes creamier. Mash in some margarine or butter if you have it (optional). Salt to taste. Serve in a big mound with gently heated frozen peas piled on top. Sprinkle pepper on top if you like pepper. We sometimes also serve this with eggs, but the peas are sufficient protein without them.

Potato Dinner
Posted By bdavis337
Stir fry up some onion, carrot, etc. and use it to top your baked potato. Put a bit of cheese, sour cream or what have you and if you have leftover chicken or similar, all the better. Use a big potato and you enough for two people.

Potato Leek Soup
Posted By Red
Simply chicken broth, (2 qts) make your own from leftovers, in which you cook 4 or 5 potatoes. When nearly done, add 2 chopped leeks. Cook till leeks are done. Push through a strainer or mash, or whip, or use your blender. Return to pan, add milk or cream or half and half. (You can decide how much!) Add LOTS of black pepper! Serve with homemade bread. Very filling and delicious

Potato Onion Omelet
Posted By kijip
1 cooked potato, 6 eggs, 1/2 an onion. In most places that would be about $2 for a family of 4, especially if you buy things in bulk. We used to buy eggs by the 5 dozen so 6 eggs works out to be less than 75 cents. Now we buy them at the co-op organic but even all organic, this meal comes in under $4-5. Add a little teeny bit of cheese and it's the high life.

Potato Pancakes
Posted By bwylde
My favorite cheap meal is potato pancakes. I grate a bunch of potatoes (6-7) on the biggest setting (it's also really good finely grated but I don't have the patience, lol!!). I then add an egg or two, about a teaspoon of baking powder, a few shakes of salt and up to a cup of flour to hold it together. Cook on high heat until crispy and cooked through. Very yummy with ketchup or butter or molasses. I figure it's about 50 cents a batch and there are always leftovers.
Posted By huggerwocky: They’re great; I put onion into mine, too. We eat them with apple sauce

Potato Pancakes
Posted By caiesmommy
I have a new twist on potato pancakes...a little more healthy! Might be a three dollar meal? But worth the extra dollar!!
1 can of kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 chopped small onion
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of cracker crumbs (OR old bread seasoned and made into crumbs)
Puree kidney beans and small onion and garlic in blender. Mix in a bowl with cracker crumbs add seasonings to taste (cumin, chili etc.)Sautee in frying pan with oil until brown

Potato, Tofu and Zucchini
Posted By dharmamama
Potato wedges fried with canola oil, oregano, basil, and chili powder. Mix with tofu cubes and chunks of zucchini sautéed in olive oil and the spices of your choice.

Potatoes/Zucchini Baked With Parmesan Cheese on Top

Shepherd’s Pie
Posted By beansricerevolt
Filling
Leftover veggies
1 large tomato or 1 14 oz. canned tomato undrained
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 C. leftover beans of any kind, cooked
1/2 tsp. basil
Salt
1 TBS.Braggs or soy sauce
Topping
3 med. Potatoes
1/4 C. Soy milk or milk
1 tbsp. of butter or olive oil
Salt
Sauté veggies until tender. Add beans and basil and salt and Brags. You can even mash beans prior to mixing if you want. We usually mix them whole. Stir and simmer. Mean while, after potatoes are cooked, mix ingredients together and make mashed potatoes. Put veggie mixture in pie pan and layer potatoes on top. Bake 15 min. at 350

Samosas
Posted By jenangelcat
2 large potatoes, diced and cooked until slightly tender
1 small onion, chopped
½ cup peas, frozen or canned is fine $0.50
¼ cup ghee or butter
2 tsp coriander
½ tsp cumin
? Tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garlic, chopped
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 tsp lemon juice
1 package phyllo dough, thawed $2.50
Oil, for frying
Heat ghee on medium high in a sauté pan. Add coriander and cook for about 30 seconds. Add onions and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes until onions are soft. Add remaining spices and garlic. Cook stirring another minute. Stir in potatoes until dry 1 more minute. Stir in peas, heat through. Add lemon juice and adjust seasonings. Fold each piece of phyllo lengthwise until desired size. Spoon filling onto corner of the dough. Fold across into a triangle and continue folding the entire strip of dough to encase the filling. Wet edge with water to seal. Heat oil in a pot or deep fryer until 350F. Add 3 or 4 samosas at a time and cook 2-3 minutes, turning once. Drain on paper towels and serve with a cool pickle, yogurt or ketchup. I'll add another $2 for the misc ingredients, potatoes, spices, butter to bring this up to $5 for 20 samosas. Say 5 samosas per person which is $1 per serving.

[katmann]

Thanks Mirta! I just copied and pasted into word. Super easy!

NAK

[melanyh]

that list is awesome!!!

i have a lentil newbie question ... when these various recipes are calling for lentils, is the recipe wanting them dry or cooked? :

[justmama]

bump for more eyes

[melanyh]

thanks for bumping.

anyone? i bought everything (cheap cheap cheap ... especially since i'm a coupon QUEEN) and want to make a couple lentil dishes this week...

[mysticmomma]

My husband loves tuna fish casserole. It looks like dog food, but he loves it. 2 cans of tuna, 1 can of cream of mush soup, 1 can evap milk and shredded cheese. You can serve it over noodles or rice or eat it alone.

[Mirta]

Complilation part 3 --updated 5/13/09

BEEF DISHES
Beef and Barley Soup
Posted By Red
Buy a morrow bone for the broth, use leftover beef for the soup

Beef Tacos
Posted By onlyzombiecat
I mix refried beans with the meat to make it more filling and stretch farther

Cabbage Rolls
Posted By ***Heather***
Mix hamburger meat, spices and rice (or oatmeal, crackers etc also works. can also use cubed potatoes) wrap in cabbage leaves, place in roast pan, cover with diced tomatoes and/or tomato juice. Bake in oven.

Cabbage Roll Casserole (Canadian Funds)
Posted By jenangelcat
1 head cabbage, chopped $1
2 lbs ground beef $2
1 can tomato sauce $1
1 can diced tomatoes with juice $1
1 cup rice
1 onion chopped
Salt, pepper to taste
Brown meat and drain. Mix all ingredients together. Place in casserole dish. The original recipe then calls for 2 cups of beef broth to be poured on top but I used the 1 can of tomatoes instead. It may still need the broth, I haven't baked one yet. Bake for 1 hour, covered at 350F. Uncover and bake for 30 more minutes. This made 5 two serving portions. I froze them in tinfoil loaf containers to be defrosted and baked at a later date. It works out to be about $0.50 a serving.

Goulash
Posted By my2girlz
My kids love my dad's recipe for goulash. It's right around $2.
2 cups of cooked elbow noodles (I get a large box for .99 so I guess .25)
2 cans of tomato soup (.88)
1lb or less of hamburger (I buy in bulk at .99/lb so .99)
Squirt of ketchup (.05)
Cook noodles, brown hamburger, drain noodles, mix everything together and let simmer for 5-10 min.
So total is $2.17. This feeds 8-10.

Meat and Potatoes
Posted By ***Heather***
A cheap meat and potatoes meal that's quick and easy: brown hamburger with onion and spices. Add water and flour to make gravy (mix 1t-1T flour in a glass with warm water, stir into sauce.) eat with mashed potatoes and veggie on the side.

Sausage and Potatoes
Posted By ~Megan~
Under $2 is hard to get so I'm posting a meal that is $3.50 and delicious.
1 T oil of choice –pennies
1 package of beef sausages (on sale) - 2.15
4 potatoes - 0.35
1 sweet onion - 0.65
Handful of spinach - 0.25
Several good pinches of sea salt
Couple grinds of pepper
Shake of garlic powder
Shake of oregano
Coarsely chop it all and put in a lidded pot with the oil. Cook on medium for 20-30 minutes until onions are translucent and potatoes are soft. Serve with a shake or parmesan cheese if desired. I just gave DH, myself, and 2 kids’ generous portions and have one leftover for DH’s lunch tomorrow. I bet some finely shredded carrots or chopped kale instead of spinach. Mushrooms or zucchini would be good too!


EGG MEALS
Black Beans, Corn, Egg, and Rice Posted By melissel—See Bean Dishes

Black Beans, Rice, and Egg Posted By melissel—See Bean Dishes

Eggs and Collard Greens
Posted By ItsBasilThyme
I'm from the south, so one of my favorite cheap recipes naturally uses a good amount of collard greens. I'd imagine you could use any bitter green for this (kale, Swiss chard, mustard, etc) but those would probably all put you over the $2 limit. Since collards are in season now, I can usually find huge bunches for about $1.50 - $2.00.
Anyway, here's the recipe!
1/2 bunch collards ($0.75 - $1.00)
1 T olive oil
1 t salt
2 cloves garlic
1 T honey
8 eggs (about $0.75)
Heat up the oil over medium in a sauté pan, and then add the garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the collards and salt (chopped into large squares). Once the collards have softened to your liking, remove the pan from heat and add the honey (this cancels out a lot of the bitterness). Meanwhile, fry up the eggs how you like (I like runny yolks) or hard boil them and slice. Plate up the collards and top with eggs (2 per person). It doesn't sound very filling since there's no carb part to it, but it definitely is! If you're watching your cholesterol (like my DH is) then you can use 12 eggs and do 3 whites and 1 yolk per person. This might put it over the $2 limit, though.

Eggs and Veggies
Posted By ~Megan~
Okay, this does require leftover veggies but I often have these at home to use up.
3 eggs ($0.50)
A bit of powdered milk reconstituted (pennies)
Bits of chopped veggies including ($1):
Spinach
Zucchini
Onion
Tomato
Parmesan or any strong flavored melty cheese, only an ounce or so is needed if you shred it ($0.25)
Olive oil, 1T (pennies)
Sautee veggies in olive oil until tender
Mix eggs with reconstituted milk, until scrambled then pour over veggies, stir occasionally until done Sprinkle with salt/pepper and cheese You can serve this with a piece of whatever bread you like with butter too Very yummy and very filling. This should serve 3 people for about $1.75 or just under $2 with bread. You can add other veggies but this is the magic mix for me! If you want to serve one more person add another egg and a bit more veggies. You can also thin it out more with more reconstituted milk.

Egg Bake
Posted by Babytime
A dozen eggs blended with a splash of milk, a handful of cheese and some diced peppers -- pour into a 13 x 9 and bake

Egg Burritos

Egg Drop Soup
Posted By amyamanda
I use the second (or third) day's worth of Crockpot broth from a chicken carcass, or else I just season the soup water with Herbamare (a seasoned salt mix) and soy sauce. I put in a small amount of cut up veggies, a few handfuls of whatever we have (frozen or fresh - we like it with carrots, peas, and corn), boil it, whip up a few raw eggs and add them while stirring contently until they are mixed in and cooked. Hard to explain. But it's yummy, cheap, has veggies and protein, and feeds the whole family (for one or two people you could do with a half-handful of veggies and one or two eggs). And best thing: my kids will eat it up. It's also good reheated.

Eggs in White Sauce on Toast
Posted By ***Heather***
Slice hard boiled eggs and add to white sauce made from flour/butter/milk, serve on toast

Egg Nests
Posted By rainy32
Preheat oven to 350.
Take 4 pieces of wheat bread (the cheaper the better, for this recipe!) and flatten them out with a rolling pin. Spray 4 ramekins with cooking spray, and then line each one with the flattened bread. In a small bowl, combine 10 chopped mushrooms, 2 chopped scallions, salt, pepper, and some paprika (this is cheap if you have these things on hand from another recipe). Divide that mixture into the 4 ramekins. Crack one egg on top of each ramekin mixture. Take 2 slices of Swiss or Muenster cheese, chop them into little pieces, and put them in the ramekins over the eggs. Bake these 20 - 30 minutes (until eggs set). Serve with warm bowls of canned tomato soup (bought on sale, 2 cans for 1.00).

Eggs, Rice, and Leftovers
Posted By Monie
Melt a little butter in a pan. Add a couple spoonfuls of leftover cooked rice. If you have leftover meat or veggies, you can chop them finely and add them in, too. When they are hot, beat a couple eggs and pour over top. Let sit for a minute, then scramble and cook until done. (I like my eggs overcooked!) If I use leftover stir-fry, I add a little soy sauce. If I use leftover fajitas, I add salsa. One of our favorites is just plain broccoli and rice, with some cheese sprinkled on top. It occurs to me that I would like to try it with my leftover black beans and rice, but we ate the rest for breakfast!

French Toast

Frittata
Posted By littlemama06
1 potato
5 eggs
Any veggies which are kind of getting yucky in the fridge (squash, carrots, squash, kale, green peppers, and spinach. Whatever) shred, chopped or diced up
1 onion diced up
And a little cheese
Slice the potato in really thin slices and put them in a pie plate with olive oil rubbed on the bottom and sides of pie plate. Then put the veggies on top of that. Beat the eggs really well and pour over and top with the cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350.

Quiche
Posted By Red
1/2 dozen eggs, veggies on sale, cheese, homemade crust

Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Salsa
Posted By nannymom
On whole wheat tortilla Dirt cheap and packed with nutrition

Scrambled Eggs and/or Omelets with Toast
Posted By Red
Get a dozen eggs ($1.00), make a loaf of bread and have eggs and toast.

Strata
Posted By Rebecca
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 mushrooms 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 handfuls? 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.


FISH
Salmon Patties
Posted By ~Megan~
1 can wild Alaskan Salmon or 2 cans of healthy tuna
A big scoop of mayo or 1-2 eggs and a few Tblspns of milk
1 T lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1/4 c wheat flour and 1/4 c of corn meal, mixed
Chopped veggies of your choice
3 T of fat of your choice
This recipe relies on finding the salmon on sale but it’s worth it.
One can of Wild Alaska Salmon, pull out all skin and bones then crumble by hand. Drain the liquid and put the salmon in a bowl. Use on heaping scoop of mayo or an egg and milk. Add a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice (or two if you are like me!). You can add in chopped veggies too like chopped kale, spinach, zucchini, or onion but you might need to add an egg for binding. Mix well, it should be quite wet. Add in any spices you like for example dill, pepper, and paprika. Sprinkle 1/4 c wheat flour and 1/4 c corn meal, mixed together, over the top and mix well. Form into patties. Put the patties into you pan with melted fat (lard, coconut oil, etc I don't recommend butter though as it burns too easily) on medium heat. Cook on one side till golden brown then flip and cook until done. If you add in lots of veggies then you have a meal! This makes about 6 palm sized patties. I serve with a big romaine salad and tomatoes.

Tuna Mac
Posted By MOM2ANSLEY
We also have Mac-n-cheese with canned tuna and a can of sweet peas....Really yummy

Tuna and Noodle Casserole

Tuna Pasta
Posted By sliceofheaven
How about a tin of tuna mixed with a dollop of mayo and some cut-up cucumber for crunch over warm, oiled pasta? It's one of my favorites!

Tuna Patties
Posted By mum4boys
Canned tuna (4 for $1.00 during lent. It’s always a loss leader item), bread crumbs, one egg, and seasoning, shape into 4 patties and fry.

Tuna in Biscuits
Posted By wife&mommy
We had this one for dinner tonight, it was really good. It is probably a little over $2, but would be close if you made your own biscuit dough instead of canned, and tastes better that way, too! I didn't use quite that much relish and I used more mayo.
1 can (6 oz.) tuna
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
2 Tbs. sweet pickle relish
2 green onions, minced
3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can refrigerated biscuits
Combine tuna, mayonnaise, pickle relish, onion cheese, salt and pepper. Press each biscuit in greased muffin pan to form a cup. Spoon tuna mixture into each biscuit. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. There is a picture of these on my blog if anyone wants to see http://cookingformyfamily.blogspot.com/ I really like your blog too, I find it inspiring!


HAM AND PORK DISHES
Asian Pork Filling
Posted By RoundAbout
Here's one of my favorites. The base of this recipe is around $2 but gets more expensive depending on what you add. It makes a lot!
1 lb ground pork (on sale, 99 cents)
2 Tbs minced garlic (10 cents?)
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes from baking section (30 cents)
2 Tbs. soy sauce (10 cents?)
1/3 cup lime juice (40 cents?)
1 tsp ginger (pennies?)
Toast coconut, and set aside. Brown ground pork with garlic and then toss with lime juice, soy sauce, and coconut and ginger. Depending on your budget and what you have on hand you can add:
Chopped onions or shallots
Chopped chili peppers
Chopped peanuts
Fresh ginger
Mint
Bean sprouts
We eat this as a filling inside fresh lettuce or cabbage leaves. Very tasty!

BBQ Pork
Posted By Groovy Mom
This is more than 2 dollars, but I buy a pork roast, put it in the Crockpot for the day and then shred it. I use some for tacos (just add some garlic, salt and pepper, heat in skillet, serve with tortillas and condiments) and some for bbq sandwiches (add bbq sauce or ketchup, apple cider vinegar and spices -- garlic, salt, pepper, dash of sweet, mustard).

Cheese and Bacon Dogs
Posted By Dezimber
Partially split a wiener lengthwise then carefully add small pieces of cheddar in the split, wrap a slice of bacon(may be partially cooked as long as it isn't too crisp) in a spiral manner use wood toothpicks to secure bacon. Heat in the oven until cheese melts. May be served with or without a bun.

Ham and Cheese Baked Ziti
Posted By Norasmomma
8 oz ziti (or other hollow pasta)
2 cups milk-used 1-12oz can evap. milk and 1/2 cup milk (from powdered)
1 cup ham diced
Dash of salt
1 clove garlic chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cups cheese grated
1/2 cup APF (used WHOLE WHEAT)
Butter or oil-2 tbsps
Boil water for pasta-melt butter or oil in pan on med-sauté garlic. Add flour, salt and whisk until bubbly. Add milk gradually, heat until boiling, add cheese (1 1/2 cups) and melt. Add in ham, mustard and pasta-toss to coat. Put in a baking dish and top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs if desired. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Now this may not always be cheap (and may never be for some). For us it was because we had all ingredients and they were bought super cheap.
Here's the breakdown:
1/2 lb pasta-.50(bought Barilla ziti@ $ store $1 a lb box)
Ham-.50(ham was on sale 2lb ham was 2.00*for natural ham* super deal)
Can of milk-.50
Cheese-.75(or free if it was WIC)
Oil or butter-.10-20
Mustard-.10
Garlic-.5
Alright it *probably* was close to 2.50 for the meal, not quite 2.00, but super close. Yummy comfort food for cheap. Plus many of these ingredients are on sale now, so it could be made for pretty inexpensively. HTH.

Pea Soup
Posted By karne
We love pea soup! Whenever I have a ham bone I make as much stock as possible. Peas are cheap, and the soup is so filling.

Peking Ravioli
Posted By Red
I made Peking ravioli the other night. I didn't think it would come in so cheap! I mixed 3/4 of a lb of ground pork with a small head of cabbage, some mushrooms, and soy sauce, etc. I made the wrappers from scratch, which took FOREVER. (Be warned) But it was simple. If anyone wants the recipe, I'll post it. If you have small kids, you'd need help, or to use wonton wrappers from the store. We ate them for two nights, had enough leftover to call "MooShu pork" last night.

Mapo Dofu (Spicy Chinese Tofu)
Posted By RoundAbout
Here is one of my new favorites - it’s a spicy tofu recipe. I pay $1.25 here for a large brick of tofu and buy ground pork here in the marked down meat bins when it is .99 cents a lb (so only $.25 for this recipe). The rest of the seasonings should be less than $0.50 if you buy on sale or in bulk. I serve it with plain white rice.
* 3/4 pound firm tofu
* 1/4 pound ground pork
Marinade:
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* Pinch of cornstarch
Other:
* 1 clove garlic
* 2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
* 2 tablespoons black bean sauce
* 1/4 teaspoon Chile paste with garlic
* 2 tablespoons water
* 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn or ground coriander
PREPARATION:
Drain the tofu and cut into cubes. Marinate the ground pork in the soy sauce and cornstarch for 20 minutes. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the Chile paste and garlic. Stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add the ground pork. Stir-fry until the pork is nearly cooked through. Lower the heat to medium, and add the brown bean sauce and the tofu cubes. Cook over medium heat until the tofu is browned (8 to 10 minutes). Add water or chicken broth as needed. Just before serving, sprinkle with the Szechuan peppercorn or ground coriander.


PIZZA
(Costs more if you have two teens, but one pizza would be under $2) with leftover whatever as a topping

Posted By Tilia
I think I figured out a way to make 2 pizzas for $2.06
2 packets of pizza crust, bought on sale ($ 0.33 each) $ 0.66
1/6 of a can of pizza sauce $ 0.10
1/2 can of mushrooms $ 0.25
Sprinkle of garlic powder $ 0.05
2 cups of any kind of shredded cheese, block bought in bulk $1
Prepare each pizza crust according to the package. Mine involved adding 1/2 cup of hot water. Roll the pizza crust out onto 2 pans. Top with pizza sauce. Sprinkle the exposed crust with garlic powder. One pizza has mushrooms, the other is cheese! Bake according to the pizza crust package.
Or if you want, one pizza can be mushroom; the other can be cheesy bread. Instead of pizza sauce, brush the crust with melted butter. Top with garlic salt and 1 cup of cheese. Bake like normal.

French Bread Pizza
Posted By SusannahM
Loaf of French bread ($1)
2 small cans Tomato sauce spiced up to make pizza sauce ($.25/can = $.50)
8 oz bag shredded mozzarella cheese ($1.44)
Slice the loaf of French bread in 1/2 lengthwise. Spread on pizza sauce. Spread 1/2 of bag of mozzarella cheese on top. Put on other toppings that are desired (we use up our leftovers in this way). Cook in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
1/2 of the French bread loaf makes enough for 2 small children and two adults. So, the ingredients listed make enough for 2 dinners. So, the total price for each dinner is $2.94/2 = $1.47.

From Hillbillyhousewife.Com
Posted By JenLove
For the Crust:
2-1/2 cups unbleached flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon dry yeast
* 3/4 cup water
* 3 tablespoons canola oil

I also use her sauce recipe
For the Sauce:
8 ounce can of "no salt added" tomato sauce
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning OR 1/2 teaspoon basil & 1/4 teaspoon oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 teaspoon onion powder
* 1 teaspoon olive oil for flavoring (optional)

Hamburger Bun Pizzas
Posted By becoming
Toast buns, add toppings to hamburger bun & bake until cheese melts

Homemade Pizzas
Posted By kidspiration
I bought a brand new bread machine off of craigslist for super cheap. I found a great thin crust pizza dough recipe online and I just throw the ingredients in the machine, and 55 minutes later the dough is ready. I usually make the dough in the morning and let it ferment for the better part of the day just because it tastes better that way. It is a fraction of the cost of ordering pizza and it tastes infinitely better. Tip...heat your oven as hot as you can get it, it makes for a crispier tastier crust.

Muffin Pizzas
Posted By littlemama06
English muffins with sauce, veggies and cheese on top. Broil for a few minutes. I toast my muffins first to make sure they are real crunchy and warm all the way.

Pizza
Posted By llamalluv
Around here, it's 1 cup water, 2 tsp yeast, 2 T olive oil, dash of salt, 4 cups flour (let rise an hour), then top with leftover spaghetti sauce, and whatever vegetables are hanging around. Sometimes I get fancy and cut up sandwich ham and toss on some asparagus.
Our usual pizza is pepperoni, bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms. And the obligatory mozzarella cheese, which is the most expensive part ($3.69 for 24 oz.) We shop at Aldi's and the $2 package of pepperoni lasts us about 10 pizzas, because I pile on the veggies.
I once calculated it at about $3.50 for a pizza, and we each eat half, making it $1.75/meal. Add in my $0.99 bottle of red pepper flakes (which lasts about a year) and the Parmesan sprinkles (which last 2 months) and it comes to about $2.
Posted By Chicky2
Using leftover grilled veggies is an awesome way to jazz up a pizza!!!! Eggplant, zucchini, onion, fennel, bell peppers, and radishes (yes, radishes!), etc.....

Pizza
Posted By Bad Horse
I used "pizza crust recipe I" from allrecipes.com. The cool thing with that is it's a yeast recipe but doesn't require rising, which made it quick and all of us really liked the crust.
Pizza 1 (for Miles) was Alfredo (I had bought a jar of sauce and used just a few TBs, so that will be good for many more pizzas), pepperoni (10? out of a package), and some mozzarella. That was probably a $1 pizza, because the cheese was kind of pricey.
Pizza 2 (for Max) was sautéed spinach (bought a bag frozen for $.89, used 1/4 bag on this pizza) with garlic and maybe 1/2 tsp olive oil. For red sauce I used a can of tomato sauce I seasoned (bought a case of organic tomato sauce from Costco, don't remember how much per can it ends up, but not much) and some mozzarella.
Pizza 3 (which was another crust recipe that I made 1 larger pizza with for me and dh) was topped with a few TB of alfredo and a few TB of tomato sauce, then the rest of the sautéed spinach, a small can of mushrooms ($.50?), and about 10 green olives sliced, with the rest of the 1lb bag of mozzarella I bought for all 3 pizzas. Oh! And I had a little grated Romano left I threw on there too.
So, total I would say this cost about $6, being generous, but we had leftover pizza for two more meals, too, and the kids LOVED their leftover pizzas the next day. I also had enough to give small pieces to 3 of my friends the next night to try. Trying to talk them into their own pizza nights

Pizza Sauce
Posted By NewMama2007
Just an idea to make it cheaper - we buy a can (32 oz) of tomato puree, divide into thirds, freeze two for future use, and use one on the pizza as the sauce. I add spices too. It's only 33 cents a pop! You could use whatever pasta sauce too, we just like tomato puree because it's just tomatoes and ascorbic acid, and cheap! This also makes a pretty awesome pasta sauce when you mix in spices. I made it this week for a quick dinner for dd and myself - added some leftover chopped steamed brocolli and some spinach too - it was awesome. And no high fructose corn syrup like in those cheap pasta sauces!


POULTRY DISHES
"2nd Day Roast Chicken" Soup

"2nd Day Roast Chicken" Stew Over Biscuits

Baked Mushroom Chicken
Posted By crayon
We do take chicken breast (2) and take a large can of soup (mushroom) and bake for about 4 hours at 300 degrees covered then add some cheese to the top and broil until brown- YUMMY! And it feeds all 4 of us. With a half a bag of veggies that are $1.50- It think this is right around $2

Breaded Oven-"Fried" Chicken Strips

Chicken and Dumplings
Posted By mrmansmama
Buy a pack of 5 chicken leg quarters (.59 / lb) - cost about $2.50 Use 3 of them to make chicken and dumplings (boil chicken and celery covered in water until done. Make dumplings (baking powder, milk, flour) lump on top, cover and cook for 20 min without lifting lid. Remove chicken and dumplings and keep hot in oven while making gravy from broth. This makes a ton of gravy so... Next night...use the other 2 chicken quarters (and any left-over meat from previous night)...cook and pick off the meat. Add some green olives and the left-over gravy. Serve over toast. (Chicken-ala-king)

Chicken Tacos
Posted By onlyzombiecat
I mix refried beans with the meat to make it more filling and stretch farther

Chicken Veggie Soup
Posted By bec
I made chicken/veggie soup the other night. Stock was made from a roasted chicken I had had from last week (the stock itself went for 5 nights worth of soup!). I cut up two chicken breasts to have fresh chicken in it ($2 worth of meat), and I figure about $.50 of other ingredients. I made corn bread muffins one night and dumplings the next. So, around $2.50 for two nights’s worth of dinner. Comes to $1.25/night to feed a family of 5! And, I have enough for me for lunch today!

Chicken with Egg Noodles

Creamed Chicken
Posted By Nicole!
6 T. Butter
6 T. Flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup milk
1.5 cups chicken broth
Cooked chicken
Bread
Melt butter and mix in flour, salt, pepper until a paste is formed. Slowly add chicken broth and milk. Heat until thick and boiling. Add as much cooked chicken as you desire. Serve over torn up pieces of bread. This will probably feed a family of 3-4 (2 adults), as long as no one is a huge eater.

Curried Chicken
Posted By RoundAbout
Vermont Curry Mix - $1.80 (this is the kind that comes in a "brick" like S&B)
Chicken breast - I use about $1 worth in this dish.
2 Potatoes - 50 cents?
2 Carrots - 10 cents?
Onion - 10 cents?
Brown rice - 25 cents (I pay $1 for a 1 lb bag)
Total: $3.75
However, this easily makes enough for 2 dinners for my family so divide by 2 and you get less than $2 per meal.

Gumbo
Posted By 2 in August
I just made Gumbo and cornbread a couple days ago. I used a Zatarran's mix for $1.45 (would be cheaper if I looked up the spices and made my own). I add extra water and rice (only $1 for a big bag at Aldi's and I only use part of it). Then I did a Jiffy cornbread mix $.39. I had chicken in the freezer that I had gotten b1g1free so the 2pcs I added didn't cost me much and when they were cooked I chopped them into tiny bits.

Jambalaya
Posted By serenetabbie
Did anyone mention Jambalaya? We eat that a lot. I make my own broth (like a lot of people here do), can my own tomatoes (or buy them at the scratch & dent for 10 cents for a big can), rice (69 cents for 3 pounds), celery, onion, whatever other left over veggies I feel like throwing in and add leftover meat scraps (usually chicken, sausage of some sort or ham... I put it all in a freezer container until there is enough to make a pot of Jambalaya). Where I live that certainly comes in at or less than $2 for a dinner for a family of four with leftovers... and it is made mostly from leftovers!

Leftover Turkey or Chicken Casserole
Posted By Red
Leftover turkey or chicken, onion, uncooked white rice, fresh broccoli, twice as much chicken broth as rice. Put in a casserole, bake at 350 till broth is absorbed, about 30 minutes. (Way better than it sounds!) Top any casserole with cornbread batter, time depends on the corn bread recipe. Makes it tasty and more filling.

Mushroom Broccoli Chicken
Posted By Jetka
1 bag of frozen chicken tenderloins from Aldi's - $5.99 a bag and it has about 6 servings so that's about $1 a serving.
1 bag of frozen broccoli - $1 and it has 3 servings so that's .33 a serving
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup - .50 a can at Aldi's
So that's a total of $2.33 (And when I say a serving - I mean a meal for both myself and my husband. The baby eats off of my plate.) Plop the chicken, soup and broccoli into a pan. Put into an oven at 375 degrees for about an hour. It's delicious

Oven-Fried Drumsticks
Posted By *MamaJen*
I'm a vegetarian but I've been trying to find cheap meat recipes for DP. It's so hard cooking meat when you don't eat it. It's like painting blind or composing music deaf. I found this oven-fried (i.e. baked) drumstick recipe he said was really good. It's also cheap and easy. I think I paid $5 for 16 drumsticks and that's like, five meals for him. I cooked half and froze half. I've also been roasting whole chickens. They cost five or six dollars and you get a ton of meals, especially if you turn the leftovers into soup.
About 4 tbl melted butter
1 cup breadcrumbs (I used the Italian seasoned kind)
approx. 12 chicken drumsticks
Grease baking pan with cooking spray. Dip each drumstick in the melted butter then roll in the breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Bake about one hour at 350 degrees.

Pasta Sauce with Ground Turkey

Peanut Butter Chicken and Rice
Posted By rachelagain
Cook 2 cups of rice as directed (makes 4 cups)
Sauce:
1/4 c Peanut Butter
2 T. soy sauce
2 tsp. vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. water
Sprinkle on some garlic powder
Heat and stir w/ whisk until creamy.
Add cooked/diced chicken- mix in with the cooked rice- delicious!
I would use either 2 chicken breasts, or I normally cook a turkey, eat it one night and freeze the rest of the meat in Ziploc bags, each bag probably equals 1 cup of meat.
MomToKandE: We made this last night and it was a huge hit! I bet it would work with pasta or rice noodles too.

Pesto Chicken Pasta

Rotisserie Chicken
Posted By peachpie
I buy the rotisserie chicken at Costco for $5. They are HUGE!
The 1st night we have the chicken sliced with some veggies, then leftovers on sandwiches at lunch. Then I made stock from the bones and chicken soup (tossed in a couple cups rice, carrots, and the leftover chicken scraps, lots of rosemary and black pepper).
That's 3 meals for 2 adults and 1 preschooler-- not bad.
Posted By KatWrangler: I make my own in the crockpot. Its quite yummy.

Spaghetti Pizza
Posted By lilgsmommy
It rounds out to around $2 for the meal if you have most of the stuff in your house already.
1/2 spaghetti noodles (broke in half)
1 can of jar of spaghetti sauce (or homemade if you have some on hand or frozen)
2 eggs
8-10 turkey sausage meatballs (I buy 2lbs of the turkey sausage a month, make meatballs and freeze them for meals)
1 cup shredded cheese
Boil noodles. In a bowl whisk the 2 eggs add a little salt and then add the cooked and drained noodles. Mix well, and pour into a greased cake pan. Spread eventually. Pour sauce on top and spread evenly. Chop up the meatballs into fourths and toss on top of the sauce. Sprinkle on the cheese and bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until cheese starts to brown around the edge.

Taquitos
Posted By bright_eyes
Another favorite it this one. It asks for ground beef but we like it way better with ground turkey or chicken (which makes it slightly more expensive, though).
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing on the taquitos
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 cup salsa, plus more for dipping
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
10 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack
Sour cream
1. Heat the oven to 400°. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook them for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the beef and use a wooden spoon or a spatula to break it up while it cooks, until it is no longer red, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the salsa, the chili powder, and the salt and pepper. Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
2. Place the tortillas on a plate and cover them with damp paper towels. Microwave them until warm and pliable, about 45 seconds. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the beef mixture, spreading it to an inch from the edges. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the beef.
3. Roll up the tortillas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet with the seam sides down. Brush the taquitos lightly with vegetable oil, and then bake them until the filling is heated through and the tortillas are lightly browned, about 8 to 12 minutes. Serve them hot with sour cream and/or salsa. Serves 4 to 6.

Turkey and Rice Soup
Posted By Red
With homemade bread. DH likes just carrots and celery in his turkey soup....sooo cheap. (I bought the turkey on sale last Xmas! $10.00 for 20 lbs, and we've had 3 dinners, 3 lunches and we're having more tomorrow, plus there's white meat in the freezer!)

Turkey Leftover Ideas:
Posted By ***Heather***
Turkey bought on sale at Christmas time (I think it was 10lbs @ $.89/lb CAD...) I roasted it up the other day, saved the broth and divided it into 6 meals. Some meals had more meat, some less. With the meat I made:
-soup: broth, salt & pepper, basil, turkey, onion, carrot, cabbage, turnip, rice (this was a quick and easy meal, veggies were purchased on sale last fall, cut into soup sized bits and stored in freezer)
-turkey and biscuits: turkey, cubed potatoes, carrots, onion in creamy sauce (butter/flour/milk) with homemade biscuits
-turkey rice dish: turkey, rice, fresh mushrooms, green peppers, celery, onion with seasoning or can of mushroom soup.
-Turkey on tortilla with green peppers, bits of mozzarella cheese, mayo
-Turkey, mashed potatoes and veggie
-Turkey linguine: Cream of mushroom soup, green pepper, onion, fresh mushrooms, chunks of turkey breast.

Turkey Stuffing Quiche
Posted By Mamatolea
(Works great for leftover holiday stuff too!)
2 1/2 C. leftover stuffing -- (2 1/2 to 3) or a box of generic stuffing mix
1 C. chopped cooked turkey (or ground turkey)
1 C. shredded Swiss cheese (or another cheese, I use mozz)
4 beaten eggs
1 Can evaporated milk
Press stuffing into a 9-inch pie plate or quiche dish, forming a crust. Bake in 400 degrees oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine meat and cheese. In another bowl, beat together eggs, milk and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle meat-cheese mixture into hot crust. Pour egg mixture on top. Lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake quiche 30 to 35 minutes or until center is set.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings. YUM! Even DH loves it and he is pretty picky!

Whole Chicken
Posted By freespirited
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.


RICE DISHES
Arroz Sin Pollo (Rice Without Chicken)
Posted by Sol_Solved
It was cheap, tasty and oh so fast. I put some oil in the bottom of a pan, added half an onion, diced, then two celery stalks and half a bell pepper, cubed. I added raw rice and fried it a little bit, then three cups of water, a little paste made of ground saffron threads with water, red chili pepper powder (or paprika), salt and a big tablespoon of homemade tomato sauce. I cooked it on high until most of the water evaporated and the rice was done. We had it with a can of garbanzo beans drained and sautéed in a little oil, onion and mustard seeds.
(The original recipe calls for chicken that is browned in the oil first of all, removed, and then added along with the water).

Black Beans, Corn, Egg, and Rice Posted By melissel—See Bean Dishes

Black Beans, Rice, and Egg Posted By melissel—See Bean Dishes

Chirashi Zushi
Posted By KathinJapan
Here is one for cheaper sushi.
Make sushi rice pile on a plate, on top add chopped cucumber, tomatoes, tuna, scrambled egg (broken up into chunks) etc. Anything you like. Use one sheet of nori and fold in half a few times and cut with kitchen shears into match strips. Drizzle with wasabi soy sauce. If nori is the expensive ingredient this should cut the cost down. This dish is very popular in Japan, and is traditionally served on Girl`s Day which is March 3rd.

Easy Spiced Lentils and Brown Rice Posted By aurinia

Fried Rice
Posted By littlemama06
3 cups cooked rice
1 diced onion
2 eggs beaten
1 cup frozen veggies
Butter
Soy sauce
Put a little butter in a wok or fry pan and add hot rice, add onion veggies. Add a little soy sauce push it all to the side on your pan leaving a little space in the middle, pour in the eggs and mix like scrambled eggs. Then mix it all together. Add a little more soy sauce and salt and pepper

Fried Rice
Posted By llamalluv
I do egg "fried" rice. Sometimes I toss in leftover bits of meat, too.
For the two of us to have supper, plus a lunch or two for the next day, I scramble and cook 2 eggs, then add 2 cups of cooked rice, thinly sliced carrots (2-3 baby carrots), 1/2 cup of frozen peas, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, and whatever meat I might be tossing in (leftover beef or pork roast, or chicken). Soy sauce to taste (usually about 1/4 cup). When I feel fancy, I throw in a handful of cooked shrimp and some fresh minced ginger. The bag that I buy at Aldi's lasts months.

Fried Rice or Fried Chinese Noodles. You can throw in whatever bits of meat you happen to have, and/or a scrambled egg or two, and a bunch of sliced veggies.
Posted By kijip: Perfect way to use up leftovers. You can pretty much do any theme you want. Just take the leftover veggies and meat. Dice it up and stir fry in a pan with a little oil and a few eggs. You really can make a meal out of it.

Leftover Rice
Posted By lil_earthmomma
Leftover rice
2 cups torn up spinach (could easily use frozen)
Sauté 2 cloves of garlic in 2 tbsp butter (or olive oil)
Add 2 tbsp flour to make roux
Add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (I used the cheepy stuff)
Throw in 1/2 cup milk, allow to thicken, add spinach, allow to wilt, add rice and heat through. Salt and pepper to taste. You could add left over chicken, shrimp... pretty much anything! We just had it as is, and it was SO yummy.

Lentil, Chickpea, and Rice Dish Posted By caiesmommy –See Bean Dishes

Lentils and Rice Posted By zmom –See Bean Dishes

Lentil and Rice Salad Posted By marybethorama –See Bean Dishes

Meatless Ploughman's Share
Posted By Eben'sMama
We like this quick, frugal meatless version of the Ploughman's Share: Brown Rice (or you can use white--jasmine, basmati, etc.) Steamed Carrots and Broccoli (you can also add others) Put steamed vegetables over rice in a bowl, top with shredded white cheddar cheese and soy sauce/Tamari to taste!

Mexican Rice
Posted By WC_hapamama
1 can of diced tomatoes w/ green chilies (14.5 oz)
A little bit of oil
2 cups of rice (uncooked)
2 cups of water
Salt and pepper
1 can of black beans
1 can of corn
Dump the rice in the pan with the oil and let it go until it's golden, add the water, salt, pepper, tomatoes, drained black beans and drained corn. Bring it to a boil, then simmer covered until all the liquid is absorbed.
It works out to a bit more than $2, but for me, it's generally all stuff I keep in my pantry at all times.

Peanut Butter Chicken and Rice Posted By rachelagain –See Poultry Dishes

Rice and Beans Posted By kidspiration –See Bean Dishes

Rice and Bean Burritos

Rice and Corn
Posted By hookahgirl
Brown rice and corn cooked in broth (you can use a bouillon cube, for meals under 2 bucks you gotta get cheap!) with some tomato paste thrown in (or left over pasta sauce!). It’s kind of like a southwest soup when you add whatever spices you have on hand (pepper, garlic, cumin, chili powder)

Rice and Eggs
Posted By freespirited
Did anyone post rice and eggs? I do this often because my girls love it, and so do we. You just take some eggs, let's say four of them, mix them with a fork in a bowl, add 2 or 3 cups of cooked rice and a couple TBS of soy sauce to taste, then cook the mixture in some butter until cooked. Salt and pepper to taste. I've added frozen veggies (cooked), diced fresh zucchini, fresh spinach or chard, etc. Whatever your kids will eat, you can add it, or just do it plain. This is a true under $2 meal!
Posted By Bad Horse: I do this sometimes for us. I don't mix it up, cause the kids don't like it so much unless I'm doing a full on fried rice. But what I do it just scramble a couple of eggs and cook in a pancake shape, then cut into strips and put over steamed rice (we use jasmine), then soy sauce, rice vinegar, rooster sauce (schriacha?) to taste, and then I usually put a can or two of baby corn, just rinsed, out for the kids to add to theirs as they want (they LOVE baby corn). Oh! Sesame seeds, too, for whoever wants them.
I usually add furikake to mine, so does DH. Mmm.. So cheap and easy, and quick. 20 minutes to make fresh rice if you don't have any to throw in the microwave already.

Rice and Sausage
Posted By rachelagain
I have tons of variations to this, but normally I buy the hotdog shaped polish or smoked sausage, here I can get the big package for about $4- which makes at least 4 meals.
Cook 2 cups rice.
Quarter and dice 4 sausages (or 1-2 c. other meat, hamburger, chicken, etc)
Add any veggies you like: (1-4 c.)
Cabbage, broccoli. Zucchini, carrots, onion, bell pepper, Swiss chard, etc.
Fry the sausage and veggies when mostly cooked add rice and about 6 eggs- beaten, stir until eggs are cooked, can cover and set on low for the veggies to "steam". Kind of a fried rice dish, I guess.

Rice and Vegetables
Posted By amyb15
Add a few wraps here and there, with some lettuce and pickles, and it's a healthy cheap meal

Rice, Beans, and Onions
Posted By freespirited
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.

Rice, Corn, and Chicken
Posted By CarsonBookworm
I mix Brown Rice, Canned Corn and chicken taken off of the bones (Just 2 drumsticks) and put pepper in it. Sauté in a little olive oil.....that's a good dinner for us!

Rice, Onions, and Eggs
Posted By Staceyy
For breakfast I like to sauté some chopped onion in a bit of butter in a skillet until soft but not brown, then add some leftover rice and continue sautéing. Next add a couple beaten eggs and stir until done. Serve with soy sauce. This meal goes well with bacon, applesauce and toast.

Rice, Salsa, Refried Beans, and Cheddar Cheese Posted By Blooming –See Bean Dishes

Rice with Broccoli and Cauliflower
Posted By ~Megan~
Boil brown rice with frozen broccoli & cauliflower with added garlic and broth. Add curry and a bit of shredded cheese.

Sushi
Posted By Red
I got 10 nori sheets for $1.99. With just veggies, carrots, cuke, zuke, green beans. A swab of wasabi and a bit of lemon mayo. Yum. If you can add shrimp (cooked and cut in half) and an avocado, it's even better, and you can leave out the zuke and beans. 10 sheets of nori, $1.99. I use 5 sheets and have enough left over for one lunch. Rice costs $4.99 a bag and I can make 6 batches of sushi with it, so it's $.83. One carrot and 1/4 of a cucumber...cucumbers are $.50 each....that's another $.13 and the carrot would be another $.10. I believe that's $2.06!
Posted By grisandole: I love sushi; we do veggie sushi, or add eggs for protein. My 4yo LOVES it!

Veggie Fried Rice
Posted By grisandole
I keep soy sauce on hand so I don't count the cost of it in the ingredients.....just cook some rice, put some oil in a pan, add chopped veggies or frozen veggies of your choice, stir in the rice, add some soy sauce, yummy! I usually add scrambled eggs (for protein) and whatever frozen veggies I have on hand.

[Mirta]

Originally Posted by melanyh

that list is awesome!!!

i have a lentil newbie question ... when these various recipes are calling for lentils, is the recipe wanting them dry or cooked? :

Normally they want them uncooked, but you do want to soak them before hand.(check the package for directions) Or you can use canned lentils.

[wife&mommy]

Originally Posted by Mirta

BEEF DISHES



EGG MEALS
Eggs and Collard Greens
I'm from the south, so one of my favorite cheap recipes naturally uses a good amount of collard greens. I'd imagine you could use any bitter green for this (kale, Swiss chard, mustard, etc) but those would probably all put you over the $2 limit. Since collards are in season now, I can usually find huge bunches for about $1.50 - $2.00.
Anyway, here's the recipe!
1/2 bunch collards ($0.75 - $1.00)
1 T olive oil
1 t salt
2 cloves garlic
1 T honey
8 eggs (about $0.75)
Heat up the oil over medium in a sauté pan, and then add the garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the collards and salt (chopped into large squares). Once the collards have softened to your liking, remove the pan from heat and add the honey (this cancels out a lot of the bitterness). Meanwhile, fry up the eggs how you like (I like runny yolks) or hard boil them and slice. Plate up the collards and top with eggs (2 per person). It doesn't sound very filling since there's no carb part to it, but it definitely is! If you're watching your cholesterol (like my DH is) then you can use 12 eggs and do 3 whites and 1 yolk per person. This might put it over the $2 limit, though. http://cookingformyfamily.blogspot.com/

Hi... I just noticed my link there with this recipe, but this one isn't mine. I had a few of them on here, but that wasn't one of them. I had Tuna in Biscuits and then just some other suggestions, not really recipes. Well, there was one other but I can't remember it now, something with sweet potatoes! LOL! Anyway, I just wanted to let you know. Didn't want to take someone else's credit.

You're doing a great job with this!

[Mirta]

thanks for letting me know about my mistake Rachel! I've corrected the main document and will correct the posts now.

Kym