Meals on the Cheap - under $2 meal ideas - Page 20

[wife&mommy]

Originally Posted by Mirta

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

Kym

Oh no problem!! I just didn't want to take credit for someone else's recipe!

If there is anything I can help with let me know. You are great for taking this on!

[zonapellucida]

Originally Posted by 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.

I make it suing tow cans tuna, two cream of mushroom, one can milk, mix in bowl, add boiled egg noodled to sasserole dish,crumble crakers on top and cook in 350 oven or I just micro for 15 minutes. My kids love it and it feeds 7 of them plus the adults. I still like it--one of the recipes I got from mom

[*MamaJen*]

Thanks for making the compilation! Here's one more.

Spicy Pakistani chickpea stew
•2 tablespoons oil
•1 teaspoon cumin seeds
•1 tablespoon ground cumin
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/8 teaspoon cayenne
•1/2 teaspoon pepper
•2 tomatoes, chopped (or one can diced, undrained)
•2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans with liquid (or one big can)
•1 tablespoon lemon juice
•1 onion, finely chopped
•1 bunch spinach, kale or other greens, torn into smaller pieces
In a large pot over low heat, warm oil and cumin seeds; heat until cumin turns a darker shade of brown. Add the rest of spices and lemon juice. Stir in tomatoes; once the juice begins to thicken add in chickpeas and mix well. Add onions and cook for about 20 – 30 minutes, until onion is soft. Add greens and cook until tender.

[Mirta]

Compilation part 4

CASSEROLES, PIES & QUICHES
Apple Cabbage Bake
Posted By kijip
Here is something we had tonight:
1/2 a head of red cabbage thinly sliced/chopped
2 green apples, peeled and grated
A little oil, cinnamon, cloves... and ginger if you have it.
A tablespoon of maple syrup or honey
A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
Mix the cabbage and the grated apples together in a bowl; add a little salt if you like. Heat a little oil (like a tablespoon) in a pan on medium and heat the cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Add the cabbage/apple mixture and the syrup. Then reduce to med-low and cover. Cook about 30 minutes. Uncover, add the vinegar and turn up heat a bit to simmer off liquid. Serve this with brown rice or whatever else seems like a good pairing in your budget. It is around $2 if you get a good price on cabbage. We served the above recipe with thin apple slices and fed 5 adults (1 woman and 4 men- my husband, father, brother and my brother's husband) and 1 child (4 year old boy). No leftovers whatsoever, but it was more than enough for dinner and my husband as well as brother and BIL eat A LOT.
Price breakdown, today, in Seattle:
50 cents for cabbage ($1/2- you only use 1/2 a head)
12 Apples for $3.99- I used 4 total (2 in the recipe, 2 on the side as slices) so a total of $1.20 for apples. Everything else was in my pantry but was used in tiny amounts, so I guess around $2.50-$3.00. Pretty good for feeding 6. When we make it just for ourselves (1 couple+1 tot), we have lunch the next couple of days.

Baked Bean Casserole Posted by Groovy Mom-- See Bean Dishes

Bean and Cornbread Casserole Posted by zmom -- See Bean Dishes

Cabbage Roll Casserole Posted By jenangelcat—see Beef Dishes

Corn Bake
Posted By littlemama06
1 box jiffy corn bread mix
1 can creamed corn
1 can corn you do not drain
2 eggs
Mix in all together and put in baking dish. Bake 350 for 30 minutes. My DH likes it with salsa and sour cream
Posted By 2 in August: I used to make that with some hot dogs (I know, I know, I said used to, lol) chopped up in it and a sprinkle of cheese on top.

Leftover Turkey or Chicken Casserole Posted By Red—See Poultry Dishes

Polenta and Black Bean Casserole Posted By caiesmommy—See Bean Dishes

Pot Pie Made With Leftovers

Savory Cheesecakes
Posted By SusannahM
We made these the other night and just loved them. The recipe makes enough for 2 meals, so the total is going to be about $4. You just put the extra batter in the fridge and make more when you want.
2 8 oz bars of cream cheese ($1 each bar, so $2)
4 eggs (1/3 of the carton, so about $.40)
4 oz sour cream (about $.50)
These ingredients can vary a lot, use whatever you have!
Canned chicken ($.50)
Roasted red peppers (small amount of the jar bought at the dollar store, $.20)
Sun dried tomatoes (small amount of the jar bought at the dollar store, $.20)
Onion ($.20)
Chop and caramelize the onion. Chop the roasted red peppers. Mix the cream cheese until it's fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the sour cream. Fold in the other ingredients. Put in individual ramekins. Bake the ramekins at 375 for about 30 minutes. Cool for about 20 minutes (they'll still be warm, or you can cool for longer and put in the fridge if you like them cold).
Total: $4 for 2 meals, so $2 for each individual meal. It can also use up leftovers, which would make it cheaper.

Strata or Quiche

Taco Casserole Posted By shelbell —See Bean Dishes

Tamale Casserole Posted By Attila the Honey—See Bean Dishes

Turkey Stuffing Quiche Posted By Mamatolea – See Poultry Dishes

Veggie Pie
Posted By Needle in the Hay
You mix:
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
Pour batter into a buttered pie plate. Put in 3 cups or so of cooked veggies (season them first with salt, pepper, herbs, whatever), leaving a strip around the edge of the pie plate for the crust. Cook in preheated 400 F oven until it starts to become golden, top with some grated cheese and put back in oven until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

Veggie Pot Pie
Posted By DevaMajka
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Veggie-Pot-Pie/Detail.aspx
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch wide
• 2 cups cauliflower florets
• 1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 recipe pastry for double-crust pie
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Cook onions, mushrooms, and garlic in oil for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in carrots, potatoes, and celery. Stir in cauliflower, green beans, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are barely tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch, soy sauce, and 1/4 cup water until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Stir into vegetables, and cook until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
4. Roll out 1/2 of the dough to line an 11x7 inch baking dish. Pour the filling into the pastry lined dish. Roll out remaining dough, arrange over the filling, and seal and flute the edges.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the crust is brown.
As is, the recipe costs about $4 to make (I use frozen corn/peas instead of cauliflower and green beans), but it easily makes 4 meals for us. I make the whole recipe because DP LOVES it even as leftovers for days.
So, halve it, and you have 2 meals for $2 (remember, one "meal" is enough to feed DP, myself, and our 3yo).

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Posted By DevaMajka
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegetar...II/Detail.aspx
• 2 cups vegetable broth, divided
• 1 teaspoon yeast extract spread, e.g. Marmite/Vegemite
• 1/2 cup dry lentils
• 1/4 cup pearl barley
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 3 potatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon water
• salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, combine 1 1/4 cups broth, yeast extract, lentils and barley. Simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine remaining 3/4 cup broth, carrot, onion and walnuts; cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash.
5. Combine flour and water and stir into carrot mixture; simmer until thickened. Combine carrot mixture with lentil mixture and season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish. Spoon mashed potatoes over lentil mixture.
6. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes.
I don't use the walnuts. I used brewer’s yeast in place of the vegemite. I also use homemade stock out of scraps, so I don't that cost in. It ends up costing less than 2 dollars to make (about $1.70) and easily makes 2 meals for us.

MEXICAN MEALS
Arroz Sin Pollo (Rice Without Chicken) Posted by Sol_Solved -- See Rice Dishes

Beans Tortillas and Cabbage Posted By spring978 -- See Bean Dishes

Black Bean and Cheese Tortillas Posted By melissel -- See Bean Dishes

Black-Bean Burritos Posted By kandkrose -- See Bean Dishes

Black Beans, Onions, Tomatoes and Sofrito Posted By MaShroom -- See Bean Dishes

Burritos Posted By caiesmommy—See Bean Dishes

Cuban Breakfast Posted By Rebecca -- See Bean Dishes

Lentil Taco —See Bean Dishes

Mexican Rice Posted By WC_hapamama –See Rice Dishes

Quesadillas

Sweet Potato Burritos Posted By LeahC—See Bean Dishes

Taco Casserole Posted By shelbell —See Bean Dishes

Tamale Casserole Posted By Attila the Honey—See Bean Dishes

Taquitos Posted By bright_eyes – See Poultry Dishes


MIDDLE EASTERN MEALS
Addasi Posted by UmmIbrahim —see Bean Dishes

Coconut Milk-Based Curries over Rice

Curries
Posted By daekini
I love curries, the cost varies depending on what I have in the garden and what is on sale but it works out to 2 meals (1 dinner, one lunch; great in a wrap) for us (2 adults 2 kids). Sauté 1 onion and 2 cloves garlic in olive oil. Add veggies - 4 cups of cauliflower OR potatoes OR your choice (I like potatoes!) Stir in 1 (16-oz) can diced tomatoes Add 1-2 tsp curry powder to taste, cover and let simmer Stir in 1 can chickpeas and 1 cup frozen green peas Dissolve 2 tsp flour in 1 cup milk, stir into skillet until thick. You're done! Serve over rice. Adapted from Vegetarian Family Favorites by Nava Atlas

Curries
Posted By hummingmom:
Indian-style: Make a curry with potatoes and your choice of other vegetable(s), and serve it with sliced hard-boiled egg on top.
Scandinavian-style: Basic split-pea soup simmered with a small amount of reasonably healthy sausage/hot dogs (left whole). Slice the meat and serve it with the soup.
Thai-style: If you have fish sauce and peanut butter on hand, a simplified version of Pad Thai can be made very cheaply. Our local Asian mega-mart often has rice noodles for $0.50/12 oz., coconut milk for less than $1/can, and green onions and cilantro for $0.33/bunch. At those prices, you could make a huge batch (enough for multiple meals) for under $5, including a little tofu or ground chicken if desired. [Coconut milk has lots of good fats and "staying power", but you can make Pad Thai without it. We actually prefer it that way. Just substitute regular milk or water.]
If you made a less-than-huge batch of Pad Thai -- and ended up with leftover tofu/chicken, coconut milk, green onions and cilantro -- you could add a can of straw mushrooms, some stock, and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice (or even vinegar, in a pinch), and make a Thai-style soup to serve with plain rice. [Again, the coconut milk is optional.]
German-style: Spaetzle is super cheap -- basically just a flour and water dough, made into little dumplings that are boiled in water and drained. The spaetzle can be served with butter, applesauce, cream sauce, gravy, or pretty much anything. Children like them, and they make a nice change from noodles.

Hummus and homemade baked tortilla chips. Or pita bread. And some fresh veggies.

Kootu
Posted By Sol_Solved
In a pressure cooker 1/4 cup masoor dal, 1 peeled and cubed potato, 1 cup of veggies (I used frozen carrot and peas) a pinch of turmeric + 1 cup of water until 4 whistles
In the meantime, grind 2 cm of coconut, 3 green chilies, 2 cm of ginger, 5 peppercorns, 1 tsp of cumin seeds + 1 tomato until it makes a smooth paste
1 tbsp of oil in a pan, a pinch of mustard seeds, chana dal and masoor dal until the mustard pops. A few curry leaves. Add the previous paste, fry for a minute, add the veggies with dal and water if needed. Let it come to a boil, turn off heat, add salt. Serve with rice. Now, all these spices can be a bit expensive to buy at first (although Indian stores are rather cheap), but they last so long it's really worth it. In the end we spent barely more than the money for 2 cups of veggies + rice, but it's a nutritious flavorful meal.

Mujadarrah Posted By snowbunny—See Bean Dishes

Spicy Pakistani Chickpea Stew
Posted by *MamaJen*
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tomatoes, chopped (or one can diced, undrained)
• 2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans with liquid (or one big can)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch spinach, kale or other greens, torn into smaller pieces
In a large pot over low heat, warm oil and cumin seeds; heat until cumin turns a darker shade of brown. Add the rest of spices and lemon juice. Stir in tomatoes; once the juice begins to thicken add in chickpeas and mix well. Add onions and cook for about 20 – 30 minutes, until onion is soft. Add greens and cook until tender.

MISC.
Cereal

Cornbread and Milk
Posted By rainbowmoon
Cubed corn bread with milk poured over it served with baked beans on the side. I discovered this from another message board. my kiddos just absolutely love it and it's super cheap!

Oatmeal
Posted By crayon
We eat this a lot too- I add sugar to it and we have buttered toast too

Homemade Bread
Posted By rgarlough
I'll also use my bread machine and make a hearty winter bread with molasses, whole wheat flour, flax, egg & cornmeal. My homemade bread is less than $.20/loaf since I purchased all the stuff in bulk.

Peanut Butter, Apple and Granola Wrap
Posted By becoming
Peanut butter, apple and granola wrapped inside flour tortilla

Popsicles
Posted By henhao
This is not a meal, but it's a treat for your little one and a lot less expensive than store bought. I made popsicles from one banana, about 5 strawberries and some yogurt. I mixed it in the blender, froze them in the popsicle containers and voila! Normally, six popsicles costs about $4, and I made them for much less. Plus, DD happily ate a lot of frozen fruit with vitamin C. =-)
Posted By rachelmarie I had just been using 100% fruit juice to make popsicles, but I like this idea much better! I'll definitely be trying it.


ORIENTAL MEALS
Asian Pork Filling Posted By RoundAbout—See Ham and Pork Dishes

Chirashi Zushi Posted By KathinJapan – See Rice Dishes

Fried Rice Posted By littlemama06, llamalluv, and kijip –See Rice Dishes

Peanut Butter Tofu
Posted By Attila the Honey
The peanut butter chicken recipe is very similar to something I make with tofu. I take firm tofu and freeze it, then thaw it and squeeze out the extra water and cut into cubes. I make that peanut butter sauce and toss the tofu in to coat it and spread it on a baking sheet and bake on 400 until browned and crispy. It's really good!
Peanut Butter Chicken and Rice for reference
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.

Spring rolls
Posted By paxye
Rice Papers are cheap and a package can last a few meals... I fill mine with shredded Cabbage, carrots, onion, garlic, soy sauce and whatever else I feel like (ground pork is good in there too)... just cook the filling until the cabbage and carrots are slightly limp but still have a crunch to them (pork cooked through of course) and then fill the rice papers and roll (you have to soak the rice paper first) I serve them up with a spicy peanut sauce on the side...

Sushi Posted By Red –See Rice Dishes

Veggie Fried Rice Posted By grisandole –See Rice Dishes


PASTA DISHES
Baked Ziti
Posted By littlemama06
Ziti
Spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
A little grated parmesan cheese
Boil pasta, drain and mix well with sauce. It can have meat in it if you eat meat but I just add a bunch of veggies to it. Put in a baking dish and spread with sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes

Cheesy Tomato Mac
Posted By Canadianmommax3
Large Can of Tomato Juice
Elbow macaroni
Shredded cheddar cheese
Cook macaroni to almost done, drain, put back in pot and add the can of tomato juice, salt and pepper and shredded cheese. Bring to boil, once cheese is melted and macaroni is done enjoy. My DH loves it!

Cheesy Tomato Mac
Posted By caiesmommy
Mac and cheese was always a cheap meal growing up. With canned tomatoes. We don’t eat cow’s milk anymore so that's no longer a cheap meal!!

Easy Pasta/Soupy Recipe
Posted By madskye
It's actually somewhere in the middle, depending how much broth you use. Could be under $2 if you buy your beans in bulk, or if you hit the Can Can sale at Shop-rite!
1 box small pasta (Ditalini is best, small shells or orzo or elbows work too...)
1 can diced tomato
1 can vegetable broth, plus enough water to cover past
1 can cannellini beans
Add crushed dried rosemary and boil till pasta is cooked. This is a freewheeling recipe--you can add roasted red pepper to this, or hot crushed pepper. I like it with the rosemary because I get tired of Mexican and Italian and the rosemary swings it over to the French side! You eat this with a spoon, but it's very thick. If you have garlic bread on the side, even better.

Eggplant Canneloni/ "Spinach" Lasagna
Posted By Leta
A can/jar of marinara- homemade, or the $1 tall can from Hunt's
A box of lasagna noodles, or 3-4 eggplants if they are in season/in your garden/cheap
Ricotta cheese- use the "Curds and Whey" recipe on Hillbilly Housewife- it's WONDERFUL! Also super cheap- only milk (powdered milk and water) and white vinegar, plus a little heat greens- frozen or fresh spinach, kale, chard, etc. Onions, garlic, spices, fat, and whatever other veggies you want to include- mushrooms are good. Prepare your noodles per instructions or the eggplant by slicing long ways, salting, allowing to sit for 20 minutes, and then baking at 250 for 20 minutes. Wash, drain and squeeze your greens. Make your ricotta. Get some hot oil or butter in a large sauté pan. Cook chopped onions, garlic, greens, spices, and whatever else goes your yummy goodness. Mix the cooked veggies and the ricotta to make the filling. Add and egg or two if needed- I usually do this, it helps to hold everything together. Now assemble. Pour some marinara in the bottom of a buttered casserole dish, and layer noodles or eggplant and filling until you have filled your dish. Pour the rest of the marinara over the top. Cover the top with shredded mozzarella if desired. Cook on 375 for about 40 minutes. This will feed three hungry people for three or so meals or six hungry people over two meals. It freezes and reheats beautifully. I often do it in four bread pans rather than one giant casserole.

Eggplant 'Lasagna'
Posted By Cassifrass
1 medium to large eggplant (about 1 lb): $1.00
About 2 cups of tomato sauce (canned, jarred, or homemade - I used homemade made from free tomatoes, so this didn't cost me anything)
1/2 a package of mozzarella cheese: $.75
Items already in the cupboard/fridge:
About 1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs mixed with seasonings of your choice
About 3 egg whites whisked with 2 tbsp water (negligible)
Margarine, oil, or non-stick cooking spray
About 3 tbsp grated parmesan
Cut off ends of eggplant and slice very thin. Dip into egg white mixture then coat with breadcrumbs. Fry in heated pan (when using oil, not much is needed) until brown and crispy. In a glass baking dish (I used a 9x9), spread about 1/2 cup of your sauce into the bottom, then lay your eggplant slices down in layers. Cover each layer with a thin coat of sauce before laying down another slice of eggplant, then cover the top with the remainder of the sauce and top with the grated parmesan and cover with mozzarella. Bake at about 400 for about 15 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly. Serve alone or on top of pasta.
*You could also top each layer with ricotta cheese to make it more 'lasagna-like.'

Fettuccini "Alfredo"
Posted By meister31
-------- this was on Oprah a few years back it's healthy & yummy 'Alfredo' sauce
2 cups canned canelli beans w/ liquid
2 cups soy milk (unsweetened)
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
Blend all except cheese put in pot bring to just below simmer add cheese--serve over your favorite pasta

Ham and Cheese Baked Ziti Posted By Norasmomma See Ham and Pork Dishes

Macaroni and White Sauce
Posted By dharmamama
Our new favorite lunch is macaroni with white sauce (from the Hillbilly Housewife, how did I live before I found that site??), peas, and cut up fresh fruit. It probably costs more than $2 because we use whole wheat pasta and rice milk, but I saw FMV regular macaroni for 59 cents today at Kroger, and if you used powdered milk (we can't due to allergy), I'm sure this could be made for 50 cents to a dollar, including fruit.
White sauce copied from the Hillbilly Housewife :
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 tablespoons flour (white or whole wheat)
• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup milk
Get out a quart-sized saucepan. Melt the margarine in it over medium heat. When the margarine is completely melted, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the flour. It will lump up a little bit, so keep stirring it until it is smooth. I use a whisk to do this, but a fork will work in a pinch. Add the salt and pepper and return the pan to the heat. Cook and stir until the flour/margarine mixture bubbles up and sort of sizzles for a moment or two. This step keeps the sauce from having a "raw" flavor, and also permeates the sauce with the seasonings. Gradually stir in the milk. Do it slowly, so it doesn't lump up. Lumpy sauce is not the most aesthetically pleasing, although it still tastes pretty good. So after you stir in the milk, cook the sauce over medium heat until it boils. Stir it quite often, to prevent it from lumping or burning. When it boils, cook and stir it for a full minute, and then remove it from the heat. It is now done.
This sauce tastes really good poured over hot toast and eaten for breakfast. It is also used in many casseroles and a ton of other places. Once you've mastered this sauce, you officially know how to cook. Whole wheat flour makes a slightly ruddier sauce, while white flour gives you the traditional smooth, bright white sauce. Both give good results so use which ever flour you prefer.
Cheese Sauce: Add 1/2 to 1-cup of shredded or cubed cheese to the sauce after it boils for a minute. I usually take it off the burner, add the cheese, and cover the pan. Then I let it sit in the middle of the stove for a minute or two, to soften up the cheese. Stir it up until the cheese melts. Serve anywhere you like.
Bacon Sauce: When the sauce is cooked, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of vegetarian bacon bits. This is really good on baked potatoes and over toast.

Macaroni 'n Tomatoes
Posted By freespirited
3 cups elbow macaroni
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup butter (original recipe calls for 1/2 cup!)
1-2 tbsp Lawry's Seasoning Salt (no substitutions)
Cook and drain noodles, add butter and seasoning salt, mix to coat, add tomatoes, heat through. I tried this for the first time last week and it was sooo yummy! This size above fed me, a hungry DH and our 2 LOs. It's a keeper.

Noodles and Veggies
Posted By Red
Only got $2 and need to buy a dinner? Oodles of noodles...$.16 so say two packages, buy two carrots from the bulk area, ask the produce manager if there's any damaged veggies out back for your rabbits.

Pasta and Tomatoes
Posted By Groovy Mom
Pasta + 1 can of canned tomatoes is good too. Just drain and toss with the pasta.

Pasta (any type) with butter & parmesan cheese

Pasta Bake:
Posted By Tilia
1 box of pasta (my favorite right now is Gemelli) $1.00
1 can of chicken broth $0.50
1 teaspoon garlic salt $0.05
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning $0.05
1/2 cup parmesan $0.20
Total cost: $1.80
Prepare the pasta. Cook according to the package, drain. Dump it into a casserole dish. Pour the broth over the pasta, add the seasonings and mix well. Top with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or so.

Pasta Salad (use leftover veggies)

Pasta 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 broccoli and some spinach too - it was awesome. And no high fructose corn syrup like in those cheap pasta sauces!

Pasta Sauce
Posted By paxye
One of my favorite pasta recipes is dirt cheap and really tasty....
1 can whole Italian tomatoes
4 garlic cloves (crushed)
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil (can use fresh)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Penne noodles (or another noodle)
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Reserving the liquid, drain can of Italian Tomatoes. Spread tomatoes on a shallow pan and cut each in half (cut side up). Sprinkle with the crushed garlic, a tbsp of oil, salt and the basil. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour.
3. In the last 10 minutes add the retained liquid that was in the can.
4. Boil pasta and cut feta into small cubes.
5. When tomatoes are finished baking they will be burnt a bit (that's what you want), transfer all to a small bowl and crush with fork. Add the rest of the oil.
6. Pour the tomato mixture hot pasta and toss.
Posted By aircantu1 I'm eating this right now and oh my gosh, YUM! Seriously delicious! I copied someone else's idea of putting the tomatoes in the food processor after they cook and it's really good.
Questions and paxye’s response: I have cans of tomatoes to use, and I even have feta already. But how much feta? It's missing from the ingredients list . Also, what are Italian tomatoes? Are they seasoned already? Or are they just plum or Roma? I think I'll make this tomorrow night...I took out the Feta from the list because it is a cheaper option... we make both ways and it is equally good... Mozzerella is also really good (cubed also) Anyways.. 1/2 block of Feta is what we use... cut it up in little chunks and toss in with the hot pasta at the end... As for the tomatoes... I use the Pastene Italian Tomatoes (the 796 ml not the 398 ml that is shown) but I have also used whole plum tomatoes and the results were the same.. If you all like the Pasta recipe feel free to rate it on recipezaar
Posted By Jenlaana : I have eaten about a dozen of the meals on this thread and they are GREAT I LOVE the tomatoes and penne recipe that was towards the beginning. My DH doesn’t like the texture of tomatoes so after we cooked them we threw them in the food processor for a minute (along w/ the garlic and olive oil that they cooked with) and it was the BEST tomato sauce. I think I may skip the store bought tomato sauce from now on and just make variations of this recipe instead. Yummy Oh we also added some chicken and baked that w/ the tomatoes and cut it up and threw it in. was very yummy and 1 pc of chicken spread over enough for a whole box of penne and sauce.

Pasta with Cream Cheese Sauce
Posted By katheek77
This assumes you have these items (none are exotic). Obviously, if you're going out to buy a big old' gallon of milk just for this recipe, it's not so cheap.
5 oz cream cheese -78 c (1.25 pkg on sale)
1/4-1/2 C milk -32c (using 1/2 C organic (5.19/gallon)
1 T margarine or butter 3-8c (marg. is 1.00 here, butter is about 2.50/pkg)
1 clove garlic, minced -say 5c (20-30c. head)
2 T grated parmesan - 25c (4.00 for 8oz -and that's kind of pricy)
1 lb pasta - .75 cents (doesn't really matter what kind -elbows, linguine, etc)
Or, you can make your own pasta w/two cups flour (10c), 3 eggs (25c), 1 tsp. salt (pennies), and some water. Under 40c total.
So, it's 2.23 if you buy your pasta and use a full 1/2 C of organic milk and real butter, but it comes in at 1.88 if you make your own pasta. Less if you use less milk and margarine
Sauté garlic in butter. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese to garlic and heat gently - add milk, stir until heated through. If you like, add pepper/salt to taste. Cook pasta, drain. Add parmesan to sauce, toss with pasta.

Pasta with Pesto
Posted By kidspiration
The pesto from trader Joes is decent and it's $1.99 for a container. We use 1/2 of a container so it lasts for 2 meals. Good stuff.

Pasta with sautéed veggies:
Posted By rachelmarie
This is under $2 and super-fast, too. It's simple, but good.
1 lb any type of pasta (I used orzo) - $.50-$1 depending on type and sales
1 lb frozen Italian vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, snow peas, lima beans, etc.) - $1 on sale at Kroger
1 or 2 tbsp olive oil
Oregano, salt, and pepper to taste
Parmesan (we used vegan parm)
Boil the pasta and while it is cooking (orzo takes about 6 or 7 minutes) sauté a bag of frozen Italian vegetables in the oil with the oregano, salt, and pepper. I let them cook for awhile so they won't taste like frozen vegetables. Combine the pasta and veggies when both are done. Next time I think I'll add chickpeas for some more protein.

Ramen and Veggies
Posted By serenetabbie
Ramen pride made with the leftover bits of veggies in the freezer or spinach is something the kids and I eat quite often when DH is at work.

Ramen Noodles
Posted By grniys
I can get those for like, .11 a pack. (I usually boil those until almost done, drain, rinse and reboil.) Add whatever kind of sauce you like or want. My husband likes a spicy garlic sauce, or you can buy jarred sauces and add a dab and it only adds a couple pennies to the cost. Or, use peanut butter, soy sauce, a dab of lemon, some garlic and whatever else and make your own peanut sauce (it may take time to find a tasty combination). Cook up a pork chop if you eat meat (if I get them in the huge family packs on sale one pork chop only adds about .50 onto the cost). If you have frozen veggies or fresh add them. You can make it as simple or elaborate as you like, and it really doesn't cost much at all. When we were really broke I used to do ramen noodle recipes for lunch sometimes. It costs nearly nothing and you can think up a million combinations.

Ravioli or Tortellini
Posted By Sonnenwende
If you have a Meijer, it is really cheap to buy their 4lb bags of frozen ravioli or tortellini. Just pour some cheap tomato sauce on it and a little bit of cheese and there you go. The ravioli is really good. I get about 4-5 meals out of a bag, easy, for 3 people. Lazy to do to boot!

Regular Pasta With Broccoli
Posted By Groovy Mom
Cooked pasta + cooked broccoli = meal. We use Olive Oil, grated cheese, vinegar and red pepper flakes as condiments.

Simple Pasta
Posted By doublesnap
Simple pasta tossed with olive oil and garlic, I add some cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese. It's easy to make tons at a time and bring to work the next day.

Sloppy Bows
Posted By littlemama06
(this was our favorite when we were kids, I kind of hate it now but kids love it and my DH loves it)
1 box bow tie pasta
1 can sloppy Joe mix
A little cheese.
Cook pasta, drain and mix with sloppy Joe sauce. Put in baking dish and put a little shredded cheese on top. Bake for about 20 minutes

Spaghetti with Broccoli
Posted By madskye
Thin spaghetti with chopped steamed broccoli and garlic is good. Cook the spaghetti, steam small chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen) and then sauté with garlic and oil. And a dash of cayenne pepper if you like it spicy. 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.

Spicy Peanut Noodles

Stir-fry with pasta
Posted By Tilia
Double recipe
1 lb carrots $0.75
8 stalks of celery $1.00
2 yellow or white onions $0.40
1 box mini farfalle $1.00
1 can chicken broth $0.50
1 T. garlic powder $0.05
1 T. paprika $0.05
Total $3.75 for double recipe
Chop the veggies and sauté them in olive oil until the onions are clear. Cook the pasta according to the directions. I use a stock pot because it’s a double recipe and it won't fit in a Dutch oven. Drain the pasta, put it back in the pot, and toss in all the ingredients. Cook on low until it’s all warm.

Tomatoes and Couscous
Posted By chel
Make couscous
(2/3c couscous and 3/4c water)
Tomatoes - simmer below stuff together till couscous is done then put on top of couscous
1 can diced tomatoes
1TBS red wine vinegar
1 TBS lemon juice
Garlic powder to taste
Sprinkles of crushed red pepper

Tomato Pesto
Posted By Red
I got tomatoes on sale for .25 apiece this week. Dried them and made tomato pesto with a .33 box of pasta. (Walnuts instead of pine nuts)

TVP Macaroni
Posted By dharmamama
3 cups dry macaroni
3/4 cup TVP
Butter
Onion
Salt/pepper
Oregano (optional)
Bouillon
Olive oil
Cook the macaroni and dissolve 1/2 a bouillon cube in it. Reconstitute the TVP in water with 1/2 cube bouillon in it. Fry the onion in olive oil, then add the TVP and brown. Melt butter in the macaroni. Mix the TVP and macaroni, add seasonings to taste. My family eats this with peas as a veggie and it's a family favorite. My DH created this recipe.

SAUCES
Sauce Hint: Posted By llamalluv
When I make chili or spaghetti sauce, I save the leftovers in 1-cup portions and pop them into the freezer.

Crockpot Tomato Sauce
Posted By daekini
I make a Crockpot tomato sauce for pasta that is good for about 5 meals, so it works out to be less than $2/meal. I use it for spaghetti, lasagna, manicotti, ravioli, etc...
1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, sometimes a small pepper, and a shredded carrot (sometimes I also use shredded zucchini - great for that summer bumper crop), all sautéed in olive oil
3 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes or a bunch of your garden tomatoes chopped up to an equivalent amount
3/4 c dry red wine or 1/2 cup water
2 tsp turbinado or regular brown sugar
2 tsp dry or fresh basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
Pepper, to taste
Put all in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Use some today, and then freeze in smaller portions to use later. This recipe was adapted from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson.


Sauce
Posted By texasmommatotwo
A great sauce for cheap is
1 can cream of whatever soup (.89?)
1 cup of mayo (.40?)
1 tsp curry (or more to taste) (pennies)
Leftover cooked white meat (optional)
Cooked rice (.50)
Mix together and heat. Serve over rice. We also add in chicken and broccoli. I know it sounds weird cause of the mayo, but it is great! Not so healthy, but DH loves this. Lasts for two meals and lunch.
Posted By Paxjourney: This sounds like a great I'll have to give it a try. Another thing to do is to if omitting the meat and having the rice is to also add beans this would then make it a complete protein meal and be a tad more nutritious. I'm thinking maybe just a white bean like a great northern

Sauce
Posted By texasmommatotwo
Another weird sounding one is
2 cans cream of celery (1.50)
1 can rotel (.89)
Italian seasoning (pennies)
1 chopped onion (.20)
Butter (.10?)
sauté onion (garlic too if you have it) in butter, mix in the rest and heat through, add cooked chicken or shrimp (optional) and pour over cooked rice. Spicy and delicious. This usually lasts us (2 adults, kiddo won't eat, too spicy) two meals and then some for my lunch.

Spaghetti Sauce
Posted By ***Heather***
Brown hamburger with onion, green pepper etc (whatever is on hand) add can of diced tomatoes and let simmer. To thicken sauce, mix 1t-1T flour in a glass with warm water, stir into sauce.

West African Peanut Sauce
Posted By nicoley73
Sauté half an onion. Add equal parts peanut butter and tomato paste - I use about 1/2 small can of tomato paste. Heat up one Maggi beef bouillon cube in one cup of water and pour it in. It must be Maggi to be authentic. Mix and heat until simmering. I usually add in tofu, but if I'm being very cheap then it's boiled potato. Serve over rice.

SOUPS
Baked Potato Soup Posted By beansricerevolt –See Potato Dishes

Bean Soups Posted by rgarlough, BusyMommy, and luv-my-boys – See Bean Dishes

Black Bean Soup Posted By BeauGeek and -Attila the Honey-- - See Bean Dishes

Black Bean Vegetable Soup Posted By bright_eyes -- See Bean Dishes

Broths
Posted By Red
I either use homemade, a small can of the store brand (.50 cents) or a couple of cups of water and a bouillon cube. I've never paid $3.50 for a can of broth.

Buckwheat and Bean Chili
Cheap and filling, too.

Carrot Ginger Soup and Biscuits or Sourdough

Chicken Veggie Soup Posted By bec – See Poultry Dishes

Easy Veggie Broth
Posted By Attila the Honey
I am a vegetarian, and we always have broth because whenever I cook a vegetable, any kind, I put the cooking water into an ice cube tray and freeze it. When it's frozen I add it to my big bag of broth cubes. When it is all simmered together it makes a good vegetable broth, or at least close enough for my taste.

Egg Drop Soup Posted By amyamanda—See Egg Meals

Fake Chicken Broth
Posted By Attila the Honey
If for some reason I don't have broth, or I want to make a 'chicken style' broth I just fake it with water, salt, some liquid aminos and some chicken style herb/spice mix that I buy in bulk at our co-op. It might not be the real thing, but it tastes good and does the job.

Five Can Soup
Posted By MelanieMC
1 can Ro*Tel tomatoes (any brand really)
1 can of chili with beans
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can vegetable beef soup (or just veggie if you don't want the beef)
1 can of tomato soup
Combine all cans into one pot and heat until warm, or cook in the crock pot. This can be served with corn chips or cornbread. All of the ingredients are very cheap to buy - usually I can get all of it at a dollar store 4 cans for $1. When we make it we double the recipe, so it's really 10 can soup (and we usually have leftovers, which are good). It's yummy and very filling. Sometimes we eat it over cornbread as a soup, or we dip it with corn chips.
Posted By 2 in August: I just made this and it is good. I added a can of ranch style baked beans, some frozen peas and carrots, some ABC pasta and a couple diced potatoes.

French Onion Soup
Posted By wife&mommy
We are having this tomorrow; it’s just onions, broth, cheese, and bread on top if you like.

Italian White Bean Soup Posted By normajean-- See Bean Dishes

Lentil Soup Posted By *MamaJen* and PumpkinSeeds -- See Bean Dishes

Lentil Stew Posted By amyamanda-- See Bean Dishes

Miso Soup
Posted By caiesmommy
Sooooooooo good!!!!
Broth or water
Miso to taste
Sliced or dried mushrooms
Chopped tofu or chicken
Chopped green onions
Sesame seeds
Garlic
Ginger
Cook all together. But don’t let miso boil loses healing abilities!!

Miso Soup
Posted By kidspiration
I usually put whatever veggies I have in the fridge, so it's a hodgepodge. Carrots, peppers, onion, zucchini, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash/pumpkin etc. along with a block of tofu and miso paste to taste. Fast, easy, nutritious and I make a huge batch that easily lasts us several dinners and lunches.

Potato Leek Soup Posted By Red –See Potato Dishes

Pea Soup
Posted By jenangelcat
1lb split peas, rinsed and sorted 1.00
Ham bone free
1 onion, chopped
Salt, pepper to taste.
Water
Put peas, ham Bone, onion (sauté first if you'd like), salt and pepper in a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low until peas have turned into a liquidy mush. Remove ham bone and serve. I'm guessing this makes about 8 one cup servings. It's still in my pot so I haven't measure yet. So that would be about $0.12 a serving. I usually serve this with some kind of homemade bun.

Pinto Bean Soup with Tortillas

Poor Man's Soup
Posted By elizawill
You can make this in a crockpot or on the stove.
1 large baking potato (or a few small red ones) cut into bite size pieces
1 or 2 cans of mushroom soup
Add 1 or 2 cans of water
1 can carrots
1 can peas
1 can corn
1 can green beans
Salt & Pepper to taste
Add hot sauce (about 2 tablespoons)
Cook on high for 3 hours in Crockpot or until potatoes are done this is a delicious filling cheap soup! You can use 1/2 bag of frozen mixed veggies too in place of the cans.

Potato Soup

Red Lentil Soup Posted By freespirited—See Bean Dishes

Sopa de Fideos con Acelgas
Posted By rainbowmoon
(Mexican tomato noodle soup w/ Swiss chard)
2 tsp. veg oil
8oz fideos or angel hair pasta (broken into 1 inch pieces)
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 cloves garlic minced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes or you can use just reg. tomatoes (or even tom paste mixed w. water to = 28 oz- in a pinch!)
2 cups veggie broth, chicken stock or water (whatever you have on hand will work, use some extra spices and garlic/onion if you use water)
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
Salt, pepper
1 bunch Swiss chard (ribs removed and cut into thin strips)
Heat oil in a skillet then add noodles, onion and garlic. Stir constantly and cook until spaghetti pieces are golden. Add everything but the Swiss chard to a soup pot. Bring to a boil over med-high heat then cover and simmer 10 min. add Swiss chard. Cook another 5-10 min. until chard is nice and wilty. Remove bay leaf before serving. You can top this with parmesan cheese but it's good without it!

Spinach and Egg Soup
Posted By PennyRoo
I often make a soup where I simmer veggie broth, then add a package of chopped spinach, then stir in a couple of beaten eggs. Sprinkle in a handful of grated parm, add a few grinds of pepper, and it's done! (PS If I have it on hand I sometimes add a few frozen shrimp along with the eggs. You could also add some leftover shredded chicken or turkey if you eat it.)

Split pea soup Posted By madskye—See Bean Dishes

Tomato Curry Soup
Posted By MamaPam
In saucepan, melt: 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
Add: 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. curry
1/4 tsp. onion powder
Stir with whisk until thick and bubbly.
Gradually add 46 oz. 100% tomato juice and 1/4 cup sugar
We add more curry but I'm not sure how much more. We also make grilled cheese or cheese quesadillas usually with this. I'm not sure of the total cost, but it is super cheap for us because we can get the tomato juice, and cheddar cheese to top the soup and for the grilled cheese on WIC.

Tomato Soup with Dumplings
Posted By serenetabbie
Something my mother used to make when she was a kid growing up very, very poor (I am talking one meal a day, no running hot water or indoor bathroom poor) was "tomato soup with dumplings". You take on large can of tomato juice and put it on to boil in a big pan. Then you mix flour and a little salt with water until it is sticky and drop that into the "soup" by the spoonful. They are done when they puff up and are not gooey in the middle. It's good and costs about $1 if you buy generic tomato juice.

Tortilla Soup

Veg. Chili and Cornbread

Vegetable Soup
Posted By Red
You can make a huge pot for under $2. Use the veggie scrapings, or leftover vegetables that will soon go bad some garlic, and a few bouillon cubes if you want. Any less than spiffy veggies can go in for the broth too. Simmer all day. Strain; add salt, pepper, lots more garlic, a couple of carrots, a few potatoes or some uncooked rice, a stalk of celery, whatever you have.
Posted By karne: We also make veggie soup out of any veggies in the fridge, and water, with a little stock. I find that my kids love any soup as long as there is fresh bread and grated cheese to sprinkle on top!

White Bean Soup Posted By Tilia—See Bean Dishes

White Bean and Ham Soup Posted by beansricerevolt—See Bean Dishes

Yummy Lentil Potato Soup Posted By dharmamama—See Bean Dishes


VEGETABLE DISHES
*NOTE Because meat tends to be expensive most of the recipes in this compilation are vegetable based, the ones listed here do not fit in any other category.

Baked Polenta
Posted By Sol_Solved
So today was a success, we had baked polenta: (for 2 people)
1 cup cornmeal bought from bulk (I am pretty sure this was 20 cents on sale)
2 cups organic milk (it can be made with just 4 cups of water, but I like the extra nutrition, so I do 2 and 2) It's 75 cents
I cooked the polenta yesterday and it didn't come that well. It was lumpy and not too tasty, at least compared to my polenta back at home. Usually, I must admit I would have just thrown it away. But I let it cool overnight and cut circles with a glass and sliced it really thin and baked it on a cookie sheet for about one hour. Now it's yummy! I mashed and recooked all the small odds and ends from cutting with some water and that's cooling now for a next batch.
Then, I added: 1 Tbsp olive oil for the cookie sheet (1/50th of a 750 ml bottle) 20 cents 4 Tbsp tomato sauce (we still have jarred, but I make yummy inexpensive sauce with a big can of organic diced tomatoes for $2 and half an onion for $0.50, and I get about 4 cups of sauce) Let's say it was 10 cents of sauce, because it was less than a quarter cup.2 Tbsp grated mozzarella cheese, this was hormone-free and the last cheese we had. I can't see it being over 30 cents. $1.45 We added just some steamed frozen veggies, and voila!

Roasted Root Veggies
Posted By caiesmommy
My DH favorite is roasted root veggies!!! We buy huge bags! Granted they are more than 2 dollars but they last forever!!!

Spinach cakes
Posted By beansricerevolt
2t. olive oil
1c. chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 package frozen spinach, thawed
2/3c. Instant potato flakes
2 eggs beaten
1/4c. Parmesan cheese grated
2t. rosemary
1/2c. Breadcrumbs
1/2t. Salt
1/2t. Pepper
Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and spinach sauté for 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and combine well mixture should be thick and scoopable scoop into 1-3/4 inch balls and flatten into patties sauté both sides of cakes until golden brown (you may need to add oil in pan before so it doesn't stick)
place cakes on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 375 We serve with marinara sauce.

Sweet Potato Hash
Posted by Nourishing Bodies
Grind raw sweet potato in food processor until hash-like. Heat some olive oil in skillet
Cook sweet potatoes just 5-10 minutes until soft While cooking, melt butter in another skillet and add a clove of garlic and some sage leaves. Once browned, drizzle over the hash and serve. Brown rice and aduki beans warmed up (used leftover brown rice) with the sage butter drizzled throughout. Sauted swiss chard, cut into little strips, and lightly cooked in the skillet the butter was made. Beautiful, healthy, and satisfying dinner....under $2 a person!

Stewed Tomatoes in Crackers
Posted By mum4boys
Stewed tomatoes, crushed up soda crackers and seasoning. I can get the tomatoes for 40 cents without a coupon and crackers 1/2 of a sleeve which cost 12 /12 cents.

Stir-Fried Tofu and Green Beans
Posted By SiValleySteph
We use the organic tofu from Trader Joes - 99cents per block.
Frozen French green beans from Trader Joes - $2/bag, maybe? We use about 1/2 bag.
Some rice, we buy in bulk, so I don't know how much 1-1/2 c of (precooked) rice is.
Cube tofu and stir-fry in a small amount of oil over high heat until nice & crispy. Add in the green beans, some season salt and soy sauce, keep stir-frying until done. Serve over rice.

Succotash
Posted By ***Heather***
Our families version: Always starts off with can of corn, can of kidney beans then include some/all of following: onion, green pepper, diced tomato, other kinds of dried bean. Add milk and smidge of butter for broth, pour over buttered or toasted bread.

Veggie Burgers Posted By RoundAbout—See Bean Dishes

[Mirta]

Complilation Completed!!

You can find all the documents in Posts 370, 371, 377 and 384, or you can message me and I will send you the 50 page word document. (it is nicer having it all together in one document and neatly formated.)

Enjoy your frugal cooking!!

Kym

[jjrsgirl]

Mirta, you are AWESOME!!! Thanks so very much!!! ::

[jessjgh1]

Oh wow, just found this thread and the compilation.... wow!
Jessica

[Mamatolea]

Mirta! You rock lady!!

What an amazing complitation!! Thank you!!!

[sunanthem]

How about grilled cheese sandwiches? You can add a slice of tomato or red onion to jazz em up.

Or homemade mac n cheese?
Deviled eggs are also cheap, easy and a nice addition to a meal.

[healthymom01]

I am new here and just found this thread. I am so glad I only looked through 4 pages before deciding to skip to the end. Thank you so much for putting the compilations together - amazingly helpful!!!

[holyhelianthus]

Holy cow Mirta! You are superwoman!! Thanks so much for all of that!! :

[Theoretica]

OMG it's soooo awesome, thank you so much!!!

[ian'smommaya]

this is a fantastic thread. thanks so much everyone for your additions.

[Pampered Chef]

Asian Pork Noodle Skillet - Meals around $2

There is a great video meals around $2. Check it out.

[Tilia]

I this thread, so I am bumping it up.

[momof7plusone]

Maybe I haven't had enough coffee yet or the kids have hidden my brain somewhere, but what is APF?  ( in post 336 )

Edited by momof7plusone - 5/19/11 at 7:09am

[swd12422]

Originally Posted by momof7plusone 

Maybe I haven't had enough coffee yet or the kids have hidden my brain somewhere, but what is APF?  ( in post 336 )

All-purpose flour?

[Chicky2]

Yep, all purpose flour (she had in parentheses that she had used "WW"--whole wheat flour)

Originally Posted by momof7plusone 

Maybe I haven't had enough coffee yet or the kids have hidden my brain somewhere, but what is APF?  ( in post 336 )

[Kaitlyn811]

haha I love this thread! Mainly because I grew up in a household where it was ALL about cheap meals. My mama is mostly italian so we had LOTS of pasta dishes. I cook that way now, my boyfriend lucked out with me (: I love to cook. Did anyone mention Goulash? That's a cheap meal! I need to use beans at least 2x a week..but BF just LOVES meat. *sigh*

[Honey693]

subbing