Frugal Meals

[wolfe]

What is the most frugal meal you prepare?

[Shamrock1121]

My frugal meals would include:

1. Homemade Tortillas and "Instant" Refried Beans - I make whole wheat tortillas from free wheat that I mill into flour. I also mill pinto beans into bean flour and make "instant" refried beans with it (cooks in about 8 minutes so it's a good energy efficient way to make refried beans), adding spices to taste. Add some fresh lettuce (homegrown) or other chopped greens. Don't discount using chopped fresh parsley in things like tacos/sanchos (you can grow parsley indoors year round). A dab of homemade kefir instead of sour cream, or some grated cheddar cheese. Add some fresh fruit - apples, pears, oranges or grapefruit this time of the year, or canned fruit.

2. Breakfast, any time of the day is usually a frugal meal. Wholegrain pancakes, eggs cooked in many ways, citrus fruit, fritattas with chopped vegetables, French Toast from stale bread. Homemade granola and yogurt is a favorite quick lunch for me.

3. One of my favorite lunches is 10-12 almonds, a couple stalks of celery, a piece of cheddar cheese, and a piece of fruit.

4. Soup - I save dabs of leftover meat and vegetables in a freezer container. When there's enough accumulation, I make soup out of it.

Stew - A bit heartier than soup. I cut my own stew meat - usually there's a chunk from a beef/bison roast that gets cut up for stew meat - same with any other piece of red meat that has a small portion that can be removed from the "whole". I freeze these small amounts of chopped meat until I have enough for stew. "Stew Meat" at the store is a rediculous price.

5. Sandwiches can be pretty frugal. We like to grill them. Grilled sandwiches are a good use of homemade bread that gets a bit dry by day 4 or 5.

6. Pizza is also a frugal meal. I usually make a pizza on Sunday using up leftover veggies or bits of meat. I use plain old inexpensive canned tomato sauce and add Italian Spices to it to spice it up a bit. Much cheaper than store-bought pizza sauce. I also freeze any leftover tomato sauce to use in soups or on next weeks pizza. Homemade crust, or the inexpensive crust mixes from the store are a bargain over the pre-made crusts.

7. Spaghetti with or without meat sauce.

8. Macaroni and cheese. Add some bits of ham with chili powder, or some tuna for a whole different taste. Macaroni and tomatoes. Macaroni and tuna or chicken casserole....

9. Red beans and rice.

10. Chicken and homemade noodles.

11. Bisquick has a number of "Impossible Pie" recipes that are frugal to make. I make a homemade version of Bisquick that has whole grains in it (including oatmeal, cornmeal, flaxmeal and whole wheat flour, and that increases the fiber and nutrition. My homemade baking mix is one of my favorite ingredients. I can make it into all kinds of things, from pizza crust to desserts.

-Karen

[MYellowRose]

* Frugal meals I make include biscuits & jelly; pancakes & syrup, sometimes with a sausage patty alongside; pancakes with over-easy eggs atop; oatmeal, brown sugar & raisins; and grits. *
I absolutely LOVE sandwiches. Since it gets so miserably hot here during the summer I seldom actually turn on the stove except for maybe cooking eggs for breakfast. I'd love to put everything in sight on my sandwiches but usually they're simple ones, peanut butter & jelly; cheese, cold or grilled; turkey and cheese; and so on.
My canned veggie soup is frugal, just open several cans of vegetables and mix them together. I usually use corn, green beans, carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes. Since these are full-size cans I can get several meals from one pot of soup. I freeze the extras then was reheating them in the microwave but since it's down I'll have to actually thaw them and reheat them on the stove now.
Tacos of just about any kind are not only frugal, they're filling. I make potato and egg and if I've got it I may cook up some sausage and add it. I always, that is if I've got it, dice up some onion and add it to the potatoes just before they're done, though sometimes I wait and add them with the eggs so they're still somewhat crunchy.
Mexican rice as my neighbor calls it, pour some oil in a skillet, add a cup of rice and brown it, then add a small can of tomato sauce and enough water to cook the rice. You can also add both onion and diced bell pepper if you like. Season to taste with salt, pepper, cumin, and your preferred spices.
Then of course there's the perennial bowl of beans and a wedge of cornbread. Ummm!

[MarechalNiel]

I go catch and kill a chicken and get a few eggs out of the henhouse. Make chicken soup and dumplings.

[AlchemyAcres]

This time of year....
Fresh caught grilled panfish (bluegills)...Sunchokes....Home-grown Kale salad topped with hickory nuts, a hard boiled egg, homemade apple cider herb vinaigrette, tomato, carrot, lovage and scallions from the garden. Everything is 'free' except for the EVOO used to make the vinaigrette.

'Venison' season starts in less that 2 weeks, can't wait!!!


~Martin :)

[leera]

MMMM......venison...........hubby is not going to be able to go out this year...........

Frugal meals:

Spaghetti.......

beef stew.......

grits.....

pancakes........

fish if we caught any.......only made it out twice this year....

soup......

I like to slow roast a chicken,and then use the leftovers for soup the next day........same with turkey.

We'll grill steak or chicken on day,and the next use the leftovers for fajitas........

[Txanne]

This time of year....
Fresh caught grilled panfish (bluegills)...Sunchokes....Home-grown Kale salad topped with hickory nuts, a hard boiled egg, homemade apple cider herb vinaigrette, tomato, carrot, lovage and scallions from the garden. Everything is 'free' except for the EVOO used to make the vinaigrette.

'Venison' season starts in less that 2 weeks, can't wait!!!


~Martin :)


I am coming to your house for supper. ;D

I make a hamburger soup---throw in tortilla chips--
Eat on it for days--well at least 3--its cheap and easy.

Love the stuff.
also---pancakes--one of my favorite.

annie

[scoutinlife]

Tonight it's roasted pheasant with rice and fresh baked rye bread! ;D

Next Monday deer season starts wish me luck!!!!

Have fish at least once a week still have a few trout, smallmouth bass and redeye left in the freezer from fishing trips this spring and summer!!! :)

[nancy1340]

My very favorite frugal meal is potatoes fried with green onion & jalapenos. Served with sliced fresh garden tomatoes. Yummmy.

Hell it's my favorite meal anyway. Frugal or not.

[12vman]

A can or two of lightly smoked sardines, A can of condensed milk and a few crackers. Oh, And a cup of Hobo coffee.. ;)

[hillbilly_mom]

When we kill a deer we take all the meat off the bones that we can get and freeze it. Then I boil the bones and let them simmer all night in the roaster oven with a little salt added. Then I take the meat off the bones and can that in jars with the broth. I usually get 1/4 a quart jar of meat per jar of broth. I make HM noodles with an egg and a little flour. Boil the meat and broth, with the noodles in it, until the noodles are done. Use a little flour to thicken the broth into gravy. There is deer meat and noodles. Total cost of the dish is around 25 - 30¢. It will feed 4 people easily. If you have a couple of potatoes you can boil those as a side dish and maybe add another veggie also.

If things are REALLY tight you can buy a generic box of mac and cheese and make that. Go to the bread thrift store and buy a loaf old day old bread and have peanut butter on toasted bread sandwiches, besides the macaroni and cheese. That meal can cost you about $2 for the whole family.

[leera]

We have a budget of $100.00 a month for food....so that puts us at a max. of $3.33 per day for two people...........we eat a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches and PBJ...............

But we also don't go hungry.........

I sometimes make a beef roast in the slow cooker,then use the leftovers to make soup or stew.........

Chicken same thing......leftovers get made into soup,so does turkey.........(but I already said that)

But I also bring home the short dated/outdated cereal from work,Cheerioes,Special K,things like that.......so breakfast is often only the cost of the milk to put on it.

My aunts usually give us the rice,beans,dry milk,and instant potatoes from their food boxes.So I don't have to buy those either.

Sometimes I'll spend the whole budget on meat,and stock up for 6 months or more......... :)

[gump]

This time of year....
Fresh caught grilled panfish (bluegills)...

AA -

What kind of seasoning do you use? I have always pan fried mine so I am curious.

[AlchemyAcres]

I marinate them...no special recipe...

A clove of garlic..
Some minced onion....
Pinch of Cayenne...
Lemon juice from my little Meyer lemons...or white wine vinegar from a big batch I made 3 years ago...
Rosemary and Thyme...
A bay leaf...
A bit of fresh ginger...(Potted Ginger)
Salt and Pepper....


~Martin :)

[braegen]

Beans (most dried beans). some meat grease and dehydrated onions is about as cheap as one can get next to rice or pasta. Salt and pepper helps.

May not be the tastiest, but will keep you going unless carbs is an issue.

Ramen Noodles will also hit the spot when funds are low. 3 or 4 packages for a dollar with some hot water added. About 350 calories per package. 4 packages a day will supply enough calories to live on.

I wonder how many collage kids have lived off of Ramens? ::)

[nancy1340]

Ramen Noodles will also hit the spot when funds are low. *3 or 4 packages for a dollar


:o Dango fella, those are some expencive noodles. I think I get 'em 10 for a dollar at Wally World.

[sunshine]

we hunt -- so for us:

Rabbit burgers (ground rabbit meat- made into patties and fried)

cattail biscuits

sweet potato fries (sweet potatoes from the garden)

fruits from our orchard ( this time of year- would be home canned)


If I have to purchase the foods:

creamed eggs over toast
canned spinach
broiled bananas

[candy]

what are cattail biscuits sunshine?

[nancy1340]

Ahhhh Yes. Stale leftovers. ;)

[gump]

Well, my 2 cents. I buy the Barilla Plus pasta and mix it with my version of spicy Thai peanut sauce.

Peanut sauce:
Saute some soy sauce low sodium, fresh ginger & fresh garlic (you don't need much), vinegar (rice vinegar is best but not required), little honey to thicken and offset the vinegar & red pepper flakes.

Take it away from the heat and mix in the pasta & peanut butter. Pretty cheap and healthy.

[tufhelp]

Great northern beans, cornbread, onions and tomatoes. My wife is from Kentucky and she introduced me to this delicious stick to the ribs inexpensive meal. Prepare the GNB and then serve in a bowl, then crumble cornbread over them sprinkle with chopped onions and tomatoes. I spiced up the recipe a bit by adding the mandatory New Mexico flair of chopped green chile during the bean cooking phase.

[green5acres]

Tonight I made Hot Pepper and Egg sandwiches, I just had to buy the rolls, The peppers were from the garden & eggs from chickies

[Penny_Plinker]

This isn't a main meal, you need somethig else for your meat...but we like to take cabbage and slice it thin, boil a big pot full and then drain it and add butter and a quarter cup of vinegar. Serve sliced onions on top. You can get filled up and it only cost 33 cents a lb or sometimes less.

Penny

[MYellowRose]

Tufhelp that sounds similar to one of my childhood meals. A bowl of pinto beans, cornbread, and chopped onion. Ummm good!

[Uncle_Alvah]

My most frugal meal is box mac and cheese with chopped hot dogs added.

Between that and eating lots of eggs, I fully expect to be spared the agony of old age.

[humbug]

Some of my frugal meals:

Chili made in a crock-pot
red beans and rice
homemade biscuits and gravy
split pea soup
split pea patties
soup made from weeks leftovers

I try to use things that need to be used up from the garden or the pantry. It makes some pretty interesting meals.

[Uncle_Alvah]

A bowl of pinto beans, cornbread, and chopped onion.
I make a lot of pintos. If I don't have, or am trying to avoid, bacon or a hambone or whatever to add, I put a few beef bullion cubes in with them.

[Mountaingirlnc]

Hello,

Something I have been doing is taking stale cake instead of throwing it away and crumbling it up like bread crumbs. In a pan melt a little butter and brown sugar. (like you would for a graham cracker crust) and pour over cake crumbs. If you have it you can add a pkg of store brand instant maple brown sugar oatmeal. or some nuts. I also add a small amount of Cinnamon if it is a plain cake. You can put this on top of an apple pie or baked apples or applesauce. This is great over cooked sweet potatoes, ice cream etc. Stores great in freezer too.

Also just put stale cake cut in slices in oven and toast till light golden brown, take out and put apples or fruit over it, or ice cream...(can you tell I love Ice cream) ;D ;D ;D
This makes a wonderful dish too.

[Danielle]

Karen (Shamrock)

I was reading your post about the homemade whole wheat flour tortillas....I make my own tortillas a lot out of unbleached organic because my attempts at whole wheat have always been really awful. I can't get any stretch in them and we can't use them for burros at all. What do you do to make them actually come out like a tortilla should?
Also.....learn from my mistake everyone- regarding the instant refried beans. It's an awesome trick- with fresh pintos. The older your beans the longer they are going to take. The last time I tried that with my Y2K beans I ended up throwing them out. It would have been faster to pressure cook the whole, unsoaked bean and then refry them.

Oh yes~ Hi Everyone! It's been ages since I was able to be here and it's good to be back.

Thank you ahead of time, Karen.

Danielle

[rideaway]

Just did one last nite. About 1/2 lb of ground beef, browned w/ onion and garlice, spread onto homemade biscuit dough, then rolled like a jelly roll, sliced like a cinnamon roll, baked, topped w/ cheap brown gravy and served w/ homecanned green beans and applesauce.

[Danielle]

That sounds really yummy, Ride. I'll have to try that.....thanks for sharing.

[bookwormom]

just got bags of split green peas and lentils for 35 cents a bag at the Amish salvage store.
I make lentil chilly, green pea soup is a favorite, so are all bean soups.
I only cook beans in the winter when I have a fire going, add marjoram and a bayleaf for flavor, it is better than it sounds, husband loves my bean soup. When the beans are almost done I add some chopped up potatoes and let them simmer along until soft, I have also added a can of creamed corn to the beans. for a different flavor once in a while I may get a bratwurst to add, one is all it takes. but that is rare. At ALDI a 2 pound bag of beans sells for 99 cents now.

[MYellowRose]

Ride away my mother made something similar but she used canned jack mackerel instead of the beef. Don't remember what we put on top, probably nothing, but it was a cheap filling meal.