Stir-fries are great. Use whatever cut of meat is on sale (watch for chicken breasts $1.99/lb - most stores have that sale price occasionally - buy a bunch and freeze them individually). Use frozen veggies or inexpensive fresh veggies like carrots, zucchini, or green beans. Serve over rice.

Meatloaf

Chicken pot pie

Ratatouille - roast a bunch of veggies (zucchini, eggplant, plum tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, etc), then simmer until it's a stew-like consistency. Serve over egg noodles.

Loaded baked potato - top with ground beef, cheese, diced tomatoes

Fried rice - take refrigerated leftover rice (drier and the texture is better for this purpose) and stir fry over high heat with an egg or two, onion, garlic, and whatever fresh/frozen veggies, meats, etc you have on hand. It's GREAT for using up little bits and pieces.

Also, stuffed green peppers - the peppers themselves are really cheap and you can make them with a base of rice and whatever sauces, meats, and veggies you want.

Make a big pot of meat sauce and freeze in portions. You can use it over spaghetti, in sloppy joes, or add kidney beans to it for chili, which opens up even more possibilities. One of my favorite multi-purpose foods. I use it all the time in aforementioned stuffed peppers.

I stockpile ingredients like pasta, rice, frozen veggies, frozen chicken breast, etc. that I buy in bulk when I find on sale. I can make a huge variety of dishes from what I have frozen and in the pantry. I add frozen veggies to EVERYTHING. So much easier than dealing with the waste and frequent buying of fresh.

Brown Rice and dried beans are cheap and healthy. Also lentils and barley. A few dried spices, a jar of bay leaves, and some bullion (sp?) cubes with spice them up. Use ground meat or a sausage in small amounts.

Only eat fruits and veg that are in season and on sale.

Anonymous wrote:Check out budget bytes website. I've used many of her recipes, and making her red beans and rice for tonight. Also daal with rice is another pretty cheap one, just not spicy for the kids.

+1 - love the Vegan Red Lentil Stew

Look at Melissa d'Arabian's 10 dollar dinner recipes on the Food Network website. Sandra Lee also has budget meals but I don't like her food.

if you cook a pork butt in a dutch oven or slow cooker you can have at least 3 full meals. We do pork tacos the first night with corn tortillas, toppings, and beans as a side. for leftovers I'll do quesadillas for the kids with a veggie side and for the adults omlettes with roasted potatoes. The third night will be some sort of casserole or tamale pie.

grilled cheese

breakfast for dinner

Anonymous wrote:So we need to severly cut down on our spending for the next few months and when looking at our budget we realized we spend a ridiculous amount on food every month. We have a toddler and a new baby. We are attempting to have a list of about 10-15 things for dinner that are cheap, easy to make and still tasty. The problem is I have only come up with a few:
1. Spaghetti and meatballs
2. Soup( minestrone, lentil etc.)
3. Some taco type things (reg tacos. Taco pie etc.)
4. Sandwhices
5. Spaghetti with vegetables
6. Ground beef or turkey with rice and beans

Any other ideas? We are trying to stay away from things that require fancy ingredients that will likely not be reused for anything else. Thanks

Try Indian cuisine. Most curries can be made by using ingredients you use in everyday cooking - onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, green chillies, cilantro.

Also the spices you can use is - dried red chillies powder, cumin, black pepper, salt. No heavy initial expense.

Stir fry using cut up cheap chicken thighs, onions, frozen veggies (bell peppers). Pick up a stir fry sauce at Trader Joe's or make your own if you have soy sauce. Serve over rice.

Pulled pork or beef, shredded, made into sandwiches or added to pasta, tacos, etc. You'll eat it for weeks, can freeze without much effect on texture.

Shepherd's pie - ground beef cooked with mixed frozen veg (peas, carrots, corn). Add some ketchup and other flavorings, top with mashed potatoes and shredded cheese, bake until golden brown and delicious.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Ingredients
3 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes, Washed Thoroughly
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced
3 cups Diced Ham
1-1/2 cup Half-and-half
1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Flour
Black Pepper
1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
Chopped Parsley (optional)

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large casserole dish.
Heat butter in a large skillet. Add onions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they start to turn translucent. Add ham and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat and set aside.
Combine half-and-half and cream in a microwave-safe container and nuke for a minute or so, until no longer cold. Whisk in flour and black pepper until totally combined. Set aside. (You may add salt, but cheese and ham are salty, so add sparingly.)
Combine the two grated cheeses. Set aside.
Using a mandolin or slicer, slice potatoes into 1/8-inch slices (very thin.) Layer 1/3 of the potato slices in the buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the ham/onion mixture, then 1/3 of the cheese, then pour on 1/3 of the cream mixture.
Repeat this twice more, ending with a sprinkling of cheese and a pouring on of the rest of the cream mixture. Cover dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes at least, or until bubbly and hot.
Cut into squares and serve. Sprinkle on chopped parsley if you'd like!
(Note: To speed along the process a bit, you may boil sliced potatoes for 3 to 5 minutes before assembling the casserole. Just drain and slightly cool before assembling.)

Zucchini, Carrot and Potato Pancakes

1 large zucchini
2 large russet potatoes, (10 to 11 ounces each)
2 carrots
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cumin
Salt and pepper
Canola oil, for frying

With a hand grater, grate the zucchini. Peel the potatoes and grate. Grate the carrots. Place in a towel and squeeze out as much water as possible, then transfer to a large bowl. Add onion and garlic. In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a fork and mix into the vegetables. In a small bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, cumin and salt and pepper. Mix into the vegetables. In a large pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil until very hot. In heaping tablespoonfuls, fry 6 pancakes. Flatten them out as they hit the pan and cook until brown and crisp. Flip to crisp the other side. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a low oven. Serve with Mint Yogurt.

MINT YOGURT:
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped
1 pint yogurt
Mix all ingredients together.

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

1 lb pasta of choice
Kosher salt, as needed, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
Vegetable or olive oil spray
1 cup heavy cream
2 ounces of cream cheese, cut into small pieces
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar, plus 1/2 cup for topping
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with salt. Spray a large baking dish with oil spray.

Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well with a hand strainer or spider. Do not discard the hot water and pat between several layers of paper towels to dry. Transfer the cauliflower to a large baking dish and set aside. Now cook pasta in the some water until al dente and drain and mix it with the cauliflower.

While pasta is cooking, bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, and whisk in the cream cheese until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, salt, pepper and whisk just until the cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, pour over the cauliflower pasta mixture and stir to combine. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake until browned and bubbly hot, about 30 minutes. Serve.

THREE-CHEESE MACARONI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

2 cups shell macaroni
1/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup grated provolone cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can diced stewed tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons fresh oregano

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook macaroni according to package instructions, drain, and transfer to a 4-cup casserole dish.

Stir in remaining ingredients and bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Check out budget bytes website. I've used many of her recipes, and making her red beans and rice for tonight. Also daal with rice is another pretty cheap one, just not spicy for the kids.

So we need to severly cut down on our spending for the next few months and when looking at our budget we realized we spend a ridiculous amount on food every month. We have a toddler and a new baby. We are attempting to have a list of about 10-15 things for dinner that are cheap, easy to make and still tasty. The problem is I have only come up with a few:
1. Spaghetti and meatballs
2. Soup( minestrone, lentil etc.)
3. Some taco type things (reg tacos. Taco pie etc.)
4. Sandwhices
5. Spaghetti with vegetables
6. Ground beef or turkey with rice and beans

Any other ideas? We are trying to stay away from things that require fancy ingredients that will likely not be reused for anything else. Thanks