Family Eats: Cheap, Fast, & Nutritious

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kwitz:
I’m sure the recipe is probably quite good but my husband knows if he comes home and I’m serving ramen noodles and those little pot pies - we declared personal bankruptcy that day!! We both lived on those (hey they were cheap!!!) when we were in college and swore we’d never eat them again.

Kris
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Hehe. In college, it was one pack of ramen, one can of cream soup (half diluted) and one can of tuna. This was after my weekly dining hall coupons ran out (only had 8 a week).

We’re not where we want to be financially, and yup this was cheap and we’re really a family of 5 (two for me 🙂 … well six if we count two to keep my dh going as well). Those little pot pies are perfect for my son, and hub would always get them even when they’re not on the list. Come to think of it, he has an affinity for early peas as well.
 
Hi,

My husband and I have nine children, and I’ve experimented with various “freezer-cooking” methods. I find that when I make whole meals and put them in the freezer, the results are not as good as I had hoped. It’s usually the starchy portion of the meal that doesn’t fare as well, and freezing whole meals takes up a lot of freezer space.

What I have been doing for the past year or so is to precook only the meat portion of the meal and freeze that. When ground beef is on sale, we buy a lot, often mix it with venison, and cook it all up complete with lots of onions, celery, peppers, garlic, and seasonings, then cool it and bag it in portions sized for family meals, then freeze it. It is so much easier to make a meal when the meat is precooked. For example, if you are making spaghetti, you just put the ingredients for the sauce together and add the package of frozen meat, still frozen, turn on the gas, cover the pot, and it’s ready before you know it. The other alternative of thawing then browning a chunk of frozen ground meat takes a long time.

When my husband kills a deer, I have him cut it all up into stew meat, again I add lots of veggies and seasonings, put it all into my big pressure cooker, and voila, I have the beginnings of a wonderful stew to freeze in bags. You can use this to make stew, chili, goulash, or fill tortillas or buns with the delicious meat.

I also do poultry this way. Sometimes I get chicken hind quarters on a wonderful sale, stew it, then skin and debone it, and freeze the meat. ( You have great broth for soup this way.) When turkeys are on sale, I will buy a couple, roast them, then skin, debone, and chop up the meat. I usually mix it with the seasoned defatted turkey juice, and freeze it.

I will cook up a big pot of dry beans, and freeze these in portions also, since they are much cheaper than canned beans.

When it comes to whole grains, they often take longer to cook than white ones, for example brown rice versus white. What I make for a nutritious grain when I have almost zero prep time is whole wheat cous cous. It only takes five minutes.

Lisa
 
Wow Great Idea!! Glad I saw this one before I head out to the grocery store today!!! LOL!!

I’m sure I have tons of recipes, I just have to think about it!

Here is my family’s favorite…Not sure what to call it, but it’s pretty YUMMY!

You need:

Manacotti Noodles
Stovetop Stuffing(there’s tons of generic!)
Beef Gravy
American Cheese

Cook the noodles and stuffing.
Stuff the stuffing into the noodles and place on cookie sheet.
Place 1/2 a slice of cheese on each noodle.
Pour gravy onto each one, and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or so till cheese melts…

The combination sounds very strange, but I promise, it’s delicious! It’s very filling and we always have leftovers… It’s also good as a side dish!
 
Here’s a recipe from my mother-in-law for Chicken Pot Pie. We tried it last night and both enjoyed it.

2 cups cooked cubed chicken
1 16-oz. package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 cups Bisquick mix
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Mix chicken, veggies, and soup and spread in 9"x13" pan.
  3. Mix milk, eggs, and Bisquick and pour over chicken mix.
  4. Bake 30 min. or until top is brown and filling is bubbly.
I used the reduced fat/sodium soup and the baking time was about 25 min. in my gas oven. Tasty comfort food. 🙂
 
carol marie:
Minnesota Hot Dish:

1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey (or beef) - browned.
8 pealed potatoes cut into big diced size pieces
lots of cut up carrots
1 Family Size can of Cambell’s Chicken & Rice Soup
1 cup water

combine all in a big baking dish with a lid. Bake in oven for 1 1/2 hours at 375. I serve it with warm rolls & butter - kids & husband very happy. 🙂
(don’t cut potatoes & carrots too small or they will mush!)
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*OH MY GOD BECKAH!!! *

How big of a cassarole dish do you use!!! I’m making it tonight, and I"m telling you, I DON’T have a dish big enough… I’m gonna have to use two!!! LOL!!! I can’t wait to try it though!
 
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BLB_Oregon:
Here at the Catholic website we have some big families with stay-at-home moms stretching those budgets so they can send their kids to Catholic schools, save for the rainy-day fund, etc.What are your best cheap nutritious meals? Yes, we are setting the bar high… we need:1) Cheap
2) Will bear repetition to an audience of children & adults
3) Includes a serving’s worth of a dark green or orange vegetable (with extra points if it isn’t just carrots).
4) Includes a serving of protein
5) Fast or easy enough to teach to an eight-year-old to cookAlso extra points for
Isn’t too high in fat, salt, or sugar
Sneaking in fiber and other nutritional pluses
Most of the ingredients have a long shelf life OR
Can be prepared ahead and put into the freezer for at least a month, preferably three or more.
If you have a cookbook you like that is devoted to just such recipes, that would be a great post, too. I like to recommend “The Freezer Cooking Manual” from 30 Day Gourment, A Month of Meals Made Easy. by Tara Wohlenhaus and Nanci Slagle. Their book makes the great suggestion that you find a friend that shares your family’s situation and eating habits and that you get together and cook a month of meals together (while the spouses watch the kids!!!) They also have a website with more recipes, www.30daygourmet.com. (Instructions for password and username are in the book. $14.95 US… and the authors deserve every penny.)
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What a great thread! WOW–I’m always at a loss for good new and different recipies. As I mostly cook vegetarian–it even is more complicated coming up with “good eats”.

I do all my shopping mostly at the health food store–our local “Wild Oats” which I love. They have many yummy veggie stuff which you can hardly tell it’s veggie. BTW–alot of times I don’t tell my family it is or they wouldn’t eat it.

2 things which family loves.
  1. tofu tacos. Get that taco seasoning for tofu at the health food store----put it in browned tofu–with all the trimmings–no one even knows—and it’s sooo healthy.
  2. Tofu sloppy joes. Get that tofu sloppy joe mix----serve on toasted whole wheat buns with all the trimmings–of course add diced green/red peppers and onions----yum…
  3. Make lots of different quiches. A staple for my family. We love the spinach/mushroom/cheddar the best–serve with another veggie like steamed yams and a small salad—yum-----getting hungry now–gotta go fix supper. Tonite --veggie patties stuffed with blue cheese, baked potatoes and corn------
Sorry but I just can’t fathom cooking beef–the blood drips out—ycch~~

It’s really all the package stuff that costs alot. Only buy fresh veggies–it will really save $$$$. Also get used to water instead of expensive drinks and sodas! Ice water with a squeeze of lime or lemon is the best~~
 
Ok, just a note to ya’ll…

DON’T EVER, EVER TRY TO PUT THE LID BACK ON A CASSAROLE DISH WITH OUT A MITT, AFTER CHECKING IF THE POTATOS ARE DONE!!!

Thank you.
 
Baked bowfin (mudfish):
  • dress fresh bowfin
  • coat w/ butter
  • Salt and pepper
  • lay flat on OAK board
  • Bake in preheated oven @ 250f for 1 hour
  • Remove from oven, throw away bowfin, and eat the board.
 
For those singles or just starting out couples who get tired of frozen vegetables or steamed broccoli 😃 or just one veggie at a time but everything else just isn’t economical… (and you really do know that McD is not good for you every night but you’re going to stop doing it tomorrow night 😛 )

I’ll hit the produce aisle and grab two big white onions, garlic, fresh parsley, five or six long hot peppers, two potatoes, a package of portabello mushrooms and a big bag of spinach and saute the whole lot in olive oil and put it in small containers in the freezer.

When it’s been a long day at work I can pop one in the microwave and have an omlette, or put a pot on to boil and have a mostly healthy pasta meal, or use it to cook fish or a lean piece of meat in and then have it as a side dish. It makes the long days less hard on the waistline and arteries and pocketbook.
 
Maggie, that’s an absolutely wonderful (and wholely pragmatic) idea.

I admit that the best I can do is that I keep 3 quart Mason jars in my fridge. One filled with chopped green onion, another ith chopped cilantro and a 3rd with homemade chicken broth. There’s also a pair of big Tupperware bowls with sliced oranges & lemons and some kind of leftover pasta hanging out. No matter how tired I am, how bizarre the kids’ schedule, or how pressed we are to make it somewhere, I can always throw together anything from quick chicken noodle soup to a fast pasta salad or tacos to go.

The other thing we do is keep a good 30-40 cans of polar tuna in the pantry. It goes on sale every year right before Lent and again right after Labor day…usually 5-6 for $1. The kids know how to toss some tuna with a little fresh spinach, onion and cilantro, spread it into a hotdog bun with a little squeeze of mustard and mayo, then a piece of Velveeta and pop it into the microwave for 30 seconds. They love it and the cats handle the cleanup.😉
 
How long will the chopped herbs keep in the fridge? I can go through a 3 lb bag of onions in less than a week.
 
Veggie Hamburgers (or meat loaf) with brown rice.

For the hamburgers, you will only need about 1/2 pound of ground beef or turkey.
Dice until fine the following:
3 large carrots
1 cup of fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion
3 stalk celery

The amounts above make about 6-8 medium size hamburgers. Use more vegetables and slightly more beef for larger quantities.

Saute the vegetables until soft in about a tablespoom of olive oil. Let the mixture cool until you can handle it. Mix with the 1/2 pound of ground beef, and form into hamburgers or a meatloaf. Keep in mind that this will cook much quicker than a regular meatloaf or hamburger.
I don’t add any salt or other seasonings (the fresh veggies and olive oil give the hamburgers a wonderful taste), but you can add a pinch of salt if you like.
Serve with instant brown rice and a salad or vegetable of your choice.
 
I was flipping through my Betty Crocker Good & Easy cookbook and what do I find? Recipes using Ramen noodles! :eek: I’d share some of these, but it would definately break copyright laws. 😦
 
Someone mentioned Tuna and Noodles. Here’s my recipe:

Tuna And Noodles
Cook 16 oz’s of noodles and drain. Spray baking dish with Pam and put in a layer of noodles, then a can of tuna and then spread 1 can of Cream Of Mushroom soup over the noodle layer and then add another layer of noodles… Put a few pats of margarine on the top and cover with 3/4 cup of milk over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Annie
 
here’s another thread with a similar topic, figured I’d link the two.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=8996

**Annie ** - thanks for the tuna noodle casserole, I’ll try that on my brother and see if he likes it.

**Juno ** - the veggie burgers look fabulous… what a way to combine the veggies into the meat for an easy meal (or hide 'em from the kids 😛 ). I’ll have to try that.

**LaChiara ** - to repeat Amanda’s question, once you chop the cilantro, how long does it last?

**Amanda ** - If I buy or pick fresh parsley, I’ll stick it in water in the fridge (like flowers in a vase) and it keeps a good week that way, and just use scissors to snip some into whatever I need if I don’t use it all at once… I end up with a few more stems than I might want, but who really feels like picking through it 😃 ? I imagine cilantro is about the same since they are very similar in texture though not necessarily in taste.

Also - does anyone know if cilantro is as easy to grow as parsley?
 
I just wanted to thank Carol Marie for the Minnesota Hot Dish. I actually made a mistake and grabbed a family sized can of Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup. So I added about one-third cup of uncooked brown rice. It was delicious. I’ll try it with Chicken Rice Soup next time.
 
One thing I wanted to say is I think it’s a great idea to have ONLY HUBBY SHOP for all food for one week------this way he can truly see how much food costs!

Try it and let me know what happens in your households? Would love to know!!! It has really shed light on our family for the positive! Hubby used to come home with all these extras, pies, cookies, candy, JUNK, etc. now he knows to allot more $$ for our family food bill --that’s for sure and it’s a big relief for me as he now knows how much food costs! In the past he would say “well I gave you $100.00 last Friday”…needless to say O.K. that buys food for about 2 days, including cleaners, toothpaste, T.P., etc…

This is a very good marital exercise! Hope you don’t take it lightly friends! It was mentioned at a marriage conference we attended and it’s crucial!!!
 
hey sparkle,
i did exactly what you just suggested about two months into our marriage! (we’ve been married one year as of this week.) my dh was convinced i was shopping at the priciest grocery stores, since our food bill was so high, but of course that wasn’t the case. i will say, though, having lived in the midwest most of my life, and now living in philly—food and supplies is just much more expensive here than in some other parts of the country.

i have recently gotten involved with couponing and refunding, though, and it has made a HUGE difference. we get a lot of brand-name toiletries and many food items for FREE if i play the coupon game (combining store coupons with manufacturer coupons and a sale = major savings)! i know i sound like an infomercial, but it really works 🙂

if any of you are interested, check out refundcents.com or PM me. i subscribe to their periodical and i also check their website regularly for great deals–if you subscribe, you get member entrance into a bunch of interactive deals with people in your area locally and of course, nationally. i just recommitted myself yesterday to finding great bargains for us!! 🙂
 
Someone mentioned tuna casserole, I make it all on the stove top:

1 package mac & cheese
butter/marjarine
milk
1 can cream of mushroom or chicken
2 cans tuna
1 large can peas

Fast & Cheap, not necessarily low in fat - can do with plain noodles, but not as good. Feeds 3 or 4.
 
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juno24:
Veggie Hamburgers (or meat loaf) with brown rice.

For the hamburgers, you will only need about 1/2 pound of ground beef or turkey.
Dice until fine the following:
3 large carrots
1 cup of fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion
3 stalk celery

The amounts above make about 6-8 medium size hamburgers. Use more vegetables and slightly more beef for larger quantities.

Saute the vegetables until soft in about a tablespoom of olive oil. Let the mixture cool until you can handle it. Mix with the 1/2 pound of ground beef, and form into hamburgers or a meatloaf. Keep in mind that this will cook much quicker than a regular meatloaf or hamburger.
I don’t add any salt or other seasonings (the fresh veggies and olive oil give the hamburgers a wonderful taste), but you can add a pinch of salt if you like.
Serve with instant brown rice and a salad or vegetable of your choice.
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Juno24 - I made this but into meatballs (I love meatballs!! But I know they aren’t good for me 😦 ) and put them into a spicy red sauce with whole wheat spaghetti… they are awesome!!! This recipe rocks!!! :bounce: :yup: :clapping:
 
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