Favorite Meal $5 or less - Page 12

I make this when I need a fast supper and I usually have these items on hand. I created it myself.

1 box elbow macarroni (cooked & drained)
Butter or spray a cake pan pour cooked noodles in
Top with 2 cans stewed tomoatoes (slicing the tomoatoes)
I use some leftover spaghetti sauce or add tomato sauce
Fry 1 lb. hamburger or less (we aren't big meat eaters) with orgeno, pepper, garlic powder
Put hamburger over tomatoes
Sprinkle on what ever remaining opened shredded cheese you have.
Bake 350 till cheese is melted.

Yum Yum

Turkey Chili

1lb ground turkey (1.98)
1 can black beans, drained (I got on sale for .39)
1 can kidney beans, drained (I got on sale for .39)
1 can chili beans with sauce ( I got on sale for .39)
1 can mexican tomatoes with jalapenos ( was on sale for .50)
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cajun seasoning
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (.20)
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper (.50)
1 can tomato sauce (.50)
a pinch of sugar

Cook turkey, onion, jalapeno, and green pepper in a large dutch oven until onion and peppers are tender and meat is no longer pink, do not drain, there won't be much fat but you need it for flavor. Add all beans, tomato sauce, water, and seasonings, add sugar *its to take away the acidic after taste of the tomatoes* and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve with cheese, sour cream and onions. Enjoy!

Keilbasa & potatoes
- I buy the 5Lb bag of potatoes and stock up on kielbasa when its BOGO - and sometimes I have a coupon for it

Cube potatoes so bite size
Cut kielbasa to bite size
1 Tb oil in bottom of pan
throw everything in and mix around
put lid on and cook til potatoes are tender about 20 min - keep lid on
No seasoning needed cause the kielbasa is already seasoned. Real good.


Sausage & Peppers
1 or 2 peppers (green is good)
1/2 -1 lb sausage (our grocery has buy 4 for $20 and sausage packs are included....sausage pack is 2-3 lbs or more depending on the package)
Tomato Sauce

Cut peppers to bite size
Cut sausage to bite size. Oil a pan and cook sausage. Add peppers and sauce. Simmer til peppers are tender.


Spagetti Pie
Cook the full lb of spagetti and use leftovers to make pie shell. Mix with 1 egg and press into a casserole/pie dish. Fill with leftovers from the week - ground beef, chicken - any protien you want. I've mixed beef, mushrooms, cheese and more egg - anything will work. Bake in over at 350 for 30-45 min. I prepare this the same night as the spagetti dinner and stick in fridge. Pull out as you preheat over - or throw in oven as you turn it on.


Frier Chicken
I pick up a frier bird (also part of the 4 for $20 deal) and cook it with basic seasoning. I use it for 3 meals or more. First meal is the bird itself with a side. Then I pull the meat off bird. 1/2 I shred for a curry. 1/2 I cube/shred for pot pie.

Pot Pie
Pie crust (don't need a bottom just a top - so you can get 2 out of the premade box). 1 Can veggies (save the broth - it freezes well for soups, anything that calls for veggie stock), 1 can cream of whatever. 1 or 2 potatoes. Mix all up put in caserole - cover with 1 pie crust. Bake 350 til done.


Chicken Curry
Shredded chicken, 1 can coconut, veggie broth from the pot pie veggies, ginger, garlic, lemon juice.

Mix 1 tb water & 1 Tbl flour set asside.
Mix coconut milk, veggie broth, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and simmer 10 min. Add flour mix to thicken. Throw in chicken.
You can add veggies to stretch.


Can aslo do shredded chicken sandwiches - just heat with some BBQ sauce and serve on sliced bread or hamburger rolls.

I cook a 2lb bag of dried beans,( Pinto or mixed) Make some cornbread , and coleslaw . can fry some potato's too. ( or bake) . Then with the leftover beans I make a pot of chili later in the week. You can freeze some of the cornbread and have it with the chili.

Lentil soup can be made from a pound of lentils ($.82), onion, celery, and water (or stock in the fridge). Add a loaf of home made crusty bread (I use the NY times 5 min- no-knead bread -- just google to find). A loaf of bread done this way is <$1.00. No one will go hungry.

There may already by a board for this so sorry if there is but is there a way to eat cheap, but good. Alot of the recipes on here are full of fat. I am trying to eat better and feed my family better food but all of the bad for you stuff seems cheap and the good for you stuff seems expensive. Does anyone eat healthy on a budget?

Cheap, wicked healthy soup:

Foundation:
broth/soup stock
kidney beans
kale
onion
smoked portuguese sausage
smoke paprika (you'll use less meat if you use this)

Optional add-ins:
chick peas
carrots
potatoes
pinto beans

brown meat and onions with smoked paprika. add stock and kidney beans (use the juice in the can of beans) and 3/4 of the kale (and any of the optional items). cook for 40 min or so and if you can stand waiting, let sit in the fridge overnight for better flavor. heat to bubbling and add the rest of the kale (don't overcook, you want the newly added kale to be nice and deep green).

this a great winter soup, hearty and satisfying - and the kale and beans are really really good for you.

to do this REALLY cheap, grow a bunch of kale this spring (SO EASY) and freeze it. no need to blanch it, just pick it, rinse off bugs and freeze whole. it will crumble nicely after it's frozen. you could also use dried kidney beans that you pre-cooked.

Beef Mexican Stew
1 lb hamburger meat
1/2 onion
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can corn (drained)
1 can green beans (drained)
1 can chili (with or without beans)
1 can tamales (bite size or cut into bite size)

Brown beef and onion. Drain and throw into crock pot with other ingredients and cook at least 2 hours.

Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread. Can top with sour cream.

Sounds yummy thank you!