Category: Recipes

The Cheapest, Bestest Dinner Ideas, XIII

August 21, 2019

I can’t believe I haven’t shared one of my #1 fallback recipes till now: Taco Salad!

Using my usual backup supply of on-hand foods and my equally-usual state of no time and little energy to plan, I can’t adequately gush about how wonderful this meal is to whip up for dinner. It’s a cheap and easy dinner that tastes wonderful and can be done in minutes.

Plus, taco salad is yet another of those dinners for kids that allows the kids some fun. They get a kick out of putting what they want on their salad (within reason).

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Taco Salad

Ingredients

Tortilla chips, crushed taco shells, or soft tortillas
Ground beef, browned and drained (optional)
1 can refried beans
Grated cheddar cheese
Shredded, rinsed lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
1 can olives
Salsa
Sour cream or Ranch dressing
Extra toppings according to preference, including: avocados, onions, peppers, jalapeño, and hot sauce

Supplies

Pan for frying ground beef
Pot or microwave-safe bowl for heating refried beans

Directions

  1. Warm the ground beef and refried beans.
  2. Prepare remaining toppings, ready for distribution.
  3. Place tortillas or chips on a plate.
  4. Top with meat, beans, cheese, and other toppings.

—–

My family is not even a fan of the traditional taco meat seasoning, so we go with basic ground beef and salt and pepper. In all, this is one of the best, inexpensive meals I serve. It’s nutritious, tasty, and quick.

Try it!

 

©2019 Chelsea Owens

The Cheapest, Bestest Dinner Ideas, XII

July 24, 2019

This recipe is hardly even one. It’s simple, cheap, easy, quick, basic, inexpensive, not difficult….

I give you: Veggie Melt!!

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Veggie Melt

Veggie Melt

Ingredients

2 Carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Small Potatoes, peeled and sliced
Small Head of Broccoli, cut
1 Small Squash, sliced
Other favorite vegetables, prepared
Grated cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper

Supplies

Vegetable peeler
Knife and cutting board for slicing
Microwave-safe bowl
Waxed paper or plastic wrap
Serving spoon

Directions

  1. Place carrots, potatoes, and broccoli in the microwave-safe bowl. Add some water and cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap.
  2. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from microwave and add the sliced squash. Add other vegetables if they need to be cooked.
  4. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes more.
  5. Remove and test to see if they are cooked. Add more time if the potatoes are still raw in the middle or if a softer taste is preferred.
  6. Serve hot. Top with the grated cheddar cheese.

I usually serve this with cornbread or rolls, to keep it a vegetarian meal. It’s an easy meal. It’s a cheap meal. It’s a quick meal. It gets the kids (and their dad) to eat their vegetables.

Try it!

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©2019 Chelsea Owens

The Cheapest, Bestest Dinner Ideas, XI

December 2, 2018

Today’s meal was inspired by Thanksgiving leftovers. Through a combination of laziness and laziness, I haven’t purchased any extra food besides milk and bread since Turkey Day.

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We actually had two Turkey Days this year. At the second one, we also baked a ham. My children have informed me that, if they have to eat another meal with ham hidden somewhere in it, they will voluntarily fast.

Slightly before that point, I used ham slices as a side for a new recipe I discovered over at Genius Kitchen: Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes.

Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes

Ingredients

2 cups mashed potatoes (approximately)
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
Salt and Pepper
Dried onion flakes or powder, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Oil or butter, for cooking
Toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, or ketchup

Supplies

Mixing bowl
Mixing spoon or electric mixer with beaters
Griddle or skillet
Spatula

Directions

  1. Mix all the ingredients except oil and toppings together in a bowl. If stirring manually (or using mashed potatoes that were a tad lumpy), use a potato masher.
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  2. Preheat griddle or skillet to 325°. Add a small amount of oil or butter to surface.
  3. Pour about 1/4 cup batter in a round shape in the oil or butter. Repeat to fill griddle or pan.
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  4. When one side is browned, flip and cook the other side. If too thick to cook the inside evenly, press down slightly with the spatula. Repeat with all pancakes.
  5. Set aside and serve with toppings.

I hadn’t made these before and felt pleasantly surprised at how they turned out. My kids all ate them (win!) and only complained mildly (a midway win).

I thought they tasted like hashbrowns with extra substance, and preferred eating mine with ketchup. When eating them for leftovers breakfast the following morning, I tried the sour cream and cheese and thought that tasted more like baked potato.

This is a great meal for using up leftover mashed potatoes, for keeping things cheap and easy, and for serving a dinner that’s fairly healthy as well.

The Cheapest, Bestest Dinner Ideas, X

November 25, 2018

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I’m cheating a bit with tonight’s meal by not using an actual recipe.

Sometimes we get a bit hassled ’round dinner time and decide to go out to eat. Since we have four children who are too old to eat off our plates anymore, these trips end up costing $60 or more each time. Yowza!

Ever since a memorable night at Olive Garden when I was last pregnant (2013), I have always opted for something at home instead. Surely, I figure, for $60 we can think of an alternative meal.

I usually make a dinner from my list of meals I’ve shared on this blog. When not in the mood for one of those (again), I have a few quick and easy meals I can get from one grocery store visit.

Cue this meal! I think of it as Sausage with Rice-A-Roni. We’ll keep working on the name.

The cost is definitely worth it! One box of Rice-A-Roni is less than $2. The broccoli: $2. The sausage? $2.50. We’re talking a meal for the entire family for $11 (because I bought two of the meat and rice). ELEVEN DOLLARS!

Polish Sausage with Rice and Broccoli

Ingredients

1 pkg your favorite variety of Rice-A-Roni
1 full link sausage of your favorite variety
A head or two of broccoli (or a family serving of frozen)
Butter or oil
Water
Salt and Pepper

Supplies

Skillet
Saucepan
Microwave-safe bowl
Wax paper or EPA-safe plastic wrap
Knife for cutting broccoli
Cutting board
Spoon
Wood Spatula or tongs

Directions

  1. Prepare Rice-A-Roni in the saucepan according to directions, using the butter and water.
  2. Follow directions for frying the sausage in the skillet.
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  3. Rinse broccoli. Cut main parts of stalk off and discard. Place in microwave-safe bowl with some water in the bottom. Cover with wax paper and microwave for 4-5 minutes.
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  4. Serve together. Season broccoli according to taste.

My kids made a face about this meal, so we may try different varieties next time. I think I’d have great success with Li’l Smokies, for example, but that raises the cost.

In all, however, making a meal for under $20 and in less than half an hour is a win in my book!

The Cheapest, Bestest Dinner Ideas, IX

November 17, 2018

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Tonight’s fare is an oldie but a goodie: French Dip Sandwiches.

I frequently have nights where it’s just about dinnertime and I need a meal, quick. Or, I have days where I finally squeezed in that grocery store trip and need to think up a week’s worth of dinners.

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This recipe has very few preparation steps. Maybe you’re thinking it’s hardly a recipe idea at all, but I appreciate that I can make it with few ingredients and with little time.

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients

Hoagie-type rolls
Sliced roast beef
Cheese, if desired
Butter
1 packet Au Jus Gravy mix
OR 1 recipe homemade Au Jus Gravy
Water

Supplies

Skillet or toaster oven
Bread knife
Cheese knife (if using cheese)
Spreading knife
Whisk
Small pot

Directions

  1. Prepare Au Jus Gravy according to packet or recipe, by whisking it into water in the small pot and heating to boiling.
  2. While the gravy dip is heating, cut hoagie rolls in half lengthwise. Apply butter to each inside part, then fry over medium heat in the skillet. Set aside.
  3. Heat roast beef slices over low heat in the skillet or in the microwave.
  4. Top one half of the hoagie roll liberally with roast beef and a slice of cheese (if preferred).
  5. Serve each sandwich on a plate with a small cup of Au Jus.

Not all of my kids liked the taste of dipping their sandwich into Au Jus, but they were willing to try it. In the end, my pickiest eater took the roast beef off the roll and ate everything separately.

I like serving this quick, easy, cheap meal with common, healthy sandwich sides: carrot sticks, apple slices, olives, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.