Whats For Dinner Tonight

[coffeegrl]

Made a crockpot of chili tonight.  Had one bowl for dinner and will eat on the rest for lunches this week at work.

2 pounds ground sirloin--$9.88
2 cans chili beans--$1.84
1 bottle Pace salsa--$1.78
Chili powder, salt, & pepper--? $0.20??

Total--$13.70
6 servings so--$2.28/serving

Yes, I know that's expensive and you can even buy canned chili for less than that, but the ground sirloin is sooooo good!  And I end up having very little grease in the chili, compared to when I buy the cheaper ground beef.  I usually put 2 cans of diced tomatoes in, but I didn't have any in the pantry like I thought I did.

Even after adding in crackers, some cheese, and a piece of fruit for lunch, it'll be only $3.50 or so for a meal.  So for 5 days of the week @ $3.50/lunch = $17.50.  That's really not bad when you consider what it would cost to eat out each day.

[marvholly]

Mon 2/3
tonight is going to be a chicken stir fry. Chicken is left from the soup I made a bit ago (is frozen). Will use broccoli, mushroom and maybe tomato seasoned w/soy, garlic and grated ginger.

[Blonde Granny]

We had a snow storm yesterday, and another is scheduled to hit sometime tonight. So, since we're a little snowed in around here, I think I will make the pot roast recipe from Ree Drummond the Pioneer Woman. I bought the roast Saturday and since we won't drive in this mess, we can have the roast tonight and hot beef sandwiches tomorrow night.

[Iggy aka IG]

Sausage link-bought w/ a coupon on sale $2 ?
Eggs-16 cents each
Tortillas-DH bought
Cheddar-.25 maybe?
Leftover pork enchilada sauce-Maybe as it's from last week.... will smell it first. 

[NancysSummerSip]

Leftover steak and shrimp from last night's Super Bowl dinner, combined with 2 chicken breasts, broccoli and stir fry sauce over rice with crispy noodles. Should be enough for me to have for lunch tomorrow.

[Blonde Granny]

Good golly, I feel just like I'm Martha Stewart......my pot roast was wonderful!!!!!! Served with carrots and onions along with corn bread and honey cinnamon butter. We also had a nice salad. I saved all the liquid in a mason jar (am I clever or what)? Will use part of that for gravy tomorrow night when I fix hot roast beef sandwiches.

[Artemis Windsong]

Sloppy joes, Knorr parmesan noodles, cauliflower and blackberries.

The pound of ground beef was $1 off a chubb if 3 cans of sloppy joe mix were bought and they were on reduced price.  A paired coupon deal that aggravates me but saves a little.

The noodles have been in storage a while so I need to use up my stores.  Eating from the pantry except for fresh stuff.

[marvholly]

2/4 Tue
Tonight is going to be fish-either salmon ($1) or sole (0.79). I'll have pasta w/some veggies and probably a salad with it. Total cost is about $1.50.

NOTE: a local fruit/veg market sells individual 4 oz portions of fish, usually for $1 each. Control of portions. Control of budget for me.

[Iggy aka IG]

Tonight we are having leftovers.  I am not happy because last night I had to throw out a bit of Mongolian Lamb and some delicious pork lion in enchilada sauce from last week because we didn't get to all of it in time, and I forgot to freeze them.    This will not happen again.



~Leftover Digorno pizza for DH:  IDK how much it cost, he bought it for the game on Sunday.

~Leftover bacon wrapped beef roll:  This is the 92% natural beef I bought last month on sale w/ a coupon for $1.99/lb.  The bacon was $4 ish I think for an entire pound, and the roll was made w/ 4 slices.  .25-ish for the Worcestershire.  Spices negligible.

~Will serve w/ December leftover ham & beans from the freezer.

[Malarky]

We have leftovers on the menu as well. Chicken breasts, steak tips and salad fixings.

I call it scrounge. Everything in the fridge is up for grabs. Don't wait for me to serve it.

[Iggy aka IG]

Malarky, I love it!    I call it Smorgasbord Night at our house.  I spread out the plastic containers of leftovers on the counter, remove the lids, and tell DH to have at it, then he can microwave his choices.  Seems to go over fairly well.  Occasionally I'll supplement w/ a bit of cottage cheese or something green if necessary.  But otherwise it works out perfectly.

Smorgasbord

[Chocolate Lover]

I call it "whatever falls out of the fridge" night.    I'm eating at my aunt's house tonight. Yay no cooking! 

[chiver78]

leftovers here as well - spinach mac from Saturday night.

ETA: I found a single bag of roast turkey marked as being from last March, so I thawed it out. it's fine, so I'm having that with my mac 'n cheese. total comfort food night tonight!

[coffeegrl]

Tonight I am making chicken and cheese enchiladas:

Chili powder ($0.10?)
Can cream of chicken soup ($1.58)
Half a bottle of salsa ($1.00)
Half an 8 ounce container of sour cream ($0.65)
Can of chicken ($2.00)
1/2 c shredded cheese ($0.90)
6 tortillas ($2.40)

So, $1.44/enchilada.

Add some spanish rice to that @ $0.34/serving and I have the main chunk of my meal for $1.80.

I'll also have some milk and a piece of fruit, so.....maybe $2.25 for everything I'll eat for dinner?  Not too bad.

[chiver78]

Feb 4, 2014 17:31:42 GMT -5 coffeegrl said:

Tonight I am making chicken and cheese enchiladas:

Chili powder ($0.10?)
Can cream of chicken soup ($1.58)
Half a bottle of salsa ($1.00)
Half an 8 ounce container of sour cream ($0.65)
Can of chicken ($2.00)
1/2 c shredded cheese ($0.90)
6 tortillas ($2.40)

So, $1.44/enchilada.

Add some spanish rice to that @ $0.34/serving and I have the main chunk of my meal for $1.80.

I'll also have some milk and a piece of fruit, so.....maybe $2.25 for everything I'll eat for dinner?  Not too bad.

are you using the cream of chicken soup as part of the filling? I see cream of anything in a recipe and kind of twitch, sorry if that offends, it's not meant to!  just wanted to offer up a healthy recipe that I use as enchilada filling that is always a hit.

black bean pulled chicken

breaking the recipe down for cost:
$3      chicken, purchased on sale
$1.50  black beans
$2.50  salsa

$7 for a 6-qt crockpot full of pulled chicken, and it freezes very well.

[Artemis Windsong]

I had a black bean burger with all the stuff on it.

DH had a regular hamburger with all the stuff and onion rings.

I had been so hungry for several days.  I have finally gotten full.  I don't know what changed.

I did eat a larger breakfast because of a sports activity.  That could be where the extra energy came from.

[marvholly]

2/5 Wed
I am debating between a baked stuffed potato (VERY cheap) and an egg w/some ham, mushrooms and cheddar cheese (pretty cheap). Will see how the day goes. In either case I'll also have a spinach salad.

[Iggy aka IG]

Tonight will be leftover spaghetti sauce w/ meat from the freezer on top of freshly made angel hair pasta (.50/1 LB bag) for DH.  Will probably make some veggies, too, from the freezer ($1/bag or box).  Not sure what I'll make for myself yet.

ETA:  For me I decided to bake a boneless chicken thigh, wrapped in bacon.  Yay low carb! 

[coffeegrl]

Feb 4, 2014 18:03:51 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Feb 4, 2014 17:31:42 GMT -5 coffeegrl said:

black bean pulled chicken

breaking the recipe down for cost:
$3      chicken, purchased on sale
$1.50  black beans
$2.50  salsa

$7 for a 6-qt crockpot full of pulled chicken, and it freezes very well.

Looks good.  I'll have to try it sometime.

[pepperdoo]

Spinach and spiced lentils over hot cooked rice at about $.30 cents a bowl 

[chiver78]

lazy dinner tonight. opened up a bag of mixed greens, chopped up a button mushroom and a few grape tomatoes. added a couple sliced of red onion and some shaved parmesan cheese. baked off a totally unhealthy processed chicken patty, cut that up and tossed the whole bowl with a little vinaigrette.

$.25 chicken patty
$.50 salad greens
$.25 salad veggies   (estimate) 
$.25 parmesan and vinaigrette (estimate)

$1.25 for dinner. I'll take it

[Peace Of Mind]

Thank you for this thread!  After reading some of it I will never again worry about having to eat cat food in retirement.  I had no idea just how cheap one could eat if more effort was put forth in meal planning.  And most if it sounds delicious!

I have nothing to add because, at this time, I have no idea what our meals cost.      But I do stretch meals out by planning things that can be used for the next meal and cook in bulk (just 2 of us) and freeze extra soups, chili, stews, sauces and the like. 

[marvholly]

2/6 Thur
Tonight is going to be fish again, I like to do it 2x/week. I rotate using tuna (o.69/can at Aldi=2 servngs) one week with making filets and shellfish the following. Will make a veg (broccoli or asparagus since both on sale again this week).

[Iggy aka IG]

Holly, .69 a can?  Wow, that's a wonderful price!!



Tonight I am going to saute some shrimp ($8.99 for the bag, there is 1/4 bag left so $2.25), simmer it in Ragu Alfredo sauce (will use 1/2 jar at $1.35 so .68), and serve it over Romaine lettuce for me ($2.99 for 3 head, will use 1/2 head so .50), and leftover angel hair (.50 bag so .05?) for DH (I cooked a double batch last night for his pasta sauce).

We don't have any parm (gasp) otherwise I'd add that.

Bottom line:  $3.48 for the two of us.

[marvholly]

Iggy
I know the tuna is good price-that is why I said where I buy it.

2/7 Thur
Not sure about tonight. I'll probably just pull something from the freezer, most likely clam chowder (its VERY cold here) or chicken (not eaten that this week).

[Blonde Granny]

Tonight is turkey sausage with leeks. I'm using my new braiser pan from LC. The leeks were $2.98 for 2, I'm guessing the sausage was $6 for 5 of them. Also have some Szechuan Asparagus (frozen from Pictsweet) at cost of $2. 49?  We should get 5 meals from the recipe: 4 dinners and 1 lunch.  Total guesstimate $2.29 per serving.

Certainly beats going out to eat.

[chiver78]

Blonde Granny - do you mind sharing your recipe? I'm always looking for more things to do with leeks. yum!


tonight, I'm having friends over to watch the Opening Ceremonies. I've got fixins to make tacos from a batch of the black bean chicken I linked to on the last page.

$7 - crock of pulled chicken (we won't eat all of it)
$2 - soft taco shells
$2 - shredded cheese
$2 - diced tomatoes, red and green onions
$2 - avocado
$1 - sour cream
$3 - party-size bag of chips

taco party for under $20.

[Blonde Granny]

Sure!!! But be aware, I haven't tried this one. It is in the LC cookbook I bought.

1-2 T Olive oil

2 # quality chicken or pork sausages ('m using Jennie brand Italian sweet, the big hotdog looking type)

2 T butter

14 oz leeks (I bought 2 didn't bother to weigh) cleaned and cut into 1/2" rounds

2 T cider vinegar

1 T whole grain mustard (I'm going to use Dijon)

1 T dried sage

1 t black pepper

3 C hot chicken or vegetable stock

1 1/2 T cornstarch mixed with a little water to make a paste

to garnish (optional)

12 fresh sage leaves, plus a little butter

1:  Heat olive oil in the braiser over low to medium heat on top of stove. (This is written for dummies like me)

     Add the sausages and brown well on all sides.  Remove all sausages to a plate and set aside.  Drain oil from pan if excessive.

2:  Melt butter in  pan, add the sliced leeks and stir fry 3-4 minutes.

3:  Add the cider vinegar, followed by the mustard,  dried sage and black pepper. Add the hot stock and bring to simmer.

4:  Add the cornstarch, mix and stir until thickened and glossy.

5:  Return the browned sausage to the pan, put on the lid and cook over a low heat for 15-20 minutes.  Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

6:  To make decorative sage leaves, melt the butter in a small frying pan over low heat and cook the leaves until crisp, turning once. Sprinkle on sausages.

Cooking tips: This can also be made in a 3.5 qt. round French oven. 

If you are using a round French oven you will need to separate the sausages into 2 batches for browning.

I hope this is good chiv.....we'll compare thoughts later.

[chiver78]

thanks! I'll be working on the pulled chicken for awhile, so you'll have your review up before I have a chance to try it out. can't wait to hear about it

[Blonde Granny]

Dinner just got changed to pizza for tonight, I'll fix this sausage/leeks tomorrow.