The What Do We Eat (Cheaply) Thread

[Deleted]

I thought I would start an OT topic for cheap eating, since some of us were interested in the topic.

Last night I baked a chicken.  Chicken from WalMart and was $6. Wash it out and coat with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and some Montreal Chicken Seasoning powder.

Washed some potatoes and put them in a roasting pan. Added the chicken in the same pan. Cooked at 350 degrees for about 3 hours.

The chicken came out fab.

Total cost was about $8. 

Today we will have left-over chicken on sandwiches or with a box of $1 stuffing from WalMart.

___________

What have you all been eating?

[midjd]

Our cheapest meal is probably breakfast for dinner.

Pancakes from scratch - cost of ingredients is negligible (flour, butter, baking soda). A dozen eggs is $1.50, and a bag of frozen generic hash browns is $1.99. Chop up a couple of bell peppers for the hashbrowns and maybe throw in some berries for the pancakes.

Or throw the peppers/hash browns and some chopped ham in for omelets.

Assuming we use 1/3 of the eggs and 1/2 of the bag of hashbrowns, total for 2 people is around $3.50 - cheaper in the summer, when peppers and berries are on sale (or we grow our own).

[The Captain]

Asparagus was .89c a pound last weekend.<br><br>Dinner Sunday - Penne Pasta with asparagus, chicken and Mushrooms<br><br>Pasta .89c<br>Asparagus about 1.50 (I got three pounds total and used half)<br>Mushrooms - $2.29 (I used two thirds of the package)<br>Chicken Breasts - 1# @1.69<br><br>Total = about $7 including butter, salt, herbs etc.  Makes six good sized meals.<br><br>Dinner Monday - Crustless Asparagus and Bacon Quiche<br><br>Eggs - 4 @ 10c each .40c<br>Bacon - four slices say $1<br>Asparagus about 1.50<br>Mushrooms - use remaining 1/3 from last night<br>4 oz shredded swiss - $1<br>1.5 Cups 2% Milk - $1<br>Loaf of French Bread - 1.50<br><br>Total = about $6.5 - We'll get 4 or 5 meals out of this.  

[Deleted]

Asparagus was on sale here this week for $2.99 a pound... 

I am really looking forward to Grocery Outlet opening. They said that we will soon have the most "likes" for a GO page yet.  I am not surprised. People in this community are tired of even WalMart being expensive.

I feel sorry for the brand new employees at the GO for the first week of the month. Imagine FS central with a new Grocery Outlet and everyone buying a ton of stuff with FS.  It will be packed.

[justme]

I've been eating a lot of salads. Pretty cheap, lettuce, eggs, whatever veggies you want, cheese, and I usually throw chicken/ham/bacon in it (but the eggs & cheese give enough protein). Even cheaper if you're an olive oil & vinegar/lemon juice dressing person.

Also been on a pasta kick. I make my own so a few cups of flour and 2 eggs make 4 servings. Then I either use my homemade meat sauce or make an Alfredo sauce (1/2 cup cream per serving plus however much parmesan you like + salt/pepper/garlic powder). I'm guessing it's prob around $2/serving. It's a bit more to throw some chicken or veggies in the Alfredo, my meat sauce is packed with both.

If you shred roasted chicken and freeze it, I'll take a handful out and throw it in a tortilla with cheese for a cheap, quick quesadilla.

[wyouser]

break out the bread machine. Some of those recipes turn out a loaf with each 1/2 inch slice weighing about the same as a brick. It's cheap and at 1/3 slice three times a day you will not only cut the grocery bill, you will still be able to gain weight. (Trust me on that one!!) 

[Tiny]

I made curried lentils and spinach -
1 onion (a 3 pound bag was .99 cents on sale a week ago)
1 10 ounce box O' frozen chopped spinach (was on sale for .99 a bunch of time ago - it's the last one I had from a stock up of frozen veggies a while ago).
1 cup uncooked red lentils (a 16 ounce bag (2 and 1/2 cups) was $1.19) .70
curry powder
water

This makes 4 servings so I'm rounding up to $3.00.

I decided to add some chicken legs/thighs I found at the bottom of the freezer from back when Jesus was a baby... according to the package they were .79 cents a pound and I had 2 pounds with skin and bone.

I did a 'shake and bake' - a little olive oil and a tablespoon of a "Ragin' Cajun" spice blend in a large zippy bag - drop in the chicken - then shake to coat.

I'm having some of the chicken with some homemade veggie broth and rice I also found in the freezer. I'll add some 'fresh' veggies (celery, onion, carrot, potato, I think there's a bit of parsnip in the crisper) to the broth/chicken/rice so it's a full meal. I'll have salad on the side and probably a 'dinner roll' (wwhich I also discovered in the freezer - left over from Christmas.

There will be some additional 'color' added to these main courses in the form of cooked veggies (or frozen veggies).

I'm eating really cheap this week AND cleaning out the freezer.

I've had a couple of dinners out this week and 2 'events' over the weekend so I don't really need to have alot of food at home.

[sunshinegal1981]

My secret to cheap eating is liberal use of cabbage. 

I like to slice it into thin ribbons, microwave it until it wilts, then top it with bolognese sauce.  Green spaghetti! 

Cabbage strips sauteed with a very small amount of olive oil, and then doused with sriracha and sesame oil, and eaten with chopsticks:  Asian-style fiber!

There are a million delicious yogurt-based sauces that you can mix into raw, finely-chopped cabbage to make a slaw. 

Cabbage chunks extend a meat stew very nicely.

Etc, etc.

(My colon health is impeccable.)    

[Shooby]

I have a $15 rice cooker. My kids love rice. Cheap and easy.

[kittensaver]

Our cheap meals are pretty much like everyone else's: soup made with leftovers; pasta (and pasta in soup!); eggs; sauteed greens and beans; breakfast for dinner. In typical Italian style we almost always stretch meat with bread or breadcrumbs: meatloaf, meatballs in sauce, stuffed shells, stuffed and baked veggies of all kinds (eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini "boats" etc) with cheese on top.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

My cheapest meal is lentil soup. The local Middle Eastern market sells lentils for $1/lb. and I use the whole lb. I saute onions, carrots and celery together until soft, maybe another $1 in veggies, throw in the lentils, add chicken stock ($1) and simmer until tender. I take out about a cup or so of lentils and take an immersion blender to the rest, then put the saved lentils back in for a bit of texture. The last time I made this, I ate on it 4 days until I couldn't stand the sight of it anymore so brought the leftovers in for a coworker (there were about 2 more bowls of it left).

Potato leek soup is almost as cheap other than I use 1/2 lb of good bacon ($3), fry it up and use the fat to start the veggies in. When leeks are on sale, 3 are around $1.50. 2 russet potatoes and $1 for chicken stock (runs about 0.50/can at Costco). When the veggies are all soft, I hit it with an immersion blender until is smooth. Then I add 1/4C of heavy cream (0.50) for the mouth feel, but you don't need this. At the end, serve it with bacon lardons sprinkled on the top of the soup. Total pot with bacon is $6 and serves 4 easily.

However, the stew I've got planned for dinner tonight costs around $14. Meat alone was $9, mushrooms $3 and rest of the veggies are cheap.

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

I make breakfast for dinner often.

Crepes (thin pancakes) is one of my favorite quick & cheap dinners. Flour (which is always in stock), 1 egg, a cup of milk, and a dribble of cooking oil.

You can top them with just margarine & regular pancake syrup (also in stock) or top them with fruit, and roll up. They're easy, fast, and fabulous.

Also a loaded omelet filled with some shaved deli ham, sauteed mushrooms (if you like them), a bit of green onion, and shredded cheddar. A loaded omelet is a pretty filling meal.

Even eggs cooked to your liking, with a slice of ham & a few hashbrowns/toast can be dinner.

I do a lot of cheap meals with ground beef. Pasta & meatballs, chili, burgers, and meatloaf - just to name a few.

I usually roast a chicken once a week - 10 days. That will stretch to 2 meals + some leftover to make chicken salad for sandwiches.

I like rice with some meals - I have an electric wok, and will sometimes make steamed rice, then do an oriental stir-fry with it - loaded fried rice - which has some egg, green onion, left-over diced chicken, beef, or for a special treat, shrimp.

[buystoys]

Tonight's dinner was potatoes (~$.75 worth), smoked turkey sausage (think keilbasa type $1.99), and turnip greens ($1.99) sauteed in bacon fat with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  About $5.00 for 5 to 6 servings.

We also like the turkey sausage cooked up with a pound of pasta and a couple packages of frozen mixed vegetables.  That pot also costs about $5.00. 

[Deleted]

I sometimes use that cheap ham that you can buy to make sandwiches.  I fry it a bit with some onions and then add eggs and scramble.  Mmmm that sounds good.

Tomorrow I am going to boil up a pound of pasta shells that I have in the pantry and use up some hard boiled eggs and make some macaroni salad. It will be good with Day 3 chicken.

This week I have been eating bananas for breakfast and, sadly, a fair amount of Oreos that my son brought home.  They are so good with coffee.... 

But, for redemption, I did spend an hour or so sweating in the yard and I also washed all three dogs today. That was a workout all its own.

[Deleted]

Two days a week, I sharply cut back my calorie consumption to about 1,000. Tonight was one of those nights. Dinner was soup made with homemade broth. DH makes it from the parts of vegetables others throw away; we freeze them till there's enough to cook. I added half a bok choy (cross between cabbage and celery) and an onion, sautéing both first.

[Apple]

I do stir fry fairly often.  I can make one steak, chicken breast, or piece of pork cover both DS and I and still have enough leftovers for lunch the next day.

I don't have real numbers, but...  I buy the beef from my brother (he raises a handful of cows every year) and the vegetables are a mix of packaged frozen vegetables and vegetables from the garden/bought on sale--either fresh, or blanched and frozen.  Then use toss on noodles or rice.

I love breakfast for dinner--DS, not as much.  Whenever I bake potatoes, I bake a few extra to skillet fry the next day.  I love french toast and omelets, both are pretty cheap.

I make homemade chicken enchiladas as well.  Home canned salsa verde (made with vegetables from the garden, nearly free if you don't count water), home canned chicken (less than $2 a pint), just have to buy sour cream ($1), cheese ($5/2 lbs on sale, Tillamook brand, so less than $1), tortillas ($1.50), refried beans (because I like them--$1, or made from dried beans).  We get dinner and several lunches/more dinners out of one pan.

I've made grilled sandwiches a few times with marinated cucumbers and tomatoes (soak in Greek salad dressing overnight), a slice of "white" cheese (provolone, swiss, etc), and a slice of turkey (or not).  Grill like you would a grilled cheese sandwich.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our Grocery Outlet!  They have an awesome cheese section, so we are always trying something new.

[cronewitch]

Strange food I wouldn't serve others but kinda liked it. I don't eat salt or sugar much so can't eat things I want. Tonight I had leftover broccoli, leftover asparagus with leftover rice mixed together then stirred in almond breeze and slivered almonds and seasoned with curry powder and pepper. I was hungry for rice-a-roni fried rice but can't have the salt so the slivered almonds was my attempt, curry powder just because it seemed to need a spice but I didn't know what.

Because you guys had an Almond Breeze threat I took up buying it. I loved the vanilla so tried the original this time. Eating a bowl of shredded wheat with almond breeze twice today. I have more asparagus and broccoli so might make more rice and make strange rice dish again maybe put some frozen corn in it for more crunch.

I eat rice about everyday just got 20lb bags for under $10 so got one for my house and one for ISO's house. I got him a rice cooker so make him rice when I visit, I am trying to teach him two cups water one cup rice turn machine on until light goes to keep warm. His only has one button and two lights.

Almond breeze, vanilla on hot rice taste like rice pudding, I wish I had raisins but too much sugar.

[marvholly]

There is also a similar thread (Whats for Dinner Tonight) over in Smart Spending.

[tloonya]

Organic Duck instead of $5.99lb - half price. And potatoes. I will probably steal them from the store. Or give myself 99% employee discount.

[Deleted]

DH makes great navy bean soup with a ham hock. It's good for at least 3 meals (we don't mind leftovers). He also makes corn bread with it, from scratch. It's even better now that I got him the cast-iron pans for Christmas and he makes the corn bread in the pan.

[Gardening Grandma]

Two nights ago we had beans and rice ( this was a WW recipe) and it was absolutely delicious:
(The recipe is for one.  I doubled it for the two of us and there were still leftovers)

1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp minced garlic or to taste
1/2 cup(s) (chopped) uncooked red onion(s)
1/2 cup(s) green pepper(s) chopped
1/2 cup(s) canned diced tomatoes with seasonings
1/2 cup(s) canned black beans rinsed and drained
1/2 cup(s) cooked brown rice
1 Tbsp fat free sour cream
1 Tbsp cilantro fresh, chopped

Instructions
Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Add onions and peppers; sauté until tender. Add tomatoes and beans; cook, stirring, until heated through and then season to taste. Serve over rice, garnished with sour cream and cilantro.
Swaps
Try quinoa for the brown rice and kidney beans for the black beans.
Flavor Boosts
Fresh herbs, all-purpose seasoning, hot sauce, minced jalapeño and/or onion flakes

(I don't like FF sour cream so used light sour cream. Grated a little cheddar cheese. Added green sauce.)

[tootsieroll]

Dh is the cook in the family and he does a great job.  Last night was Asian stir-fry.  He used organic tofu (1.69), covered in garlic powder and other spices and baked in the oven for a bit to dry it out.  Then boiled a pack of stir-fry noodles (.99 at the Asian market), and added in a bag of green bean / carrot frozen stir fry veggies (.49 after coupon) and a diced onion. He added soy sauce and duck sauce as well.  So less than $4 for a meal that fed 3 kids and 2 adults, and made enough lunch leftovers for three of us today.

We aren't always this frugal as most dinner meals end up costing about $1.50 per person.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Mar 14, 2014 10:35:08 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

DH makes great navy bean soup with a ham hock. It's good for at least 3 meals (we don't mind leftovers). He also makes corn bread with it, from scratch. It's even better now that I got him the cast-iron pans for Christmas and he makes the corn bread in the pan.

For the first time in God knows how many years, I was able to get some meaty ham hocks for bean soup.  A package of them cost <gulp> $9.  That was expensive meat for seasoning.  I remember when you could get a package for $1!

[Blonde Granny]

C'mon over to Smart Spending....there has been an ongoing thread on low cost cooking.

[tskeeter]

Night before last, I had some of Tskeeter's home made canadian bacon.  About $2.50 a pound instead of $7.50 or so for the store bought stuff.  And twice as tasty.  Well, maybe not twice.  But it was pretty good stuff. 

[justme]

Mar 14, 2014 15:28:41 GMT -5 tskeeter said:

Night before last, I had some of Tskeeter's home made canadian bacon.  About $2.50 a pound instead of $7.50 or so for the store bought stuff.  And twice as tasty.  Well, maybe not twice.  But it was pretty good stuff. 

Like legit pea meal Canadian bacon??  If so, what's your recipe? Finally got the pink salt so I can make it and have been looking around for good recipes.

PS Try looking at $40/lb to get it shipped to you! No one in Florida sells it.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I'm really wanting to try to make bacon myself. Everything I have read about it from those who made it have said that they will never go back to commercial bacon.

Only problem is that unless I order pork bellies online, they are not available locally anywhere!

[justme]

Canadian bacon is the pork loin, a lot easier to find.  The Whole Foods near me sells pork belly.

[The Captain]

Mar 14, 2014 15:52:17 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

I'm really wanting to try to make bacon myself. Everything I have read about it from those who made it have said that they will never go back to commercial bacon.

Only problem is that unless I order pork bellies online, they are not available locally anywhere!

Words cannot express my level of sorrow for you...

[tskeeter]

Mar 14, 2014 15:49:05 GMT -5 justme said:

Mar 14, 2014 15:28:41 GMT -5 tskeeter said:

Night before last, I had some of Tskeeter's home made canadian bacon.  About $2.50 a pound instead of $7.50 or so for the store bought stuff.  And twice as tasty.  Well, maybe not twice.  But it was pretty good stuff. 

Like legit pea meal Canadian bacon??  If so, what's your recipe? Finally got the pink salt so I can make it and have been looking around for good recipes.

PS Try looking at $40/lb to get it shipped to you! No one in Florida sells it.

No, not legit pea meal bacon.  I don't quite remember what the difference is, but I don't think it's very different.  I think that the recipe that I use could be adapted to pea meal bacon fairly easily.

For the recipe, go to www.susanminor.org , go to Our Time Tested and Proven Recipes, then go to the curing forum, and look for Habanero Smoker's dry cure Canadian Bacon recipe.  This recipe calls for Morton's Tender Quick, not pink salt.  (If you know what pink salt is, I assume you realize that you can't just substitute it for Tender Quick.)  It also calls for smoking the meat.  If you don't have access to a smoker, you could just roast the meat in the oven on some kind of a rack to keep the meat off the bottom of the pan.  Won't have that smokey flavor, but will be pretty good anyway.  As an alternative, you could brush the meat with some liquid smoke to add some smokey flavor.  That's probably what a commercial processor would do.  I like this recipe because it's easy to just rub pieces of pork loin (with fat and silver skin removed) with the cure and throw then into the fridge for six days.  One thing that I do differently is I do the 30 minute fresh water soak step three times, using fresh water each time.  That brings the salt level down to where we like it.

If you would like a sweeter flavor, I understand that Mallard Whacker's Maple Candian Bacon recipe is very good, also.

I'm off to look up pea meal bacon and see what the difference is from what I've done.