Cheap meals!

Due to a bunch of unexpected expenses popping up, we are poor as heck for the next month or so... like, poorer than usual.

What are your go-to cheap dinner ideas? Especially stuff that is on the bland side, as DH has an extremely sensitive stomach.

TIA!!

Cheap meals!

If you shop at Stop & Shop, they have Perdue chicken on sale this week (starts tomorrow). Buy one get one free. I’d stock up on them and make grilled chicken with SteamFresh veggies or those packaged salads .
Or pasta. When we make a pound it usually lasts us two days. Pasta & sauce is pretty inexpensive.
Or a package of hamburgers/turkey burgers. You can have them a couple times a week.
HTH

Re: Cheap meals!

Breakfast for dinner.
Fritatta - great way to use up leftovers.
Hearty soups with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Cheap meals!

Pasta with sauce and sausage. I find there are very often great deals on italian sausage and with a pound of pasta it goes a long way. Serve with a salad.

Chicken chili. I roast a whole chicken, pull the meat off, and make a big batch. I throw in 3 cans of beans (red, white, and black) which really bulks it up. Shoprite has tyson roasting chickens for under 60 cents a pound starting on sunday. I like it with tostitoes scoops but you could also do the jiffy cornbread mix which is super cheap.

Tacos, Eggs, Meatloaf, Rice and beans

Re: Cheap meals!

the more prepared something is the less healthier it is and the more $$ it is, so stay away from packaged items, including processed meats, boxed items, etc

as PP said, buy lean meats on sale in large quantities/shop per pound and freeze portions

veggies (frozen on sale, or fresh in season)

lentils/beans/pulses/legumes

grains - rice, barley, pasta

foods with lots of fiber and protein will keep you full the longest!!

Re: Cheap meals!

I feel like I get very good prices at trader joes and fairway.

Fairway has family packs of poultry and sometimes beef. You could buy that and freeze some for later use. This will prolly save you some money.

They both have circulars with sales listed on their websites.

Message edited 10/17/2013 10:26:47 AM.

Re: Cheap meals!

Cereal, pancakes, French toast.............any breakfast food

Homemade soups (chicken, minestrone, French onion)

Pasta (sauce costs next to nothing to make and pasta is a buck a box)

Homemade chicken salad with chips or garden salad on the side (I stock up on skinless, boneless chicken when it's $1.99/lb then I break it up into one pound servings, bag it, vacuum seal it, and freeze. I always have chicken on hand)

Tacos (get beef on sale plus the taco kit.......dirt cheap)

Nachos - I take Tostitos chips and spread them out in a 9X13 baking dish. I top the chips with browned beef that I cooked with onions, salt, pepper, and salsa. Then I cover with shredded cheddar and raw, diced onions and bake until warm and melty. So easy and delicious.

Egg salad sandwiches

Re: Cheap meals!

Breakfast for dinner...

Tacos

Grilled Cheese and soup (perfect timing!)

Pierogies and kielbasa

Pasta with parm cheese and broccoli

English muffin pizzas

Baked ravioli

ETA: Not sure where you live but Joe's Italian Meatmarket in West Babylon has 10 lbs of chicken for around $20. They slice it thin, and package it however you want.

Message edited 10/17/2013 10:54:13 AM.

Cheap meals!

Beans or lentils with brown rice. Pasta with veggies and sauce. Eggs made any way with toast Veggie soup with pasta in it Peppers stuffed with brown rice / quinoa and topped with cheese. Buy a rotisserie chicken and serve with rice and veggies. Use the bones to make soup. I really suggest a trip to trader joes. They have some of the best prices on the items mentioned here. Eta: do you have a bjs or Costco membership ? You can stock up on frozen fruit and veggies at a great price.

Message edited 10/17/2013 2:41:37 PM.

Cheap meals!

Thanks everyone!

I do most of the things mentioned already, but thank you for all the suggestions. If it was just me and the kids it would be easy (grilled cheese, breakfast for dinner, etc) but my husband needs more substantial stuff as he works 12 hour days, and brings leftovers for dinner. He also has major stomach issues and has to have everything very plain, can't have a lot of dairy, tomato, etc.

Any more suggestions are welcome... keep 'em coming!!

Cheap meals!

Chicken Cutlets on sale: Grill it, bake it, Fry it, stuff it, it can go a long way in different meals

Cheap meals!

rice and beans

fried rice with whatever meat you can get on sale (to make it more substantial)

chili using whatever meat you can get cheapest (can make it non-spicy if the spice would bother your husband)

a big pot of split pea soup with hot dogs in it

don't be picky about veggies - buy what is on sale, also look at frozen to see if you can get a better deal, even if it isn't as tasty bc it's frozen

Re: Cheap meals!

Just saw your DH has issues with tomato so this may not work but you may like it anyway

Pasta Fagioli

Can of cannelini beans
2 cans of tomato sauce (large cans)
half of a can of water
one medium onion
ditalini pasta

Saute onion in olive oil, soften it, add some salt, throw in tomato sauce and water, throw in can of beans (drained and rinsed)

In a separate pot, boil ditalini pasta, drain and put in cold water to stop cooking

Simmer beans and sauce for about 20 mins, and put some in a bowl with some pasta. Voila, tastes great, cheap and pretty bland.

We like to throw in red pepper in our individual bowls.

You can put the pasta in the sauce but it soaks up too much sauce so I keep it separate like my mom always does.

Message edited 10/18/2013 12:11:37 AM.

Re: Cheap meals!

Cheap meals!

Thanks everyone!!

Re: Cheap meals!

American Chop Suey! I wouldn't say it's the healthiest but it's pretty inexpensive to make and kids love it.

Prepare box of elbow macaroni (or other short pasta), drain & set aside
Brown ground beef, drain and set aside. Saute chopped onion in the pan used to brown the meat until soft.

Throw the ground beef and macaroni into the pan with the onion, add one can Campbell's tomato soup and 1/2 to a can of water, season with s&p, mix together and heat on medium until all is hot and thickened.

Potatoes and eggs on italian bread, or served with toast.

Lentil soup with hot dogs.

Message edited 10/18/2013 1:22:40 PM.

Re: Cheap meals!

Rice and beans ( can cut up ham too)
Scrambled eggs with toast
Pasta with sauce
White rice, roasted chicken thighs , and a frozen veggie
Bj's rotisserie chicken is around 5.00, with white rice is very cheap for a meal.
Udon noodles with chopped up veggies
Oatmeal for breakfast w a hard boiled egg


Our grocery bill is pretty good because we eat a lot of rice, cheap or frozen veggies and chicken/ pork/ beef that is on sale. Boring but it's cheap and keeps our weight in check

Re: Cheap meals!

I swear I think I always suggest this dish on here...

Pasta Primavera made with Barilla Plus pasta (for protein)

pasta - 1 lb
frozen veggies - 1 lb of the mix with broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
chicken broth - 1 can
1 onion
garlic
grated cheese
parsley

Saute the onion and garlic, add the frozen veggies and chicken broth and cook until tender.

Meanwhile cook the pasta.

Mix it all together with the cheese and add parsley on top!

Healthy, cheap, easy and you get TONS of leftovers!