Thrifty Meals - Lunches & Dinners

 

In order to enjoy things like steaks, salmon fillets and shrimp and still stay on budget I like to intersperse a lot of thrifty meals into my meal plans, especially if I’m feeding a crowd which I tend to do from time to time.  I also make a lot of soups as I really enjoy a good soup, salad & bread meal.

 

Meatloaf is something I really enjoy and even though the cost of meat has gone up in price substantially it is still on my thrifty list because I buy my ground beef and pork when it is on sale and freeze it in half pound portions.  I make my meatloaf with a half pound of ground beef and one pound of ground pork with diced onions, minced garlic, grated carrots and zucchini, a little bit of oatmeal and an egg as my binder, plus ketchup, Worstershire sauce, some spices and salt & pepper to taste.  Served with baked potatoes and a can of green beans makes it a complete meal and I usually have plenty of leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day or two.

 

Chili is another one of my go-to meals.  I use two cups of dried beans which I soak overnight (or not) which keeps the cost even lower than if I used canned beans (unless I can them myself) a half pound of ground beef, pork or turkey, some diced onion, minced garlic, a can of diced tomatoes with chiles, a can of tomato sauce and some spices like chili powder, ground cumin and salt & pepper.  I will brown the meat with the onions and garlic, drain off the fat and then assemble everything in my slow cooker on high until the beans are tender.  Leftovers freeze very well and can be used to make chili & cheese stuffed baked potatoes.  Top with a bit of sour cream and you have another thrifty, yet tasty lunch or dinner entrée.  Chili dogs with homemade fries – yum!

 

I think we all can agree that spaghetti is another wonderful and thrifty meal.  I brown a half pound of Italian style sausage as it adds a lot of good flavor and then add a can of tomato sauce, a can of diced Italian style tomatoes as well as some minced garlic and dried basil for a simple tasty pasta sauce.  Served over cooked spaghetti and sprinkled with a little bit of parmesan.  Fabulous!  Leftovers freeze and reheat very well.  Using different pastas like linguine, penne, rotini or farfalle can fancy it up a bit.  At least we always think so, ha, ha.

 

Leftover spaghetti sauce and pasta can be made into a quick and easy pasta bake.  I put it into a dish and sprinkle a cup of grated mozzarella over the top and a bit of dried basil, then give it a spin in the microwave for about five minutes or until it is heated through.  My kids always loved it.  A simple lettuce salad with some grated carrot or a can of green beans complete this meal nicely as well.

 

Crack chicken is another budget stretching meal that I can easily make up and serve a few different ways.  I place a large chicken breast half into my slow cooker and allow it to cook in its own juices until it easily shreds with a fork.  Add a block of cream cheese and a cup of salsa, enchilada sauce or a half cup of buffalo wing sauce.  Once the cream cheese melts I stir it all together and serve it over steamed rice, as a filling for tacos or burritos or as the topping on a taco salad.

 

Tuna is another economical item I incorporate into my meal plans.  Creamed tuna over biscuits, tuna schooners or tuna salad are all great options.  I make my tuna salad with a little bit of mayonnaise, some sweet relish and a chopped hard boiled egg.  Served on some really good homemade bread with lettuce and cup of tomato soup – quick and easy.  I make my tuna casserole with shell shaped pasta and peas to make it just a bit more “fancy”.

 

I am just getting started with these thrifty meal ideas so look forward to more posts in the future.  In the meantime feel free to write in the comments what your favorite thrifty meal is.