Cheap food recipes

[Geri_Arctic]

I need some welfare type recipes until I get a new job. Preferably something I could make and freeze in individual portions.


Any help greatly appreciated.

[FinalDream]

Well I don't know of anything better then macaroni. You can make it a lot of ways and frying up some ground beef along with it is pretty good. Also if you enjoy the kraft dinner type of cheese, you can goto Superstore and get the cheese powder in bulk. It ends up being a pretty tasty meal and if you want to splurge you can add some fresh peppers to it. Not really a freezable meal but you could prep the meat and spend 15 minites making the macaroni.

[Stockboy99]

Dumplings - Asian style. :D

Although it might take a while to prepare its my favorite freezable "instant food"

Preparation

soy sauce (or other sauce)
ground meat (your preference)
green onions
spices (again your preference)
flour
water

Mix all ingredient except for the flour and water in a large bowl. Set in fridge.

In another bowl add the flour. 1 cup of flour should be enough for about 24-36 dumplings. (12 dumplings should make a meal).
Slowly add cold water to flour and mix until the dough forms. Shouldn't really use that much water. You don't want a sticky dough.
Let the dough sit for around an hour.

Flip on the TV, get your dough and meat out and start making dumplings.

A thumb size pinch of dough should be flattened to a palm sized circle. Place the meat inside and seal. Place finished dumplings in a plastic bag and throw it in the freezer.

Cooking Frozen dumplings. -- The quick and easy part.

Boil water.
Place frozen dumplings in water.
Let boil until dumplings float on top. (5-10 minutes)

Take out dumplings and drain. Eat with sauce.
You can use the excess water as a soup base. Like a quick egg-drop soup perhaps.

[TedHershey]

Mac and cheese combined with some frozen spinach and a can of ro-tel.

Cheap and tasty.

[Chairman_Kaga]

mac-n-cheese. Staple

Add sliced hot dogs.

Key to eating cheaper at home is to buy stuff that lasts forever between uses or to buy only what you will use today. (or before it spoils)

Pasta is one that never goes bad in storage. Also many number of ways to prepare. Especially with cheap meat (ground beef/chuck, chicken, canned tuna, etc...). Good for casseroles that will make 2-3 meals too.

Potatoes and rice. Very filling/$$ spent.

Canned foods, especially veggies. Not nearly as tasty as their fresher cousins but they will stay for quite some time w/o having to refrigerate them. Throwing out food before you can use it is the major cost of keeping good/fresh stuff around. Especially as a bachelor. No one makes/sells stuff in bachelor sized portions. :(

Bread, get major brand bread. Not tasty or all that good for you but loaded with preservatives that will keep it from going bad before you use it.

Tomato products in a can. Very versitile and cheap. Will also stay on a shelf almost as long as a Twinkie. Get varied types. Stewed, puree, sauce, etc... Use them for sauces for the cheap pasta.

Buy generic/off brands. 90% of those "off brands" are really just repackaged "good" brands. Those of you in Wisconsin probably know Roundy's brand stuff. That is all Green Giant and Libbys veggies in a can. Their boxed stuff is all Sara Lee and Betty Crocker. Just has a Roundy's label on it. Generics just but the overstocks from the major labels. Only diff is the consitency. One day it may be Green Giant canned corn. Next time you buy it, it may be Libby's canned corn.

Buy as you need. Find a decent butcher in the area. Only buy meat as you need it. That way you'll get decent meat but won't throw any out. Big $$ savings over going to a supermarket once a week and throwing out 1/2 the products you buy b/c they spoil before you can use them.

Buy frozen in bulk where you can. Then seperate and repackage in "meal" size portions so you don't waste an entire frozen bag of peas for one meal.

Chili is generally a good and relatively inexpensive meal that can go several days. Ground beef, tomatoe sauce and beans. The rest you use if you have it. If not, eh, enough hot sauce and it'll taste fine. :)

Biggest money saver though is buying so that you don't have to throw out. What good is buying 2 pounds of broccoli if you throw out 1 pound?

Spices: Although fresh is by far the best, go with bottled/dried spices. Basil, oregeno, thyme, cilantro, etc... are killer spices fresh. However, there are dried alternatives. They are not as good but they will not get moldy before you can use them. If you can find a way to buy just what you will use somewhere, that would be best.

I have taken to buying the staples in bulk like butter, garlic, milk, potatoes, vodka and such. (ok, mostly just the non-perishables or "not-so-perishables") The rest I pick up a day or two at a time. I have a really nice butcher shop nearby that has most everything I would need for a meal. It's more expensive per pound, but, it's cheaper b/c I don't end up throwing 1/2 of what I buy out at the end of the week.



Ted, next summer, remind me to send you some of his skinless butcher shop hot dogs and cajun brats. MMMMmmmmMMMmmmmMMMM. I nearly faint when I hear that grinder going in the back room. I just KNOW it's going to be a good day. :)