'Cutting back' recipes (hotel, house, buy)

[mrs1885]

Since we have a thread about cutting back, and I've noticed many of you are cutting back on food, how about posting some recipes for quick, easy, inexpensive meals? Maybe we can all benefit!!

I had one for a chicken and ham gumbo. Can't remember exactly what it was, but oh man was it yummy. Gave hubby horrible heartburn so I had to stop making it. Cost about $20 for all the ingredients, but for a family of 7 it fed us 2 dinners and a lunch. Not bad.

Let's see, it had sauteed chicken (I used thighs to keep costs low) and diced ham sauteed in a small amount of oil with diced onions and garlic. When the chicken is cooked through you dump it into a big crock pot with a couple cans of diced tomatoes in tomato juice. About an hour before you're ready to eat you dump in a large bag of frozen veggies. It comes out kind of like a stew or soup. I let it cook really slow all day and I usually made some corn bread with it too.

[Nor'Eastah]

Originally Posted by mrs1885

Since we have a thread about cutting back, and I've noticed many of you are cutting back on food, how about posting some recipes for quick, easy, inexpensive meals? Maybe we can all benefit!!

I'm not too good with recipes, ahem! What I do notice is that the house smells SO GOOD when my DW has been cooking onions. They're pretty cheap...and when added to just about any meal that's rather bland or we've been eating it for too long, ZOWEEE! It really zips up the dish, and gives me the hungry's just waiting for suppah to be ready!

There's one thing she makes that I can describe pretty well. This is about the cheapest thing we eat and I miss it when she hasn't made it for awhile. It's called American chop suey. Now, everybody has a recipe for this, but try ours: get a large-size can of Campbell's spaghetti - the more expensive tomato sauces and pasta's won't do. Buy the cheap canned stuff. Fry up a big pan of chopped onions and peppers - really caramelize them, till good and brown. Then fry some small chunks of cheap hamburger, the stuff with all the fat in it. Don't worry - you pour all the fat off.

Here's the secret: mix all ingedients and put into the fridge overnight in a big mixing bowl. That's how the flavors all get mixed. Then - if you can wait that long - serve the following day. Mmmmm, worth the wait!

[Maineah]

Take a piece of bologna and fry it in a frying pan until brown on both sides. Place on white bread with mayonnaise and eat.

[deerislesmile]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Take a piece of bologna and fry it in a frying pan until brown on both sides. Place on white bread with mayonnaise and eat.

You could save more money by eliminating the bologna...

[fxtrader]

I see talk of home made mac n' cheese on here. Anyone have a recipe for that it sounds great.

[Elcarim]

Oh, that's an easy one. Just boil up elbow noodles. Add velveeta and a bit of milk or cream and melt it in until you get the thickness you like. I add salt,pepper, garlic & onion powder to mine. It's great!

My grandma bakes it in the oven after adding the milk and cheese, but I don't like the crunchy top. It's just as good stove top.

[mrs1885]

Now I'm ready to tell the boss I'm sick and go home to cook up some yummy food............ that's totally not on my diet!! LOL!!

I've never heard of American Chop Suey. The kids and I would like it. I think hubby'd turn up his nose. He misses out on the yummiest stuff!!

Fried bologna. We've got a world class executive chef in my hotel, but he makes fried bologna and biscuits at least once a week for the staff!!!

And mac n cheese. Oh, yummiest of all yummies!!! I'm starving!!!!

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by Elcarim

Oh, that's an easy one. Just boil up elbow noodles. Add velveeta and a bit of milk or cream and melt it in until you get the thickness you like. I add salt,pepper, garlic & onion powder to mine. It's great!

My grandma bakes it in the oven after adding the milk and cheese, but I don't like the crunchy top. It's just as good stove top.

Gods no! velveeta is NOT CHEESE! LOL

While the elbow macaroni is boiling, grate some sharp cheddar. drain the mac when it's JUST barely done, mix in the cheese and a "glug" of milk and bake. If you don't like the crunchy top (I don't either...) put it in a covered casserole. Bakes for 20-30 min or so.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by starwalker

Gods no! velveeta is NOT CHEESE! LOL

While the elbow macaroni is boiling, grate some sharp cheddar. drain the mac when it's JUST barely done, mix in the cheese and a "glug" of milk and bake. If you don't like the crunchy top (I don't either...) put it in a covered casserole. Bakes for 20-30 min or so.

It tastes like it though!

[rossco17]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Take a piece of bologna and fry it in a frying pan until brown on both sides. Place on white bread with mayonnaise and eat.

HA! That's hilarious. The more you post, the more curmudgeon-esque and funny you get. i've started to actually seek out your posts...

I had a 99 cent cup o' noodles the other day that was pretty good. I'll probably die of a heart attack if i eat any more of them, but under a buck nonetheless.