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I need to make this stretch until next Friday (Sept 5th). We are a family of 5. I need to have lunch and dinner from these. We don't like Italian foods. I have this:
5 bone in chicken breasts
4 lbs chicken thighs
3 smoked pork chops
1 lb kielbasa
2 lbs beef cubed into tiny pieces
1 lb pork stew meat
1/2 lb pork country style ribs (we don't like these bbq'd at all!)
1 lb frozen strawberries in syrup
1.5 c dry rice
several kinds of cream soups
1 lb bow tie pasta
a little less than 1/2 lb spaghetti
2 bags Ragu pasta sauce
2 cans Pillsbury croissants
1 can Pillsbury pizza dough
3 lbs potatoes
2 Knorr garlic pasta kits
24 eggs
2 loaves wheat bread
pancake mix
3 pkgs turkey bacon
2 HUMONGOUS zucchini
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 box white cake mix
all kinds of spices and seasonings
I can buy $10 worth of veggies also - preferably frozen b/c you get more that way.
Yikes. That's a challenge, Nicole. I've been there, and it ain't easy.
For starters, and while I grant you that it's maybe not nutritionally the best choice, your best bet for that extra $10 as a stretcher is to spend it on starch. Whether you use it to buy more potatoes, rice, pasta, or whatever kinds of starches your family likes, that's how you stretch your food dollars to the max and still fill five hungry bellies.
As to specific meals, you want to make every shred of protein go just as far as you can, since that's the most expensive component in a meal. Unless you're feeding a family of professional football players, they will do just fine on a few ounces per meal of protein; most of us eat way too much protein anyway, although it's mighty tasty stuff and understandable that people like it so much.
I'd probably start by stewing up those four pounds of frozen chicken thighs. Carefully pick every shred of meat off the bones (skin and fat, too, if your family won't quibble about it) and weigh it out in about 10-ounce portions. Freeze each portion separately, so you can use them in a variety of different dishes. Do NOT throw away the cooking water! That heavenly stuff plus some rice and veggies will be the basis of a fabulous soup. You don't even really need meat itself when you've got broth that good.
As to the chicken, you can use it in a bunch of different ways. Layer in a casserole with corn tortillas, chopped onions and a mixture of cream soup and one of those cans of tomatoes with some cumin and chili powder, and you've got what my son calls "Mexi-sagne". Make up good old fashioned tuna-noodles (heavy on the noodles, of course) with chicken instead of noodles. Add a few ounces to that great chicken-rice soup if your family quibbles with the idea of no visible meat in their meal. Roll up a small amount inside a corn tortilla that has been softened by a moment in a lightly-oiled skillet, lay in rows in a 9x13 pan and pour a mixture of tomatoes and cream soup over the rows. If you have cheese, top with that, if not, no worries.
The pork country ribs would be great in a crockpot with LOTS of potatoes and a dab of sauerkraut. My aunt who married a Polish gentleman taught me to drain and rinse sauerkraut before using it, and the result is a lot less intense.
For the pork stew meat, if you brown it well, then add some of your leftover chicken stock, some chopped onions, cumin and chili powder and stew it well for an hour or so, then add a couple of big cans of white hominy, you've just made the Mexican delicacy known as Pozole. The more hominy you add, the farther it'll go.
For your beef bits, I'd probably go with a big pot of beef-barley soup, with the emphasis on the barley rather than on the beef. That'll last you for longer than one meal, most likely.
For the keilbasa, I'd make a couple of huge boiled dinners. Only use half of the sausage at a time, and fill the meal out with potatoes, carrots, cabbage, turnips, onions, whatever other vegetables you can scrounge.
Good luck, Nicole; I'll cudgel my brains for more ideas and will post back if I can think of more possibilities. You and your family will be in my thoughts--
What is good is take the chicken breasts and boil them with a little bit of water take the chicken out but leave the water/broth in and than add the bow tie pasta and add the chicken for a quick stewy soup
Spareribs and Rolled Dumplings - Easy to make and go a long way. Potato Soup.
Eggs and potatoes. Grind up the pork stew meat like hamburger. Season as you like. (I use italian)Cook it with a peeled and cut up potatoes, chopped onion Now add anything else you like annd cook until the pork is well done. If you like a breakfasty type meal add scrambled eggs. It's food stretcher. French bread, Pancakes.
Buy some cheap bulk hambruger, dried navy beans for soup, potatoes, tomato sauce, peanut butter, tuna, flour and some onions. It you have one, head for the Aldi's store.
Fantastic sharing Midwesternbookworm! It says I have to spread the love around before I can rep you again sorry.
NicoleJ do you have staples like flour & sugar? What about making your own bread? Egg noodles or dumplings. Starches will fill the tummy you could do a search for zuke patties that will use up a lot of your zuke. If you don't find one let me know I will post one I have tomorrow. Keep Bisquick or like product on hand for cheap filling meals too. I see you buy canned rolls or biscuits making them would be cheaper in the future. Dried beans, pasta and rice are your friends during money crunches. Even cooked macaroni with those 2 cans of diced tomatoes would be a cheap filling meal.
Thanks yall! I won't have time to make my own bread - I work and go to school full time and dh works in DC & has to commute. I only buy Pillsbury when I have amazing coupons/deals. Ended up paying less than $1 each for those.
I'm going to print out this thread tonight and tack it to the fridge.
1/3 c. Bisquick
1/8 t. Ground Black Pepper
1/4 c. Grated Parmesean Cheese
2 lg. Eggs
2 c. Shredded Zuke
1 sm. Onion, chopped fine
Mix all ingredients together & drop in hot skillet with oil. Brown on both sides. You may need a little more Bisquick if not thick enough. Drain on paper towels and enjoy!
Summer Veggie Casserole
4 T. Butter
1 c. Onions, diced
2 c. Zucchini, diced
2 c. Corn, drained if using canned
1 c. Green Bell Pepper, diced
2 c. Fresh Tomatoes, diced (drained in using canned)
1 1/2 c. Bread Crumbs
Grated cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
Melt butter. Add veggies and saute' until tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Put in baking dish, sprinkle top with cheese & bread crumbs.
Bake at 350* for 30 minutes
Might not be the first choice but how about seasoning up those pork ribs cook in a pot of water then throw in some dried beans. Or even put it all in your crockpot. You will have to add seasonings since the pork rib themselves won't warrant enough flavoring or put a little bacon grease into your pot as well.
Make up your cake mix and instead of icing it pour your frozen strawberries on top.
sorry but you mentioned you dont like italian food at all, but i see you have pasta and sauce?
ok, we like spaghetti and pizza. That's it.
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