need some relatively easy,cheap supper meals

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
I made the hodge-podge soup last night with chicken and as I was prepping the veggies, etc., I thought of you. So I took everything over to the kitchen table and sat down to do it there and see how it felt. To be honest, it was a little awkward, only because of the height and my reach for cutting things up. But it did take the strain off my low back, knee and feet. I timed it also...took about 35 minutes to prep and once everything was in the pot it simmered for about 45 minutes and we had some crusty bread with it. Delish.

I'm only posting this because I thought of you and what it must feel like for you when you're trying to make healthier meals against the odds (Tony and Billy)...I get it. Prepping at the table is easier than working at the counter, but it's still a pita.

Also, if I'm making homemade pizza, I'll buy a dough at stop and shop, they are huge, and bring it home and divide it by threes. Let them rise and work into a crust, which is easy. Once they are ready, I bake them and then freeze them to use later. For the sauce, I use a small can of tomato paste, doctor it up with italian spices and herbs and parm cheese, spread a little olive oil on the crust, the sauce and then the cheese. I like mine loaded up with veggies but H likes his with pepperoni so I do half and half. This can also be prepped at the table.
 

klmno

Active Member
Well the guys can still help. Shoot- even E will peel potatoes for me while he's watching tv- I just give him a plastic grocery bag to toss the peelings in.
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
Janet,

I have to say, were I in your shoes I would cook for myself and Tony and if Billy wants to eat it fine - otherwise it's leftovers for Tony the next day. You have told us that Billy doesn't pull his weight around the house - he is a grown man and I wouldn't be catering to his dietary needs and wants every day. Maybe a nice dinner on Sundays that you can eat together - but not every day. That would be me but you are nicer than I :)

A crock pot is fabulous investment and I believe you find a nice large one for about $20-25 - I guarantee it will pay for itself in a month because you can make cheaper cuts of meat tender and most of the time, the prep is minimal and you just leave it for the day! I use mine a lot more in the winter and love making soups. Tony would probably love stews. Only caution I would have is for chicken. I have found in the years I've been using mine that white meat doesn't take the amount of time it says and dark meat chicken is much more suitable for the crock pot.

Do an internet search for a year of crock pot cooking (or something like that). A lady with two children used her crock pot every day for a year. She has pictures of the ingredients and the final product with comments on what she liked/didn't like and what her kids and husband thought of the meal. You can access the recipes alphabetically or some other subgroups. I've tried tons of hers!

Sharon
 

lovemysons

Well-Known Member
Hi Janet,

Here's one that I think is fairly easy and cheap. My mom made it for me when I was little and I couldn't ever say the name of it correctly so it's come to be known as "My Favorite Dish", lol.

Here's what you need:

Cassarole dish
Hamburger Meat
Onion
Bell Pepper
Large Elbow Mac and Cheese
Corn
Tomato Soup
Sliced Olives

Dice up Onion and Bell Pepper and add to cooking Ground Beef.
Drain Beef mixture.
Cook Elbow Mac and Cheese

Now layer in cassarole starting with Ground Beef, Onion, Bell Pepper mixture on the bottom.
Next layer is Elbow Mac and Cheese
Next layer is Corn (enough to cover Mac and Cheese)
Next layer is Tomato Soup (enough to cover Corn)
Then sprinkle Olives over Tomato Soup

Cook uncovered in oven at 350 for around 35 to 45 mins.

LMS
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
I just remembered a really easy recipe. Buy a big can of green beans. Buy fingerling potatoes (no peeling). Buy some thin ham slices (country ham is best). Get out a pot with a lid. DUMP the meat, the potatoes and the whole can with all the liquid in the pot. Stick the lid on and simmer til the potatoes are cooked. :fingerscrossed: Tony will like it! Hugs DDD
 

mom_to_3

Active Member
I haven't posted in quite a while, but wanted to add a couple of recipes myself.

Ham, Red Potatoes and Fresh Green Beans

I like to use one or two ham hocks for flavoring and then some cut up ham chunks. Whatever amount works for your family. Then clean and halve red potatoes. Add in quite a few fresh green beans that have been washed and snapped. Cover with water. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and fresh diced onion. It's best to bring this to a boil and then lower the heat for a couple of hours until the potaoes are done. Serve with fresh bread. This will work well whether you cook it on the stove on or in a crockpot. Your men will LOVE this!

The next recipe is extremely simple yet inexpensive and satisfying.

Potatoes and meatballs.

Take a pound of hamburger and season it well, diced onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder. Mix all that up and shape into meatballs about the size of a golf ball. Peel however many regular potatoes you think your family needs and add them to a pan, add in the meatballs and cover with water. You will need to salt and pepper this water also, as it will become your broth. The combination of the juices from the hamburger cooked into the potatoes makes it very good! Serve a vegetable with this along with some bread and butter and your family will love you! Both of these dishes smell delish while cooking too!

Something else I have done is to make a mock enchilada cassarole

brown a pound of seasoned (salt, pepper, garlic, onion, cumin) hamburger and drain. Take a package of corn tortilla's and lightly fry in oil only long enough to soften the tortilla. Place on paper towels to drain. then i take the hamburger, a can of PINTO beans drained, some cheese, and enough canned enchilada sauce to moisten. Now comes time to assemble. spray some pam on the bottom of a cassarole or cake pan. Spread a little of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan and begin to layer your tortilla's, then the mixture, then tortilla's, the mixture and your top layer will be a tortilla. Add just some sauce and cheese. Cover and bake until heated thru. Eat just like that or with some sour cream, guacamole, etc. This freezes well too and is well liked at my house.

I would be interested to hear what recipes you did try and what you and your family thought of them! Happy eating!
 
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greenrene

Member
I know this week, our local Aldi stores have a 7-quart oval crock pot for $20. I have a crockpot (a cheapie one that I've been using for YEARS with no trouble), but there are many times when I really could use two. I can't imagine life without one!

As far as cheap, easy meals... WalMart has 10-pound bags of chicken leg quarters (thigh and leg still attached) for way cheap - less than $1 a pound. I use these ALL the time for all kinds of different things. My current favorite way to use them is to season them with my seasoning mix (I mix up a large batch of kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, oregano, and rosemary and keep it in old seasoning containers to use for whatever), throw them in an oiled baking dish skin-side up, and bake them. I cut up potatoes (skin on), toss with olive oil and my seasoning mix, and roast them alongside the chicken. Steam up some frozen veggies, and it's a meal.

You can bake up all the leg quarters and use the leftovers for chicken salad, chicken soup, chicken pot pie, chicken and dumplings, etc.

Another go-to meal for us is frozen ravioli. I prefer cheese, husband prefers beef - either is pretty cheap. Throw them, still frozen, in a casserole dish, dump in some sauce, cover, and bake.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
You can bake the frozen ravioli? Wow. I have always boiled mine and they came out sort of slimy and werent a favorite. Maybe that is the issue. I will try the baking.

I do need to get a new crock pot. I had one for years and then when I became childless I let Cory have mine. Well, I didnt so much as let him have it but it sort of migrated to his house one Xmas and never returned. Some of my things have a way of doing that. Sigh. My huge stainless steel stockpot did the same thing but I really never have a need to use that so I didnt make an issue of it. I have been complaining to Tony that I need a new crock pot but he keeps pointing out I gave my old one to Cory like I should just go get it. The thing is, the old one was really old and it was one of the bigger ones for a large family...and it was so old that the knob had fallen off. We had to turn it on and off with pliers. Cory didnt exactly get a gem...lol. It was about time for me to replace it anyway. I will just have to go buy one myself. Maybe that will be his birthday present...lmao. Actually they are $20 at walmart right now and I pointed them out to him just Friday night. I like the ones with the removable pots because they are easier to clean. Also they now have liners to go inside made by the same folks who make reynolds wrap. Those are great if I can get everyone to use them.

I do plan to copy this to word and save it. You guys have been very helpful in jogging my memory. Like I said, I did know a bunch of this stuff but I get so lost in just thinking because my brain gets stuck when I stare into the freezer and pantry and there is nothing there. I cant even think about what I want to eat. You know how most times they say not to got to the store hungry? That doesnt even help me. Yeah I look at junk food and might buy stuff like ice cream or some of my cookies but I cant even think about wanting meat or hot dogs or anything like that. None of it looks good. I think some of that is because I know I cant chew it.
 

everywoman

Well-Known Member
Lima beans with ham.
Mac and cheese with smoked sausage
Stewed chicken and rice (canned biscuit dumplings.
You can buy stew meat with potatoes, carrots, celery chopped and ready at walmart.
layer sweet potatoes, apples, pork chops cover with brown sugar, cinanamen and water. Bake
Layer tatertots, browned hamburger, cover with cream of mushroom top with cheese
Chicken breasts, pat of butter on each, cream of chicken.bake. Layer with canned crossaints.
 

greenrene

Member
Yes, you can bake the ravioli - it's the ultimate no-effort meal! I don't like to boil them - you're right about the sliminess, and, well, it's an extra unnecessary step!
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
Another good reason to get a new crock pot: you can prep the ingredients, throw them together in the pot, turn on the timer... and go lie down for a nap.
 

Jody

Active Member
okay i would not survive without a crockpot, i have two and on the wekend i have two going for dinners for the week and weekend. Yesterday i made chicken chilli-
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/2 bag lima beans
1/2 bag of northern beans
and two cups lentils,
vegetable broth
can of carrots
can of corn
basil and pepper and garlic. whaever spices you like and let it cook away. yum

right now i have two chicken breast and chick peas and curry and paprika cooking,
tomorrow i will reheat and poor over brown rice. i like to add some fresh spinach too. its very good and a little spicy
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Well you all will be very proud of me!

Yesterday Tony ground up a bunch of deer meet that we had in the freezer because I had recently found some beef fat on sale at Save a Lot. That stuff is hard to find! We ended up with about 20 or so pounds of hamburger meat.

We made hamburgers for everyone for our main meal yesterday and I swear we must send out a beacon because even Cory and Mandy showed up out of the blue for burgers...lol. I think we made 10 or so Burgers and they were big. Then I made 2 meatloaves and put them in those aluminum throw away pans, wrapped them in foil and popped them in the freezer for quick meals. (Gave Cory one to go too...I am too good to that boy) Then I browned up the rest of the meat and put it in two baggies to use in something else.
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
I've been doing a ton of cooking and getting a bit more adventurous. But I am not always in the mood, or don't always have the time. So I do have a few super easy recipes that my house enjoy.

Chicken casserole

In a baking pan (I use a larger glass one), place chicken breasts (however many needed). This works even from frozen. I buy the huge cases frozen here at Walmart. On top of each place some white type of cheese (can be omitted). Tastes great with any cheese. I use havarti or Swiss usually but have used mozzarella and tastes great too. In a bowl, mix canned cream soup (I tend to use mushroom but celery, chicken, broccoli work nicely) with milk. I usually use 2 cans and 2 cans worth milk. Dump over the chicken. Top with 1-2 boxes stove top stuffing. Bake until chicken is done and juices run clear. All of under 5 minutes prep. When rushed or just not in cooking mood, I serve with quick rice or boxed mashed potatoes. Add a veggie, even frozen to be super easy. We usually make fresh green beans or broccoli.

Another easy one for those packs of pre cut chicken breast strips you mentioned. It takes as long as it takes to boil water and cook pasta.

Put pot of water on to boil for noodles. I usually use penne for this recipe. In a large skillet, heat a bit of oil. Add chopped onion, garlic (can make this easier using jarred minced), a chopped green pepper (add other peppers if you like), and pre chopped fresh mushrooms. (canned works in a pinch) When this seems fairly cooked down and tenderized, add in chopped fresh tomatoes (1-2 large ones, depends on how much you like. The tomatoes will make sauce into a rose, blend of tomato and Alfredo). After a few minutes melding, add in chicken pieces. (I cut them tinier but not too small). Once well heated, add a jar of Alfredo sauce. To help sauce not soak into noodles, I add a little extra virgin olive oil too). This will all be done by the time the water is boiled and noodles are cooked. We eat it with those premade garlic texas toast . This pasta ends up tasting like something from a restaurant yet it super easy.

If you consider picking up a crock pot, I've got wonderful recipes. Super easy ones. I even make a lasagna that is killer, where you just later ingredients and don't even need to brown the meat. Takes only minutes to get going literally.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Ramen noodles, all different flavors, with-chopped up meat, preferably chicken. You can buy it precooked, either in pkgs or as an entire chicken.
Just cook the noodles and then stir in the meat.

We eat a LOT of spaghetti. :)
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Janet, is there a DMV or other thrift shop nearby? Ours have a whole bunch of crockpots (at least, they did 2 wks ago) and one was still in the box.
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
Jody,

I like the sound of your first recipe but have a question - are you using dry lentils or already cooked lentils? Two cups of dry would soak up every bit of liquid and two chicken breasts aren't going to offer much juice - are the other beans drained?

Sharon
 

Jody

Active Member
Littledudesmom, I add enough broth and water which i forgot to mention (yikes) for the lentils and beans to cook. Its not a super soupy rescipe, but it is very good and very filling. I do drain the carrots and the corn. Sometimes if I need to stretch this meal I ad a little water after I have had it on for a while, add some more spice and put it in the refrigerator overnite and then heat it up the next day. Same good taste and it goes one meal further.
 
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