The other day I added up our grocery bills and I was pretty surprised at how much my DW and I are spending. I decided cooking more and having left overs will help reduce the costs. I thought this could be a good place for people to post their favorite recipes and also the estimated cost.
Great Recipes for Cheap!
- Thread starter bank5
- Start date
3 Bean Chili
I'll start with one of my favorites. It's easy to make, cheap, and healthy.
3 Bean Chili
Ingredients
1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey ($3)
3 cans of Black Beans ($2)
2 cans Red Kidney Beans ($1)
1 can of Pinto or Chili Beans ($1)
1 1/2 large cans of Tomato Sauce (add more or less depending on the consistency) ($2)
2 cans of Corn ($2)
1 Onion ($1)
1 Pepper ($1)
3-5 tbl of Chili Powder ($0.50)
1 tbl of Cumin ($0.25)
Other spices to taste (pepper, hot sauce, brown sugar, whatever you want)
Optional:
Tostitos for scooping ($3)
Toppings: Sour Cream, Guacamole, and or cheese
Directions:
Cook meat in skillet on medium heat
Chop pepper and onion
Toss all the ingredients in a large pot, put on medium-high until hot
Makes ~10 large servings.
Total cost is under $20 for 10 serving. Could probably make it for $1/serving if you didn't add the beef, tostitos, and onion and pepper.
I'll start with one of my favorites. It's easy to make, cheap, and healthy.
3 Bean Chili
Ingredients
1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey ($3)
3 cans of Black Beans ($2)
2 cans Red Kidney Beans ($1)
1 can of Pinto or Chili Beans ($1)
1 1/2 large cans of Tomato Sauce (add more or less depending on the consistency) ($2)
2 cans of Corn ($2)
1 Onion ($1)
1 Pepper ($1)
3-5 tbl of Chili Powder ($0.50)
1 tbl of Cumin ($0.25)
Other spices to taste (pepper, hot sauce, brown sugar, whatever you want)
Optional:
Tostitos for scooping ($3)
Toppings: Sour Cream, Guacamole, and or cheese
Directions:
Cook meat in skillet on medium heat
Chop pepper and onion
Toss all the ingredients in a large pot, put on medium-high until hot
Makes ~10 large servings.
Total cost is under $20 for 10 serving. Could probably make it for $1/serving if you didn't add the beef, tostitos, and onion and pepper.
ratface
Recycles dryer sheets
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- Jan 13, 2009
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I'll throw in my favorite. This is Cuban peasant food. It is known as 'picadillo'.
Start with a sofrito, common to Italian cooking also. Chop up three medium onions, 2 green peppers, a bundle of garlic, a can or two of diced tomatoes with juice, 8oz. tomato sauce, chopped green olives with piemento, maybe one chopped jalepeno and sautee in olive oil in large frying pan. Tomatoes that are getting soft in the fridge are great for this also. You can buy chopped tomatoes with jalepenos mixed in already.
At the same time you can be browning 2lbs ground meat, or turkey, or venison. I prefer venison because I'm lazy and there is no grease left to drain. While cooking and turning the meat and breaking it up I'll add garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Add incremently and taste as you go until you like it. If you use jalepeno above leave the pepper out here.
I'll use a pot for the ground meat to avoid spilling on the stove. Once the meat is cooked add the sofrito which should be cooked down just starting to get mushy. Mix all together. You may need to add a small amount of water so you can cook it just at the point of pre-boil for another thirty min. I use the tomatoe cans to add water so I can get that stuff stuck to the sides.You don't want this to be soupy but more like stewish.
Traditionally the dish is served over white rice, hence why you want a stewish consistency. It's great alone also.
Note: Some people add raisens to the sofrito for a sweeter taste.
Some folks also fry up little cubes of potatoes to a crispy state and add to the final dish.
With the rice it is very filling and goes a long way.
Start with a sofrito, common to Italian cooking also. Chop up three medium onions, 2 green peppers, a bundle of garlic, a can or two of diced tomatoes with juice, 8oz. tomato sauce, chopped green olives with piemento, maybe one chopped jalepeno and sautee in olive oil in large frying pan. Tomatoes that are getting soft in the fridge are great for this also. You can buy chopped tomatoes with jalepenos mixed in already.
At the same time you can be browning 2lbs ground meat, or turkey, or venison. I prefer venison because I'm lazy and there is no grease left to drain. While cooking and turning the meat and breaking it up I'll add garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Add incremently and taste as you go until you like it. If you use jalepeno above leave the pepper out here.
I'll use a pot for the ground meat to avoid spilling on the stove. Once the meat is cooked add the sofrito which should be cooked down just starting to get mushy. Mix all together. You may need to add a small amount of water so you can cook it just at the point of pre-boil for another thirty min. I use the tomatoe cans to add water so I can get that stuff stuck to the sides.You don't want this to be soupy but more like stewish.
Traditionally the dish is served over white rice, hence why you want a stewish consistency. It's great alone also.
Note: Some people add raisens to the sofrito for a sweeter taste.
Some folks also fry up little cubes of potatoes to a crispy state and add to the final dish.
With the rice it is very filling and goes a long way.
ratface
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2009
- Messages
- 255
sorry about the double now triple post!
Moemg
Gone but not forgotten
Chicken Scampi
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts $1.75 on sale
1/4 stick butter .30
Garlic
a little bit of oil .10
1/4 cup wine .25
Heat oil in frying pan . Cut up chicken breasts into small pieces and brown in oil . Melt butter and add garlic and wine ( make sure to have a glass of the wine to be sure it is okay and because I always cook better with wine )
Place browned chicken pieces in baking dish . Pour sauce over them and add a little seasoning . I usually use Italian seasoning . Broil until they are browned , Serve with brown rice .50 and a salad .50. Around $3.00 and very tasty
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts $1.75 on sale
1/4 stick butter .30
Garlic
a little bit of oil .10
1/4 cup wine .25
Heat oil in frying pan . Cut up chicken breasts into small pieces and brown in oil . Melt butter and add garlic and wine ( make sure to have a glass of the wine to be sure it is okay and because I always cook better with wine )
Place browned chicken pieces in baking dish . Pour sauce over them and add a little seasoning . I usually use Italian seasoning . Broil until they are browned , Serve with brown rice .50 and a salad .50. Around $3.00 and very tasty
Notmuchlonger
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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- Dec 20, 2007
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- 4,764
Wow at the price of those chicken breasts. Ha out here lucky to get them for 5.38 a lb.
Recipe looks tasty.
Moemg
Gone but not forgotten
Wow at the price of those chicken breasts. Ha out here lucky to get them for 5.38 a lb.
Recipe looks tasty.
The local Albertsons sells them for $1.79 in bulk packages. They also sell a nice salmon in 4ounce portions for $1.00. So I usually buy a lot and freeze it . I have found Florida grocery prices to be good except for ( would you believe it) orange juice , When I lived in New Jersey orange juice was always on sale especially Tropicana . Now I live a few miles from Tropicana and you never see sales on OJ.
Notmuchlonger
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2007
- Messages
- 4,764
Ok. I checked to make sure. Foster Farms boneless skinless chicken goes for 5.38. Our grocery store Raleys brand goes for about 2.99. I dont know if Foster Farms is chicken that eats gold or what. Just fascinates me the varying prices across country.
tmm99
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- May 15, 2008
- Messages
- 5,221
I buy Foster Farms chicken. I don't buy any other brands (I would buy organic if they were cheaper but that never happens), because I learned that Foster Farms quit using antibiotics on their chicken in early 2000's.
I don't pay as much as you though. I pay $69/lb whole chicken when they are on sale. I never buy skinless except for the frozen breast pieces in individual plastic packets in a box when they are half price. They are really moist and juicy). I do see other brands of chicken at markets often at cheaper prices, but I don't buy them.
I don't pay as much as you though. I pay $69/lb whole chicken when they are on sale. I never buy skinless except for the frozen breast pieces in individual plastic packets in a box when they are half price. They are really moist and juicy). I do see other brands of chicken at markets often at cheaper prices, but I don't buy them.
