you guys should see all the post it notes im writing on for these recipes!!!lol! keep them coming!!! i loooove this board!!!

Okay, came up with another good one tonight...

leftover roast chicken, cut up into pieces
1 onion chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
3 large carrots chopped
leftover mashed potatoes
package of powered cheese from a mac-n-cheese box
1 cup chicken broth

in a deep pie-dish add:
chopped cooked chicken
semi-cooked onion/celery/carrots

in a pot, mix chicken broth, potatoes & powdered cheese until the consistency of pancake batter (i had frozen chopped red pepper and fresh green onions and added it for color)

ADDED: hubby says that the chopped red pepper and green onions are a must, otherwise it's too bland. so, make sure you chop and freeze some raw red sweet bell peppers this summer when they're wicked cheap)

take a scoop of the potato mixture and add a splash of milk, pour onto the chicken/veggie mixture (for a sauce)

pour the rest of the potato mixture over the chicken/veggie mixture and bake

bake for 30 - 45 min at 375 (or less time at higher heat, check to make sure not burning)

you could cheat and use cream soups for this, but i didn't have any, which is why i made the sauce the way i did.

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Blessings,
Amethyst72


"...and by what we think, we create the world around us, daily new..." M. Zimmer Bradley

1lb ground beef and box of ham. helper always works well

I have been looking through these recipes, and while there are a lot of great ideas, many of these dinners seem very unhealthy or omit vegetables all together.

I guess it is true that most Americans eat poorly when trying to stay on a budget. A sad state of affairs for those of us with limited income.

You can buy a bag of frozen vegetables on sale for as little as 80 cents a bag. I save a lot of money when the farmer's market is in season. My children eat a well balanced meal while sticking to a budget.

While this doesn't contain any veggies (as someone mentioned a lack of earlier), I serve a salad on the side. You could always stir in a can of drained corn as well. This comes together in about 15 minutes and is pretty tastey!

1 c. diced onion (one medium)
1 lb. ground meat (I use ground turkey)
1 can tomato soup
1/2 c. salsa
1 c. water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
6 eight inch tortillas, cut into 1-2 inch squares
1-2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Saute diced onion for 5 minutes. Add ground meat and cook until no longer pink. Drain and return to skillet. To meat and onions in skillet, add tomato soup, salsa, water, black beans, chili powder and cumin. Stir well to incorporate all ingredients and heat to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in tortilla pieces and sprinkle cheese over the top. Allow casserole to sit undisturbed for about 10 minutes before serving. (This allows the cheese to melt and the tortillas to soak up a little of the sauce.)

It would still be a cheap meal to make one of these listed and add a veggie to it. I buy my canned veggies by the case when they are on sale, same thing for frozen veggies. Bagged salads or make your own can be cheap-watch for sales. Plus you can serve fruit with a meal too. My kids love it when they get applesauce or peaches with dinner.

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When we eat meals without veggies (meat, fish, casseroles, etc.) we typically serve veggies on the side. I get big bags of frozen veggies like broccoli and cauliflower at Aldi for under $1 a bag. It's less than $.25 per serving. I still think it's possible to eat healthy on a budget.

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elbow noodles 1 can diced tomatoes a pinch of parsley flakes or fresh brings out flavor and 1 package of hot dogs served like a soup you can add shredded cheese of any kind to add a little extra consistancy we generally use romano,p[armasan, and asiago to top ours

My kids LOVE dirty rice with ground beef and a salad on the side. One box makes enough for all 4 of us.

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*****Kimberly*****
Wife to Beau, Mommy to Gabriel (8)and Ava Grace (4)