This could be like a soup with a little more water or like a cassarole if you use less water

2 packages of ramen noodles $0.50 (make as directed)
1 season packet from noodles $0.00
couple handfulls of vegs leftovers or from garden $0.00
1 cup of leftover meat if you have it $0.00

If you serve as a soup add a grill cheese

I'm the youngest of 10 kids and my mom used to make this for us without any help or assistance.Its fairly easy.depending on how big your family is..We're a family of 4 so we get the delmonte 4cheese sauce for 99 cents a big can of the store brand tomato sauce to stretch it farther( like 80 cents)
2 packs of the cheapest hotdogs and a pound of spaghetti noodles.My teenagers love it and request it once a week.If you have hotdog lovers in your household its definately worth a tryCan top with parm if u want and serve with biscuits or french bread

My family coined this as "beef stew slop" but name aside, they love it.

2 boxes cheap mac and cheese (can just substitute macaroni instead)
2 cans beef stew (usually purchased off the $ rack at the store or purchased at the $ store)
shredded cheese (however much you desire)

Boil the macaroni and drain. Return macaroni to pan and stir in beef stew and cheese. Heat til cheese is melted. Can serve over mashed potatoes, (our favorite) bread or as a stand alone.

This is very filling and DH always eats til full and forgets that this stuff swells some and then spends the evening in misery. This feed a family of 6, 2 of which are teen boys, with leftovers to spare.

Can also omit adding the shredded cheese and instead just stirring in the powder that came with the mac and cheese. I've done this several times and no one knew the difference.

Not only is this cheap, and filling, but also very fast.....for those nights when you don't want to stand in the kitchen another moment.

Chili dog casserole anyone? Cook pound of hamburger, drain, add 1 small can of tomato sauce, chili powder, salt, cumin, garlic, ect to taste. Slice a pack of cheap hot dogs and add to hamburger mix. Put in casserole dish, sprinkle on some chopped onion, then cover with frozen tatertots or hashbrowns. Bake 375 40 minutes, or till potatoes start to brown a little. If you have it, sprinkle some shredded cheese on top and bake another 10 minutes. I serve this with applesauce, kids and husband love it.

Macaroni and Cheese is always a favourite, as is baked potatoes with cheesey beans. Both under $5 for up to four people.

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OMG! I just looked at this thread today and have read all the recipes. You ladies are wonderful! I saw a ton of recipes that I would like to try and I can see my grocery budget getting smaller!

Another version of Chicken and Rice:
Boil Chicken 45 minutes
Add 1 1/2 C Rice and 6 bouillon cubes
Cook another 15 minutes
Done!

We serve it with a can of green peas and chow chow (relish) or hot sauce.



Chicken Curry
Boil chicken & cut up meat or just boil 2 breasts and cut up
Sautee an onion in 1 stick of butter. Then add
2 TBS of Curry powder
4 TBS Flour
Dash of cayenne
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups water with 6 cubes chicken bouillion dissolved
Cook until thickened, add cooked chicken and serve over rice.

Lots of good ideas, thanks.....need to shake things up a bit. We have been in a bit of a food rut (same old, same old). Mayb it is where I shop but some of you have fantastic places to shop price wise. I'll have to start tracking our meal prices and work mine down.

We recently made hamburger and baked beans.

I browned & drained 2lbs of hamburger: $3.69 (on sale)
1/2 large onion softened in 1 tsp pork fat had @home already
1 XL can Bushes Baked Beans $2.65
Total: $6.34

Almost made it ... shucks hamburger is expensive in Laurinburg, NC...It's $2.49/lb

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Happy, Countrified, SAHM of 3