Jambalaya
2 pks rice a roni beef
smoked sausage

saute sausage. Saute rice a roni with butter as pkg states. Mix in one pkg of seasoning pack. Add 3 cups of water slowly. Simmer until rice is done. I add onion seasoning and garlic powder.
We eat it topped with green beans and navy beans (DH family does it)

Ok this is Really cheap.

Zuchinni casserole (stay with me here, you barely taste the zuchinni and it's filling)

2 medium or 3 small zuchinni
1 cup cooked macaroni
1 small can tomato sauce
Dried basil
One large onion, sliced in rings
Scraps of cheese: cheddar, american, or colby
2 tsp. olive oil
Sprinkling of pepper

Slice zuchinni in thin rounds. Add to non-stick pan along with the tsp. olive oil, the sliced onion and dried basil to taste (1 T basil is good). Cook until zuchinni is soft. Add the macaroni and tomato sauce. When warm add the sprinkling of pepper and then the small scraps of cheese (only a little goes a long way). Turn off heat. Wait for cheese to melt, when it does, the dish is done. Serve immediately. Except for the zuchinni you probably have all the ingredients already on hand. It is so frugal but tastes so good!!

-Chicken or Turkey Noodle Soup - I use leftover chicken or turkey and bring it to a boil, add corn then noodles, S&P, pat of butter.
-Chicken & Cheese rice
-Pasta w/o meat: Ditalini, Spaghetti, Ziti
-Anything with venison - chili, lasagna, sloppy joes, burger & scalloped potatoes casserole
-Waffles & pancakes
-Egg burritos
-Ham, potatoes & green beans
-Tuna casserole
-Grilled chicken salad

I can always get Pork Butt for $1 or less per pound. Cook in the crockpot until it shreds easily (about 7 hours on low or 4 hours on high for a 5# roast.) I portion it between several quart size freezer bags, some with 1/2 pound, some with 1 pound.
1/2 pound portion recipes:
Asian Pork Pasta
mix shredded pork with brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Fry in oil to crisp and carmelize the sugar. Toss with pasta.
BBQ Pork Salad
mix shredded pork with BBQ sauce; spoon over green salad tossed with Ranch dressing (add black beans, corn, tomatoes, etc. to salad for color and nutritional boost)
1 pound portion recipes:
Chili Verde
roll shredded pork and pinto beans into tortillas; top with green chile sauce and a sprinkle of shredded jack cheese; melt in microwave or oven.
Creamy Pork Burritos/Casserole
mix shredded pork with a can of cream of mushroom soup and a small can of diced green chilis. Spoon mixture into tortillas, or layer with torn tortillas and bake as a casserole.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
mix shredded pork with vinegar, cayenne or crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Pile onto hamburger buns or rolls.
BBQ Pork Sandwiches
mix shredded pork with BBQ sauce. Pile onto hamburger buns or rolls. Optional: melt jack cheese over the top.

frugal meals I make:

spagetti and sauce(jar sauce)w/texas toast from the box

spanish rice with beef(add 1lb of cooked ground beef to a box of spanish rice)

mac and cheese with peas and tuna mixed in

chili(2 cans kidney beans, 1 can black beans, 1lb ground beef, 2 cans tomatoes: diced and puree, and spices)

goulash(1lb ground beef, 1pkg elbow macaroni, 1 green pepper chopped, 1 small onion chopped, 1 small jar of spagetti sauce)

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Most of my meals are done in the crock pot lately because I have a crazy schedule with two kids under two and working outside the home part-time...

Creamy potatoes and polish sausage:
1 pkg frozen hash browns, 1 cream of mush soup, 1 cup cheddar cheese, 1 ring of polish sausage or kielbasa, 1/2 cup water. Combine in slow cooker on low for 8 hours.

Chicken and Dumplings
Leftover chicken cut into chunks, 1 cans cream of mush soup, a little bit of onion (optional), 2-10oz packages of refrigerated biscuits and 1 chicken bouillon cube. Combine everything except biscuits and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Add bread dough, torn into small chunks, 30 minutes additional on high.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
1 pork roast (i buy it when it goes on sale and freeze), 1 red onion, 1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce. Combine in crock for 8 hours on low. Shred meat. Serve on rolls or bread.

Chicken Enchiladas
5-6 frozen chicken breasts, 1 lg jar of salsa. Combine in crock and cook all day on low and shred chicken before you're ready to eat. It will suck up the liquid. Serve on tortillas with any toppings you have around.

Soups
I make soups in bulk, then freeze in ziplock bags (double bagged) so we have it anytime $$ is running low.

Pasta/Spaghetti
I also make big batches of marinara sauce from scratch and freeze it so it ends up being cheaper in the long run than buying canned/jar sauce. Just pull one out and serve over noodles. We don't add meat to the sauce. If we have sausage in the freezer, sometimes I'll make meatballs to go with it.

Grilled Cheese/Tomato Soup
Good 'ol standby.

We like crockpot chicken. One whole broiler/fryer (innards removed) sprinkled with garlic salt or seasoning salt. Put 1 tbsp water and cut-up raw carrots and potatoes in the bottom of the crockpot. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Yummy! (less than $4.00 total, serves 4)

Also, a southern favorite, pinto beans and cornbread. $2.00 serves a whole lot of people.

I make navy bean soup. Dried beans are the cheapest and involve soaking (not too big of a deal, really), but you could buy beans in cans or jars. I simmer all afternoon with a couple of chicken bouillion cubes and 2 cups water. Then, I add diced tomatoes and a can of carrots (purchased for $.49 at the fall sale). Cornbread goes well, but if you are REALLY poor, saltines with peanut butter are OK too! You can put onion or dried onion in, as well, but my tummy doesn't like onions!

M

bookmarking for later - I need some new ideas!

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Carly
SAHM to:
DS Levi (9)
DD Abbey (7)

I would have to say
breakfast for dinner
mac and cheese
hotdogs and fries
chili dogs and fries
baked taters
sloppy jos

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Sam
Mom to Devin and Jordyn Anne
Loving Wife to Dave