Location: Originally from the Home of the only 6 times Super Bowl Champs!
Posts: 12,099
Frugal Dinner Meals
I thought that since the "Whats for dinner?" thread has become so popular, I would start a thread for frugal dinner ideas too.
Share your frugal dinner recipes here!!
Tonight we are having having Stuffed Pepper Soup with Corn Bread.
I had 1/2 the amount of hamburger called for in the recipe but made due. Had some green peppers in the frig. that were about to go rotten. All I added to it was a big can of tomatoes & a big can of tomato sauce -both which were on sale for 99 cents each and some rice-which I made extra for another meal and 1 small can of beef broth. This made a BIG pot of soup, so we will have plenty for DH's lunch and leftovers. The cornbread is a Jiffy mix--on sale 2/88 cents.
I thought this was a pretty good deal since we will get multiple meals out of it.
Love the name of the Tuna Wiggle recipe and the green pepper soup and cornbread sound tasty.
A cheapy that I do when things are tight is Creamed Eggs on Toast. I make a white sauce, boil a couple of eggs and dice them up and put them in the sauce then pop some bread in the toaster (good time to use up the heals) and serve the sauce on the bread. Filling and cheap.
Location: Originally from the Home of the only 6 times Super Bowl Champs!
Posts: 12,099
Hi Julie
The name for the Tuna Wiggle can from my MIL and it makes me smile when I think of it too.
The soup turned out great but it didnt agree with my pregnancy! Heartburn city!!
Ive been looking for more frugal recipes and have been lucky enough to find a few good ones. Please tell me that you can eat frugally without using CREAM OF SOMETHING SOUP!! I like to use it once in a while but come on!
Location: Originally from the Home of the only 6 times Super Bowl Champs!
Posts: 12,099
This is turning out to be the longest day in history!! DH is going to learn that he doesnt have an oncall maid and cook on hand when he needs one so for the next few nights, dinner is going to be something that can be made at my convenience and reheated if he wants to eat.
Looks like tonight will be spaghetti or something along that line.....easy and cheap.
Childish, yes but I hope it gets my point across ;-)
we like what I call Italian bake: ground beef, turkey (or TVP, your choice) browned with chopped onion. When cooked, drain if needed and put in a casserole dish with cooked noodles (any type), leftover veggies or microwave any veggie blend from the freezer, mix in spaghetti sauce or canned tomatoes, add italian seasonings to taste, and bake at 350 until heated through. I usually add parmesan cheese to the top for the last 10 minutes or so.
I only use 1/2 pound of meat, and noodles are cheap so use lots of them. It's a great way to use up leftover noodle or vegies.
Here's an easy recipe and frugal....
frugal doesn't necessarily mean cheap.... *s*
1 lb of spaghetti...
2 zucchini, sliced in pennies
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/2 cup olive oil or corn oil
parmesan cheese
hot pepper flakes (optional)
In a frypan, put oil and garlic and zucchini.
Fry them to desired doneness and remove them from
a pan with a slotted spoon.
Cook spaghetti al dente, drain and add to frying pan, toss the spaghetti in the hot oil ( add the pepper flakes if desired).. add the zucchini... toss well...and serve with grated cheese.
VARIATIONS:
You may, if you like after the zucchini is half cooked, add one 8 oz can of Hunt's tomato sauce and let simmer for 15 min, covered. Stir occasionally.
You can also add sauteed mushrooms and onions to the zucchini, with or without the tomato ......
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Eeww--tuna wiggle! Blyuck!! Sorry--I hated that as a kid! It didn't have a cute name, though--it was just tuna and peas on toast.
I think I would've liked it if it didn't have peas.
My family likes creamed anything over noodles. 2 tbs butter, 2 tbs flour--stir to make a roux. Add 2 c. milk and simmer to thicken, add meat, veggies and heat through. Serve over noodles, rice, potatoes, (and toast!
;-) ). If you feel like making a "fancy" meal--make some crepes and serve it that way. Or in popovers, or over biscuits. Think along the lines of "pot pie" without the pastry!
I also make a "Chinese" meal of egg-drop soup, fried rice, and stir-fried vegetables that I can usually make for about $1.50(got it from Frugal moms).
Frugal Dinner Meals 
