favorit cheap dinner

[lalaland]

Wondering what is your favorite lowcost meal? looking for new ideas.

I'll start with my own fav comfort food:

curried lentils and rice (serves 4-6)
10 mn prep time, 40-50 minutes cook time

1/3 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 tsp ground ginger, or grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp tumeric
2-5 TBSP curry (to taste)
1 cup uncooked brown rice
3/4 cup lentils (raw)
4 cups water
1/2 c raisins
1 apple, diced - optional

saute onion and garlic in oil until translucent. Add spices, stir for a minute. Add the rice, maybe a little more oil if needed, saute for a few minutes. Then add water,lentils, raisins, salt to taste, and bring to a boil.
Once at a boil, reduce heat and cover - simmer on low for 40 minutes or so. Add the apple and simmer 10 more minutes.

You can serve this by itself, or topped with a little plain yogurt. Leftovers are great added to squash when you bake it

 

[me&thegals]

Well, this one is cheap for us since we raised it all. Wouldn't be so cheap if you had to buy it all. It's easy and a family pleaser, although my taste is not so much meat-and-potatoes. Oh well.

1 free-range chicken
4 large organic potatoes
4 large organic carrots
1 large organic onion
1 head organic garlic

Drizzle roasting pan with olive oil. Mix in all veggies, cut to desired size, and toss to coat in oil. Shove veggies out to the sides of the pan, plop chicken in the middle, cover and roast at 300-350 for 2-3 hours, depending on size. Uncover last 30-60 min to crisp up chicken skin.


Otherwise, cheap for anyone, is beans and rice. I prefer pinkeye-purple hull peas when I can find them, but I usually can't and go with black-eyed peas. Cook until tender. Cook brown rice until tender. Spoon rice onto plate, top with beans and then a small pat of butter. Drizzle hot pepper jelly over the works and enjoy!

Hot Pepper Garlic Jellyrecipezaar.com
1 cup hot peppers, chopped (habaero, jalapeno, cayennewhatever is available)
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
to cup garlic, chopped
1 cups white vinegar
6 cups sugar
1 packet Certo (or other liquid pectin)

Directions
1. Begin by putting my jars and rings in a big pot of water on the stove and bring to a low boil.
2. Leave them boiling slightly till you are ready for them.
3. Have your jar flats ready on the counter along with a damp rag to wipe the rims of your jars after filling.
4. Put peppers, green pepper, garlic, vinegar and sugar in a large pot and mix well. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Boil for 5- 6 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and add Certo and stir. Pour into 1/2 pint jars. As soon as you fill a jar wipe the rim, put a flat in the ring and twist onto jar and invert jar on cloth towel to seal (heat from jar, ring and jelly should seal it).
6. Leave them on the counter for a while to finish sealing. If you notice the peppers settling just give the jar a little shake every once in a while. After they have cooled and sealed (you will not be able to push down on the flat at all) you can turn them over and tighten the rings again and you're done!

**NOTE FROM CHEF** One packet of liquid Certo will work just fine, the jelly will be "looser". I actually prefer it with one packet myself.

 

[kimnkell]

One of my favorites is pinto beans w/ bacon or some type of meat to flavor them( I usually cook them overnight in the crock pot or pressure cook them) fried potatoes, and cornbread and macaroni and tomato. Yumm..

 

[MorelCabin]

Here's cheap and easy...just the way I like it...

Brown some hamburger, add a can of stewed diced tomatoes and some precooked macaroni pasta. Mix all together and voila! Great with lots of pepper and some salt to taste

 

[mandieg4]

One of our cheap meals is actually three meals. If we are running late and I don't have time to fix a good meal, we will buy 2 rotisserie chickens from the deli. That is meal #1. The next day I'll take the left over chicken and make chicken quesadillas or a casserole. That is meal #2. The day after that I throw all the scraps and bones in the crock pot and make broth for chicken noodles soup. That is meal #3. The only way I can beat that cost ways is if I use my own chickens.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

nachos!

can o' refried
quick fry some veggies and plop on top
meat if ya got it
top with cheese!

whoot!

 

[Up-the-Creek]

One of my favorites is pinto beans w/ bacon or some type of meat to flavor them( I usually cook them overnight in the crock pot or pressure cook them) fried potatoes, and cornbread and macaroni and tomato. Yumm..

Now that is eating! What time is dinner?

 

[johnElarue]

They all sound great, here goes:

Pasta with tuna and shiso (perilla leaf/ beefsteak plant leaf)

enough boiled pasta per person
1 can skipjack tuna in oil / (you can substitue with mackeral )
5-10 shiso leaves cut thin
salt pepper to taste
nori /cut thin(dried seaweed/laver) optional

after boiling pasta, drain and put in mixing bowl. Add tuna with oil, shiso and mix.
Top with nori.

Can substitute boiled sliced potatoes for pasta.

 

[kimnkell]

One of my favorites is pinto beans w/ bacon or some type of meat to flavor them( I usually cook them overnight in the crock pot or pressure cook them) fried potatoes, and cornbread and macaroni and tomato. Yumm..

Now that is eating! What time is dinner?

lol.. around 6 ish.. come on over!!

 

[kcsunshine]

One of my favorites is pinto beans w/ bacon or some type of meat to flavor them( I usually cook them overnight in the crock pot or pressure cook them) fried potatoes, and cornbread and macaroni and tomato. Yumm..

Oh boy - where do you live and when are you having it next? Sometimes I cut up summer sausage in mine for flavoring.