favorit cheap dinner

okiegirl1

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mine is

ground beef, browned with onion and garlic
mashed potatoes
brown gravy
cheese

layer in baking pan potatoes, then gravy, then beef then cheese. bake til bubbly.

daughter LOVES THIS
 

lalaland

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well, came home tired and cold, and decided to have hot oatmeal for dinner - not the quick oats kind, but the heavy rolled oats - added some walnuts, a banana, some honey ....heaven. and cheap!

course I'll probably have a ham sandwich for breakfast!
 

hwillm1977

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MorelCabin said:
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
I LOVE this dinner... with or without the hamburger :)

I also like chili in the slow cooker, meatless versions are cheaper to make but I usually put some sort of burger in there.

And the ultimate cheap dinner is Ramen Noodles... stir-fry them with an onion, some mung bean sprouts and soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar and red pepper flakes.... mmmm... takes two minutes and it's yummy
 

OaklandCityFarmer

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A great meal I learned from my mother when things were a little tight:

1 can of tomato sauce (or about 4-6 tomatoes pureed)
1/2 pound of any small sized pasta
2 tbsp of oil
2 cups of chicken/veggie/beef broth
4-6 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

you can also add some chicken or other meat

Fry up the pasta in the oil until brown. Add the tomato sauce or tomatoes, then add broth and water. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Boil until pasta is tender and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

Adding a bit of crushed red peppers or chili powder adds a nice spice too. Also some garlic powder or other seasoning. Feel free to experiment.

This also goes great with homemade flour tortillas:

3 cups flour
1/3 cup oil (or traditionally use lard)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp of baking powder
1-2 cups of hot water

Heat a griddle or flat cast iron until medium hot.

Add flour, salt and baking powder and blend. Add oil and slowly mix in water 1/2 cup at a time until dough forms a ball and is smooth and elastic in consistency. Adjust water and flour in small amounts until dough is smooth but not sticky.

Form small 2 inch balls and roll out on floured surface. Heat on griddle until bubbles start to form. Flip until lightly brown on both sides.

Remember that these tortillas won't be as thin as the ones you buy in the store but will taste a whole lot better.

Good luck!
 

sylvie

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okiegirl1 said:
mine is

ground beef, browned with onion and garlic
mashed potatoes
brown gravy
cheese

layer in baking pan potatoes, then gravy, then beef then cheese. bake til bubbly.

daughter LOVES THIS
My mother used to make us something that used the same ingredients but entirely different.
Hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes. Brown same as yours.
A side of home grown green beans. Cheese optional- some siblings lactose intolerant.
 

kcsunshine

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kimnkell said:
Up-the-Creek said:
kimnkell said:
Ummm, it's good with summer sausage in it too...Well, all of this talk about it I am fixing it tomorrow.lol.... Putting some beans in to soak right now.... oh, I live in Kentucky btw...:):)
We're neighbors! WV here,...oh you know what else would be great with that dinner????? Some mixed greens or some saurkraut with some smoked sausage,....:drool
Well, we are neighbors. You might have to come over and eat sometime. :) Yes, greens are really good with this supper. We sometimes have greens with this supper and sometimes I make macaroni and cheese instead of macaroni and tomato. Depends if I have alot of cheese on hand or not. Oh, and Hubby loves sauer kraut too.. I just canned about 6 quarts that will be ready to eat in about a week or two.
Wow! I always fix sourkraut with smoked sausage. Only way my husband will eat it! MMMMMMMMM GOOD!
 

kcsunshine

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Another 1-dish I had forgotten about we called Daddy's Special. Ate it a lot when I was young.

Cook 1 large onion in a large skillet (iron, of course) until clear
Brown 1 lb ground beef, drain.

Add onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 quart (home canned ) tomatoes, 1 small can tomato paste and 2 cups water.

When it starts to boil, add 1/2 cup rice and cook on low heat until thickened and rice is done. Add more water if it gets too dry.

Season to taste - the longer it cooks, the better it tastes.

Made this a couple of days ago. The next day, I put the leftovers in a big pot, added chicken stock, smoked sausage, and leftover pinto beans for a scrumptious soup (with cornbread, of course).
 

meriruka

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There are 3 recipes from my childhood that I still use today. This one is the cheapest of the cheap, but I still actually have a hankering for it on occasion.

macaroni
frozen chopped broccoli
boullion (sp) cube (either vegetable or chicken)
garlic powder
parmesan cheese

There are no measurements because it depends on how many are eating and your tastebuds.

Cook the macaroni, drain and add water back to the top of the macaroni. Chuck in the broccoli. Heat slowly so broccoli thaws but you don't overcook the mac. Add boullion, sprinkle garlic powder, add grated parm. and keep tasting until it suits you.

My grandmother (from Russia) never used recipes. When you asked her how much of something went into a dish, you got answers like:
"some" "a little bit" "a few handfuls". :rolleyes:
All of her traditional dishes would have been lost forever if my Dad and I hadn't stood next to her desperately diving under her hands with measuring cups and spoons while she cooked. She was in a full blown rage when we were done and I also learned lots of interesting Russian curses. Dad refused to translate, so I would shout them at the worst possible moments until he gave in & told me what they meant.
 

Farmfresh

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Chicken and dumplings! We make a good stock with stock vegetables and the backs and necks of several chickens. Then you pick off all of the meat from the bones while the broth comes back to a boil and throw in the dumplin dough. After the dumplins are ready we throw the meat back in and have some dinner! Yummy! :drool
 

SKR8PN

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Fresh beef patties that were grass fed and no additives, cooked over a cherry wood fire. When they are done, add a bun, a slice of homegrown 'mator, homegrown lettuce, home made mayonnaise made with eggs fresh out of the chicken, and dill pickles on a home baked bun. It may not be the cheapest or easiest as far as labor goes, but it sure does taste good!!!

:thumbsup
 

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