Recipes on a budget

nomoremuffintopness

looking for healthy recipes that dont call for a lot and that are inexpensive. I work a full time job, so when I get home I like to cook something fast & easy because I also have to tend to my 7 month old baby. We eat the same ol' stuff all the time! Spaghetti, grilled chicken, hamburger helper, tacos, pastas etc... Seems like the only meat we use during the week is ground turkey, ground hamburger and chicken breasts. Since we plan on eating home all the time now and on a new budget, Id just like some new ideas.

Thanks in advance

AJs_mom

looking for healthy recipes that dont call for a lot and that are inexpensive. I work a full time job, so when I get home I like to cook something fast & easy because I also have to tend to my 7 month old baby. We eat the same ol' stuff all the time! Spaghetti, grilled chicken, hamburger helper, tacos, pastas etc... Seems like the only meat we use during the week is ground turkey, ground hamburger and chicken breasts. Since we plan on eating home all the time now and on a new budget, Id just like some new ideas.

Thanks in advance

I'm in the same boat..... except the 7mth old (mine are 6 and 2). But I do work full-time, and by the time I get home from work everyone is whining and complaining how hungry that are, what's for supper, I don't like that..... and on and on and on! So we tend to eat the same old thing night after night. Quick and easy.
Hopefully some folks ot there have some great ideas, recipes or websites they use that will help us out!

angel60067

Use a slow cooker, leave it on when you leave for work and when you get home it is done. chilli is great,

jessi082308

I agree with the crock pot. if you can catch a boston butt or some kind of roast on sale (make sure it's not super fatty) just put them in the crock pot with some veggies and salt and pepper. I don't ever put water in mine because it makes its own juices but some people do. I also work full time and have a 16 month old. I'm more interested in spending time with her than gormet cooking lol. Another good thing is the frozen talapia filets. When I get home I put them in a bowl of hot water and in about ten minutes they are thawed out. Stick 'em on a baking sheet with some lemon juice, parsley, and whatever other herbs or spices you like and they're done in no more than 15 minutes and very healthy. A frozen bag of mixed veggies you can steam in the microwave goes great with this.

Also check the Campbell's soup website. I cook a lot of stuff from there. My favorite is the mushroom chicken. You mix rice, water and a can of mushroom soup and put it in a glass baking dish, then put chicken breasts on top and season the chicken. Cover with tin foil and let it bake. I'm not sure how healthy this is. It calls for white rice but I'm sure you can substitute brown. Just will probably take longer.

There is a weight watchers taco soup that is 190 calories per one cup. Tried it last night and it is really flavorful. It's really cheap to make and it makes a lot. I will give you the recipe

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 onion (optional)
1 package taco seasoning
1 package ranch dip mix
1 can pinto beans
1 can chili beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can Mexican-style tomatoes (I used two cans of regular tomatoes because we don't very spicey stuff)

Brown meat and onions and drain. Mix meat and onions with taco seasoning and ranch mix. Add everything else (do not drain) Simmer for 1 hour. Some people crumble up fritos on top or taco shells.

Dippydog

Holy cow that all sounds good!!

rmqt

I've been doing this for years Check your library for cookbooks for inspiration. Learn to plan meals and keep a sharp eye on your shopping list.

Toss chicken breasts (bone in) in the crockpot and roast on low. I put them in frozen and set the timer for six hours. Crockpot liner bags will save time and clean-up.

Learn to love beans! And stews. We do tons of burritos, red beans and rice, curries....

If you have a gas stove, learn to broil shrimp skewers and other quick cooking proteins.

The best thing I learned was to cook extras and freeze for panic nights, or plan on using leftovers in subsequent meals. Roast beef one night, french dip sandwiches the next, etc.

tn2010

Definitely plan meals at least a week in advance. My favorite crock-pot cookbook is Fix It and Forget It. If you shop at a warehouse (Costco, Sams, etc.), then there is a lot of money to be saved in a great once-a-month cookbook called "Fix, Freeze and Feast." It's absolutely fabulous and pretty darn healthy. I try to do a huge pot (or crock-pot) of soup at least once a week to last me for lunches throughout the week. Also, the website supercook.com allows you to enter all the ingredients in your pantry and then it will sort and spit out recipes that only use the ingredients you have on hand. That site saved us a TON of money in those tight times when you swear you have nothing to make for dinner!

kabullard

Oh my gosh this is one of my favorites soups EVER!!! If you're needing a few more calories for the day, you can buy baked tostitos and use the soup as dip (I tend to use less water). Super good!