Budget friendly, cheap and delicious recipes please!

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anhhuynh1016
anhhuynh1016 Posts: 3
in Recipes
I'm starting to get tired of eating the same old recipes everyday that includes brown rice, chicken, oatmeal and so on. I'm looking for recipes that are cheap since I'm on budget and are tasty and simple
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  • mpat81
    mpat81 Posts: 351 Member
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    Anything with eggs as the main protein is very budget friendly! Think quiche, frittata, omelettes. These are all great ways to use up all your leftover bits of meat, veggies and cheeses. They are great for breakfast but I think even better for dinner with a nice salad or some fruit!
  • mpat81
    mpat81 Posts: 351 Member
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    I would post recipes but I kind of wing it for all of these just using whatever I have. Pinterest has good recipes for them!
  • fansiefree
    fansiefree Posts: 21 Member
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    Spinach Lasagna Rolls
    Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 1 roll
    Calories: 224.9 • Fat: 5.1 g • Fiber: 3.4 g • Protein: 13.0 g • Carbs: 31.5

    Ingredients:
    9 lasagna noodles, cooked
    10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
    15 oz fat free ricotta cheese (I like Polly-o)
    1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    1 egg
    salt and fresh pepper
    32 oz tomato sauce
    9 tbsp (about 3 oz) part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

    Directions:
    Preheat oven to 350°. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.

    Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

    Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls.

    To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.

    Link: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/02/spinach-lasagna-rolls.html

  • fansiefree
    fansiefree Posts: 21 Member
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    This one is really good too! You can sub the quinoa for brown rice, or do a blend.

    http://damndelicious.net/2014/07/07/quinoa-enchilada-casserole/
  • kristydi
    kristydi Posts: 781 Member
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    Budget Bytes has lots of great recipes. I like the Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas and use the sauce from Honey Srirancha chicken thighs as a stir fry sauce a lot.

    Speaking of chicken thighs. The calorie difference between them and breasts is minimal and thighs are a lot cheaper. If you get the bone in skin on ones they're sometimes less than a dollar a pound and really easy to pull the skin off and take out the one bone. If you don't mind separating the leg and thigh (YouTube has how to's) you can get 10lbs of chicks leg quarters for between $6 and $7 around here. Plus, I think thighs are easier to cook and have a nicer texture.
  • dawnmcneil10
    dawnmcneil10 Posts: 638 Member
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    Beans are a great cheap meal. I will make up a batch of white or black beans and then use some of them to create soups. One of my favorites is white bean soup with BBQ pork. I puree the white beans, add a ton of cumin, some chili and garlic powder, onions (dry or fresh) and then add shredded BBQ pork, diced carrots, corn, and some whole beans either black or white.

    Take a look in the freezer section, I discovered that some places sell frozen meats much cheaper than fresh and if you thaw it correctly or cook in a crockpot you'd never know it was frozen.
  • armyconnie
    armyconnie Posts: 9
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    I like to make Chili by the seasoning packet. WalMart brand works great for all ingredients. However, I add extra can of beans and put lowfat cheese on top. I freeze the rest into portions. Don't forget to use blue painters tape for date and contents. :)
  • Q2Power
    Q2Power Posts: 11 Member
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    Last night I tried a new recipe that was really good! It kinda tasted like a chipotle burrito bowl!

    1 pound of cooked and cubed chicken
    breast
    1 jar of salsa (about 2 cups)
    1 can pinto beans, rinsed
    1 tbsp + 1 tsp of taco seasoning or
    homemade

    Cook chicken in a skillet. Add all other ingredients and simmer covered for 20 minutes. I served it over rice with a dollop of sour cream. Makes 4-1 cup servings.
  • LogicalDaydreamer
    LogicalDaydreamer Posts: 286 Member
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    I second the link to BudgetBytes - it's a great website - not only is the food delicious, but it imparts some good tips on budget eating.
    poorgirleatswell.com also has some good recipes.
  • LovelyIvy466
    LovelyIvy466 Posts: 387 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Any roasted veggies- broccoli and cauliflower are super cheap if you don't buy it pre-cut. Cook it with a little salt, pepper and olive oil and it is DELICIOUS. If you can splurge on a little good parmesan it is even better.

    I really enjoy chicken too- my marinades are generally some version of: soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, olive oil, mustard and any vinegar I have on hand (usually balsamic). If you buy in bulk at BJ's those all last FOREVER.

    ETA: I have to say, pinterest is a great source of cheap recipes. I know a lot of people aren't fans, but they have given me some great veggie and smoothie ideas over the last year.
  • ntinkham88
    ntinkham88 Posts: 130 Member
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    I have a Taste of Home healthy recipe book that I highly recommend. The recipes are simple, many of them are "fast fixes", and I haven't made a bad meal yet.
  • fswku
    fswku Posts: 19 Member
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    Lots of good ideas over at http://www.budgetbytes.com. Some healthy, some not so much. But seems like a good place to start.
  • LuckyStar813
    LuckyStar813 Posts: 163 Member
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    Alaskan canned salmon is healthy and inexpensive. I use it to make salmon cakes.
    http://www.rachaelray.com/recipes/salmon-cakes
  • monicagbrown
    monicagbrown Posts: 7 Member
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    anhhuynh1016 wrote: »
    I'm starting to get tired of eating the same old recipes everyday that includes brown rice, chicken, oatmeal and so on. I'm looking for recipes that are cheap since I'm on budget and are tasty and simple

  • monicagbrown
    monicagbrown Posts: 7 Member
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    Minestroni soup. Very simple, cheap and healthy (not to mention yummy!) Spring mix, broiled salmon with italian dressing. Chili is a good choice. Low carb spaghetti, turkey meatballs and marinara
  • frenchys_2k5
    frenchys_2k5 Posts: 4 Member
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    Cous cous and tuna!! My new fav! So so easy to prep and full of.flavour if you use the Ainsley Harriet couscous, which is low in fat. So filling too.
  • misscaligreen
    misscaligreen Posts: 819 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Flat bread pizzas are amazing! They are fast, easy, cheap and its a great way to get your vegetables in for the day as well as there are so many options it is hard to get bored. Buffalo chicken, spicy bbq chicken and margherita are some of my favorites. Last night I made a veggie pizza that had 6 servings
    of vegetables! It was so good!
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  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    kristydi wrote: »
    Budget Bytes has lots of great recipes. I like the Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas and use the sauce from Honey Srirancha chicken thighs as a stir fry sauce a lot.

    Speaking of chicken thighs. The calorie difference between them and breasts is minimal and thighs are a lot cheaper. If you get the bone in skin on ones they're sometimes less than a dollar a pound and really easy to pull the skin off and take out the one bone. If you don't mind separating the leg and thigh (YouTube has how to's) you can get 10lbs of chicks leg quarters for between $6 and $7 around here. Plus, I think thighs are easier to cook and have a nicer texture.

    I get so tired of tasteless, dry chicken breasts. Costco occasionally sells rotisserie chicken thighs/legs for little to nothing, and they taste so good! Nearly three pounds for $4.99. Even excluding the bones and skin, I was able to make eight 3-oz servings to put in the freezer for future salads or whatever. Unfortunately, while bagging them, I was eating the overage, so it probably could have been more.
  • Michelletrk
    Michelletrk Posts: 53 Member
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    Bump
  • kchezelle
    kchezelle Posts: 110 Member
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    2 ingredient pancakes!
    Fore the recipe check out my blog: kchezelle.wordpress.com

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