~$5 Meal Ideas~

[leobaby04]

I looooove this one!

1 box Zatarain's Dirty Rice mix
1 lb sausage or ground beef (I like to buy italian sausages and take them out of the casings, but you could use cut up smoked sausages too.)

cook as directed on the box. Delish!

[wbkt8]

Originally Posted by leobaby04 I looooove this one! 1 box Zatarain's Dirty Rice mix 1 lb sausage or ground beef (I like to buy italian sausages and take them out of the casings, but you could use cut up smoked sausages too.) cook as directed on the box. Delish!

i like to do that too. also good way to get rid of left-over chicken. and i like to add some sliced/diced bell peppers to it too.

[mama2train]

I love this thread! Very inspiring.

We really did eat popcorn growing up, but Mom made it into a peal by serving it with beanie weenies! (pork-n-beans and chopped up hotdogs) When you put popcorn in your mouth with the beanie weenies, it would kind of dissentigrate, and I always thought it was so cool the way it felt on my tongue!

***

Lemon Pepper Tomato sandwiches
bread
mayo
tomato slices
lemon pepper

Simple, but yummy!

***

[mama2train]

Groundnut Stew (African Peanut Soup)

(I learned this recipe growing up in Ghana, West Africa.)

1 chicken ($3)
1 onion (.50)?
6-8 c water
(you can add stock stuff: celery, carrots, salt & pepper)
Boil chicken (I leave it for hours, until it falls off the bones)
Remove meat from bones, shred/ split into manageable pieces.
Put chicken back in strained broth, and add:
1 can diced/crushed tomatoes or a few of the real thing (.50)
1 onion, diced
red pepper to taste
1 jar natural peanut butter (NOT the sugared kind!) ($2)
You may have to separate this out into smaller pieces to help it
dissolve. Be careful so it doesn't stick.
Boil until oil rises to the top. Feel free to add more water.
Serve over rice.

Topping options:
nothing
boiled eggs
diced onions
diced fresh tomatoes*
pineapple chucks*
peanuts
raisins*my faves, usually all I do.

Here are some ways to make it more authentic:

*Mold the rice into firm balls. Pinch off pieces of rice with backs of pointer and middle fingers, dip into soup, then rush to your mouth. Only the two fingers should be wet. You can only use your right hand for this. (Tons of fun!!! Great family memories to be made! )

*Chop up the chicken any ole way, with plenty of bones split in half.
*Use dried fish instead of chicken.
*Use LOTS of red pepper.
*Make it VERY runny (four times the amount of water).
*Serve it over fufu (gooey pounded starchy yams, you can get a mix at some ethnic stores) & eat with hands as described above.

***

Well, it looks like I went over the spending limit, but you could make it cheaper. Clearly, the more you add, the more expensive it gets. You can omit chicken completely or just use less. You could just cut it back to boiling natural peanut butter in water, and it would still be great over rice. As I tend to boil the dooley out of the chicken in the first step, remembering to add more water can make this meal last a week for DH & me. Easily feeds 8, could be stretched to more depending on ratio of soup to rice.

Have fun! PM me if you try it with your hands! I wanna hear stories!

[stopka7224]

Originally Posted by leobaby04 I looooove this one! 1 box Zatarain's Dirty Rice mix 1 lb sausage or ground beef (I like to buy italian sausages and take them out of the casings, but you could use cut up smoked sausages too.) cook as directed on the box. Delish!

This is great! We stuff green bell peppers with this and serve homemade bread. YUM!!!

[mama2train]

Originally Posted by leobaby04 I looooove this one! 1 box Zatarain's Dirty Rice mix 1 lb sausage or ground beef (I like to buy italian sausages and take them out of the casings, but you could use cut up smoked sausages too.) cook as directed on the box. Delish!

Dirty rice is really easy to make from scratch, too! Just brown the meat with onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Then add it to rice as its boiling (I have a rice maker) with a tablespoon or so of worcestershire sauce and some freshly cut parsley. I can get the real recipe if you want. After that, the box just tastes fake, IMO. (But it's about the only thing I make without a box, so that's not to be snooty, just a sliver of a realization of what food is like in homes with real cooks! )

Edited to brown meat instead of rice!--thanks, Katie!

[wbkt8]

Originally Posted by mama2train Dirty rice is really easy to make from scratch, too! Just brown the rice with onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Then add it to rice as its boiling (I have a rice maker) with a tablespoon or so of worcestershire sauce and some freshly cut parsley. I can get the real recipe if you want. After that, the box just tastes fake, IMO. (But it's about the only thing I make without a box, so that's not to be snooty, just a sliver of a realization of what food is like in homes with real cooks! )

i assume that seond line should be brown the meat and add to rice while boiling....

thanks for the tip - i needed an idea for dinner and i think i've got all those things in fridge at the moment.

[kittkat398]

Meatballs and noodles

1/2-1lb ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
water or milk to dilute soup
egg noodles
salt and pepper to taste

Form meatballs, fry in large pan. Boil noodles. Add cream of mushroom soup to meatballs, you can dilute it and whisk it up a bit in a bowl first if you choose. Simmer til heated thru. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve meatball mixture over noodles.

[peverroad]

Sloppy Joes
1 lb browned hamburger 99cents on sale
1/4 cup catsup 25 cents
1 can diced tomatos 80 cents
diced onion 40 cents
worstersier sause 20 cents
brown sugar 10 cents
squart of mustard 5 cents
cook together and serve over bread we do box max and cheese for 50 cents

Chicken
whole chicken boiled intill it falls of the bone.

Take shreaded chicken and cover with BBQ sause bake intill hot served with mac and cheese.

Take the chicken stock add streaded chicken and a can of bisquets and make chicken and dumplings. add a little corn starch for thickening and a bit of chicken boulion.

I'll think of more and add them

[cuties02q]

This is a great thread...not sure about the price i guess it depends on what brands you buy.

Chicken pasta salad (Serve cold)
2 cans chicken drained
1lb of pasta
shredded carrots (we add lots)
mayo
I like celery in it but dh does not...so i do not put it in.
We top it with lemon pepper