Low-Cost Recipes

Ingredients: 

 A simple American goulash recipe. Very comfort food vibes. Also, soft to eat, which was handy after Eldest had an accident requiring an emergency dentist visit and doctor's orders to eat soft foods. This is a recipe she tweaked, since I've never been a fan of goulash.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
2 cups elbow macaroni or pasta of choice
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Brown ground beef in large saucepan (I used a pan advertised for frying chicken, and whatever pan is used, it needs to have a lid), and drain off excess grease.

 
Add onion and bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft.

Add pasta, tomato sauce, water, and seasonings.

Cover and simmer on low for about 25 minutes, or until thickened and pasta is cooked to desired texture.

We added shredded cheese to our bowls to add a bit of fun. 

Daughter here. Years ago, Mom was at the end of her pantry, the grocery money would not drop into the account for a couple of days, but we still needed dinner. She rifled through her collection of recipe books and magazines and found a casserole recipe that she actually had all the ingredients for. She made it. It looked weird. Smelled kind of funny. Everyone (including stepdad and baby bro who would eat just about anything) poked at their food for a bit before trying it.

It was Awesome. It kind of made layers when it baked, but it worked. We all wanted seconds and we're bummed when there were none. A rare 6 out of 6 (3 of us kids, both parents, and a guest who was visiting from out of town.) on Mom's rating scale.

And then she promptly lost the recipe. We knew it involved broccoli, cheese, rice, cream of something soup, and corn flakes. She thinks it was from Taste of Home. We have scoured the Taste of Home website, Pinterest, and friend's recipe stashes, to no avail. It has been almost 20 years, and we have finally found something similar in taste, smell, and appearance. It is under development to get to what we like.

 Daughter checking in again. Mom put a version of chicken pot pie (which we often use the day after Thanksgiving with leftover turkey instead of chicken to use up some of the leftovers) on the blog years ago. It's tasty, it's comfort food, it's fairly easy. But, unfortunately, our local grocery store chain (Giant Eagle) has chicken pot pies in their hot food counter that has such a good flavor to the, for lack of a better word, gravy inside, topped with a circle of puff pastry. We have been trying for years to mimic the taste of it, and despite being given false leads from some of the staff at our local store, we think we have come pretty darned close. To keep with the theme of Low Budget, most everything you could get at a Dollar Tree if need be, but if you want to get the same experience, two items (the fancy cream of chicken soup and puff pastry topping) were bought on sale at Giant Eagle.

Ingredients:

1 can of Swanson's Chicken a la King

1 can of Cream of Chicken with Herbs (regular cream of chicken will work, but the additional flavors takes it to the next level. Store brands don't typically make this flavor, so we get them when on sale)

1 large can of chunk white chicken or 2 small cans

1 can mixed vegetables

1 can peas

1 can sliced carrots

1 roll of puff pastry, or biscuit like topping of your choice (like sheets of crescent rolls with the perforations sealed or biscuit mix poured on top)

If using puff pastry, 1 egg

Preheat oven to 425 F.

In a 9x13" baking dish, mix the Chicken a la King and cream of chicken soup. Open the cans of vegetables and chicken, draining off the liquid. Layer the three cans of vegetables in the baking dish, distributing evenly. On top, layer the shredded chicken evenly. You can mix it together or leave as a layer on top. Top with puff pastry or biscuit topping of choice. If using puff pastry, wisk one egg and use as an egg wash over the top of the puff pastry. 

Bake at 425 F for 30 mins or until topping is fully cooked. Makes 6 servings.

 We found a recipe with this same name, but it was so bland when we tried it. It was disappointing, but had promise as a base. Taking it as inspiration, we came up with our own version, and it does not have many ingredients, so is good for a quick "I can't think of anything for dinner" kind of night.

Ingredients :

1lb ground beef, crumbled and drained

1 15 Oz can of either Southwest corn (with the peppers) or Fire roasted corn, drained.

1 10.5 Oz can Cheddar cheese soup

1 10.5 Oz can Golden Mushroom soup

Frozen French fries 

French fry seasoning 

In a standard casserole dish (13x9 in), mix the ground beef, soups, and drained corn until homogenous. Smooth evenly through the pan. Spread a layer of the French fries across the top. You should still be able to see the mixture through the fries. We have found that about 3/4ths of a bag will be almost too much. Sprinkle a little bit of the French fry seasoning across the top.

Bake for 40 minutes at 425, or until fries are done. Makes about 6 servings. 

 This is a recipe I (oldest daughter) modified from a recipe that is on the side of a box of Jiffy baking mix. Just a small tweak that I think adds to it. It makes 6 good sized portions, but could make 8 slightly smaller portions, depending on how you divide the casserole dish. The topping is similar to the one that is used in the pot pie recipe, but is both fluffier and more custard like in texture. It's odd to describe, but there have been no complaints. I've actually gotten requests for it, now that we've added it to the recipe rotation. 

Ingredients:

1 10 Oz bag of frozen broccoli

1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded (about 1 1/2 cups), or 1 10 Oz can of white chicken, drained

1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

1 10 or 14 Oz can of Cream of something soup. I use Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Celery

1 cup Jiffy baking mix or Bisquick 

3 eggs

1 cup of milk

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven at 400°F

Spray or lightly grease a 13x9 casserole dish. 

Mix together the can of soup, the chicken, cheese, and broccoli, then evenly distribute in the casserole dish. 

In a bowl, mix together the baking mix, eggs, milk, and salt and pepper. For a kick, you could replace the salt and pepper with a peppery seasoning salt, like Tony Chachere's. Mix well. It should seem runny and have very few lumps.

Pour the baking mix over the filling. Some of the broccoli might peek through. That is fine. Just try to get the crust part as even as possible. It will seep down into the chicken mixture. If you have ever made Cheeseburger In Paradise, it is kind of like that. 

Bake for 35-40 mins. 

This is a great, yet easy, recipe for special occassions or when having company. The roast's juices mix in naturally with the soup mixture to create a yummy tasting gravy. The French Onion Soup Mix was in the recipe, as originally shared with me, but my husband felt it was a little too salty tasting for his preference so I typically leave it out. Still tastes great!

List of Ingredients:

• 1 roast (I prefer London Broil for this recipe but rump or chuck roasts work just as well also)li>
• 1 16-ounce bag of baby carrots
• 8 white potatoes; peeled, cut in half
• 1 package French Onion Soup mix (optional - if not using the mix, then add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon dried chopped onions)
• 2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1-1/2 tablespoons low sodium beef bullion
• 2 ribs of celery; cut in half lengthwise then chopped

Preparation or Cooking Instructions:

Arrange roast, potatoes, and carrots into large roasting pan. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over the top. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, periodically checking, or until roast is cooked to your preference and vegetables are tender.

Garnishments: (optional)

Slice beef and serve.

Servings: 6 to 8.

Family Rating: 5 out 5 wanted seconds.

© Carol A. Wells

Notation : On days when nothing "sounds good" or I am just too tired cook, this recipe is not really that original but it is our good ol' Plan B alternative for those nights.

List of Ingredients:

• 2 cans of tuna; drained of water or oil it was packed with
• 2 boxes of Kraft Spirals & Cheese
• 1-1/2 cups frozen peas or, if preferred, 12 oz can of peas; drained
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation or Cooking Instructions:

Prepare the Spirals according to the instructions on the box. Take care not to overcook the noodles - the 7 to 8 minutes recommended cooking time seems to achieve the best results even when cooking 2 boxes worth.

If using frozen peas, add those while cooking the noodles. if using canned peas, place them in the bottom of the colander while draining water from the noodles.

Add cheese mix, milk, and butter as described on the box then stir in tuna and black pepper. Reheat slightly, if you prefer, then serve.

Servings: According to the side panel on the Spirals - 8; According to my family: 5.

Family Rating: 5 out 5 wanted seconds.

© Carol A. Wells

I make this particular recipe twice a month, as my children love it, and have yet to have any leftover. I switch between medium or mild salsa and what cheeses I use on top to help have it a little different each time.

List of Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 to 2 pounds chicken breasts; cooked and cut into 1/2 to 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup green peppers; chopped
• 1/4 cup onions; chopped
• 2-1/2 cups instant long grain rice; uncooked
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups frozen corn (or 11 ounces canned corn; drained)
• 1 teaspoons sodium-free, or low-sodium, chicken bullion
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 24 ounces salsa
• 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack & Colby cheeses, Mild Cheddar, or Taco/Mexican Blend Cheeses (your choice)

Preparation or Cooking Instructions:

Combine chicken, green peppers, onion, salsa, bullion, water, salt, pepper, and corn into a large dutch oven or deep skillet. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium. Stir in the rice, cover, and remove from heat.

Let stand for 5 minutes or until the rice asborbs the liquid. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle cheeses over the top, cover, and let stand for 3 minutes or the cheese is melted.

Servings: 8.

Family Rating: 5 out 5 wanted seconds.

To cut this recipe in half, for the lack of a better phrase, use the following mounts: 12 ounces salsa, 1/4 cup of green peppers, 1-1/2 cups instant rice, and 1-1/2 pounds of chicken. No need to reduce the other ingredients.

© Carol A. Wells