BKSir
Posts: 4037
Joined: 4/8/2008
From: Salt Lake City, UT
Status: offline
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Just about everything. LOL
Seriously, that's one of the three things we focus on at the class I teach at the V.A. In general we can spend $15 on ingredients and feed around 12 people. Our Thanksgiving dinner for the class last year cost a total of $62, and we fed around... if memory serves, 25+ people. And we're talking full spread and leftovers going home with some of them. Christmas was a little more, around $80, for the same number of people, double that if you count what was left going up to Valor House.
Some of the favorites, homemade hot pockets. For $15, you can make up a TON of them, freeze them and have healthy, yummy, hot pockets whenever you want.
I do bbq all the time at home, a $25 brisket, slow smoked, will last our household for ages.
A pork loin (you can find it normally on sale or at places like sam's club for under $2/lb.). One of those runs around $18, and you can get many many meals out of it.
Pouch cooking helps a lot too. A little fish (someone mentioned talapia) something like that, look for some yummy fish on sale somewhere, toss it on a bit of parchment with some potatoes, carrots, seasoning, a little butter, close it up into a pouch and bake. Ends up costing under $1/serving.
Ramen is your friend. Toss out that damn seasoning packet though. Boil up some chicken and seasonings for the broth, slice up a little bit of zucchini, slice or shred up the boiled chicken, shred a little cheese if you like for it, some onion maybe, egg if you wish, whatever... can put anything you like in it. Turns it healthy and filling and dirt cheap real real fast. :)
Of course, pastas. Spaghetti, zitti, penne, whatever. Pastas are cheap. Canned tomato is cheap. Seasonings you already have in your pantry. Or, pasta salads. Some rotini pasta with some shredded chicken, maybe some peas (I like to thaw out frozen peas for it, but canned works if you have it), seasonings, a bit of mayo, you have a yummy chicken pasta salad.
Stroganoff. Some rice or egg noodles, always low cost there. Some cheap beef, a little milk, sour cream (easy to find for $1/container), seasonings, flour, olive oil. You're golden.
Grocery store ads are your best buddy though. Keep an eye on them. It's rare for us to save less than 50% at the store on our purchases. Not uncommon to save up to 65% or more. It's nice getting $150 in groceries for around $70. Makes it stretch a LONG way.
quote:
ORIGINAL: LanceHughes
Spices and hebs are so very, very expensive nowadays, but here's a secret: walgreens carries big bottles of the basics for $1 a bottle. Lasts a long time. More exoctic spices/herbs? I get mine at estate sales - most are priced 25 cents to 50 cents.... yes, somebody else opened them and used them partially... but think about it - what do YOU do with your spices? As soon as you measure them out, you close 'em tightly and don't touch them till next time. I don't have a problem with partial spices but your milage might vary. LOL!
For spices, go to ethnic markets, like your local mexican or asian market. They come in bags usually, not bottles, but whatever, I have spare spice bottles, I'm sure you do too. And they cost a LOT less. I'm talking like up to 90% less sometimes. And tend to be fresher anyway.
< Message edited by BKSir -- 10/24/2009 3:36:44 PM >
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What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe budget? - 
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