X-Post from GD - How to eat for a week on 25 bucks

[Indenturedebtor]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3550322

Please share your caserole/soup recipes etc!

[Lisa0825]

1. I aim for $2 or less per meal.

I started shopping at the warehouse store recently, where I get large bags of frozen chicken tenders, bulk hamburger that I split up and freeze, a big bag of rice, a case of tomato sauce, a case of rotel, a case of cream of chicken soup, a big bag of frozen "3 pepper and onion blend" and a few other basics.

Sometimes I use a real recipe, but sometimes I just make what I call "gunk." Gunk usually has rice or pasta, chicken or beef, cream soup, the pepper blend, any other veggie I have handy, garlic, and some kind of cheese. If it has garlic, cheese, and is gooey, it is "gunk," and I can enjoy it for lunch and dinner for a few days straight before getting tired of it. Gunk usually has an Italian or Mexican theme.

I'm also big on chicken quesadillas with sliced avocado. Avocados aren't cheap, but I LOVE them. The quesadillas are probably only a buck each, and so are the avocados, so it's still much better than eating out. (Quesadillas: saute chicken breast tenders in olive oil and then chop or shred, add 3-pepper and onion blend, garlic, crushed red pepper, & salt. Remove from pan, throw tortilla on the pan to warm, add a small amount of the chicken mixture to half the tortilla, add some cheese to other half, cook until cheese melts, then fold over and remove to plate. Put 2 slices of avocado on top and sprinkle with garlic salt. Goes good with some beans on the side.

I also make "Chunky" soups (eats like a meal). Chicken broth, chicken, taco seasoning and/or ranch dressing mix, lots of veggies and beans, and either rice or pasta (I like narrow egg noodles for it). The difference between gunk and soup is soup is soup-ier and doesn't have the gooeyness of cheese. Goes nicely with garlic bread.

For breakfast, I use half store-brand egg-beaters to half real eggs for a total of about 6 eggs in volume, pepper and onion blend, diced ham, one medium-large potato (diced), seasonings and cheese. I bring it to work, along with tortillas, and make a wrap each morning for the week. I think it comes out to about a buck each, and much better than fast food.

I recently found this site. I haven't tried the recipes yet, but some sound pretty good, and all are pretty cheap.
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalrecipelist.htm