Does anyone know any quick recipes,on a budjet?

im looking for something that can be cooked up in a pot,or oven or macrowave,that will feed a family of 6 well and that makes a meal all in one.and that can be done on a tight budget.note:i have a husband and kids with big appetites.and it cost me like 150 bucks a week to make food for them.im looking to spend like 60 or 70 bucks a week.Does anyone know any quick recipes,on a budjet?
I hear you! Here are a few of mine. Hope they help out!





Broccoli Chicken Casserole





INGREDIENTS


4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves


1 pound broccoli florets, cooked


1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup


1 tablespoon mayonnaise


1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


1 cup dry stuffing mix











DIRECTIONS


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).


Boil chicken until tender and shred or cut into bite size pieces. Meanwhile, steam broccoli until crisp but tender.


In a small bowl mix together the soup and mayonnaise. Set aside. In a 9x13 inch baking dish layer the chicken, broccoli, soup mixture, and cheese. Sprinkle dry stuffing mix over the top and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.











Easy Chicken Paprikash








INGREDIENTS


1 3/4 cups Chicken Broth


1/4 cup all-purpose flour


2 teaspoons paprika


1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper


4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts


1 medium onion, sliced


1/3 cup plain yogurt


4 cups hot cooked egg noodles








DIRECTIONS


Mix broth, flour, paprika and pepper.


Cook chicken in nonstick skillet until browned. Add onion. Cover and cook until onion is tender-crisp.


Add flour mixture. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat.


Stir in yogurt. Serve with noodles.














Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti





INGREDIENTS


1 (7 ounce) package spaghetti, broken


2 cups cubed, cooked chicken


2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided


1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted


1 cup milk


1/4 teaspoon salt


1/4 teaspoon pepper














DIRECTIONS


Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the chicken, 1 cup cheese, soup, milk, salt and pepper. Drain spaghetti; add to the chicken mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.











Mac and Cheese








INGREDIENTS


1 1/2 cups macaroni


6 ounces processed cheese, shredded


1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


2 tablespoons heavy cream


salt to taste











DIRECTIONS


Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.


Mix into pasta, Cheddar cheese, processed cheese and cream. Sprinkle with salt.Does anyone know any quick recipes,on a budjet?
Hamburger pie - ground beef, canned corn (or you can substitute another veggie), condensed tomato soup, instant mashed potatoes.


Brown the meat, mix in corn and tomato soup. Make instant mashed potatoes. Top meat mixture with potatoes. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.


Tuna casserole - tuna, macaroni, cream of mushroom (or you can substitute other creamed soup),milk, onion. You can add other veggies if you like such as frozen broccoli or carrots.


Cook pasta. Put in casserole dish. Add tuna, diced onion, soup, any veggies, milk to desired consistency. Top with bread crumbs if desired. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Slow cooker pork chops





6 pork chops


1 can of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup


1 cup chicken stock or water


2 tablespoons dijon mustard


6 red potatoes





slice potatoes as thin as you can get them, put into slow cooker. put porkchops on top. then put all the other ingredients on top of that. turn on low, cook for 8 hours, or high for 4.





you could probably also add some mushrooms to this if you would like. we don't eat them, but this sounds like something they would taste good in.





yummy and cheap if you get the chops on sale.





one thing we do to cut down our grocery bill is to buy the meats when they are on sale and freeze them. that way we don't have to pay the higher price for them. when we need them again, they are usually back on sale.
VEGETABLE SOUP





3 bunches celery


1 pkg. tomatoes


1 qt. carrots


3 green peppers


3 lg. onions





Cook each separately until almost tender.


Add: 1 c. barley (soaked overnight) 1/2 c. salt 1/2 c. butter 1 can lima beans 1 can peas 1 c. sugar





Boil 10 minutes; pour into containers and seal. Do not dilute when sealing. Beef and potatoes may be added if desired.








In a large frying pan put:





2 tbsp. melted shortening


1 layer sliced onions


1 layer ground beef


1 layer sliced potatoes


1 layer celery (opt.)


1 can tomato soup diluted with 1 can water


1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce


1/2 tsp. chili powder


Salt %26amp; pepper to taste





Steam slowly in covered frying pan until done, about 40 minutes.





MEAT PIE





1/2 lb. ground beef


1/2 lb. ground pork


1 lg. onion, sliced


2 1/2 c. tomato juice


1 pkg. frozen corn


2 tbsp. chili powder


1 tsp. salt


1/2 tsp. black pepper


Jiffy cornmeal mix


1 c. milk-eggs





In large skillet cook meat and onions together and drain off fat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix Jiffy mix, milk and eggs. Pour meat mixture into casserole dish. Top with Jiffy corn bread mixture and bake at 400 degrees until bread is brown and done.
My favorite inexpensive meal is BEEF STROGANOFF (i know someone already posted a recipe for beef stroganoff, but this one is great and easy!)


With 6 people this should be more then enough to feed them all.





2 lbs ground beef


1 bag wide egg noodles


2 cans cream of mushroom soup


1 (8oz) container sour cream





Brown beef, drain. Cook pasta, drain. Combine all ingredients into one pan, heat and serve.


Really EASY and really AFFORDABLE!


I always serve this with a salad and buttered bread.





HOPE THE FAMILY ENJOYS IT!!! =)
Hey, Girl---- You have to find the definition of pasta--Cheapest meats, hamburger, if on sale--Leftovers, made into soup--6 people???-=-Big appetites--LOTS of potatoes, canned veggies (on sale)--Soup/toast--cheese costs bunches!! (so, no toasted cheese)--Spaghetti--Stroganoff--


Goulash--HOME MADE, NOT ';HELPERS';, IF YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS, YOU HAVE TO BUY THE DRY AND MAKE YOUR OWN--No more EASY FOODS, girl!!
You could make things like:





curried sausages


shepherd's pie


lasagne


vegetable soup


quiche


ratatouille


spaghetti bolognaise


stews


casseroles


porcupines


apricot chicken





I usually make like usual meals, and just try to bulk them up as much as I can with extra vegetables.
I have some recipes of appetizers like crispy and salty snack, crispy fries, besides these i have different variety of desserts which you can see on my blog


www.best-cuisine.blogspot.com
Shepherds Pie.


500g (1lb) Minced Lamb.(beef will do)


1 Large onion.


2 Beef cubes.


1 陆 C Water.


陆 C Frozen peas.


陆 C Diced carrot.


2T Cornflour.


4C Potato. (mashed)


陆 C Grated cheese.


Season to taste.


Chop onion and brown lightly, add mince and brown. Crumble in the stock cubes, add 1C of water, carrots and peas.


Simmer for 10 minutes


Thicken with cornflour mixed with 陆 cup water and cook for a couple of minutes.


Spread out in a pie or baking dish and cover with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 190C (375F) for 20 minutes until the potato has browned and the cheese has melted.


If made with beef it would be called Cottage Pie.





Spaghetti %26amp; meatballs with tomato rosemary sauce


Ingredients


300 g beef mince


1 egg, beaten


2 cloves garlic, minced


1/2 small chilli, chopped


1/4 onion, finely diced


4 tablespoons chopped parsley


1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs


1 teaspoon salt


plenty of black pepper


1/4 cup soda water


1 quantity of tomato sauce from this recipe or your preferred recipe with rosemary added


dried spaghetti for 4 people


parmesan to servE


Method


Mix the mince well with all the remaining ingredients except for the sauce and pasta. Fry a little blob of mix to check seasonings and adjust if necessary. Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls and refrigerate for an hour. Panfry the meatballs on a low-medium heat, browning all over. Add the sauce to the pan and let simmer for 5 -10 minutes. Meanwhile cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water. Drain and serve with meatballs, sauce and grated parmesan. Serves 4.





These are cheap and easy to make and you can use more or less what you have at hand.
pasta with blush sauce








1 jar of store bought marinaria


half a quart of heavy cream


1 stick butter


1 cup of romano/parm. cheese


1 box of pasta


salt for the pasta water





heat up the marinaria when hot add the heavy cream and butter


next mix in the cheese and take off the heat


if you like you can add fresh basil


keep warm





to cook the pasta use one gallon of well salted water for every pound of pasta, cook and drain





toss with the pasta and serve


-------------------


Easy Corn and Cheese Casserole:


2 Whole cans of Organic Corn


1 bag of small Elbow Macoroni


1 half of a stick of Velveeta Cheese


1 stick of butter





Directions: Get butter to room temperature, boil macaroni into pot of hot water


Mix corn, cooked macaroni, Velvetta Cheese, and melted butter, into Casserole Dish.


Enjoy! Very very very Good too!!!


----------------------


EASY BEEF STROGANOFF





Ingredients:





3/4 lb lean ground beef


1 jar Heinz HomeStyle Savory Beef Gravy (12 oz Jar)


1 can mushrooms, drained (7 oz can)


1/2 cup sour cream


4-6 cups hot cooked noodles


salt %26amp; pepper, to taste





Instructions:





In a medium skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat until browned and thoroughly cooked. Carefully drain liquids and return to stovetop. Stir in Gravy and mushrooms, and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, until thoroughly combined. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and serve immediately over hot noodles.





Preparation Time: 1-15 minutes


Cook Time: 25+ minutes








(I鈥檝e not made this yet, either鈥?just received it.)


';Corny Beanie Weenies.';


(from a country preacher in Mississippi鈥ife %26amp; 2 teenage sons)





Mix one can of good baked beans


We use a good sized can of beans (14-16 ounces, I think) and


get a kind that we like (maybe with brown sugar, onion, and bacon).


There are several kinds of good baked beans.





and a package of Oscar Meier Weiners (all sliced up).





with a can of whole kernel corn (drained)





Any way, heat up these three ingredients, and serve with brown bread


(maybe toasted ?) and a glass of milk.





It doesn't get any easier than this, and is suprisingly good!





P.S鈥?.Might put ingredients ina casserole dish and top with corn muffin mix.








----------------------


POT ROAST


Your choice of beef (to fit crock-pot)


1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix


1 pkg. dry Italian dressing mix


1 pkg. dry Brown Gravy mix


1 cup water


Put beef in pot.


Mix together all the dry mixes鈥?then add water 鈥our over meat and cover %26amp; cook on high 4-6 hours.


Until meat is tender.


The first time I mad it I didn鈥檛 have the Italian Dressing mix鈥?so I added a pkg. of Onion Soup Mix鈥?I have to say I liked that better.


If you use more water you might want to add more Brown Gravy mix鈥?to make a thicker sauce. Was gonna add


potatoes and carrots鈥ut never got around to it.





--------------------------


HASH BROWN CASSEROLE





2 lbs. frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (thawed)


1 bunch green onions, chopped


sweet pepper chopped (red 鈥?green 鈥?yellow 鈥?orange 鈥?or a mixture of all)


1 lb. Sausage, cooked until pink disappears, crumbled


1 cup ham cubes


4 slices crisp bacon, crumbled


1 small can sliced mushrooms


1 small can sliced black olives


2 鈥?8oz. packages of shredded cheese


陆 cup milk


12 eggs beaten


Tabasco (optional)


sour cream %26amp; salsa (optional)





Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan, wipe excess with paper towel.


Spread potatoes on bottom (cand be lightly browned in a skillet first if desired)


Sprinkle sausage over potatoes鈥hen


Peppers鈥?br>

Mushrooms鈥?br>

Ham..


Onions (reserve about 录 cup)


Mix eggs %26amp; milk together鈥︹€?I added about 2 TBLS. Tabasco鈥ore to your taste鈥?pour slowly over all.


Cover with shredded cheese鈥?then sprinkle over all


Remaining onions鈥?br>

Olives鈥?br>

Bacon鈥?br>

Cover and refrigerate overnight.


Uncover and bake at 375 degrees for 35 鈥?45 minutes鈥ntil browned and cheese is melted.


Serve with sour cream and/or salsa.


---------------------


OLD SETTLER鈥橲 BEANS


INGREDIENTS:


1/2 lb. ground beef


1/2 lb. bacon


1 chopped onion


Brown in skillet and drain excess grease.





ADD:


16 oz. can Red Kidney Beans (drained)


24 oz. can Pork %26amp; Beans (drained)


1/2 cup white sugar


1/2 cup dark brown sugar


1/4 cup Catsup


2 TBLS. Molasses


1/2 tsp. dry mustard





Mix Thoroughly !


Cook in a crock pot until...hot...hot...hot!





-----------------


Sausage %26amp; Noodles





*1lb. roll of breakfast sausage


*Most of a package of wide egg noodles


*Cream of chicken soup...1 family size or 3 regular size cans


*Green peppers (Although they are absolutely not necessary %26amp; may be completely omitted with no other adjustments made to the recipe. If you want to use them, cut them into chunks of a pleasing size to you. You may choose to cook them with the sausage if you want them really soft, or throw them in at the end to keep them firm. I often make it without peppers because my son doesn't care for them much.





Cook the sausage very thoroughly, breaking it up into bite size or smaller pieces while it's cooking. I cook mine until the fat all but cooks off %26amp; the meat is very dark, but as long as it's cooked thoroughly, you can fry it to your liking and drain off the fat if you need to. Do not drain it to the point that there's not a drop of fat left, though. Leave a bit. I have found that super cheap sausage doesn't always turn out well in this recipe. I like to use Bob Evan's in the traditional white package. Sage sausage works well, too. The brand I buy at our local Aldi store in the sage flavour is great, too. And $1.50 per pound to boot!





While the sausage is cooking, boil the egg noodles according to package directions. The wider the noodle, the better, in my opinion. Drain; then rinse briefly %26amp; gently under cold tap water, but just enough to stop them cooking.





Add the cans of soup to the sausage once it is fully cooked. Lower the temperature if you haven't already. You only need to heat the soup. Add water while adding soup. The amount will depend. I usually use at least most of one small soup can of water, %26amp; sometimes more, depending on how much I am making and how it looks. It should be somewhat thick, but liquid enough to accomodate the noodles. Like I said, it's hard to mess this up, so trust your judgement and use less water rather than more. You can always add more later if you need to. (Add a bit of water if you reheat it, too.)





Once the sausage and soup mixture is hot and mixed together well, add the noodles. Again, dependent on how much you're making %26amp; how thick your sauce is, you may use all of the noodles or you may not. I usually leave a small amount in the package when I cook them, and sometimes have a little bit of the cooked ones left over once I get it all put togeher.





Mix the noodles into the sauce, allowing for the fact that the noodles will absorb some of the sauce %26amp; that it will thicken slightly as it sits.





I make this in a big electric skillet. I am sure a large deep frying pan or a big pot would work as well.


--------------
Here are a few E-Z recipes you might want to try. Good Luck %26amp; enjoy.





COLA CHICKEN (And more variations of recipe)


4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts


1 cup catsup


1 12oz. can cola (pepsi, coke, etc.)





Put chicken in a non-stick pan.


Mix together catsup and cola, pour over chicken.


Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and cook 45 minutes.


(turning chicken a few times, while cooking...to prevent from sticking to pan)


Uncover, turn up the heat and continue to cook until the sauce


becomes thick and adheres to the chicken.


It turns into the most incredible BBQ sauce. Yummmm!





You can double the recipe and use more pieces of


chicken....wings...would be ideal...add some hot sauce....presto ';Hot Wings';!





I have used Ribs, just as good.





I tried this recipe with 'meatballs'....was equally


as good...served over rice.





I found another variation.....omit the catsup and add a small jar of Salsa (any variety).


I have tried using Salsa (omitting the catsup....not).


You'd think a recipe with only '3' ingredients couldn't be messed up....wouldn't you??


Well...while I was preparing to fix the 'Cola Chicken' recipe


using Salsa.....I was also trying to carry on a conversation with my


husband...(just proves...I can't do two things at once)....mixed Salsa %26amp; Catsup (before I realized I was supposed to leave out the catsup) %26amp; Cola........still turned out really tasty (to me)...might be a little sweeter than some of you like.





I fixed chicken wings, (using the above recipe)


but...I added the spices from a MILD (I don't care for ';HOT';) Buffalo Wings packet...(the kind you get to bake in the oven).....I thought it was really good.....(but you/I can't find a 'bad' way to fix chicken).





Finally....!! I fixed the 'SALSA' chicken......that's good , too.





Another (bright)idea.....I thought of trying......replace the


catsup with a bottle of Shrimp Cocktail Sauce...and add a bag of (pop corn) shrimp.....!


Fixed the shrimp with cocktail sauce......eh...wasn't all that


great...was OK...probably won't be fixing it again.





Also tried beef stew cuts......that was pretty good.....I can see


myself making this again.


Served both over rice.....think the stew cuts would have been just as


good over noodles.





Try little cocktail weiners/sausages鈥or appetizers.

















CRUNCHY ONION CHICKEN





1 1/3 cups French鈥檚 Original French Fried Onions


4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves


1 egg, beaten





LIGHTLY CRUSH:





Onions in a plastic bag.





DIP:


Chicken in egg





COVER:


With onion crumbs, press firmly to adhere to chicken.





BAKE:


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


Place chicken on lightly greased baking pan.


Sprinkle with additional onion crumbs, if desired.


Bake for 20 minutes or until no longer pink in center.














CHILLI DOG CASSEROLE


1 pkg. (8) hot dog buns


1 pkg. (8) hot dogs (use more if you like)


1 can Chilli (15 oz. without beans, use more if you want)


1 small onion (chopped)


2 cups shredded cheese


mustard








DIRECTIONS: Pre-heat oven 350 degrees


In a 9'; x 13'; baking pan, break up hot dog buns (bite size) and spread in pan.


Cut up hot dogs (about 1/2'; size) spread over buns.


Spoon/spred chilli over hot dog/buns.


Sprinkle onions over all.


Squirt mustard over entire mixture (don't spread...just make a few lines both ways across mixture)


Cover with shredded cheese.


Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.


(Hint: If using extra hot dogs %26amp; chilli, don't add extra buns.)





';Canned Soup';.


(My Way!)


Whatever cans of veggies I have, that I like, in cabinet it goes in the pot.....along with all the juices in the cans.


Cook on stove top or Crock pot.


Enjoy!





Canned:


corn


peas


carrots


gr.beans (any variety)


lima beans


wax beans


tomato (any variety)


potatoes (whole or sliced...or both whatever you like)





You get the idea....lol.





Also add a package of shredded cabbage (cole slaw mix).





You can even add a package of onion soup mix.





If it gets to dry and needs more liquids....add tomato juice...V-8...etc.








(I鈥檝e not made this one yet)


EASY BEEF STROGANOFF





Ingredients:





3/4 lb lean ground beef


1 jar Heinz HomeStyle Savory Beef Gravy (12 oz Jar)


1 can mushrooms, drained (7 oz can)


1/2 cup sour cream


4-6 cups hot cooked noodles


salt %26amp; pepper, to taste





Instructions:





In a medium skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat until browned and thoroughly cooked. Carefully drain liquids and return to stovetop. Stir in Gravy and mushrooms, and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, until thoroughly combined. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and serve immediately over hot noodles.





Preparation Time: 1-15 minutes


Cook Time: 25+ minutes








(I鈥檝e not made this yet, either鈥?just received it.)


';Corny Beanie Weenies.';


(from a country preacher in Mississippi鈥ife %26amp; 2 teenage sons)





Mix one can of good baked beans


We use a good sized can of beans (14-16 ounces, I think) and


get a kind that we like (maybe with brown sugar, onion, and bacon).


There are several kinds of good baked beans.





and a package of Oscar Meier Weiners (all sliced up).





with a can of whole kernel corn (drained)





Any way, heat up these three ingredients, and serve with brown bread


(maybe toasted ?) and a glass of milk.





It doesn't get any easier than this, and is suprisingly good!





P.S鈥?.Might put ingredients ina casserole dish and top with corn muffin mix.











POT ROAST


Your choice of beef (to fit crock-pot)


1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix


1 pkg. dry Italian dressing mix


1 pkg. dry Brown Gravy mix


1 cup water


Put beef in pot.


Mix together all the dry mixes鈥?then add water 鈥our over meat and cover %26amp; cook on high 4-6 hours.


Until meat is tender.


The first time I mad it I didn鈥檛 have the Italian Dressing mix鈥?so I added a pkg. of Onion Soup Mix鈥?I have to say I liked that better.


If you use more water you might want to add more Brown Gravy mix鈥?to make a thicker sauce. Was gonna add


potatoes and carrots鈥ut never got around to it.








HASH BROWN CASSEROLE





2 lbs. frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (thawed)


1 bunch green onions, chopped


sweet pepper chopped (red 鈥?green 鈥?yellow 鈥?orange 鈥?or a mixture of all)


1 lb. Sausage, cooked until pink disappears, crumbled


1 cup ham cubes


4 slices crisp bacon, crumbled


1 small can sliced mushrooms


1 small can sliced black olives


2 鈥?8oz. packages of shredded cheese


陆 cup milk


12 eggs beaten


Tabasco (optional)


sour cream %26amp; salsa (optional)





Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan, wipe excess with paper towel.


Spread potatoes on bottom (cand be lightly browned in a skillet first if desired)


Sprinkle sausage over potatoes鈥hen


Peppers鈥?br>

Mushrooms鈥?br>

Ham..


Onions (reserve about 录 cup)


Mix eggs %26amp; milk together鈥︹€?I added about 2 TBLS. Tabasco鈥ore to your taste鈥?pour slowly over all.


Cover with shredded cheese鈥?then sprinkle over all


Remaining onions鈥?br>

Olives鈥?br>

Bacon鈥?br>

Cover and refrigerate overnight.


Uncover and bake at 375 degrees for 35 鈥?45 minutes鈥ntil browned and cheese is melted.


Serve with sour cream and/or salsa.














OLD SETTLER鈥橲 BEANS


INGREDIENTS:


1/2 lb. ground beef


1/2 lb. bacon


1 chopped onion


Brown in skillet and drain excess grease.





ADD:


16 oz. can Red Kidney Beans (drained)


24 oz. can Pork %26amp; Beans (drained)


1/2 cup white sugar


1/2 cup dark brown sugar


1/4 cup Catsup


2 TBLS. Molasses


1/2 tsp. dry mustard





Mix Thoroughly !


Cook in a crock pot until...hot...hot...hot!








MARINATED VEGGIE SALAD


1 lb. can French style green beans


1 lb. can small peas


1 lb. can white corn


1 - 4oz. jar pimento (chopped)


1 cup shopped onion


1 cup chopped celery


1 cup chopped green pepper


1 cup sugar (I used artificial sweetener)


2/3 cup vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)


1/2 cup cooking oil


1 tsp. salt


1 tsp. pepper





1.)Pour green beans, peas, corn %26amp; pimento in a colander to drain over a


large bowl. Discard 1 1/2 cups of liquid.


2.)Put veggies in a large bowl and fold in onions, celery and green


peppers.


3.)Mix together thoroughly the remaining ingredients and toss with


veggies.


4.)Cover and let sit over night in refrigerator. (The longer it marinates the better.)





Desserts/Snacks








POUND CAKE





Combine:


2 sticks butter


1 2/3 cup sugar





Beat in:


5 eggs (1 at a time)





Add:


2 cups sifted flour


1 teaspoon vanilla


1 teaspoon rum extract





Mix thoroughly and bake 1 hour at 325 degrees.











E-Z Candy


(All recipes are mixed the same.)





Melt ingredients, seperately in microwave until runny.


Mix together and pour into serving dish.


Chill until firm, cut %26amp; serve.





Chocolate Fudge:


16 oz. container of Fudge Frosting


1 bag of Chocolate Chips (any flavor you like)





Peanut Butter Fudge #1:


1 small jar Peanut Butter (18 oz.)


2 bags of Peanut Butter Chips





Peanut Butter Fudge #2:


1 small jar Peanut Butter (18oz.)


16 oz. container of White Frosting





Marshmallow Nougat:


1 small jr Marshmallow Creme


1 bag White Chocolate Chips


1 tsp. Almond Flavoring


1 small bag Chopped Nuts





(I've made this without the flavoring %26amp; nuts....I want to try


rolling


into balls and dipping in a chocolate coating....sounds good to


me.)





I've doubled all the above recipes. The Marshmallow Nougat


recipe...doubled and added a container of white frosting (had an


extra one....so thought....why not!)





I use a double boiler..(prefer the double


boiler)...add chips in first ...then rest of


ingredients.....saving


nuts and flavorings for last.








Kreamy Kool-Aid Pie





1-(6 g) package un sweetened Kool-Aid powdered drink mix


1-(14 oz.)can sweetened condensed milk


1-(8 oz)container Cool Whip frozen whipped topping, thawed.


1-(
Cheesy Beef Macaroni





Boil elbow macaroni while cooking some ground beef (season with garlic salt %26amp; onion powder is how I do it, but you can pretty much season it with whatever you like). When elbow macaroni is fully cooked, drain, and place in large mixing bowl. Then, when ground beef is finished cooking,add to the bowl with the elbow macaroni. You'll need a can/jar of beef gravy (you may need two depending how much ground beef you use). Mix the beef gravy in with the meet and the elbow macaroni. Then, sprinkle sharp cheddar cheese all over. It's simple, affordable, easy, and serves plenty.. also filling. Serve with a side of garlic bread.





My suggestion for you, because I've been in your shoes before, is to also stock up on cheaper groceries. Lipton makes Pasta Sides and Rice Sides that are usually always a dollar at the grocey store. Each pack serves up to 4 people, but you can buy more then one pack because they're only a dollar. You should also consider buying generic-brand macaroni %26amp; cheese. In the ShopRite around here, you can get 88 cent boxes of Mac %26amp; Cheese. That's affordable, tasty, and can feed a family of 6.





Meat-Loaf is always an affordable meal that is sure to serve plenty. Here's a recipe:





2 eggs


1/4 cup ketchup


1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce


1/2 tsp each salt and pepper


1 cup bread crumbs


1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal


6 cloves garlic, minced


1/2 cup fresh parsley or 1/4 cup dried


1 carrot, minced


2 ribs celery, minced


1/2 green pepper, minced


1 onion, minced


1 pound ground beef


Preheat the oven to 350.





Mix together the eggs, tomato juice, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir in the bread crumbs and oatmeal.





You can chop the vegetables by hand or in a food processor. Then mix them into the mixing bowl and stir well. Finally, add the meat and mix together with your hands. (If you'd rather use a mixer, just be sure not to overmix.)





Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and spread the meat in it.





Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes, then let stand 10 minutes before slicing.





Penne Pasta Casserole





1 26oz can spaghetti sauce (Hunt鈥檚, etc.) 鈥?$1.00


1/2 med. yellow onion 鈥?$0.20


1 tbsp e.v. olive oil 鈥?$0.05


2-3 cloves minced garlic 鈥?$0.07


1/2 box dry penne or other pasta鈥?$0.50


1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped 鈥?$0.20


1 cup grated cheddar 鈥?$0.40


1/3 lb ground beef or italian sausage - $1.00


salt, pepper, sugar 鈥?negligible





Total: $3.42





Get a pot of salted water going. Over low heat in a large skillet, add some olive oil, onion, garlic and a pinch of salt and sweat / simmer that until translucent (you can keep adding some water to prevent it from drying out). Remove to a plate. Add the ground beef and/or italian sausage (casing removed) and brown that. Drain it, return to pan with onion mixture. Add spaghetti sauce, and cook on low stirring occasionally for about 10-15 min. Add chopped basil (and any other herbs or veggies at this point). You may want to alter the flavor with salt, pepper and sugar depending on your spaghetti sauce.





When water boils, add the penne and UNDERCOOK it. How much depends on you and your oven. I just know you don鈥檛 need to cook it all the way because it鈥檚 going in the oven. When done to your liking, drain pasta and rinse it in cold water, if you like. I know they say not to rinse it, but because it鈥檚 a casserole I feel the noodles benefit a bit from a dunk.





Combine spaghetti sauce mixture and noodles together in the pot. In a shallow baking dish (flatter, shallower allows for more cheese browning area - if you like that.) Top with cheese, bake at 350F for about 30-45 minutes. You might want to cover lightly with aluminum foil until the last 10 minutes. You can also blast it in the broiler if you like the top extra crunchy.





Hash Browns





1 large potato 鈥?$0.40


1-2 tbsp butter (from $1.00 4 oz stick) 鈥?$0.13


(or 1-2 tbsp of oil or cooking spray)


salt, pepper 鈥?negligible





Total: $0.53





Russets are probably easiest and most people have 鈥榚m around. I don鈥檛 pre-cook the potatoes for hash browns because it鈥檚 thin enough, though for thicker home fries you might want to try that.





You can use either butter, oil, or cooking spray鈥?but you should probably use at least something to prevent sticking and help browning. On my cast iron flat grill I鈥檝e gotten away with using very little oil or cooking spray. If you鈥檙e using a pan, try using a non-stick surface one first鈥?it鈥檒l allow you to use less oil. Butter really makes the potatoes brown nicely, however, so you might want to experiment.





Peel and wash the potato(es). Heat up the pan/griddle and oil/butter it. Meanwhile, grate the potato finely. What I like to do is put the grated potato in a paper towel or cheesecloth and squeeze the heck out of it. A considerable amount of water will drain out.





Scatter the potatoes on the grill and cook until brown on one side. Try and always keep the potatoes spread thinly instead of clumped up together. Flip it with a spatula and cook until desired doneness is achieved. Salt and pepper to taste.





Clam Spaghetti





2 3.5 oz pouches of baby clams 鈥?$2.00


2 tbsp e.v. olive oil 鈥?$0.10


3-4 cloves minced garlic 鈥?$0.07


1/2 lb dry spaghetti / spaghettini 鈥?$0.50


1-2 tbsp chopped parsley 鈥?$0.05


1/2 cup chicken stock 鈥?$0.15


1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese - $0.10


red pepper flakes 鈥?optional


salt, pepper, water - negligible





Total: $2.97





Get a pot of water for the spaghetti going on high. Mince up the parsley and set aside. Mince the garlic and set that aside. Open the pouches and drain the clams, reserving the liquids.





Wait until water boils, then add the dry spaghetti. Start melting the butter in the olive oil in a skillet on medium. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the reserved clam liquid and chicken stock and simmer for 3-5 minutes. (Keep and eye on the spaghetti so it doesn鈥檛 get overcooked!) Some people also put in a few tablespoons of Chardonnay or other white wine as well. If you do so, add that first and make sure to cook it out before adding the chicken stock and clam juice.





Add the clams to the skillet (do NOT cook this for too long - ). When the spaghetti is al dente, I like to take it out with tongs and put it directly into the pan. Then whack the parsley in there along with the parm cheese and salt/pepper to taste. If it鈥檚 too dry, add a bit of the pasta cooking water. Toss it a bit and serve.








Ghetto McMuffins





1 english muffin 鈥?$0.25


1-2 eggs 鈥?$0.15


1/2 - 1 hotdog 鈥?$0.12


1 slice cheese, optional 鈥?$0.10


pepper, optional





Total: $0.62





Cut the english muffin in half and put it in the toaster set for extra crispy. Meanwhile, beat the egg(s) lightly in a small bowl. Throw in pepper if you like. Cut up the hotdog into chunks. Get a medium fire under a small (8-9 inch is fine) non stick omelette pan going. At some point you might want to put a bit of oil in the pan but I find I can avoid it for non-stick.





Cook the hot dogs until slightly browned. Distribute them across the bottom of the pan and pour in the egg(s). Lower the fire. Stir a bit with a spatula. Let it set up a bit, a few minutes. You can cover it to speed it along.





When the top is nearly cooked, get a rubber spatula and cut the scramble down the middle. Here, you can insert a slice of cheese or whatever you want on each semi-circle. Fold the egg semi-circle over so it鈥檚 a quarter-circle.





Put each quarter-circle on a toasted english muffin half. This makes 2 open face McMuffins, or close it up for a gigantic McMuffin.