GLP Recession Proof Meals - Cooking goes a long way in lieu of buying crap

awesome!!

I'm gonna throw in some of these peppers I've had frozen for a while too.!!

Cajun chicken and rice

Buy chicken breast at half off before it expires. I got it for $2 per pound. Saute Chicken in melted butter with finely chopped bell pepper, carrot, onion, garlic. Add salt and Cajun seasoning. Saute until cooked. Deglaze the pan with fresh lime juice.

In a separate pot cook 1 1/2 cups of white rice. Add the chicken and veggies to the rice and mix.

Feeds 4

Total Cost: about $3 for everything

Cost per person: about 75 cents

Cans of beans are awesome too, and quick. And I don't mean cans of beans with a bunch of seasonings, msg and other crap.

I'm talking black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, navy beans, white beans etc. With low salt and Organic.

I buy these 10 for $10 at Smiths.

I also buy the whole cooked chickens they sell in the evenings. I shop at about 4 or 5 am when I get off work, so the whole chickens are reduced from like $8 to about $4.

I also make a loaf of white bread every other day.

I just use a good basic recipe that I found on Allrecipes. I wrote down the basic recipe and stuck it on my fridge. Now that I have the hang of it, its so easy. I can make a the dough in literally 5 minutes, and then I just wait an hour to rise and bake for 45 minutes. The only time you're actually working is the 5 minutes at the beginning where you mix the ingredients and knead the dough.

Makes a standard loaf pan size. I use store brand flour I get for $2 for a 5 pound bag.

Total cost of loaf including yeast: 35 cents

I'll give you one I just made- Strata. You can put pretty much anything you want in it. Take stale bread, the staler really the better (not moldy!! just dry!) cut into cubes and line a 13x9 pan. Mix up 8 eggs, 2 cups milk, salt, pepper to taste. On top of the bread put whatever you want that you have on hand- leftover chicken, sausage, bacon, spinach, veggies, etc. Cover the bread with your faves. Then sprinkle with 2 cups shredded cheddar (or whatever you have) cheese. Pour the egg mixture over, bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 min. YUM and uses up leftovers great!

this is the shit....and about 1.87 a serving/apple


Savory Baked Apples

Price: $1.87 per serving

Pantry Checklist:
• Fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• Brown rice
• Dried cranberries
• Apple cider
• Rome apples
• Butter
• Sweet Italian sausage
• Yellow onion
• Carrot
• Cinnamon
• Ground red pepper
• Garlic
• Walnuts
• Green onions
• Kosher salt
• Dried rubbed sage
• Swiss cheese

Ingredients

2/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup uncooked brown rice
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup apple cider
4 large Rome apples, cored
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
1 (4-ounce) link sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
3 tablespoons minced green onions
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Bring broth to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes.
3. Combine cranberries and cider in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add mixture to rice.
4. Using a small spoon, carefully scoop out centers of apples, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell, and chop apple flesh. Brush the inside of apples with 1 tablespoon butter. Place apples on a baking sheet, and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until just tender.
5. Preheat broiler to high.
6. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan; drain. Wipe skillet, and melt remaining butter in pan. Add chopped apple, yellow onion, and next 3 ingredients (through pepper); sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sausage, onion mixture, walnuts, and next 3 ingredients (through sage) to rice; toss. Divide rice mixture evenly among apples; top with cheese. Broil for 5 minutes or until golden.

Last Edited by Phennommennonn on 01/13/2014 12:25 PM

Tea Time Sandwiches:

Stale bread (cut in fours), mayo, and cucumber.

Dinner Sandwiches:

Stale bread (cut in fours) peanut butter and bananas

Sunday Dinner:

Can of Spam with diced pinapples

Holdiay Dinners:

Filet of Sole (thrift shop shoes, size nine, with leather soles. Boil soles until somewhat tender. Serve with shoestring potatoes.

chicken thighs are cheap can get 8-12 for less than 6-7.00 *even less if you shop on date of expiration

Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs

Speed up prep by marinating only 30 minutes. Serve with cabbage-carrot slaw.


Ingredients

1/3 cup spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
8 bone-in chicken thighs
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray



Preparation

1. Combine first 9 ingredients. Place half of mixture in a zip-top plastic bag; reserve remaining mixture. Add chicken to bag; seal. Chill 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350*.

3. Remove chicken from bag. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Place chicken on a cookie sheet with cooking spray; bake 30-45 mins. Serve with reserved mustard mixture.

serve with a side of "carrot slaw"

4-5 large carrots. shred with peeler.
add tbsp cider vinegar
add tbsp mayo
s/p

Mock Spring Risotto


Ingredients

1 pound frozen peas,
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice or Reg Rice

1 cup frozen lima beans
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons thyme


Preparation

1.Bring 2 cups water and chicken broth to a simmer in a saucepan.

2. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil, and swirl to coat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in rice, and salt; cook for 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup broth mixture; cook for 4 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed before adding more (about 20 minutes total).

3. Stir in peas & limas, cream cheese, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese; sprinkle evenly with thyme.

Onion Tart


Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 pounds onion, sliced
2 tablespoons thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese or use mozzerella
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Swiss cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Roll dough out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle feta cheese in center, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border; top with onion. Sprinkle with Swiss cheese. Fold piecrust border up and over onion mixture, pleating as you go, leaving a 6-inch-wide opening. Combine egg and 2 tablespoons water; brush over dough. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool for 10 minutes.

5 stars for PH!

Tater Taco Casserole

2 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1 can corn ( or mixed vegetables)
1 can fiesta nacho cheese soup ( or cheese soup w/ a little rotel mixed in works too)
1 pckg frozen tater tots (32 oz.)

cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink. Add in taco seasoning mix and water, simmer 5 min. Add corn and soup, mix till well blended together.

Throw into greased 13x9 pan dump frozen tater tots on top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30-35 min until tater tots are crispy. Yields 8 servings.

Easy to make, makes a lot, tastes great, always leftovers which freeze and microwave well.

$1 for a can (15oz) of cooked beans? Ten for $10? And I thought we paid high prices.

Buy a pound of dried beans, and cook them yourself.


Buy a Whole Chicken and make soup. Rinse/clean the guts out, add back the neck; (if you even get the giblets in your chicken these days). Boil the chicken with a bunch of garlic, a halved onion, bay leaf or few for an hour. Remove chicken from broth, strain broth and set aside. When chicken is cool remove bones. Keep breast meat for casserole or other recipe. Add meat back to broth. Add couple pounds of diced potatoes and carrots chopped small. Don't peal the veges unless you hate the skin. Lotta nutrients in the skin. Can also add several cups of Egg Noodles if like Chicken Noodle Soup...

Great food and feeds many over couple days. Add more potatoes and carrots to stretch further after meal #1.


Buy Brown Rice for nutrition value. All the nutrition value of rice is in the kernel husk. White/Polished rice has the husk removed, so it has no nutritional value for your body. White rice is just starch. Brown rice with most beans makes a complete protein; so is a substitute for meat etc.


Why make "white" bread? Make Whole Wheat or multi-grain bread. Takes a bit more water for your recipe, like 1-2/3 cup vs 1-1/2 cups, but much more nutrition in whole grain breads.

Got a Bakery Thrift store in your area? Visit them and buy organic/natural whole grain breads on the cheap. Eating white bread is like eating white rice: Tastes good, but does nothing for your body...


Chili and rice is a good hearty meal for cold weather, also stews, ragout, spaghetti. Easy to make pizza at home and use quality ingredients.

The thing with cooking yourself is you KNOW what you are eating and usually the food is better tasting than at restaurants of sit-down variety.


Get cookbooks cheap at resale/thrift shops and cooking utensils/gear there too.

this is whats in the slow cooker for my kids


tater tots from save-a-lot 89 cents each
2 bags of cheese 1.29 each
half pound of bacon (bacon from sharp shopper outlet 1.99)
1/4 milk
chicken breasts 6 - sliced thin 2.99

.89
1.29
1.29
.50
2.99
= 6.96 and theres enough to feed my "animals" for 2 nights.




Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken Tater tot Bake is a great dinner to serve on football night!
Recipe--> [link to www.realhousemoms.com]



Ingredients

1 (32 ounce) bag tater tots
3 ounce crumbled bacon pieces
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1½ cups grated colby cheese
1½ cups grated monterey jack pepper cheese
¾ cup milk
salt and pepper

Instructions

Grease the bottom of the crock pot
Layer ½ the tater tots on the bottom of the pot
Sprinkle ½ of the bacon pieces on top of the tator tots
Combine the two cheeses, and sprinkle ⅓ of it over the bacon and tots
Top cheese with the chicken breasts
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste
Top chicken with another ⅓ of cheese
Sprinkle with other ½ of the bacon pieces
Add remainder of the tater tots
Top with final ⅓ of the cheese
Pour milk over the top
Set crock pot to high and cook 3-4 hours (3 was perfect for me)

thanks butcha gotta post sumthn. cmon....you know ya wanna

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

hey now....post sumthn bro.

pin this shit too plz

maybe we can get more added that way.

Not much in terms of recipes....but I grow my own veggies...organic, no pesticide, and I know exactly where they come from....

It is SO inexpensive to put together and maintain a garden and you DONT need a lot of room to do it - you can even grow in pots....

I myself section off a part of my yard and have a couple of raised beds....Even in the smallish area, I get TONS of produce....

I can tomatoes for later use. I freeze things like peas, beans, peppers, onions. Hot peppers get pickled, as do cucumbers....and anything else goes in the food dehydrator. I am still pulling stuff out of mason jars and the freezer from summer of 2012!!!!

Since I had such a huge leftover from that previous year, I actually grew for other people to do the same....

I also have chickens for fresh eggs....

i passed by this trailer park over the summer and this one trailer had hanging tomato plants from their awning, onionz growing in window flower boxes, and lettus in large flower pots.

Last Edited by Phennommennonn on 01/13/2014 04:57 PM

Single old guy here.

I cook all of my own food.

I'm set up for baking my own breads, tortillas, pizzas, artisan breads etc.

Some of my regular meals:

Pot of rice cooled with frozen vegetables.

I use a lot of pre-bagged, washed greens like spinach, kale and the pre-shredded cole slaw mix.

I just been working on a new favorite.
Make your own tortillas (simple once you get the hang of working with flour and stuff)
Can of Great Value precooked chicken with about 1/3 package of coleslaw mix.
Dumped it into your skillet with a few pinches of McCormick taco seasoning.
Fry/brown/simmer.
Spoon it onto your tortillas and add some cheese and other topppings if you like.

There's all kinds of nutritios stuff that's easy to make.

Sometimes I'll just put the raw greens in a big bowl with some dries cranberries and a spoonful of prepared garlic. Add a big glop of mayo and some apple cider vinegar.
Awesome.

Another is Kraft or whatever mac and cheese. Add some frozen vegs while cooking. After it's done, put in some more cheese and a can of tuna.

It's not hard to at least FEEL like you're eating OK. haha

Bacon and Butternut Pasta

Ingredients

3 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
2 bacon slices
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onions

Preparation

1. Bring 3 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta; cook for 8 minutes. Drain in a colander over a bowl, and reserve 1/3 cup cooking liquid.
2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add butter to drippings in pan; cook 30 seconds or until butter melts. Increase heat to medium-high. Add squash; sauté 7 minutes or until almost tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, pasta, reserved cooking liquid, and cheese; cook 2 minutes or until pasta is al dente, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with bacon and onions.

THis. I've always wanted to try and make bread. Not white though, whole grain or something healthy.



I take a box or two of Barilla whole grain macaroni or bow ties and combine them with ground meet, tomato sauce and it last for many days. You can freeze it too.
Sprinkle on some parm cheese and make some garlic bread...mmmm.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ingredients



Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
1 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken breast half, skinned
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth $
1 tablespoon butter
1 (8-ounce) zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 (8-ounce) yellow squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add chicken, meaty side down, to pan. Cook 6 minutes or until browned; turn chicken over. Add broth to pan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan, reserving broth in pan. Let chicken stand 10 minutes. Remove chicken from bones; shred. Discard bones. Place chicken in a large bowl.

3. Bring broth to a boil; cook, uncovered, until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 10 minutes). Add broth mixture to chicken. Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add squash to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add squash mixture, rice, and minced rosemary to the chicken mixture, and toss gently to combine.

4. Place flour in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; let stand 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup cheese; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, milk mixture, and salt to chicken mixture; stir to combine. Spoon chicken mixture into a broiler-safe 8-inch ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over rice mixture; bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove casserole from oven.

5. Preheat broiler.

6. Broil casserole 5 minutes or until golden.

hmm.. i have a crock pot but only know how to slow cook ham, potatoes and carrots in it. I'd like to have more slow cooker recipes. Perhaps i'll start that thread one of these days.

1 small game hunting license - $15
assorted ammunition - $2 - $10

good for rabbit,squirrel,partridge,pheasant, grouse,quail

feeds - family of 4-12 for one year


1 fishing license - $15

you get the idea

tuna casserole

bag of egg noodles, baby pees, bread crumbs, tuna, cream of mushroom soup

Roasted Cauliflower Pasta

Ingredients


2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, peeled and cut into wedges
1 (1 1/2-pound) head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
1/3 cup sliced Spanish olives
3/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
5 garlic cloves, crushed
12 ounces uncooked penne pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 ounce fresh Romano cheese, shaved

Preparation

1. Place a small heavy roasting pan in oven. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Remove preheated pan from oven. Add butter and oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and cauliflower to pan; toss to coat. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Add olives and next 3 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; toss to combine. Bake an additional 7 minutes or until cauliflower is tender and browned.
3. Cook pasta in boiling water 7 minutes or until almost tender. Drain pasta through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan over medium-high heat. Add reserved cooking liquid and cauliflower mixture; toss. Cook 2 minutes or until pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; sprinkle with parsley, and garnish with shaved cheese.

homemade egg noodles
these are delicious and seem like a luxury to me but they are cheap, easy and versatile.

beat 1 egg. add 1 cup flour and some salt. mix, knead a little, then roll out on floured board and cut them. drop into boiling liquid. cook until tender, about 15 min or so.