Frugal 30 Minute Meals

[Saving in So Cal]

I noticed that new frugalites (not sure what to call us) have trouble switching from eating out to eating in. I thought we could help them by posting some 30 minute meal ideas, frugal style. For guidelines, I suggest focusing on ingredients that are easy to find and for which there are frequent sales or coupon opportunities. The less pans and bowls the better. Here's a couple of my regulars. I'll add more later.

Chicken Parmesan

Frozen breaded chicken breast patties
Pasta sauce
Mozzarella or provolone cheese (slices are fine)
Pasta
Broccoli or salad to accompany

Put the chicken in the oven at the temperature indicated on the box. Halfway through the cooking time, turn the patties over. Spoon on pasta sauce to cover. Top with cheese. Place in oven for the remaining cooking time. Serve over lightly buttered pasta.


Sloppy Joes

Ground meat (turkey works fine)
Canned sloppy joe sauce (we like Manwich Bold)
Rolls
Tater tots
Green beans

Place tater tots in oven and cook for recommended time. Microwave green beans for recommended time. Brown meat, add sloppy joe sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve on rolls. (I also like to add mustard and pickles.)

[pearlieq]

Two quick & easy favorites in our house:

Dutch Baby:

2T butter or margarine
1/2 cup fruit (1 small apple or pear, chopped finely or dried fruit like raisins)
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar (or Splenda)
1 T vanilla extract
1/4 t. salt

Turn oven on to 350. Coat a pie plate with cooking spray. Put butter and fruit in the pie plate and place in the oven while it's preheating. While that's in the oven, lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add flour, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt and stir to combine, but do not overmix.

When butter is melted, remove pie plate from oven and pour the batter over the melted butter and fruit. Return to oven and bake 25 minutes until golden brown and puffed up slightly. Serve warm w/syrup. Add some protein (scrambled eggs, sausgage, etc.) and fruit for a full meal.


Barbecue Meatballs

1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup fruit spread (apricot is very tasty, but grape will work too)
4 servings turkey meatballs (or 1 turkey smoked sausage, sliced thinly)

Heat barbecue sauce and fruit spead in a large saucepan until melted and well combined. Add meatballs or sausage and heat through. Serve with broccoli florets and roasted potato wedges for dipping in the extra sauce.

[sakigt]

Beef Stroganuff (like Hamburger Helper...only better (and healthier if you want))

1lb ground beef
1 small can tomato paste
1 can beef consume (found in soup section)
1 small tub of sour cream (use low or no fat)
choice of noodles (wide works well)


- Put on pot of boiling water and prepare noodles
- Brown beef.
- Add tomato paste and beef consume. Simmer until thick (~ 5 minutes) Add flour to make thicker if you want.
- Take off burner, stir in sour cream
- Mix in drained pasta

Enjoy! Usually makes 4-5 servings

[mmbugs]

How about crockpot cooking.... It's simple, basic, economical.

Beef & Noodles
Add....
A small package of stew beef ($3.00 or less)
1 can of beef broth ($.39)
Season with salt and pepper.
cook on low for 6 to 8 hours
When you get home add...
1 package noodles ($.69)
Cook on High for about 30 minutes until noodles are soft. You can thicken your broth with flour if desired.
for about 4.00 you can have a hot meal when you get home and you can freeze the leftovers to reheat when your pressed for time. Makes over 12 single servings.

You could substitue the meat depending on what's on sale. It can also be made from frozen meat...you could add soups like cream of mushroom, cream of chicken instead of broth. Be creative...make what tastes best to you.

[PrincessPerky]

Green eggs and ham

K so it isn't the healthiest, but I love letting my kids eat green eggs and ham.

I make scrambled eggs with cheese and spinach and bacon in it, and then call it green eggs and ham, takes less than 20 minutes start to finish, and looks oh so green.

I use frozen spinach and heat it in the microwave for 2 to 4 minutes to thaw (start with a small amount if you don't like it, a teaspoon of green goes a loong way)

then I scramble 4 eggs with some spices (i lik onion, rosmary and pepper, but skip it or use your own egg combination)

I dump in a medium warm pot (trust me you have to be better at eggs than I am!)

add cheese after a bit, and the spinach and bacon (and some cooked mushrooms if you have any)

keep it moving, and don't forget to read the book to go with it

[lisajane]

I have to try that beef stroganoff, sorry I don't have anything to add really. I like my Pita Pizza's.

I use 1 10" pita
Cover with tomato paste
Shredded cheese
Toppings of your choice

For a variation use BBQ sauce as base and chicken on top
You can also roll these and freeze them uncooked. Then just place in oven to cook.

OR Bake in Toaster oven for 10 - 15 minutes at 400 F

[PrincessPerky]

pizzadillas! thats what we call em..cause we make quesadillas (ok so any true spanish/mexican would hate us using the word, but we like em) with salsa base, orangy cheeses and any beef or chicken you have (or don't have) top with second tortilla, and heat boths sides.

BBQ and chicken sounds good, Ill try it next time we have chicken!

[Saving in So Cal]

Here are a few more of my regulars:

Chicken and Dumplings

About 1-1/2 to 2 cups of leftover chicken, shredded or diced
1 can of cream of chicken soup
2 cans of chicken broth (or bouillon and water to match)
1 pkg frozen mixed vegetables
Biscuit mix

Put chicken, cream soup, broth, and vegetables in a pan and bring to a boil. In the meantime, mix 1/2 dumpling recipe from biscuit mix box. Add dumplings to boiling chicken mix, cover, reduce to simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Serve with salad or fruit. If you would prefer, skip the dumplings and make noodles, rice, or refrigerated biscuits to serve the chicken sauce over.


Easiest Ever Chili

1/2 to 1 lb. ground meat
1 can chili beans, undrained
1 can mexican style chopped tomatos, undrained
Corn muffin mix

Mix corn muffin mix according to package directions. Pour into mini muffin tin and bake.
Brown and drain meat. Add chili beans and tomatoes. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer for about 10 minutes or until muffins are done. This chili is fine as is for children or adults who don't like really spicy food. My husband adds hot pepper sauce to his.


Joan's Bean Goop (like a chili, but sweet)

1/2 to 1 lb. ground meat
1 large can baked beans, undrained
Barbecue sauce
Mustard
Brown sugar
Worstershire sauce
1 can Brown bread (for treat) or
Corn muffin mix

Wrap brown bread (found in certain supermarkets next to beans) in foil and put in oven at 350 degrees to warm. Otherwise, make corn muffins as described above. Brown and drain ground meat. Add baked beans and approximately 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, 1 tsp. mustard, 1 tbsp. brown sugar, and 3-5 drops of Worstershire sauce. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until bread/muffins are done. This was created by my mother-in-law to stretch her food money when her kids were little.

[Dixiechick]

Here are a few of mine:

Creamy chicken and rice

1 package Lipton Chicken Flavored Rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
Any left over cooked chicken chopped (about a cup or so - I've used canned chicken sometimes)
crackers

Make the rice according to directions. When it's just about done, add the cream of chicken soup and chicken. Reheat as needed. Serve with crackers, salad, etc...

Beef Stroganuff

1 lb of ground beef
1/2 chopped onion (or onion powder to taste)
salt & pepper to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz sour cream
little bit of milk
noddles or rice

Cook the ground beef with onions. Drain, add salt & pepper and cream of mushroom soap. Add a little bit of milk to thin it some (1/4 cup maybe). Add sour cream but don't let it boil - just reheat. Serve over noodles or rice.

Easy Peach Cobbler

1 can sliced peaches in heavy syrup
1/2 cup self rising flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon

Heat oven to 350. Place butter in a small (about 8" round) glass dish (about 2-3" deep or so) and place in oven to melt Once melted, add peaches. Mix the flour, milk and sugar together. Mix in the vanilla and a couple dashes of cinnamon. Pour this in the middle of the peaches. DO NOT STIR IT! The dough will rise to the top and form a nice golden brown top. Bake for about 45 minutes or so until nicely golden brown on top and the dough is cooked.

I've used spiced fried apples (from a can) with this recipe and it was yummy too! I guess you can use any fruit as long as it is in heavy syrup. Other types won't quite work the same...


Dixiechick (I'm hungry now!)

[LuxLiving]

Easy - Easy GREEN BEANS & SAUSAGE One Pot or Crock

1 lg can of green beans w/slice potatoes (Save-A-Lot 99cents)
1 pkg of large Owen sausage (these look alot like brats size) links (not breakfast sausage
but like smokylinks). I have a scratch & dent place where I get these from 99 cents to 1.50 pkg of 8.

Chop one small onion, T. of bacon grease (sorry, ya'll I'm from the south, can't hardly cook w/o bacon grease), dump cans, season w/Season Salt, Garlic Salt, heat and eat! Hungry men yell "Hey This is GOOD!" Never any leftovers here.

These are perfect for that Sunday morning run out the door I forgot to thaw something out throw it in the crockpot mornings. Lunch is ready by tossing a salad, opening a canned fruit, putting bread and butter on the table. Fast!

[crazyBMB]

LuzLiving,
I know what you are talking about. My mother in law, a southern born & bred country girl, always uses bacon grease to coat the castiron skillet for cornbread. I makes it oh so much better.

[crazyliblady]

My frugal meal idea:

Chicken breasts/legs/thighs (thawed out)
olive oil
spices of your liking (salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic, italian seasoning)
alternative, instead of the oil and spices -- barbeque sauce
Put it glass baking pan with a cover

Turn oven on at 350 degrees. Drizzle oil over meat. Add spices (I won't use measurements, as I don't measure it.) Put in oven for about 30 minutes. It might take a little longer for chicken breasts with bone in. About 10 minutes before cooking is done, prepare some kind vegetable or other side. If you start with frozen meat instead of thawed out meat, it will probably take around 55 minutes. This makes a tasty meal.

You could alter this a little for different kinds of meat, but you might need to change the cooking temperature or time. I sometimes use fish, instead of chicken.

[twinsmommy]

Baked Chicken

2 whole chickens (1 for meals later in the week, lots of good ideas in the posts of how to use)
vegetable oil
lemons
thyme (or whatever herbs you like)

Rub vegetable oil all over chicken (crispy skin), thinly sliced lemon under the skin, thyme in the cavity of the chicken. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes and finish at 325 until done (test at thigh joint)

I use the leftovers for sandwiches and other chicken dishes.

[jodi]

I use butter, rosemary, thyme, and sage on my baked chicken - just melt the butter, add the spices, and brush all over the chicken. Delish!

Here's the easiest recipe I have come across in a while -
Put frozen chicken breasts (uncooked) in a crockpot. Throw in a can of black beans (drained), a can of corn (drained), and a can of salsa. Cook of high 5 hours. In the last half hour, throw some cream cheese on top and let it melt in (the recipe calls for 8 oz, but I halve it). The chicken gets so tender and the flavor is great. To keep costs down we use homemade salsa (from the garden) and homegrown, frozen sweet corn. But most of these ingredients can be gotten cheaply on sale.

[crazyBMB]

Pearlieq, Yum!! I haven't had a Dutch Baby in a very, very long time. I think I will make one (maybe 2) for the family!

Originally Posted by pearlieq

Two quick & easy favorites in our house:

Dutch Baby:

2T butter or margarine
1/2 cup fruit (1 small apple or pear, chopped finely or dried fruit like raisins)
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar (or Splenda)
1 T vanilla extract
1/4 t. salt

Turn oven on to 350. Coat a pie plate with cooking spray. Put butter and fruit in the pie plate and place in the oven while it's preheating. While that's in the oven, lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add flour, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt and stir to combine, but do not overmix.

When butter is melted, remove pie plate from oven and pour the batter over the melted butter and fruit. Return to oven and bake 25 minutes until golden brown and puffed up slightly. Serve warm w/syrup. Add some protein (scrambled eggs, sausgage, etc.) and fruit for a full meal.


Barbecue Meatballs

1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup fruit spread (apricot is very tasty, but grape will work too)
4 servings turkey meatballs (or 1 turkey smoked sausage, sliced thinly)

Heat barbecue sauce and fruit spead in a large saucepan until melted and well combined. Add meatballs or sausage and heat through. Serve with broccoli florets and roasted potato wedges for dipping in the extra sauce.

[s.saver]

Originally Posted by lisajane

I have to try that beef stroganoff, sorry I don't have anything to add really. I like my Pita Pizza's.

I use 1 10" pita
Cover with tomato paste
Shredded cheese
Toppings of your choice

For a variation use BBQ sauce as base and chicken on top
You can also roll these and freeze them uncooked. Then just place in oven to cook.

OR Bake in Toaster oven for 10 - 15 minutes at 400 F

This is also great with butter garlic and parmasean cheese....Broiled.