wilkes

Tater Tot Casserole:

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
Chopped onion to your liking
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cut green beans (drained)
1 dash worchestershire sauce (optional I use about a teaspoon)
salt and pepper
1 package tater tots

Brown ground beef with onion and pepper
add cream of mushroom soup and drained green beans
add worchestershire sauce if desired
Mix thoroughly
Spread in a casserole dish and top with a tater tots. Add a little salt on top and bake in oven at 350 uncovered until tater tots are done.

Another cheap recipe that I like to use and my oldest loves is Cheesy hamburger.

I use 1 lb of hamburger. Cook ground up until brown. Drain. Add salt and pepper along with about 2 inches from a log of velveeta (storebrand works fine!) cheese loaf. Let cheese melt well. Serve on buns with chips and dip or with a can of vegetables and mac and cheese! :)

Made some of this for dinner last night in the crock pot:

1 lb hamburger, cooked & drained
1 lb frozen mixed vegetables
2 15 oz cans of whole stewed tomatoes
1 lrg jar of spaghetti sauce
water if needed
Season with garlic salt, basil, & oregano

Cook until desired.

Add 2-3 cups of cooked elbow macaroni to it before serving. Makes a bunch for pretty cheap!

Served mine with freshly baked bread (they have frozen bread dough at lowes, comes 5 to a pack for about $3.50)

Making main dishes with rice as a component is a way to cheaply feed more people.

And, buying in bulk when things are on sale, for freezing and later use.

Potatoes are so versatile: baked, mashed, fries, hash browns, casseroles.

Also, using any leftovers to make additional meals.

Here are some websites with ideas:

http://www.betterbudgeting....

http://www.recipezaar.com/b...

Tips for saving money:

Cook from scratch-- Individual ingredients cost less than pre-packaged foods.
Use staples as the basis of your diet. Staples include flour, sugar, oil, peanut butter, beans, tortillas, pasta, rice, and other plant/grains. They are less expensive than meat and poultry.
Extend meats with cheaper staples to help them go a long way.
Buy cheaper brands of the same product.
Use coupons-- Be aware of coupons for expensive items that may cost more than the cheaper brand.

http://www.smartuniversity....

Cheap baked beans:
1 can hormel chilli no beans
1 can pork and beans
-mix, warm, its a great side item for hotdogs and hamburgers, or you can make a meal out of it...its simple but good!

Cheeseburger Casarole:
-1 lb grnd beef, turkey, or deer burger...whatever you have
-bag of frozen tater tots or can of biscuits
-american cheese (just sandwich cheese)
-1 can tomato sauce or manwich
~ brown hamburger, add manwich or can of tomato sauce
~ place seasoned meat in casarole dish, cover with slices of cheese
~put tater tots over cheese, or you can use biscuits
~bake at 350 until tater tots or biscuits are done
~voila cheeseburger casarole...tis good!

Asimple and cheap way to make spagetti is to buy the Kraft mix with the noodles and suace mix.Brown a can of Treet meat and onions, if you would like, and then add a can of sauce and the mix in the box, and let simmer. Cook the noodles till done and there you are, a cheap sauce. Momma used to make this for us kids when we couldn't afford hamburger.

Cheese Pizza Pasta

Rotini pasta (as much as you would need.)
1 can of spaghetti sauce
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta as directed. Put it into a baking dish, add sauce. Top with cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted completely.

You can also add pepperoni to this. It is so good!

Other variations include adding cooked hamburger meat to it then topping with cheese. You could really top it any way you would a pizza. It is pretty cheap, easy to make, and good!

I know that there has been many recipes posted on here before that were inexpensive meals. Can't find them! Anybody have any good recipes that are cheap to make?

Thanks!