What should I cook for dinner is a question that shouldn't be asked when you come home from work tired. In most cases, it is the question that we ask ourselves everyday as we look into our refrigerators and cupboards hoping the food will jump out at us all prepared and ready to be served. The sad fact is that ready to serve food, while quick and easy, can become costly for any size family. Making a weekly planner of dinner and recipes ahead of time can greatly cut food budget.
The old adage, "plan your meals out before you go shopping so you will know what to buy and not spend more than you need," is not always the cheapest way. This was all well and good when food prices did not fluctuate the way they do now from week to week. Back in the olden days (ok, I'm showing my age), you knew that ground beef would be a dollar a pound every week. That ground beef can now cost anywhere from $2.50 to $4.00 a pound depending on the current sale, amount of fat or the butcher's whims.
1. Make a written list or at least a mental note of things in your pantry and refrigerator/freezer.
2. Look over the grocery store ads and get an idea of what meats, chicken or fish are on sale.
3. Look in the discount meat or chicken section of your grocery store.
4. Buy pantry goods in bulk as they come on sale.
Once you have stocked up your freezer with discounted meats, chicken, or fish you have a good basis to create meal plans. Use what's in your freezer and pantry ingredients to build your meals around. This can keep cost down. The Internet is a good resource because you can give it a list of items you might have and it can give you a recipe that includes those items. Then, you may only need to buy the few ingredients still needed. Doing this, lets say, over the weekend means that you know what to take out and defrost before you leave for work. It also saves your brain from having to figure out what to fix when you get home from work.
In my case, chicken quarters were on sale for 56 cents a pound in the discount bin. I have found $80 worth of t-bone steaks for $20 or even prime rib.
Here is a recipe using the chicken I found cheap.
Italian Chicken over Rice
Make 2-4 cups of cooked rice. Lay on the bottom of a glass casserole dish. Place 2 lbs. of washed chicken quarters (or any parts of the chicken you get on sale) on the rice. Pour a half a cup of water over chicken and rice. Salt and pepper chicken and rice liberally. Pour 1/2 cup of Italian dressing over chicken. Sprinkle oregano and garlic powder over chicken. Optionally, place whole canned tomatoes on chicken. Bake at 375 for 1 hour.
Add canned or frozen green beens and garlic bread for a well rounded dinner.
You can fix the entire meal and feed 6 people for under $8.
The old adage, "plan your meals out before you go shopping so you will know what to buy and not spend more than you need," is not always the cheapest way. This was all well and good when food prices did not fluctuate the way they do now from week to week. Back in the olden days (ok, I'm showing my age), you knew that ground beef would be a dollar a pound every week. That ground beef can now cost anywhere from $2.50 to $4.00 a pound depending on the current sale, amount of fat or the butcher's whims.
1. Make a written list or at least a mental note of things in your pantry and refrigerator/freezer.
2. Look over the grocery store ads and get an idea of what meats, chicken or fish are on sale.
3. Look in the discount meat or chicken section of your grocery store.
4. Buy pantry goods in bulk as they come on sale.
Once you have stocked up your freezer with discounted meats, chicken, or fish you have a good basis to create meal plans. Use what's in your freezer and pantry ingredients to build your meals around. This can keep cost down. The Internet is a good resource because you can give it a list of items you might have and it can give you a recipe that includes those items. Then, you may only need to buy the few ingredients still needed. Doing this, lets say, over the weekend means that you know what to take out and defrost before you leave for work. It also saves your brain from having to figure out what to fix when you get home from work.
In my case, chicken quarters were on sale for 56 cents a pound in the discount bin. I have found $80 worth of t-bone steaks for $20 or even prime rib.
Here is a recipe using the chicken I found cheap.
Italian Chicken over Rice
Make 2-4 cups of cooked rice. Lay on the bottom of a glass casserole dish. Place 2 lbs. of washed chicken quarters (or any parts of the chicken you get on sale) on the rice. Pour a half a cup of water over chicken and rice. Salt and pepper chicken and rice liberally. Pour 1/2 cup of Italian dressing over chicken. Sprinkle oregano and garlic powder over chicken. Optionally, place whole canned tomatoes on chicken. Bake at 375 for 1 hour.
You can fix the entire meal and feed 6 people for under $8.
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