Frugal Recipes

[MissBrattified]

ILG has the "How To Save Money" thread, so I thought we should have a thread where we can share recipes that are inexpensive to make and/or go a long way! (In my house, we need to feed 6, and hopefully some leftovers for Jeff to take for lunch the next day.)

I'll start it off with a recipe my sister shared with me for Jewish Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls. (from Recipezaar) This is so easy, and delicious. The flavors are simple, and GREAT for a cold, winter night.

Two changes:

1. After I make the chicken broth, I cool, debone and shred the chicken, and add it to the soup. You can leave the chicken out, though, and use it for another recipe.

2. You can buy matzo ball mix (usually has a soup seasoning packet with it), and use that instead of making your own. I do that just to save time, and save the seasoning packets for the kids to use on noodles or something.

Jewish Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls

Ingredients

* 2 large eggs
* 1 large egg white
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup matzo meal
* 1 tablespoon oil
* 8 cups homemade chicken broth
* 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
* 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 cup broccoli floret
* 1 cup mushroom, Sliced
* 2 tablespoons fresh dill, Chopped
* parsley

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, egg white and salt. Whisk in matzo meal, oil and 3 Tbsp cold water.
2. Cover and chill the mixture at least 1 hour or overnight.
3. In a large pot, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add parsnips, carrots and onions, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Gently roll the chilled matzo dough by level teaspoonfuls into balls, dropping them into the simmering broth as you work. Cook the matzo balls, covered, for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid; the broth must simmer rapidly to allow the matzo balls to expand properly.
5. Uncover the pot, add broccoli and mushrooms and simmer until the broccoli is just tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with dill or parsley and serve.

[MissBrattified]

Easy Chicken Casserole

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & chopped
1 box Ritz crackers (2 sleeves of crackers)
1 stick butter
1 small can Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup
1 small can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. poppy seeds (optional)

Crumble Ritz crackers into a bowl. Melt butter, and toss with the crackers. Set aside 1 c. buttered crackers. Press the rest into the bottom of a casserole dish. Use a hand mixer to combine soups and cream cheese. Stir in the chicken and poppy seeds. Pour over the crackers in the casserole dish. Top with remaining buttered crackers, and bake at 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

We usually have this with broccoli and rolls. Quick, easy, cheap meal!

Since this is a simple recipe, it's better if you use real butter, and avoid the store brand soups.

[MissBrattified]

Dressed Up Tomato Soup

2 large cans condensed tomato soup
Whipping cream or half & half
1 can chopped tomatoes, drained
2 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbs. butter
1 onion, diced (optional)

Saute onion in melted butter over medium heat until transluscent. Add canned tomato soup, 2 cans cream or half & half, tomatoes & basil and heat through, stirring often.

We like this soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.

[MissBrattified]

Stir fry always goes a long way. Saute onions, garlic and fresh ginger with any chicken, pork or beef (except ground) you have on hand, toss in vegetables, season with soy sauce, garlic powder to taste and serve with steamed rice. My girls like to add chinese hot sauce to theirs, but I serve it on the side.

Egg rolls are a favorite, too, and very easy to make. Just follow the package directions on the egg roll wrappers.

[ILG]

I have a number of recipes (not meal ideas usually but other recipes like for sweetened condensed milk) over on the how to save money thread. You can go and check them out!

[Blubayou]

I made a Creamy Tortilla Soup tonight it was good and goes a long way.

4 chicken breast cooked and shredded- (you can boil a chicken and make you own stock if you want)
1 large carton of chicken broth
1 or 2 cans of black beans - drained and washed
2 cans creamed corn
2 cans of rotel tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 onion diced
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1/2 green bell pepper diced
1/2 cup milk
1 carton light sour cream
1/2 t chili powder
1 t cumin powder
salt to taste
Saute the onion, bell pepper until soft. Add the broth, chicken, rotel tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, creamed corn and seasonings. Cook for about 30 minutes. Turn down to a simmer and add milk and sour cream. Simmer for another 20 minutes.

If you want to add corn tortilla strips you can- You can fry strips in a little oil and add them right before serving.
I might try to thicken it a little more with cornstarch the next time I make it. I had this soup at a restaurant a couple of weeks ago and wanted to see if I could replicate it at home - I came pretty close.

[Tina]

Great idea for a thread!!

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Easy Chicken Casserole

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & chopped
1 box Ritz crackers (2 sleeves of crackers)
1 stick butter
1 small can Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup
1 small can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. poppy seeds (optional)

Crumble Ritz crackers into a bowl. Melt butter, and toss with the crackers. Set aside 1 c. buttered crackers. Press the rest into the bottom of a casserole dish. Use a hand mixer to combine soups and cream cheese. Stir in the chicken and poppy seeds. Pour over the crackers in the casserole dish. Top with remaining buttered crackers, and bake at 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

We usually have this with broccoli and rolls. Quick, easy, cheap meal!

Since this is a simple recipe, it's better if you use real butter, and avoid the store brand soups.

My mother makes this, with a couple of changes. 8 oz of sour cream in place of the cream cheese... and a can of water chestnuts. It is a delicious casserole... but my kids won't even try it. They don't know what they are missing!

[Esther]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Dressed Up Tomato Soup

2 large cans condensed tomato soup
Whipping cream or half & half
1 can chopped tomatoes, drained
2 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbs. butter
1 onion, diced (optional)

Saute onion in melted butter over medium heat until transluscent. Add canned tomato soup, 2 cans cream or half & half, tomatoes & basil and heat through, stirring often.

We like this soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Yum this sounds good.

[MrsMcD]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Easy Chicken Casserole

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & chopped
1 box Ritz crackers (2 sleeves of crackers)
1 stick butter
1 small can Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup
1 small can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. poppy seeds (optional)

Crumble Ritz crackers into a bowl. Melt butter, and toss with the crackers. Set aside 1 c. buttered crackers. Press the rest into the bottom of a casserole dish. Use a hand mixer to combine soups and cream cheese. Stir in the chicken and poppy seeds. Pour over the crackers in the casserole dish. Top with remaining buttered crackers, and bake at 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

We usually have this with broccoli and rolls. Quick, easy, cheap meal!

Since this is a simple recipe, it's better if you use real butter, and avoid the store brand soups.

This sounds good. I'm going to try it.

[tamor]

Originally Posted by Tina

Great idea for a thread!!



My mother makes this, with a couple of changes. 8 oz of sour cream in place of the cream cheese... and a can of water chestnuts. It is a delicious casserole... but my kids won't even try it. They don't know what they are missing!

I use the sour cream instead of cream cheese, too. My kids love it, but I've never used water chestnuts. That would be interesting.