With this economy what's your idea of a cheap dish?
By ShellyB
@ShellyB (5241)
United States
June 13, 2009 2:01pm CST
I think one of what I considered cheap dishes at home.
I buy drumsticks, I put them in the oven for 45 minutes and pour barbecue sauce and heat for the next 15 minutes, I served them with mashed potatoes or even macaroni and cheese, I think that can be a cheap meal.
I also found this recipe I want to try and wanted to share as well:
BARBECUED DRUMSTICKS
2 tbsp. butter
2/3 c. catsup
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
8 chicken drumsticks
Melt butter in 2 cup measure at High 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in remaining ingredients except drumsticks. Arrange drum sticks on roasting rack, meatiest portions to outside of dish. Spoon 1/3 of sauce over drumsticks. Cover with wax paper. Microwave at High 6 minutes. Turn over drumsticks; spoon on another 1/3 of sauce. Cover with wax paper. Microwave at High 5 to 6 minutes or until meat is no longer pink; drain.
So I am wondering what's your idea of a cheap meal?
Can you share the recipe?
2 people like this
5 responses
@Autumnrose2008 (1478)
• United States
13 Jun 09
I never throw away anything when it comes to food. I put all left overs in small tupperware type dishes and freeze it. I do that with the canned veggies the one hamburger patty that was left over the one piece of chicken that was left over. Then when we are low on foods I pull my frozen items from the freezer and put them all in a big soup pot and make soup out of them. I will also add more vegetables such as diced potatoes, celery and carrots. I will chop up the one piece of meat that was a left over and make a killer soup. Just the other day we had a pot of chicken noodle soup that was to die for. I made it for my poor sick husband. Tonight we are gonna probably have Vegetable beef soup with the one hamburger that is left over. My family goes nuts when the soup pot gets pulled out. Soups are the cheapest meal for me. I can make a lot and my family can fill up on home made goodness. I dont really have a reciepe for them as I just throw in whats on hand.
1 person likes this
@jedopi (401)
• Canada
13 Jun 09
One of my favourite and cheapest soups to make is my minestrone soup. I start off with a bit of oil in the pot, add some onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. When they start to get soft I add a can of tomatoes or fresh if you have it, water to cover it all up, a vegetable broth cube or two (you can use chicken broth if you prefer), salt, and pepper and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Then I add a few cans of beans (white, black, romano, kidney - whichever you like), and just let them heat through. It tastes great with a nice crusty piece of Italian bread for dipping. If you want, you could also add some leftover white rice or boiled potatoes that are diced or some macaroni or pasta shells. Soup really warms and fills your belly without emptying your wallet.
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
13 Jun 09
My idea of a cheap dish is spaghetti with meat sauce. A package of pasta and a can of meat sauce and you're there. Although it is better if you also can add a pound of ground beef to the mix, ground beef is not as cheap as it used to be 
I love your drumsticks though, and never thought of them as a cheap dish because chicken isn't all that cheap these days either 
This recipe that you posted looks good too 
I love your drumsticks though, and never thought of them as a cheap dish because chicken isn't all that cheap these days either
This recipe that you posted looks good too 
Unfortunately, not the meal for me as I do not eat fish. I'm sure Shelly would like it though @ShellyB (5241)
• United States
13 Jun 09
Very truth, one must stop comparing these prices to even last years, lol.
But say chicken is in sale, and one manages a bottle of barbecue sauce in sale also, it can be very cheap.
There are people that can can a whole chicken for barbecuing or frying (and that can be cheap when those chickens are in sale).
Spaghetti is cheap even with today's prices, on sale, a pot of spaghetti with meat sauce can be 4.99 or less and you feed a few persons, when a serving of spaghetti with meat sauce can be around 10 bucks in most restaurants nowdays.
@jedopi (401)
• Canada
13 Jun 09
This might sound odd to some people but I do this all the time. I don't eat meat, but I do have fish sometimes and one of the cheapest fish is canned tuna or salmon. If you add one of these canned fish to a simple tomato basil sauce or canned cream of mushroom soup, you have a fast, easy, and tasty meal that won't break the bank. Serve over any top of pasta whether you like the slurpy kind like spaghetti, spahettini, capellini, vermicelli, fettucine. It doesn't matter. Or use penne, rigatoni, macaroni or shells. Any type of pasta will do. They are all tasty and all inexpensive.
@ellie333 (21016)
•
14 Jun 09
Hi Shelly, Until Thursday I am living on what is in the cupboards so one night this week we will have cheesy mashed potato with poached eggs on top and plum tomatos and another day we will have a sausage casserole with mash, I put all the veggies in with the casserole and slow cook it all and we might also have beans on toast with an egg on top too and then as I have plenty of fruit in the fruit bowl have a fruit cocktail with custard for pudding. Soup and dumplings is another one I will do too but a bit warm here for that at the moment I see that as a winter dish. What I tend to do when I cook things like curies and casseroles is make up enough to freeze another meal of it too which also makes it more economical to cook. Huggles. Ellie :D
@NettyB (335)
• United States
14 Jun 09
This looks very very good, thanks for sharing. One thing I have been making now and again is chicken wings, they are cheap like drumsticks. I either flour and fry them (then make mashed pots and gravy) or Hubby throws them on the BBQ and I might make potato salad or baked pots to go with them.
The other night I fired up hamburger and onion, then sprinkled in flour, cooked a bit, added milk to end up with a hamburger gravy. I served it over mashed potatoes. It is a very cheap meal I used to meal when our kids were little.
@munchk1nx (19)
•
14 Jun 09
Tomato pasta :)
there are so many variations on this simple classic dish that it is easy to create a great italian meal
Basic Ingredients
Tinned tomatoes
pasta
olive oil
herbs
Optional ingredients;
garlic, onion, kidney beans, sweetcorn, chick peas, meatballs, mince, sausages, baked beans.
Instructions
1- if using garlic, mince or onion fry these in olive oil
2-add tomatoes and herbsand any other optional ingredients to olive oil in a pan
3- add pasta to a pan of boiling water and boil for 10 mins
4- serve topped with grated cheese
this meal can be cooked for about £3!
