Twenty Easy and Inexpensive Meals
From the Kitchen of Cheryl Qualls

  1. Tostadas: The shells are available at Wal-Mart and Jewel. Package with 8oz. block of cheddar or colby cheese, a can of refried beans, a jar of mild salsa. Spread the beans top with salsa and cheese. Microwave for 1 minute.
  2. Nachos: Bag of chips (Aldi), can of refried beans, 8oz block of cheese, can of black olives, salsa to pass, 1# cooked, drained hamburger. Spread chips on a cookie sheet. Top with favorite toppings. Bake in a hot (425) oven for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with salsa! ( you can use velvetta for this instead of block cheese).
  3. Tacos: (Aldi) Ground beef or cooked chicken. Cheese, season packet (aldi), can of chili beans, salsa or other toppings as desired.
  4. Baked Potatoes: Bake large potatoes in the oven one hour at 350. Split open and top with Taco meat, cheese and salsa or try sliced hotdogs and velvetta cheese.
  5. Grilled cheese sandwiches and soup: Bread, butter or margarine, sliced cheeses. Can of favorite soup or ramen. Butter the bread. Put butter side down (that's the tricky part!) Cheese in the middle. Another slice of buttered bread (butter facing out) Toast in a pan over medium heat until golden brown and cheese is melted. Serve with a bowl of your favorite soup. (We always pick tomato soup for dunking!)
  6. Speedy Goulash: 1# cooked ground beef (drained) 2 cans of condensed tomato soup, can of kernal corn, drained. Pinch of oregano (optional). Combine and then stir into 1# of cooked hot pasta. Top with parmesan (optional.) Quick, easy and tasty.
  7. Chicken and Red Sauce: Brown Chicken breasts in a lightly oiled pan. Add a jar of your favorite red spaghetti sauce and simmer until chicken is cooked through and tender. Spoon over hot cooked pasta.
  8. Chili dogs: Hot dogs in buns topped with a canned of warmed up chili topped with cheese. A football game classic. Serve with chips or raw carrots.
  9. Potato Pancakes: Recipe on the website. Serve with applesauce.
  10. Mac & cheese: Easy! Hot cooked elbow macs. Add cubes of velvetta and about 1/2 to 1 cup milk. Stir to blend. Bake in a casserole for about 30 minutes. Top with bread crumbs if you want.
  11. Mexican Rice Skillet: Box of Mexican Rice blend (like rice-a-roni) Cooked hamburger or chicken, can of rinsed black beans, can of drained kernal corn, can of diced tomatoes (don't drain them). Follow the directions on the box of rice but reduce the amount of water by 1/2 cup (tomato juice from canned tomatoes will make up the rest) Simmer until rice is tender. Serve with shredded cheese.
  12. Tuna Casserole: 1# cooked pasta. Two cans of cream of mushroom soup. 2 cans of drained tuna. Can of peas (optional) Mix together. Bake in a greased casserole about 30 minutes. You can top the casserole with bread crumbs or crushed potato chips.
  13. Ham & Peas Casserole: Like above but used cubes of ham instead of tuna.
  14. French Toast: Watch for breakfast sausage to be on sale! I try to keep a box or two in the freezer for weeks when I need to stretch the budget. Loaf of cheap bread. About 4 eggs, beaten with about 1 Tablespoon of milk, one teaspoon of vanilla and a healthy dash of cinnamon. Melt a little butter in your skillet. Dunk the bread (both sides) in the egg mixture and put in the skillet over medium heat. Toast until medium brown. Serve with either powdered sugar, apricot jam or pancake syrup. Add a few "brown & serve" sausages and you've got a fast tasty meal.
  15. BLT's or Club Sandwiches: Watch for BOGO bacon. Cook and drain the bacon. Toast up some cheap bread and spread with mayo. Layer lettuce leafs, sliced tomatoes, and bacon. (add sliced turkey breast if you want a club). Serve with whatever summer fruit is on sale.
  16. Cheater Stroganoff: Watch for the large bags of cooked, frozen meatballs to go on sale. Use about 1/2 a bag of meatballs. Add 2 cans of cream of mushroom or chicken soup. A dash of nutmeg. 1 cup of sour cream or plain yogurt. (add that last after the rest is good and hot). Serve over hot cooked pasta.
  17. Meatball Subs: Split a loaf of french bread lengthwise. Heat 1/2 a bag of meatballs in a can of Hunt's Spaghetti sauce (large can is about $1) Spoon into the bread. Top with shredded mozzerella cheese. Serve with chips or pickles.
  18. French Bread Pizza: (Bags of Pepperoni are available at Aldi cheap!) Split a loaf of french bread lengthwise. Place on a cookie sheet (I line mine with aluminum foil for easy clean up) Spread bread with a can of plain tomato sauce. Sprinkle with pizza spices. Top with pepperoni and shredded mozzerella cheese. Bake in a hot oven (450) about 7-12 minutes until golden brown and cheese is melted.
  19. Keilbasa & Potato Hash: Keilbasa sausages are often BOGO. Wash potatoes and slice in thick slices. Slice or dice a large onion. Add a little oil into your skillet and saute the onions and potatoes about 15 minutes. Add the sliced keilbasa and season with salt and pepper. Cover until the potatoes are tender (about 5-10 minutes) Serve with ketsup. (You can also add slices of green pepper right near the end if you like.)
  20. Bean Dip: In a microwave safe dish, Mix a can of refried beans, 1/2 jar of salsa, Top with shredded cheese (olives, tomatoes, onions, peppers whatever) heat in microwave 2-3 minutes until hot and cheese is melted. Serve with nacho chips.

Check the website for more ideas. Also, every day www.womansday.com features 1.2.3. recipes that have just three ingredients.

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Copyright © 2006 by Cheryl K. Qualls. Last updated 10-Sep-2006. All rights reserved.