Monday, November 12, 2012

Feeding 5 under $75....I DID IT AGAIN!



We had fun and enjoyed last week's $75 grocery week.  I was sure that I wouldn't be able to do it again, but then ground beef went on sale for cheaper than we have seen it around here in a very long time! 

My mother in law and I never miss a chance to stock up with meat goes on sale at our local market.  These days, if you can find ground beef under $2, it is cause for a stock up.  My mother in law literally buys an entire cart load of meat when we find a good sale.  We had the poor little guys in the meat market hussling trying to get our orders ready.  They act like they have never seen anyone buy an entire buggy full of meat before!  In all honestly though, I love getting an excited phone call from her telling me that something is on sale.  I so enjoy spending time with her getting the most for our shopping dollar.

SO....in celebration of our amazing deal, we are eating a meal with ground beef literally every night this week.  Hey, if you can get it cheap, might as well eat cheap!  There are a few more "junky" type recipes than I would normally include for a week, but these are the recipes that sounded good when I was planning.  Here are the lists of meals that we are using this week.  Some are self-explanatory...others have recipes.

Breakfasts:
Cheesy Eggs & Fruit
Toast & Jelly
Fried Bologna & Biscuits
Blueberry Grilled Cream Cheese
Muffins
French Toast & Bacon
Pancakes & Fruit

Lunches:
Bean & Bacon Pasta
Leftover B&B Pasta
Grilled Cheese & Carrots
Cheese & Crackers & Fruit
Bologna Sandwiches & Fruit
Ravioli & Carrots
Egg Salad & Crackers

Snacks:
Carrots with Ranch x 2
String Cheese x 2
Apples & PB
Satsumas x 2

Dinners:
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Sloppy Joes & Chips
Meatloaf w/ Mashed Potatoes & Peas (meatloaf is from my freezer meals recipes)
Chili Frito Pies (chili for pies is from my freezer meals recipes)
Bowtie Lasagna
Pattie Melts
Beef Pot Pie

Anywhere that I just listed "fruit" we had Satsumas.  A family member has several satsuma trees, so we get them for free.  If you are not this fortunate, just get whatever fruit is on sale in your area or use fruit that you have canned or frozen yourself!

Here are recipes for anything that wasn't self-explanatory.....

Blueberry Grilled Cream Cheese Sandwiches (recipe for one sandwich)


two slices bread
1 Tbsp cream cheese
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
handful of fresh or frozen blueberries (i used frozen that had been collected over the summer)
butter

Mix cream cheees and powdered sugar together & spread on one side of each slice of bread. Sprinkle berries onto cream cheese and press slices together to make a sandwich. Use butter to lightly coat the outside of both sides of your sandwich. Grill in a pan or in a sandwich press until golden brown. Serve with additional powdered sugar topping if desired.


Bean & Bacon Pasta

1 family size can Campbell's Bean and Bacon Soup
1 box Rigatore Pasta
1 can full of water

Bring water and soup to a boil...add pasta & cook until pasta is tender.  Simple as that!  This makes a TON!!  Plan on leftovers.


Stuffed Bell Peppers

1 lb ground beef
1/2 uncooked long grain white rice
1 c. water
6 green bell peppers
2 cans tomato sauce
1 Tbsp Worchestershire
1/4 tsp each garlic and onion powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
s&p to taste
Cheese to top if desired

Preheat oven to 350.  In a small pot, cook the rice as directed. In a separate skillet, brown ground beef, then drain and set aside.  Remove tops, stems, seeds, and membranes from the peppers, leaving a hollowed out shell.  Mix together rice, beef, 1 can tomato sauce, worchestershire, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper.  Spoon an equal amount into each pepper.  Mix together remaining can of sauce and Italian seasoning & pour a small amount over each pepper.  Bake for 1 hour, basting with sauce every 15-20 minutes.  If desired, top with shredded cheese.


Sloppy Joes (the easy peasy version)

1 small jar chili sauce
1 c. ketchup
2-3 Tbsp mustard
1 lb ground meat
buns

Brown ground meat, seasoning if desired.  Drain and return to the skillet.  Over low to medium heat add chili sauce, ketchup, and mustard.  Heat and stir until well blended.  Serve on buns while still hot.



Bowtie Lasagna

1 lb ground chuck
1 box bowtie pasta
3 cups Spaghetti Sauce (I use my jarred homemade sauce)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 c. Sour Cream

Prepare pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, brown ground meat in a skillet and drain.  After noodles are cooked, drain them and drizzle with oil.  Mix in your spaghetti sauce.  Mix in the remaining ingredients and cook over low until warm and gooey...about 5 minutes.


Pattie Melts

1 stick butter
1 large onion, sliced
2 pounds ground beef
6 dashes worchestershire
s&p to taste
10 slices, swiss cheese
10 slices rye bread

In a medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Throw in the sliced onions and cook slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown and soft. In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, salt & pepper, and Worcestershire. Form into 4 patties. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a separate skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties on both sides until totally done in the middle. Assemble patty melts this way: Slice of bread, slice of cheese, hamburger patty, 1/4 of the cooked onions, another slice of cheese, and another slice of bread. On a clean griddle or in a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter and grill the sandwiches over medium heat until golden brown. Remove the sandwiches and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Turn the sandwiches to the skillet, flipping them to the other side. Cook until golden brown and crisp, and until cheese is melted.


Beef Biscuit Pot Pie

1.5 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
16 ounce jar Alfredo sauce
1 bag mixed, frozen vegetables
1 can biscuit dough
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400.  Brown ground meat, drain and return to skillet.  Mix in onion, Alfredo, and vegetables and bring to a boil.  Pour this mixture into a casserole dish.  Top with biscuits and parmesan.  Bake 15-18 minutes, or until biscuits are done.



Well...that is all I have for you this week.  I hope you enjoyed the recipes and are able to keep it under budget at your house using these posts.  Let me know how it goes for you!  I love to hear from you.

No comments:

Post a Comment