3 (More) Cheap Meals

1) Breakfast for Dinner:  Omelettes, Oatmeal, Dutch Baby Pancakes...

 

Who in their right mind decided that restaurant omelettes should cost $8-10?!  The actual cost of an omelette (assuming 1-2 veggies, and a healthy amount of cheese) hovers right around $1.  Yup.  Not even kidding.  Using 6 eggs, 1/2 minced green pepper, 1/2 a diced onion, and a sprinkle of cheese - you can feed 3 adults nicely.  In other news, instant oatmeal actually saves you hardly any time (despite the "instant" marketing - boiling oats the old fashioned way takes around 3 minutes) and costs you alot of extra money.  Try using the "stovetop" formula on the side of the Quaker Oat canister, to economize your breakfast.  Finally, ever hear of Dutch Baby Pancakes?  Basically the best combination of flour, butter, milk, and eggs EVER...

Note:  The "pancake" is supposed to puff up, and then fall.  So, don't freak out.

Total Cost (three servings):  Under $3.

2) Beef and Barley Soup

Now, you're about to protest that beef is expensive.  I agree.  Mildly.  But, not if you shop at Paul's, and not if you use a crockpot (which, on low for 8-12 hours, can render ANY cut of beef into a tender, mouth-watering substance).  And barley, let me just brag on you a moment.  Barley is SUPER good for you, and SUPER inexpensive.  Barley lowers cholesterol in study after study, and is a yummy part of a fiber-rich diet.  Barley tastes delicious, and uses only water to cook.  Conclusion: Barley is our friend. 

To make this soup, simply put 1-2 lbs of beef into your crockpot at O'Dark-Thirty (10-12 hours before you want to serve it), with about 1-2 cups of water, any spices you like, carrots/onions, and a spoonful of Beef Better-Than-Bouillon (if you want extra-delicious broth).  Then, leave the lid on.  Seriously.  That is the hardest part.  Eventually, a few hours before supper, boil the barley in a TON of water (at least three times as much water as barley) and after it's thoroughly cooked, add it to the crockpot.  (I prefer this method, because then my barley absorbs less of my yummy broth  :-))  This meal will also stretch for a while - and costs as little as you want.  Water is free, beef is negotiable, and barley is cheap.  So are carrots, and onions.

Total cost per meal (2-3 servings): Under $2.

- Pork (or ham) and Bean Soup

If you live where we live, hearty soup dinners are a balm to your soul.  Kinda like how chapstick staves off that searing wind out there?  You know exactly what I mean...

So, try putting 1 diced onion, 2 diced carrots, 2 lbs of pork (or ham), one bag of mixed "soup" beans, (presoak them for at least 1-2 hours - overnight is best), and 2 tbsp soy sauce in your crockpot (exclude if you're using ham).  Cover liberally with water.  Cook for about 8-10 hours.  Season with bay leaf/Mrs. Dash, salt/pepper as you like.  The entire pot will cost you under $5, and will last you for, like, a week.  Not even kidding.  Freezing is recommended, after Day #3.  Not because it won't keep in your fridge - it will, indefinitely.  Mostly because you'll be sick of it, long before it runs out.

Total cost per meal (2-3 people): WAY Under $2.