I’m so over thinking of ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner! What are yall feeding these kids? Groceries are killing my bank account. What are some good cheap go-to recipes?
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Breakfast:
Plain oatmeal, grits (add bacon bits & cheddar for a savory option), cream of wheat or other hot cereal with whatever cut fruits, applesauce, butter, honey, syrup, preserves they like.
Big tubs of plain yogurt with any/all of: dried or fresh fruit, nuts, syrup, honey, jam, dark chocolate chips.
Add any/all to omelets (make a bunch): salsa, chopped fresh or dried minced onion, chopped spinach or other greens, chopped artichokes, shredded carrots, most any kind of cheese(s), diced peppers, chiles, sliced mushrooms, parsley or other herbs/spices your kids like, ham, bacon, sausage or even sliced hot dogs. Roll in whole wheat tortillas, then wrap individually in Saran Wrap or aluminum foil and freeze (helps hold their shape). Cut them in half before freezing for smaller appetites. Take out of freezer & nuke a minute or two on busy mornings. You can grab & go and eat them on the run with a towel or napkin to catch any drips.
Make muffins from scratch (best, reduce sugar) or a mix. Use juice instead of water if you want, add dried fruits or chocolate chips. Or add cheese & bacon &/or country ham bits to corn muffins. Make enough so you have enough for more than one breakfast and as after school snacks or in lunches or dessert for dinner (chocolate chip variety).
Anyone like SOS? I love creamed chipped beef on toast. I add minced onion, paprika and pepper to the white sauce. It can be a pricier option though. Or make Bisquick biscuits and add pepper and crumbled cooked sausage to white sauce for biscuits and gravy. Make enough to freeze for future breakfasts.
Frozen or homemade waffles. I like adding some buckwheat flour and pecans to my homemade ones, maybe chocolate chips. My daughter used to toast or nuke them & eat them plain on the way to the bus stop.
Use more vegetables and starches and cut up meat vs. serving a big slab to save $$. Eat more vegetarian meals. Use meat more like a garnish.
Lunches:
Lettuce wraps. Hummus or ranch dressing and cut veggies for dipping. Cherry tomatoes and pretzel sticks work too. ALDI sells quinoa cups with mix-ins. They don’t need refrigeration. Easy, cheap & complete protein. Cold quinoa salad in a tub: I make mine with raspberry vinegar, halved grapes, cut celery, dill weed and/or seed, with cashews (keep separate so they don’t get soggy); it’s a complete protein. My mom made me cream cheese & sliced green olive sandwiches; loved ‘em as a kid. Also canned or homemade deviled ham & sliced green olive sandwiches. Cold burritos.
Chicken salad with celery, pecans or walnuts, halved grapes or raisins & mayo. Add curry powder if your kids like it.
Add chopped water chestnuts to your tuna salad. Serve in a container or as a sandwich or wrap.
Dinners
Homemade soup: Beef broth/bouillon plus bits of leftover beef/hamburger, bag of frozen mixed vegetables (or whichever veggies your kids will eat). Or do chicken broth with chicken & veggies. Add cooked noodles (I like alphabet ones for kids), rice, diced potatoes, barley, or other starch if you want. Make your own bone broth from boiling rotisserie chicken carcass and skin + bouillon cubes. Make a meal with crusty bread & fruit for lunch (in a thermos for school) or dinner.
Fast dinner: Goya (and only Goya) black bean soup over 90-second brown rice with a spritz of lime juice and grated onion (optional) makes a filling & healthy meal. If you cook brown rice from scratch in advance and can just pull a portioned pack out of the freezer it’s healthier. That way you can buy the big bags of brown rice for cheap. Rice & beans—nearly every country has a version, so look for recipes. Healthy & cheap.
Make crepes by doubling the liquid in Bisquick pancakes. I also like to put in a little buckwheat flour. Separate with waxed paper & freeze (this makes them pliable). Make fillings, then thaw and roll up. Ideas: White sauce, cooked chicken, chopped cooked celery & onions in butter, salt, pepper, dried &/or fresh tarragon; roll up, put in greased pan in oven until heated through and a little crisp. Ham & cheese. Use crepes instead of tortillas for chicken or beef fajitas with tomato paste/sauce as a binder. Stuff with a variety of leftovers. Hummus and sliced vegetables (cold). Peanut butter and bananas. Cottage cheese & sliced fruit/applesauce/crushed pineapple. Dessert: jarred lemon curd & crushed cookies. Wine-soaked cooked pears or canned pears heated or cold with ice cream or whipped cream on top; or use apples instead. Or cherry pie filling. Bananas & chocolate, nuked until chocolate is mostly melted (great for overripe bananas).
Ready packets of Indian vegetarian food (butter chickpeas, spinach paneer, masala vegetables—usually in foil packs that don’t need refrigeration) over brown or mixed rice. Add naan bread if it’s not too pricey. Mangoes for dessert.
Use 1/4 crumbled tofu to 3/4 ground beef for burgers & little meatballs. Use meatballs for sweet and sour meatballs, Swedish meatballs, stroganoff, and of course spaghetti. Make spaghetti sauce with crumbled firm tofu instead of meat. You can also sneak in shredded carrots, zucchini or yellow squash, chopped spinach, etc. In spaghetti sauce. Use for lasagna too.
Cut up Polish sausage and cook with peppers, onions & fresh or canned tomatoes. Serve over rice or noodles. Add a splash of soy sauce.
Make cornmeal mush or cornbread mix. Add a can of regular or creamed corn, or use fresh or frozen corn. Spread a thin layer in a greased pan. Add crumbled, cooked hot Italian sausage. Cover with salsa, tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce (maybe with hidden vegetables), then a layer of cheese. Cover with another layer of cornbread and bake. Surprisingly it doesn’t come out spicy at all.
Lentil stew or soup with or without sausage. Serve with brown rice.
Loaded baked potatoes for dinner with broccoli, cheese, sour cream, bacon bits or Salad Toppings. Baked sweet potato fries: cut potatoes, coat in olive oil, sprinkle with salt, cinnamon and chili powder.
Mini salmon cakes.
Quiche: add any combination of cheeses, most any vegetables, and/or meat or seafood plus onions to about 6 beaten eggs & 2/3 cup cream. Dump in pie shells and bake 30-60 minutes depending on the depth of the pie shell. Great for using up leftovers. Cheese gone hard? Grate it & throw it in. Good breakfast, lunch or dinner, even cold. Fave is artichoke hearts + spinach + Parmesan.
Buy rice,noodles,beans,meat on sale and make soups,stews,etc. plan your meals once a week,from the sides to the main dish to dessert! Use from what you have in your pantry. Check out Pinterest,lots of great recipes,meal plans and helpful hints to save money.
French toast. You can buy marked down French bread because you want it a little stale. Pancakes are relatively cheap also. You can make a lot and freeze leftovers for a quick breakfast. Eggs stretch pretty good when they are scrambled.