Need quick, inexpensive meals...

Whenever things are on sale in the supermarket, I always buy it regardless if I need it or not. This way I have it when I need it and it was on sale. So all my meats are bought on sale, which saves money. Some easy weekend night meals I like to make are:

Chicken Breasts w/skin roasted in the oven. I usually place a slice or two of lemon under the skin and a mixed herbs on top. Bake in oven and serve with a veggie and rice. I stopped buy prepared rices and started making my own by just throwing in a buillion cube into the water to give it the chicken flavor. In my mind its healthier than riceoroni. Sometimes I will throw in some sauteed mushrooms or frozen peas right before the rice is done.

I also like to make a fried pork chop and serve it with a salad of red leaf lettuce, red onion and tomato. So its like pork chop milanese.

Pasta is cheap and easy. Saute some garlic and olive oil in a pan. Cook pasta and add a veggie such as broccoli or asparagus.

Steak and baked potatoes with a veggie is pretty quick and easy.

Do you have a crock pot? A lot of people here seem to like them and they come in handy if you don't have a lot of time to cook.

I also like to cook meals on Sundays that will produce left overs during the week such as eggplant parm, sauce, stews, chili.

Another tip is to make foods that freeze and you can defrost during the week. Again stews, sauces and chili are a great option.

Hope this helps!

Try frying up chop meat (pork, chicken, turkey,or beef) in a skillet with your fav seasonings Cook through

Add your fav frozen veggies (i use broc, or coli or peppers)

Add your favorite rice a roni (I usually add 2-3 regular boxed to one large package of ground meat)

Add the amount of water it says on the box first then add the rice & seasoning packet.

If you want to make it creamy then you can add your fav creamed soup to the water prior to added the rice i use broc cheddar or cream of mushroom

cook according to the directions on the boz

When its done add your fav shredded cheese all over the top, shut the heat off and keep the cover on.

This is so great and super quick & cheap. And its gr3eat the next day too.

You can do the same thing but without the cream soup and do it with the Goya rice & bean mixes and add cheddar cheese to the top and serve it with some sour cream or guacamoli. I wouldnt use the broc or coliflower in the rice & bean one I would use maybe peppers or just the meat & cheese.

I just thought of another one.

You can put this together the night befor so it would taste even better this is great because you through everything in the oven

Put in the pan:

Chicken(your fave pieces bone in or out)
Cut up Potatoes (you can even use the whole canned ones but keep those whole)
Sliced onions

Prepare about 2-3 packets of good seasonings italian dressing acording to the package. You can add some lemon too if you want. Put the dressing all over the chicken. Put it in the fridge to marinade.

Cook it at about 375-400 keep the aluminum foil on for about the first 35-40 mins then take it off.

When the chicken is just about done, open some canned peas and throw them in the pan. Dont really mix it up but push them down a little. If you use frozen peas then put them in sooner. If you dont like peas or just want to add extra veggies, I sometimes add some large pieces of zuccini or yellow squash or while fresh mushrooms in.

This one is pretty cheap to if you get a big pack of chicken on sale and its great the next day too.

Really easy marinara sauce

Saute garlic in oil, add two 8oz cans tomato sauce and a can of chopped tomatos. simmer for about 15-20 minutes. serve over pasta

You can add sliced chicken when you add the tomato sauce or you can saute some chilis or add some red pepper flakes to the oil to make it an arabiata sauce (a little spicy)

I made spag & meat sauce once - thought 'hey, this is a lot of meat, bet I can get 2 dinners out of it'. Until DH took seconds. There was too much for one left but not enough for two. So I took the meat, added the rest of the sauce and a can of kidney beans and spices. Then served over rice the next night. So for $.59 can of beans, I got another dinner.

Beans are a very inexpensive way to stretch your money.

I found a new recipe I'm going to try next week for Broiled steak with onions, peppers and cannellini beans. Broil the steak, on the side, put the purple onion, red pepper and beans and let it go. Put some S&P and rosemary over everything.

Another one has sauteed chicken with chick peas, garlic, black olives and tomatoes.

Well Seafood is very quick, but may not be necessarily inexpensive.

I buy fillets of sole - box of cheddar and broccoli rice a roni and one package of frozen spinach-chopped. Make the rice-throw in the defrosted spinach with the cooked rice (you don't have to cook the spinach.

Then I heat the over to 375 or 400 season the fish with pepper & any other all purpose type of seasons-I use Adobo on almost everything.
squeeze fresh lemons and minced garlic onto fillets.

get a pyrex lasagna pan put a little olive oil on the pan - lay the fillets one at a time in the pan and place about two tablespoons of the rice/spinach in the middle of the fish and roll up the fish, turn each one w/the rolled ends on the bottom of the pan (smooth side up) you can fit about 8 rolls in one pan, sprinkle the tops with a little paprika for color and cook in the oven for about half hours or 40 minutes.