Dose any one have any recipe ideas for big familys on a tight budget.

Shannintipton - posted on 12/30/2011

Hi Amanda, I just wanted to let you know that this thread is over six months old so I am going to lock it. But I did want to thank you for your input and hope to see more of it. :)

Amanda - posted on 12/30/2011

I buy chicken breasts at costco, they are pretty cheap, and great quality meat. The membership fee is about 50 dollars a year, but with the savings it is so worth it. Cream of Mushroom soup, Either chopped up or whole chicken breasts, rice or noodles, and a veggie... I usually saute the chicken in a pan with salt pepper and a bit of olive oil, then put the soup in with 1/2 a can of milk per can. My 15 m/o loves broccoli, so I steam broccoli. One of my go-to meals when I was working full time. As for dessert, cupcakes, whatever pre made mix in the baking section you like, or banana pudding with nilla wafers, or chocolate pudding with crushed oreos. Those can be made ahead of time and in bulk.

Melanie - posted on 02/27/2010

i have 4 kids one of which is 16 and let me tell you youre just getting into how much a boy can eat. oh my gosh! one of our faves is chicken quesadillas. i use navy beans mash em my self with a potato masher add some onion powder garlic and a touch of salt i grill some chicken and season it. then on our george formman ( i love that thing) i layer tortillas beans, chicken, cheese and another tortilla, then for extras afterward i might add some sour cream or salsa etc..... as far as deserts go you cant beat a pack of muffin mix its less than a dollar at most stores here in tx



oh yeah ive recently starting adding rice. mmmmmm

Amanda - posted on 02/27/2010

don't know if you've ever heard of angelfoodministries.com. its a christian based program where you can get a large box of food, enough to feed a family of four for one week for $30. but there's no limit on the number of boxes you order, and there are no income limits. they also run different specials every month. just go to the website and see if there is a church in your area or close to you that is a distribution center. we've been using them for a while. we are a family of seven and it has helped tremendously.

Heather - posted on 02/26/2010

I have a meal idea that will cost about $7-8. Get a 1 lb roll of ground turkey (about $1.97), a box or pkg of macaroni or pasta (about $1-2), a bottle of ketchup ($2-3) and a pkg of desired veggie for on the side ($1-2). Brown meat and cook pasta. Combine the two and add ketchup as desired. My daughter loves this served with corn and likes to mix her corn in it. She is on dietary restrictions so we use ground turkey and whole wheat pasta. We are a family of 3 and this feeds us 2 dinners and a small lunch.

Lucrezia - posted on 02/26/2010

Pasta with bolognese sauce because you've got ground meat in there it's an all in one dish. less expensive then making a ragu which means, ground beef for meatballs, chunkc of meat, sausage (it gets pricey).

Lisa - posted on 02/26/2010

I have found that my kids love making their own creative things. One of the many they like are bagel pizzas- get store bagels, get spaghetti sauce and shredded cheese. Seperate the bagels slap on some sauce some cheese and if you want toppings throw those on , then throw in the oven at 350.

Another one is johnny marzetti- get 3 lbs of hamburger brown it, then boil elbow noodles, then put the two in a pot and add tomato sauce usually 3 cans...

We also eat beef n noodles alot- stew beef about 4 lbs cook those in a crock pot all day, then cook some egg noodles. Once those two are done, put them together add salt n pepper and your good to go..

Among those taco night is a huge hit here too, we have 2 boys 2 girls and they love all those above.

They also like pudding and whipped cream, cupcakes, you can also make strawberry shortcake when strawberries are in- get the sponge cakes, u can make ur own if you put them in cupcake papers , then clean strawberries and add the strawberry gel and your good to go, for an added kick put some vanilla ice cream on the side.( we make our own ice cream)

Good Luck hope this helps

Ginger - posted on 02/26/2010

I found that if you find anything that has the word "pizza" in the title, all kids love it. We used to have what was called "German Pizza" when I was growing up. It's simple, fry some sliced potatoes and onions, once tender add 4 - 6 beat eggs, cover to let eggs set and cook thoroughly. You can also add bacon, ham or sausage before adding eggs and once eggs are set add some cheese on the top to melt. Cut in pizza like wedges and serve with applesauce. Most kids like to top it with ketchup. For more ideas you can check out my website at http://frontporchlivingday2day.com/Emerg...

Breezy - posted on 02/25/2010

Pork Chops and Rice
6 thin pork chops (doesnt matter if bone in or not)
2 1/2 cups instant white rice.
2 cups of V8 juice
1/2 med onion

Heat oven to 350. Brown pork chops on both sides, meanwhile put the rice and v8 in a 9x13 pan, mix in onion and about 1/2 cup of water. When pork chops are browned add them to the rice and cook covered with foil until the rice have absorbed all the v-8 juice. This is one of my favorite from my grandma

Another thought, is when I do lasagna, I make triple batches so I can make 2 lasagnas, and 2 stuffed shells. I do this by making my own spagetti sauce and adding a can of prego garden veg. to it. I love having meals on hand, for when days are long and hard.

Also, just a suggestion I love mixing up regular desserts. Add some chocolate chips to rice crispy squares, mixing up some juice and adding canned fruit and freezing individual servings. Also, one my grandma would do is graham cracker applesauce and whipcream, sounds weird but ohhhh soooo gooo. Break the graham cracker in peices in a bottom of individual bowls, top with applesauce and whip cream.

Doris - posted on 02/25/2010

I was given a recipe called Chicken Alfredo soup. we serve it over rice to make this meal stretch even further.

1 carton chicken broth
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 med carrot chopped
1 red bell pepper
1-2 garlic, pressed
2 Cups cooked cubed/shred chicken
2 jars Alfredo sauce
a few shakes of Basil to taste

In a good size pot start to heat the chicken broth on med-high. As you chop veggies add to the broth. As the soup begins to boil turn back the heat and add the chicken & alfredo sauce. Heat till everything is nice and hot. Add basil to taste. And serve over rice and garlic toast goes great with this as well :) Also, this is another recipe that tastes even better the next day!

Soraya - posted on 02/25/2010

I see you got a lot of recipes. What I do is to made a menu for the week base on items on sale, you'll save a lot, and also having a weekly menu helps a lot when your are short of time

Wendy - posted on 02/25/2010

My family loves what we call rice medley..its pretty easy =)

Brown beef in large skillet (however much suits your needs, we usually do about 450g). Add onions once meat is browned if you like. Then we add pasta sauce (anywhere from half to a full 700ml), some salsa if we have any, any herbs and spices that our family enjoys (chili spice is almost a must if you like spicy stuff!), any vegetables we have leftover (ex. corn, peppers, olives, tomatoes), canned diced tomatoes (undrained), I like to add a can of mixed beans (drained and rinsed). Simmer all that until it looks good to you. And serve over rice (or mashed potatoes, or macaroni even!). Sprinkle some cheese on top or sour cream, optional of course =)

We usually do this when we are lower on groceries, have a lot of leftover veggies, half a container of spahgetti sauce from a diff night, realize we only have beef and random leftovers! It works great in a crunch, and it is very flexible! And very pleasing =) If you have enough kinds of veggies, maybe let the kids pick 2 or 3 to add, so they feel involved. Or if you have a couple of different pasta sauce flavors, let the kids pick the pasta sauce? Or let them choose between rice, potatoes, or macaroni!

Ashley=) - posted on 02/25/2010

spaghetti bolognese.

mince cooked with what ever veg you like i use red onion,carrot and mushrooms.once cooked you can use either tinned tomatoes with garlic and herb or use a dolmio sauce(this is what i use from my super market)or any sauce for this dish from the super market..use the long spaghetti my daughter loves this.you can make loads of it.:)Enjoy you got some lovely recipe ideas.

Katelyn - posted on 02/25/2010

This is probably one that you might already know of, but i was trying new things to make for dinner and I came across a baked macaroni and cheese.



I used:

one lbs of noodles

2 jars of ragu cheese sauce (i like cheesy but you could probably get away with one or even use mac n cheese kits like kraft)

1 egg (beaten)

pizza sauce

shredded cheese



Its very easy i wish all dinner ideas were this easy!



boil the noodles and strain them. Put the noodles in a casserole dish and pour the cheese sauce over them. Stir in the beaten egg and mix it in thoroughly. pour pizza sauce over the top (if you want) then use whatever pizza toppings you want...i just prefer to use pizza cheese. Bake it at 350 until the cheese is melted on top and your done and ready to serve.



This meal is cheap and makes a lot. Its just my fiance and myself (and of course our 6mo son) but it made a lot. He had it for lunch at work for the next 3 days. So obviously he liked it a lot.

Cloe - posted on 02/25/2010

Home made pie! Cheap to make and you can make it really filling, I make it when we have friends over and there is a lot of us and every one leave full to the brim, Buy frozzen puff pastry, Frozed mean slices, and a few veg and OX cubes and thats it, I make homemade rosties with it too, Peal and slice potatoes and cut them in half, spread oil on them - pven for 30 mins X

Joey-Stacey - posted on 02/24/2010

check out e-mealz.com. It has been a life saver for me! I have 4 kids 3 of which are boys and they all can eat alot. This site cost 5 dollars a month but will save you more than that. They give you a 7 day meal plan based around the store you shop and and the sales going on at that store. It gives an estimate of what your grocery bill will cost. It also gives the recipes and everything has been easy to make and my kids have liked almost everything I have cooked!

Jennifer - posted on 02/24/2010

This is easy, and can make more..or less!
I take 1 can cream of mushroom
1 can ofmilk
1 cup or more cheddar cheese
mix and add
2 cups cooked elbow noodles
Brown 1lb burger
add sliced mushrooms and
6oz tomato sauce mix together
in a dish...put meat mix in bottom and spread noodle mix over
Bake 350 20 mins till bubbly
( I use leftover roast for this and its sooo tasty!) Hope this helps a little!!

Tracy - posted on 02/24/2010

Anything that can be put in a crock pot in the morning before I start my day is how I feed my family of 10. I have 8 children and sometimes it gets hectic around here. I home school and I am working on my bachelor's in psychology. Try googling crock pot dinners. Taste of Home is another great place to get crock pot recipes.

C - posted on 02/24/2010

One option to stretch your budget is more vegetarian meals. Another is to stretch the recipe you already use. I am a vegetarian but my children and husband are not. I do the cooking though. We have vegetarian meals about half the week. Meat is expensive so this automatically saves. Then I do sneaky things to stretch the meat. Taco example- I boil 3 lbs beef (healthier) then rinse and drain. While it's boiling I soak and equivilant amountof TVP (texured vegetable protein normally found in bulk foods). I then combine the two with tomato sauce and taco spices. I keep out what we need for dinner and freeze the rest in dinner sized portions for future meals.

Teresa - posted on 02/24/2010

Recipes, i see you have gotten a lot of feedback for. As fornthe tight budget aspect, we hunt for our meat. (deer) a deep freezer full of steaks/burger/ roasts and sausage too. Partridges.. fish.. it saves a HUGE PILE of money.

Sarah - posted on 02/24/2010

i uses the website www.allrecipes.com when i wants to make something different, and i LOVES it, try it out :)

Janelle - posted on 02/24/2010

good site www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/Cheap-family

tuna bake is always a winner if your into tuna,
can of tomatoes or 4 large fresh
tin of tuna
parsley, thyme(little bit) basil (opp)
celery dice carrots diced onion diced zucchini or capsicum
pasta any type(half cook)
mix all together salt and pepper
add cheese on top till golden brown
freeze what ever is left over

Bethanie - posted on 02/23/2010

Also, an awesome website that offers links to coupon offers and healthy meal options on a very small budget: http://www.5dollardinners.com/

Bethanie - posted on 02/23/2010

Some easy recipes I have that you can cook on a budget and double are any soup, homemade chicken pot pie and of course the old stand-by, spaghetti and meatballs. Some tips for cooking for a crowd on a budget, if you have a bulk store in your area (costco or sams club) buying the basics like meat, rice, pasta etc. will save you a TON of money here! It may seem like a lot up front, but you're getting a lot more for your money. Check out local farmers markets (in season) to get fresh (very inexpensive) produce that will help stretch your soups and sauces and is a much better filler then rice or potatos. Also, coupon clip. You can go to www.couponmom.com or www.coupons.com and print off coupons. This may even give you the option of affording something you normally wouldn't buy. Some local grocery stores have a coupon swap as well. Customers will leave there coupons in a basket in a pre-designated area that they don't need/want and you are free to take what you'd like.

Heidi - posted on 02/23/2010

I have a couple of picky eaters in my house (one of which is Autistic) but grew up in a family of 8. One of the recipes my kids love and is fairly inexpensive is a Chicken casserole. It includes the veggies so its a one dish meal and stretches to feed an army.
Chicken (breast or dark meat cubed)
Alfredo sauce
squash (cubed same as chicken)
spinach (chopped, can use fresh or frozen)
diced onion
garlic, salt, pepper to taste
potatoes (diced)
cheese (optional)

Mix everything but the alfredo sauce and place into casserole dish, cover with Alfredo sauce. Cover with foil and bake in 375 deg oven until potatoes are tender. Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes and serve. Even my picky eaters will eat this and you can make as big or as little a dish as you need or have the supplies for.

Charley - posted on 02/23/2010

I came across this recipe I call it egg cakes! I cut the crusts off some bread (brown or white, doesnt really matter,) roll it flat with a rolling pin and push it into a muffin tray to form cups. Then I put a raw egg in the cups and top with a slice of tomato and cook in the oven for 10-15 mins on medium heat or until the egg is cooked. My son loves it and eggs are a great source of protein!

Regina - posted on 02/23/2010

crockpot chicken BBQ. put 4-5 chicken breasts in a lg crockpot. fill w/water just enough to cover the chicken, season how you would like (I use basil, salt & pepper, a little garlic) & cook on high for 6-8 hrs. once cooked drain water (all but 1 inch) & leave in crockpot, shred chicken w/a fork, add your favorite bbq sauce as much or as little as you like. mix well and let cook for another 15 mins in crockpot. put on a hamburger bun, add chesse or whatever you like. chips or a potato salad. my kids are 9, 7, & 5 and they LOVE it!

Cassie - posted on 02/23/2010

have a haystack dinner... its simple a few people are involved in it to keep it cheep on everyone... one person cooks rice (alot of rice) another brings some meat (you can have a couple different ones too like one can be for tacos one can be cheazy) another brings chips another brings cheeze another brings vegies and another brings the other toppings like onions olives salsa stuff like that it keeps it cheep cuz there are so many people involved in it and nobody cant like it cuz they pick what they what on it and what they dont

Angela - posted on 02/23/2010

omg i love the cambells cook book u can also go on there website and lots of them r on the back of the soup they r all 4 ingrdients or less and very cheap to make and u get good amounts out of mostly all of them alot of the food r casoroles or u need a crock pot but they turn out great

Kris - posted on 02/23/2010

make taco meat and add smashed up kidney beans and or shredded potatoes then use in all kinds of recipies. Makes the food go a little further and the potatoes and kidney beans act as a filler to the meat and spices without changing the taste.

Heather - posted on 02/23/2010

One more...for dessert...jello and whipped cream. I haven't met a kid yet that won't eat it and love it.

Heather - posted on 02/23/2010

We are a family of 9 with 4 teenagers so I am always feeding an army...especially since my kids always have friends over. One of the cheapest, quickest and best recipes I use is a very simple one. One can of tuna, add mayo and whatever you like to it, set it aside, boil some egg noodles, drain and add to your tuna. Around here, I get a can of tuna for about 80 cents, a bag of egg noodles for about a dollar and mayo for about $2 or $3 and it lasts through more than one meal as you can eat it cold.

Bobbi - posted on 02/23/2010

Here's one recipe: (my kids love this) Take four boneless chicken breasts, chunk them up and fry them in italian dressing. Make mash potatoes, add ranch instead of milk. serve with corn and a salad ( if u want).

for dessert: peach cobbler ( grandma"s recipe) you will need a butter flavor cake mix and two cans of peaches, cinnamon, sugar, butter

blend the cake mix with butter, put half on the bottom of a cake pan, pat down
cut up peaches, mix with cinnamon and sugar, add to pan of cake mix
add the other half of cake mix, spread out
bake for 45 minutes on 350 degrees until slightly brown

Sara - posted on 02/23/2010

I get chicken on sale whole and use chicken a few ways. I rotissery or crock pot cook it all day (like a roast chicken) with my family's favorite seasonings. I also make up some rice to go on the side.
Then with the leftovers I make a casserole (similar to the ones listed below) or chicken rice soup by stewing (in the crockpot) the chicken meat that I've shredded or diced with broth ( I like to use veggie broth for a lighter flavor. I add frozen veggies to the pot (I buy the individual veggies that my family likes and mix my own, I also end up with extra there)
Another chicken makeover meal is pot pie, I either buy frozen pie crusts, or make my own (bisquick has a recipe out there) and get some cream of mushroom soup mix, it w/ the veggies and leftover chicken and pop in the oven at 350 for about 45mins-1 hr.
I bought a book (Dream Dinners) It's make ahead freeze and eat stuff for 6 servings once you start building up your freezer stock you don't feel like your out of ideas too much... Good luck!

April - posted on 02/23/2010

I have 5 kids ages 9-2 years old. I go to the library a lot and look through their cookbooks and magazines. 10 cents a page for the copy machine is a lot cheaper than buying magazines for the recipes. Or you can bring a pad and paper and write them in a notebook. Another thing we have found that works is to create a meal plan for the month or at least a couple of weeks, with some smorgasborg nights for leftovers. It helps us to make a clear grocery list and use what we already have in our pantry. The library is a great resource!

April - posted on 02/23/2010

tater tot casserole is a favorite in my house. Also, breakfast pizza you can find recipes on taste of home

Jessica - posted on 02/23/2010

Another website you should go look at, it has been a lifesaver for me many times: hillbillyhousewife.com. Yeah the name makes me chuckle lol, but tons of great ideas and tips for feeding your family on a tight budget and most of all, recipes! Many of the recipes there use simple, common ingredients you are likely to have lying around the house, making it easier to stretch your grocery budget.

Diana - posted on 02/23/2010

pasta is always cheap, chicken soup with lots of potatoes,sheppards pie hamburg is cheap,

Carolyn - posted on 02/23/2010

Chicken Casserole - This is a favorite in our house.



1 lb. chicken

1 can cream of ckn soup

1 box stove top stuffing

1/4 cup milk



Mix milk and soup in a small casserole dish. Cook chicken thoroughly. Shred or cut the chicken into desired size pieces and mix into dish. Follow Stove Top instructions to cook Stove Top. Spread Stove Top on top of the chicken/soup mixture. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.



Add a vegetable on the side and you have your meal.

Shirley - posted on 02/23/2010

Serve them with a one dish meal say for example, Chicken with vegetables, or Macaroni with Buttered Bread, Roasted Pork or Beef with carrots/green beans/french fries or buttered corn.

Frances - posted on 02/23/2010

we are a family of 6 and this is what we do

boil 1 box of speghetti noodles- set aside after done cooking
in the same pan add 1/2 stick of salted butter and 1 med onion diced,2 cloves of garlic
ipkg of shrimp (bigger shrimp I have to cut into smaller peices for my little ones)

cook until done, mix noodles into the pan with shrimp
mix!
add salt and soy sauce as wanted for flavor.

Kristi - posted on 02/22/2010

Throw about a pound of ground beef into a big pot. Brown it and drain it. Add a pound of pasta (your choice) to the beef. Add two big cans of tomatoes (diced, pureed, stewed, etc.) to the mix. Cook til it's heated through and season with whatever kinds of herbs and spices you want (or have on hand). Just like Hamburger Helper, but homemade! This will feed an army!!! As for dessert, take a large bowl ( like a punch bowl). Place a layer of vanilla wafers in the bottom. Top with vanilla pudding. Next, put a layer of whipped topping. Repeat all layers until pudding and whipped topping are gone. This recipe can also be changed up a bit. Instead of using vanilla wafers and vanilla pudding, try it with chocolate brownies and chocolate pudding. Or come up with something different. It could be different every time you make it! You could also add fruit if you like. Get creative! And this recipe will also feed an army!!!

Jamie - posted on 02/22/2010

spaghetti is cheap. Also i do a cheeseburger casserole you do your meat then layer the meat cheese and what ever veggies you want, ( my boys like potatoes and corn) then more meat and cheese. it is fairly cheap too.

Felicia - posted on 02/22/2010

I also have a recipe for something I like to call "cream puff cake". It is super yummy and pretty cheap to make. And it is always best the next day.

Felicia - posted on 02/22/2010

One of my family's favorites is shepherd's pie. Nothing like a good Irish meal to fill em up. I have 3 boys (4 when my step son is with us) and 1 girl. And they can eat ALOT! Just message me if you want the recipe.

Jocelyn - posted on 02/22/2010

chicken and dumplins (fast and cheap) sautee some onion and throw in a pot of chicken broth (i just use water and a bouliion cube) then chop chicken and toss that in ( you can use on the bone chicken if you want, it is cheaper and adds more flavor---jsut pull the meat off the bone before serving) then tear up a can (or 2) of pilsbury biscuits. throw in some carrots and/or celery for veggies. cook until everything is done. it takes all of 10 min to prep and 20 to cook

apple cobbler. peel and slice apples (leave peel on for more nutrients) put in 9x9 baking dish. in seperate bowl mix 1c flour 1c sugar 2T cinnamon and an egg until it is the consistency of oatmeal. put that on top and bake at about 325 for 20 min.

amounts and temps are approx. i live in europe and developed these recipes while here, so my measuring is now in ml and celcius....easy cheap and fairly quick!!

Petronela - posted on 02/22/2010

spag bowl works wonders u cand add some extra tomatoes or some tinned meat balls the cheapest u can fing, tomato soup with a slice of buttered bread, toast and chocolate spread or peanut butter or jam(seedless) baked potatoes with beans and a few steamed carrots or whatever is cheap . for puddings i tend to do simple yet very cheap ones like tinned fruit with custard or ice cream (u can get a tub of ice cream for pennies) or just get some broken biscuits in the tub which have a large variety and everyone can eat what they like :)

Evangeline - posted on 02/22/2010

I have 5 kids and a husband, so every meal I make is on a budget. Couple things that I have learned: Hamburger is cheap and it can go a long way. There are meatloafs and tons of different "hamburger helpers". Bags of frozen chicken is cheaper than fresh, and you can get a considerable amount more. In my area, I can get a bag of about 10 legs for about $3-$4. Sometimes different pastas can stretch a meal, but sometimes they can get a little expensive and time consuming. I learned that rice helps to stretch a meal. Its cheap and filling and it only takes as long as a minute for the water to boil. Breads are also cheap and filling. I used to have a couple slices of butter bread for everyone or cornbread. A box of that is only about 50 cent. Cheap desserts for a big family are Rice Crispies and puddings. You get a lot more pudding when you by it by the box for about 1 dollar. The rice crispies are fun because they could practically make it themselves and you could actually used any kind of cereal. We've made Kix treats, Cheerios and Chex. We've added peanut butter to some, chocolate chips and even sprinkles. Hope this helps!

Courtney - posted on 02/21/2010

i cut up chicken into little cubes and cook it with garlic and pepper/steak and chop seasoning with garlic salt, put it in a tortilla with cheese, lettuce, ranch, onions, and tomatos(maybe bbq sauce) and have chicken burritos. also chilli dogs is cheap.

Mix chicken up with onions, mushrooms, and bell pepper with whatever flavoring (garlic teriyaki).

there are bags of potato soup mixes in stores and i mix in bacon and green onions and cheese

Maura - posted on 02/21/2010

Make a giant pot of chicken soup (but make the noodles or rice on the side and add into each bowl) and use all of the chicken for a separate meal (ie. recipe above or chicken tetrazini sp?, chicken salad sandwiches, chicken helper, etc). I do this every week, turns chicken into two meals, a big money saver. Good luck and bon appetite!