✨$5 DINNERS in 2024✨ 12 Cheap Meal Ideas to Get You Through!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
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If you are working with a tight budget, don't worry! I have lots of ideas in this video for extreme budget meals that can be made with around $5 worth of ingredients! I looked around my Walmart for family dinners on a $5 budget, and I was able to come up with over 10 meals I could make for right around $5!
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Hi Mindy, a good way to budget in the stuffing would be a chicken casserole. $4.67 1 stuffing mix, 1 12oz can of chicken, 1 can cream of celery. Just mix the chicken and soup together and put in a casserole dish, top it with the prepared stuffing and bake until heated through. It’s not an everyday meal but works in a pinch.
Great tip!
I watch another TH-camr who does something similar with mushroom soup, but mixes it all together (after hydrating the stuffing with some water) and just bakes the whole mix like a casserole. You could even add a can of mixed vegetables or do some green beans or broccoli on the side and keep it just over $5.
we do this as a monthly item in our rotation with green beans on the side. quick easy and goes a long way. we add the can of chicken broth and all to the water making stuffing as directed adding in cream of soup or choice.. just before baking I top with drizzle if gravy from mix. family enjoys it@@SeeMindyMom
Great idea, @Mejlynne!
This is a favorite of our family but I would add some sour cream to the cream of chicken soup. Maybe that isn't a budget item though.
Mindy, I am a mom struggling to keep our budget bare minimum because of financial issues. Long story, I used to work but because of knee issues, trying to get a sewing buisness started, and some mental health issues with my oldest...I am staying home to be a homemaker. I have enjoyed your videos for a while now and the last couple of months, these $5 meal videos have really helped. I really appreciate your point of view on momming and understanding that life can be a struggle sometimes. Thank you so much for your videos and upbeat demeanor, it really helps when I need to feed a family of 4 with a budget of under $100.
I'm so glad I can be helpful. I really try to think about how to meet people where they're at whether it be budgeting time or money or sanity or all of the above. I know times of transition can be stressful. I really hope you and yours have what you need and that good things are ahead. :)
Dear Brent, let us say a prayer.
Father, we ask for financial security for this family we ask for your guidance and success for a sweing business, we ask for healing of the mind for the first born son. Father weask that you put your arms around this familt that you send the people into this Family that will help guide them in this time of transition.
In the name of Jesus we pray.
Amen.
100$ for four people is very hard to do, I tried to do it last year for 3 people just to work down/threw my pantry. I failed! Where I went wrong was not about having enough food but adding in restocking great deals or buying what "sounds good". After having tried my advice would be,
1, clearance, produce and meat particularly
2 , be strict about list and budget
3, repetition, u wont have a lot of variety, make big pots of soup/stew etc.
4, you have to be flexible if you find marked down pork but you wanted chicken, pork it is.
5, look for salvage/amish stores. but not everything is a good deal.
6, if you find a super low price buy multiples
7, Freeze as much as u can
8, waste nothing
9, turn leftovers into something new/change up the flavor.
10, goodby snacking, I feed my kids shortly after they get home from school to prevent this, later in the evening is a homemade treat/dessert.
11, become an ingredients household, the more work someone else does usually costs u more.
12, think about the different ways to make things. choose the cheapest. i e biscuits. buying a just add water if far cheeper for me than making from scratch just because of the butter. then that box can also be used for 3-4 other things in a pinch.
13, portion controle, teen boys eat a lot. I would serve plates, pre cut items into how many servings I needed it for.
If you are not starting with a panty just know it may take a couple months just to build up some basics, its ok. also reach out to a food bank in your area if you need to that's what they are there for, do it before your desperate.
Can't stress it enough go to your local food pantry that is exactly why they are there for times in need. Don't feel self conscious about going. When you get there take 5 minutes and look around the parking lot. To my surprise the first time I went I saw a Lexus, Cadillac, multiple expensive new trucks and even a Hummer all the owners of these vehicles were at the food pantry. We never know when we may need the help.
I make a budget meal of smoked sausage, zucchini, onions and peppers on a sheet pan. I cut the sausage in thin slices to make it look like more. I usually serve with a flavored rice. It’s one of my family’s favorite budget meals. You could also use hot dogs.
How about stuffed shells with the chicken stuffing. Add a can of chicken to the stuffing and then put cream of chicken over the top of the cooked shells and cook them in the oven.
My grandkids love stuffing waffles. Prepared stuffing mixed with cooked sausage and served with country gravy. You could even add an egg or two, but the kids enjoyed them without
This sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing.
I mix cottage cheese with the spaghetti noodles, put in glass casserole dish, top with marinara and mozzarella cheese. Bake about 30-45 minutes 350. Great meatless meal.
That Day old french bread would make about 6 French bread pizzas.
I use the box stuffing mix with ground beef, an egg and an onion to make a meatloaf or meatballs. They turn out great!
Good idea!
So good this is my new favorite meatloaf my kids LOVE IT
Make your own butter milk biscuits your self would be cheaper
Scallops potatoes and ham and vegetables on side tjese
Sometimes I make a mega batch of chili. We have regular chili the first night, chili burritos the second night, chili dogs the third, and chili topped baked potatoes the forth night. It really cuts back on the meat expense and the time of cooking, plus varying it each night, my family doesn’t get burnt out on chili.
Cook once, eat multiple times. I like it! My kids have been really into frito chili pies lately. :)
Brilliant!!!
Yes! This is what I do too.
I will also freeze chili in quart size bags to use at a later date.
Chili week at our house - Monday regular chili, Wednesday chili macaroni, Friday chili hotdogs. Chili is so versatile!
We do pinto beans & cornbread one night. I make a box of max & cheese the next night. Add rhe mac to the beans, add 1 can diced tomatoes & 1 pack of Chillo seasoning to get chili the next night.
If you cost average ingredients over several meals, my Walmart has bags of chicken leg quarters for $5.72. You get 10-12 large quarters per bag. Baked chicken, stuffing mix, and some frozen vegetables is a favorite meal. Updated on 03.26.2024 - the price is now $6.72 for a large bag of chicken quarters.
One box of stuffing mix, one large chicken breast and a can of cream of something mushroom or chicken will do and sometimes I throw a can of green beans in it to. I mix everything together with the cooked and diced chicken and top it with the stuffing mix. Sometimes if I have it I will serve it with cranberry sauce and I call it “Fakes-giving casserole”
Love the name.
I make turkey or chicken meatballs/meatloaf using a box of stuffing one egg, a few tablespoons of water and one pound of ground turkey/chicken. Form into balls or loaf and bake. I like to use a can of whole berry cranberry sauce heated on the stove as a sauce for them or use a packet of gravy mix and serve over rice/mashed potatoes and a veggie.
If you want the creaminess but not the texture of the cottage cheese and want more a sour cream texture; put the cottage cheese in the food processor or a stick blender to blend it till creamy
My favorite part of this was just being able to snapshot what went in your cart and adding that to my recipe folder.
My family eats smoked sausage on its own just sliced and pan fried so I would pair it with the stuffing mix and some green beans as sides❤
We like it that way, too, maybe with a little BBQ sauce.
My family calls this “thanksgiving in a bite”. It Just requires mixing/cooking one box of chicken stuffing mix with one can cream of chicken soup, one bag frozen mixed veggies(peas/carrots/corn/green beans), and a small container of sour cream! If there’s extra money in the grocery budget, you could add some bite sized pieces of a cooked chicken breast to the dish.
13x9 dish greased
-can of chicken with juice dumped in
-can green beans drained & dumped in
-1can potatoes drained and cut up & dumped in
-sprinkled garlic powder, onion powder and or just salt and pepper
-top with stuffing mix -opt out cut butter on top not necessary though!
-bake at 350 20/30 mins until stuffing is browned
The boxed scalloped potatoes with a ham steak, layered and baked would make a good meal. Maybe throw in some frozen or canned vegetables.
Wow. For people on a budget this is life changing!
I use stuffing as the topping for a turkey or chicken pot pie. I call it Thanksgiving Pot Pie! I make broth with bones and veggie scraps and make the cream sauce from scratch, frozen veg, diced chicken or turkey, then topped with the stuffing that has already been mixed with broth.
Using the boxed stuffing mix: Smoked Turkey Casserole
Spray your crockpot with cooking spray.
Add smoked turkey (about a cup) to the crock pot.
In microwave or on stovetop, heat 1 1/2 cups of water with 3 TBSP of butter until water is heated and butter is melted. Pour mixture over turkey.(You will want to use water and not broth so it is not too salty.)
Add 1 box of stuffing mix. Press stuffing down into liquid.
Cook on high for 2 hours.
Notes:
This recipe is also good with roasted turkey or chicken.
You can use canned chicken or turkey. If using canned, just open pour in with broth from can.
The prices, in my area, are about twice what they are where you are, but these are still great, low budget, ideas.
I make tuna cakes with a box of stuffing mix, 2 or 3 cans of tuna, shredded carrots, shredded cheese, mayo, and some water. I throw in Old Bay too.
Egg roll in a bowl using a package of coleslaw mix and some breakfast sausage is a quick and cheap go to meal for our family!
I forgot about eggroll in a bowl. That's a good one!
Excellent idea!
Eggroll in a bowl has been my go-to lately. So good!
Thanks for mentioning this
Recipe please ❤
Zach coen's cajun alfredo could be modified to fit this challenge, particularly if you have spices in your pantry. Pasta, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese. He uses cajun, could be dialed back to garlic powder for more traditional alfredo.
If you need these meals over a week, bag of chicken leg quarters cooked and picked would be much cheaper than cans. Another buy once and use over multiple meals combo is onions, celery, carrots. Split pea soup, chicken or chickpea noodle soup, minestrone all flow off those three ingredients that can be split over multiple meals.
Dear sweet woman-Mandy in the Making and In The Kitchen with Momma Mel channels both have playlists of wonderful recipes with boxed stuffing mixes that will blow your mind. I use mine to make little muffins filled with meat and veggies. My girls love them and they can be frozen for later! Thank you for all the awesome stuff you share on your channel!
Stuffing mix, can chicken, 1 can diced tomatoes, shredded cheese. Make stuffing, mix with all other ingredients put in casserole dish and bake for about 30 minutes. If using fresh chicken from bulk buy just make sure it's cooked through before mixing in casserole dish.
With the 38cents left over from the bean soup stuff you might have been able to purchase a small onion and/or a bulb of garlic.
True! Good point!
Blended cottage cheese with a little water makes a great ricotta substitute! I mix the hot noodles with the cottage cheese and then layer it with the spaghetti sauce.
I actually like it better than ricotta!
cheesy potato boxes + a package of diced ham (or chopped up hotdogs/smoked sausage) for a ham casserole. a can or bag of mixed veggies to go with it. if budget allows extra cheese to put over top but still a good meal without
I love using the stuffing mix as a shortcut to mix in ground turkey or beef. I can make meatballs, meat patties, or meatloaf.
There is a kraft foods recipe for mini meatloaves in a muffin tin that uses stuffing mix. It calls for ground beef, but I bet you could use whatever ground meat is cheapest when you are at the store.....could maybe even split the recipe in half and make some of them into small meatballs for spaghetti
Yes! Great idea!
Mock Shepherd's Pie. $5.75. Instant potatoes, brown gravy, ground sausage, frozen mixed vegetables.
Don't know about the stuffing etc. But one thing we grew up on that I consider comfort food is macaroni and cheese with tuna and peas. Adjust quantities to how many mouths involved 🙂
I could be wrong but I do believe you can make drop biscuits with the pancake and waffle mix powder. Then you could have sausage gravy & biscuits.
You can split a one pound chub of ground beef into 3 portions and use each 1/3lb instead of the full pound in most recipes. This takes the cost of your protein down to @$1.33 each meal and you still get the protein and flavor from the meat at 1/3 the cost.
When making boxed AuGratin or Scalloped Potatoes, I add small broccoli florets. I prepare the potatoes according to the box directions. Then, I add the broccoli on top of the mixture pushing down slightly. Bake in the oven according to the directions.
I do the boxed cheesy potatoes & smoked sausage . Make the potatoes per box instructions add the smoked sausage & bake. I add shredded cheese during the last 5 minutes but it isn’t necessary. The original way I learned to make it was add carrots to it. Fresh chopped, canned . I find frozen makes the dish watery. Anyhow not all of my kids like carrots so I started putting them on the side. You could use any vegetable you like. I think you could use canned chicken with the stuffing mix and make chicken & stuffing fairly inexpensive.
Good tips! Thanks!
Mindy - use a can or two of chicken with your stuffing mix - make a white sauce to mix with the chicken, top that mixture with the prepared stuffing mix and bake.
The boxed au gray tin potato’s I would add chopped ham (or the morell sausage) and bake. Serve along side a can of veggies.
Kfc bowls! Mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, gravy.
These are awesome! My favorite is a Chicken Stew with one chicken breast, a couple of carrots, celery, and an onion with can of cream of mushroom or chicken soup, can of water, salt and pepper. served over potato, pasta or rice.
We can really stretch the meat portions in a soup! I like it!
@@SeeMindyMom Exactly! Me too!
Hey Mindy, the Meatless Monday recipe we made this week was tasty and came out to about $5. 2 cans of white beans, one bag of frozen mixed veggies, one can of cream of chicken plus half a can of water, onion and garlic powder from my pantry, one pouch Pillsbury cheddar garlic biscuit mix made with water or you could use the Jiffy buttermilk biscuit box made up to package directions spiffed up with some garlic powder. Everything is made up in a 9x13 and reminds me of a riff on the chicken and dumpling casserole.
Hi You could use that French loaf bread as toast to eat the Sausage Gravy. If you already got flour at home buy can of evaporated milk mixes about 1 can water to it. The grease from the sausage you have after frying your sausage. Sat sausage aside make your rue. By adding about 1/4 cut flour let it brown a little. Add your milk and stir same time then cook & stir till it thinking up into lava lumps coming up. Add your sausage to it. Thier you so Gravy on a shingle.
Budget meals is life. I might haft poverty, but poverty never left me! Look at chicken ala cattora (catictore in us). 2lbs of the 78 cent qtr(10lb bag). Pre sofrito (1carrot,1 celery rib, 1/4-1/2 onion), saute chicken pieces, wine fine or chicken stock/bulion 1 cup, tomato sauce/paste with water, olives a plus. And pair with rice(risotto if with chicken stock instead of water). Under $5 for 4 people. Yet we pay $15 per plate at the restaurant.
I use the cornbread stuffing and ground turkey and make meatballs, then just add a side
For stuffing get the frozen festive ground turkey $2.49 per lb pkg , pack of gravy mix , bag of frozen peas and carrots , cook ground turkey in pan add required water for gravy package add the gravy mix , toss in the frozen veggies in pour into casserole dish , prepare stuffing mix , top over meat mixture ,bake until heated though . You can do the same by using instant potatoes instead of the stuffing for a mock shepherd pie
Thanks for sharing!!
Sadly my Walmart has not stocked the Festive ground turkey in many months.
I make these budget meals in a skillet on the stove top.
It saves on utility expense
And also is easy to cleanup.
I like sausage gravy on green beans. It’s different, but yummy.
For the stuffing mix, my grandma always put chicken breast or thighs in a crockpot, topped with broth and cream of celery, then Swiss cheese and the stuffing on top. It’s a little pricier, but it’s good
Mindy the boxed potatoes could be mixed with diced ham, hot dogs , smoked sausage, or canned chicken for a casserole maybe with canned green beans or peas. Or frozen peas in the casserole .
Thank you for all you do! It’s been so helpful as our family has been struggling with failed crops! Stuffing…I’ve used it as breading on chicken and pork chops. I’ve used box stuffing for meat balls with noodles and sauce, makes 2 meals for us. I’ve also used it to make a Mexican bake casserole. I’ll bake pork with it. I’ve made the sausage egg and cheese casserole with it on top. Shredded chicken, cream of chicken, mixed veggies and stuffing. There’s so many ideas out there with the slices in it, it’s easy and filling and satisfying because it’s so flavorful!
Those are all great ideas!
Great cheap meal ideas. There are 7 of us. We try to have at least a couple of very cheap meals a week to stay on budget with today’s prices.
I'm the budget queen and you just blew my mind. Amazing suggestions and tips!! Thank you!
Wow, thank you! I appreciate the kind words!
your recipes are creative and healthy for such a low budget🤗
The potatoes add 2 cans of ham for a casserole and then 2 cans of green beans as your side dish
Thank you for showing the ingredients in the buggy each time. Very easy to see and screen shot so I can make it at home! Love your videos
We have a favorite recipe of a boxed Potato with added spices and a can of Great Value Diced Ham. Awesome. The whole meal is about $4.
Great idea! Thanks!
Or slice up the John Model smoked sausage and in to the potatoes.
I've made both of these recipes. Easy peasy.😉
I was going to suggest both these great minds think alike ❤
@SeeMindyMom thank you for all the great ideas I'm going to put the chili noodles on next weeks meal plan ❤also how much water should be used please
One way to use stuffing mix is to crush it and use it like a shake n bake.
Novel ideas! Some other low cost items include $1 imitation crab bites - I was thinking of making a rice bowl with krab, boiled eggs avocado and cucumbers serve with hot sauce and thousand island. A $1.29 can of canned corn plus a 2.47 ham steak and diced potatoes and carrots would make a nice hash.
This video is very helpful and I love your down to earth presentation.
I just found this channel and I LOVE it. Your an absolute lifesaver. These meals sound fantastic. The stressors of life and cooking and staying in budget are definitely overwhelming. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!
Great ideas for cheap meals. Grocery prices are cutting into my budget for sure. I’m definitely going to make some of these recipes. I like the idea of using stuffing mix to make meatloaf.
You cannot beat noodles or pasta in a soup. Thank you for the video!
Stuffing mix in a can of cream of mushroom or chicken soup and a can of chicken for a casserole
For the boxed au gratin potatoes, we can get a small can of diced ham for a little over a dollar. We add it, and make as directed. Serve green beans or broccoli on the side.
Thank you Mindy for all your hard work! I really appreciate how you encourage others to seek help with food assistance if needed and also encourage others to give if they are able. You are a wonderful example for all of us!
Ah, thank you! I appreciate the encouragement!
Im addicted to these videos!
We try to keep our budget of $150 a month for 3 people these videos really help. Its been difficult lately trying to find different meals
Mindy has show how to do budget meals right from the start. That was her goal, and these are great ideas. You can up the nutrition / or lower the cost by buying larger packages of rice or dry beans and cook them from scratch. Same with making mixes from scratch. That is more advanced, this is for people who are starting from scratch in their kitchen. They either don't have a good pantry, the time or don't have the innate know how to cook from scratch.
Always love these videos. While most may not need a this tight of a budget meal it’s always nice to have easy/ tasty meals on hand.
For the stuffing my go to is cream of chicken soup, frozen veggies, and shredded chicken mixed together in a casserole dish and top it with prepared stuffing.
I love the idea of donating what is saved. Our local food pantry (technically ran by a married couple and funded exclusively with their retirement savings and donations) saved us for a year when we had nothing. They collect and give to over a thousand families in our county and are struggling to keep their freezer trucks filled with diesel. We tithe what we can to them but it doesn’t sound like many who have been helped contribute anything. They even stopped bringing around the donation jar because only a handful of people receiving food would even give their car change.
If anyone wants to help them it is Love & Grace Ministry in Canton, Texas.
The ham and bean soup tip is a fantastic one to have in your arsenal if you’re facing food insecurity. I have been buying that for years and like to make chili with it or add it to any recipe that is feeling skimpy and needs a little bit more. The great way to bring variety into your meals as well, sometimes I’ll separate all the beans and only put certain types in different meals so it doesn’t feel like eating the same thing all the time. It does taste amazing with chorizo or a fried up ham steak ❤
You can also put cauliflower rice in your pasta dish. It's really good.
$1 per person WOW and some of those meals look great 😊
I accidentally purchased a 16oz container of small curd cottage cheese and had no idea what to do with it. I will totally mix it in my vegetarian daughter's foods as a cheesy protein addition!
Great idea! We love cottage cheese here! :)
Fried rice with scrambled eggs as an easy cheap meal. The rice and onion scrambled eggs and some frozen peas and carrots.
I use the stuffing, a can of chicken, a can of cream of chicken soup and some frozen veggies. Mix everything except the stuffing together and put in a 9x9 casserole. Make the stuffing and spread on top. Bake and serve with some biscuits.
Casserole for Stuffing, Canned Chicken, Cream of Chicken Soup and Frozen peas and carrots.
Casserole for Scalloped potatoes, real bacon bits, cream of mushroom soup, and peas or broccoli on the side.
Just a few ideas
We like fried rice sans chicken plus a good number of eggs as a Lenten meatless meal 😊
That's a great point. I was actually thinking about that with some of the meatless options I mentioned here since Lent just started!
Thank you for this! I'm using this video and Jen Chapin's latest to make my grocery list for tomorrow's pickup order. I've been so tired and so burned out. Work from home mom of 4 here grading essays among other things about 70 hours a week right now.
I’m with you. The video I’m filming this week is on that topic!
@@SeeMindyMom I look forward to it! I'm a content editor all year round, but I grade standardized test essays from about February through May. It's extremely tiring, but we need the money. Things are tough for everyone, I know. So, I really appreciate videos that help me plan. My budget isn't quite this tight, but a few cheaper meals mixed in helps cut costs, especially since we have 2 birthdays next week.
My family loves the Hurst’s Cajun Bean soup. I add the packed sausage just as you showed, the canned tomatoes, and I add a bag of frozen soup veggies. It makes a very filling meal with loads of flavor.
Good to know! My dad loves bean soup and used to make it from time to time when I was a kid, but it wasn't my favorite. Maybe I would like it better now since I've learned to eat beans. :)
And… LEFTOVERS!
You could use an old ham bone from the freezer. I believe you can ask your butcher, too. Sometimes they give them away or sell them for just a couple of dollars.
In the seasoning section on the ethnic food aisle there is usually a yellow packet for fried rice too. I use that sometimes if I just have plain rice. It’s usually near the soy sauce and stuff like that.
Oh good tip, thanks!
This is $1.14 at my Walmart. Sun-Bird Fried Rice Seasoning.
Can always use canned chicken with the stuffing mix and a dried potato mix (or canned potatoes) in a sort of baked casserole.
I use cornbread stuffing and add sliced mushrooms and fried breakfast sausage, then bake it til a little crunchy on top. Top it with a fried egg. Yummers!
This is a fabulous video. It got saved to my list for economical endeavors. Thank you very much. I will be watching your other videos!
I live in a small town and the nearest Kroger or Walmart is 30 minutes away. The other day I went to the "small town store" to get a few things. Cheese slices was one thing on the list. $18 for 1lb of Kraft cheese!! We went without that! I try to shop at the "big town" when I have appointments or need to stock up. That stock up time is coming. I'm so glad cheese freezes well! Thanks for the video.
Wow! $18 a lb for cheese?!? Even half that price seems crazy high!
Excellent video! $5 video gave me inspiration. That’s what I needed thank you
Always a blessing to see your videos 😩❤
Hi Mindy, another great idea for the stuffing mix is to make it according to package instructions. Take either slices chicken or Turkey breasts or you can use sliced roast beef and put a few spoons full of stuffing on the sliced meat roll it up like an enchilada and place in a baking dish. Top with a chicken, turkey or beef gravy and bake until warmed through. Makes a great cheap meal.
Thanks for the idea! That's a creative one, I wouldn't have thought of!
Love, love budget meal ideas! Thank you for sharing
I purée cottage cheese with Italian seasoning, garlic and shaky parm and put that on spaghetti, in lasagna soup or as a layer in baked zitti. It’s a great cheap vegetarian protein option.
The ramen soup could be added to your shelf stable meals if you switch the frozen veg to the canned ❤ and oh my gosh thx for the pancake idea. I use the huge mix from Sam's but never thought of adding banana and pb! ❤
You're right! That's a great idea!
We frequent the local food pantry when we can, but it really is a swing or a miss. In other words, these meals are way more nutritious than what we're given sometimes.
We also need to put a push on more grocery stores donating foods that will set to expire soon instead of throwing them away. I drove by a Dollar General and they were tossing about 20 gallons of milk away and cart fulls of produce.
I wonder if sometimes their hands are tied due to laws and regulations concerning food safety? My in-laws volunteer with a food pantry and I know they get lots of donations from local stores.
🇨🇦We volunteer at Foodbank and a majority of what we're provided to distribute is from local stores and at bb date or one day to go.Not near enough fresh produce and protein. Please support your local food bank.@SeeMindyMom
@@SeeMindyMom I guess. But if they can't donate it due to liabilty. At least mark it down half off or more instead of just throwing it out a day before the Best By date. My guess is they are getting a better write off tossing it then marking it down. That's the law they should really be changing. Such a sinful waste.
@@Zorro-5515 - those items are still fine to eat. I have eaten plenty of food past the "BB date" If it looks bad or smells weird...don't eat it lol
@KristinaKage oh yes I agree but it's a little disheartening.
I use a shredded rotisserie chicken to stretch the potatoes au gratin box mix. I combine it all and cook in a Pyrex dish in the oven. The chicken doesn’t dry out because I mix it in to the sauce. I’ve added different canned veggies here and there but that part gets mixed reviews by the fam :)
Mindy! My fave use for stuffing to make a dinner comes from the old Kraft What’s Cooking magazine, do you remember that magazine? It was free and delivered to your house monthly. Probably almost 20yrs ago now lol 😂 Anyways! I don’t recall the specifics measurements as I just eyeball things and adjust the amounts to how many people I’m feeding but here it goes:
Tuna cakes:
2 cans tuna (or salmon)
1 box stuffing
Some shredded carrots and shredded cheese (optional but really makes it better!)
Some mayo..ya know..”enough” lol
And an egg to bind
Mix well and let sit in fridge to hydrate the mix if you have time. I use a cookie scoop to measure out my Patties and squash into a hot oiled pan, flip after a couple mins, place on wire rack as you continue to make the rest of the batch (or a pan, but the wire rack helps keep them crispy)
Serve with easy tartar sauce (mayo and relish mixed) and a bag of frozen oven fries if you like. Kinda like fish n chips!
You could add the stuffing mix into some turkey meat or beef and make meatloaf and whip up some instant mashed potatoes and that should be around or under $5
You could roll the stuffing in turkey slices and put gray over it. Thanks for all the ideas!
I mix the stuffing mix as directed and then combine with any canned meat, one egg and make into croquettes and fry or bake.
>A can of campbells chunky and a little corn starch or even potato flakes and then put a 6 of biscuits on top. You could also add more veggies, or some potatoe (can -or if you use fresh, soften a bit in the microwave) a quickie pot pie
>a potatoe diced and sauteed with chorizo and onion, makes a great filling for taco, taquitos, burittos, and even today, I did chorizo and a can of refried beans, onions and I put into a corn tortilla and fried, like a flautus.Just wanted to share
Oh that's a great idea for a shortcut pot pie!
I make these meals from time to time so we can add some really high dollar meals in the budget.. like seafood night, steaks or oxtail stew.