I've really started getting into shopping sales and using coupons. Because I'm busy with working, babysitting and being a mom and wife, I limit myself to 2 stores within a few blocks of my house and one store by my work. I've also started to do small amounts of making things ahead. Here are some tips and ideas that have worked for me. (Now you know why I have lots of tomato paste! lol)
BEANS: I'm making more bean meals because they are cheap and a great source of protien instead of meat. Canned beans are cheap, but cooking up a pot of beans and freezing them in can size or 1 cup portions is even cheaper. (Canned beans run $0.50-$0.90/each, a bag of dried beans is usually around $1 and cooks up to 6-8 cans worth.) Just put a bag or two of beans in a large pot, soak overnight and simmer on low until the beans squish between your fingers when gently squeezed. Very easy to do!
Suggested bean meals: chili, bean soup, vegetarian taco salad, taco pasta, tacos or tostados.
POTATOES: I just bought two bags of potatoes today for $0.99 each. Store potatoes in a cool and dark location for use as is or shred potatoes and freeze to make your own hash browns.
Suggested potato meals: baked potato night, potato soup, breakfast casserole, breakfast skillets, cheesy potato casserole.
HAMBURGER: Whenever I buy hamburger these days, I either wait for a sale or buy a bulk package of it and brown the meat as soon as I get home. Freeze in approx. 1lb. portions.
Suggested hamburger meals: chili, enchiladas, spaghetti, hamburger stew, queso dip, pizza pasta casserole.
CHICKEN: Ditto the hamburger. I use my Walmart brand "George Foreman" grill took cook up the chicken. Dice and freeze in 1lb. portions. I want to try roasting the chicken in my stove, but have yet to do it.
Suggested chicken meals: enchilada soup, quesadillas, chicken tetrazzini, chicken noodle soup, white chili, colorful chicken casserole.
Please share your ideas, tips and recipes. I'm curious if anyone has tried cooking and freezing rice.
4 comments:
Frozen rice is naaaassstty in my opinion, though I know of people who've done it. Personally, I'm happy to cook the rice when I have my nice pre-cooked chicken or hamburger to throw in it and don't have to get ooky raw meat on my hands too often.
Red beans and rice! Great way to use canned red beans and tomato paste. My husband created the recipe. I'll send it to you.
QOC-I kind of figured as much with the rice. Plus, warm rice just tastes better.
My biggest time and money saver is related to planning ahead. I go to http://www.freeprintablecalendar.net/and print the coming month's calendar. Then I plan out every dinner for the month. I divide the empty space at the bottom of the page into columns, one for each week of the month. The shopping list for the week's dinners gets written down there. Saves time (no defrosting stuff at the last moment), saves money (no forgetting that I've bought something and wasting it), saves annoyance (no "what do you want to eat? I don't know, what do you want to eat?" conversations. Not exactly making ahead, though that certainly factors in to it and can be easily incorporated.
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