Frugal Cooking - Meal Ideas

What You Need:

1 T olive oil
1 Ham steak cut into bite size pieces
2 C frozen southern style hash browns, thawed
8 eggs
1/2 C salsa
1 pkg (6 in size) tortillas
1 C shredded Mexican style cheese
Wax paper
Freezer bags

How to Make It:

Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
When hot add the ham and hash browns.
Cook until they are both beginning to brown.
Place the salsa in a large mixing bowl.
Add the eggs and stir until mixed together.
Pour the salsa mixture in with the ham mixture.
Leave heat on medium high and cook until the eggs have set.
Place a tortilla flat.
Place about 4 T of the ham mixture down the center of the tortilla.
Roll the tortilla up completely.
Continue until all the tortillas are used.
Wrap each rollup in wax paper.
Place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
When ready to eat remove from the freezer and unwrap.
Place each rollup on a microwave safe plate and cover with paper towel.
Microwave 2 minutes on high or until the burrito is as heated as you like.

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but lunch is what gets you through until dinner time. The price of school lunches rises each year and it is hard for some parents to keep up. This is besides the fact that many lunch menus, not just in schools either, are not as nutritious as they could be. Here are some money saving lunch ideas for frugal families.

1. Take your lunch. This goes for parents as well as kids. We are tempted to eat out with the group everyday, too. That adds up after awhile. Those cute insulated lunch bags make it easier to carry hot and cold items. We can throw even throw out the brown bags in favor of reusable options which are more environmentally friendly. When you pack your own lunch, you know what is in it so it is easier to avoid a lot of unhealthy fats and junk food.

2. Make a sandwich. I'm not talking about just any sandwich. This can be a wrap, pita, crust less bread, or bun sandwich. Varying the bread each day will help you decide what ingredients to put on it. You may want turkey with alfalfa sprouts, tomato, and onion on a pita or chicken strips with barbecue sauce, lettuce, and shredded cheese in a tortilla wrap. Many kids like bread without crust for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. This makes lunch fun and your kids are more likely to eat it if they have a creative variety. Invest in single packs of condiments. They can be used in lunches as opposed to putting them on the sandwich and saturating the bread before lunchtime rolls around.

3. Bottled water and drink crystals. Water has never been the same since they came out with those handy packs of flavorings. You can find them everywhere. Best of all they have five calories or less. You can turn a bottle of water into a drink that is better than soda. Kids love them too.

4. Dessert courtesy of home. Stop! Put down that candy bar and walk away from the vending machine. Instead, choose a better option. Homemade granola can be shaped into bars and used as an after lunch snack. How about dried fruit pieces? They are sweeter than candy bars and won't spike your blood sugar. It's okay to have a naughty treat every now and then, but even at those times you can choose a healthier option than chips or candy. Make a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies and pack a few in your lunch.

5. Ice packs. These nifty items will keep lunch from spoiling. The perfect complement to an insulated bag, they allow you to take yogurt or a sandwich with meat and not have to worry about it getting warm before it's time to eat.

6. Veggie sticks. Eat them with your sandwich and add some Ranch dressing for dipping.

Lunch doesn't have to come from the school cafeteria or the fast food joint around the corner to be good. Coming from home, it can be healthier, taste better and cost less. Now that's a combination you can't beat.

What You Need:

1 egg
1/2 C milk
3/4 C white bread crumbs, soft
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lb ground chuck
Aluminum foil

How to Make It:

Beat egg slightly in a large mixing bowl.
Carefully stir in the milk.
Add the breadcrumbs and mix.
Sprinkle in the salt and pepper.
Add the ground chuck and mix well with hands to completely combine.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray each cup of a muffin tin with a non stick cooking spray.
Fill each cup with the meat mixture.
Bake 30 minutes.
Remove pan from the oven and allow to cool 10 minutes.
Remove muffins from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Wrap each muffin tightly in aluminum foil.
Freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat, remove muffins from freezer.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place wrapped muffins on a cookie sheet.
Bake 30 minutes.
Unwrap and bake another 5 minutes.

What You Need:

1/2 lb ground chuck
1/2 lb ground pork
1 1/2 C shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 small onion, chopped
1 t celery salt
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t allspice
3 C cooked rice, divided
1 (10 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 C milk
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
Aluminum foil
Freezer wrap

How to Make It:

Place the ground chuck and ground pork into a large mixing bowl.
Add the egg, onion, celery salt, nutmeg and allspice.
Sprinkle in 1/2 C of the Swiss cheese and 1 C of the cooked rice.
Mix together well with your hands.
Form into meatballs.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the meatballs in a large baking dish.
Bake 25 minutes or until browned.
Place meatballs in the refrigerator for fast cooling.
In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining Swiss cheese, the soup and milk.
Add the garlic, Parmesan cheese and the remaining cooked rice.
Mix all together well.
Line a baking dish with aluminum foil.
Pour the Swiss cheese mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Place the cooled meatballs into the mixture.
Cover with freezer wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat place casserole in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake 45 minutes or until hot.

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