Stretch Your Food Budget With Cheap Healthy Meals

Budgets are tight these days so it makes sense to have foods on hand to make cheap, healthy recipes. There are many easy combinations a creative cook can come up with to make something tasty and nutritious with what is in the cupboard. There are many ways to incorporate leftovers with other items to create new budget-friendly recipes. Most frugal recipes cost no more than $5 per meal. Here are a few money-saving tips to help you get started:

Take stock of what items you have on hand. Check cupboards and pantry for noodles, rice, canned soups and seasoning mixes. A basic casserole recipe includes 1 grain, 1 meat, 1 vegetable and a creamy base like soup, sour cream or gravy. Cheese and bacon can be added into the casserole or sprinkled on top after baking. So for example if you have a package of chicken thighs and some rice you can make a cheap meal by making a casserole of cooked chicken, rice, green beans and cream of chicken soup or chicken gravy with a little sour cream and shredded cheese on top.

Another cheap easy recipe for chicken is chicken enchiladas. Cook chicken and debone; heat corn or flour tortillas to make them easy to roll up. Mix cooked chicken with creamed soup, sour cream and a little cheese and place by spoonfuls in the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in baking pan. Cover the tortilla rolls with remaining soup or enchilada sauce and top with cheese and sliced green onions. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes.

Another idea for a cheap meal is to cook rice, noodles or a baked potato and top it with vegetable soup, canned beef stew, or chili and top with cheese and onions. Try out different combinations of soup and grain dishes to create a quick family favorite.

An old stand-by is grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato or cream of broccoli soup. To dress up the meal add a slice of tomato and thin slice of deli ham to bread and cheese before grilling. Add some garlic-flavored croutons to the soup and top with a dab of sour cream and crumbled bacon.

When you have school-age kids in the house it is always a good idea to have some ramen noodles or instant noodle bowls on hand for after-school snacks and quick meals before soccer practice or the big game.

Most noodle or pasta recipes can be adapted for any type of noodles, even ramen noodles. Ramen is a versatile noodle because it cooks faster than traditional spaghetti noodles and can be topped with different sauces, vegetables and condiments. Noodle shops in Japan are very popular with students and tourists for their cheap, filling meals. For more fast and budget-friendly noodle dishes visit my Frugal Dinner Recipes

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Barbecue Ribs Recipe for Everyday Meals

Everyday meals do not have to be dull and ordinary if you know how to prepare something special for main course. You will give the whole family something to look forward to because of the superb taste of the dishes on the dinner table. It is easy to turn a typical mealtime into an extraordinary one, as long as there is a great dish.

If you are thinking of making a truly great dish this week, you might want to try preparing a plate of savory barbecue ribs. You can try having a nice cookout in the backyard with the whole family or some friends. This makes a perfect opportunity to bond and have a great time. While waiting for the barbecue to cook, you can share a pleasant conversation with your family. Everyone will enjoy a special barbecue outdoors with the companion of each other.

Here is one outstanding recipe for barbecue ribs that you should try making. The dish comes with a zesty sweet taste because of the maple syrup added to it. Moreover, the entire mix of seasonings will simply give the ribs that fabulous aroma that everyone will enjoy. Hence, you might want to prepare the recipe for your upcoming family lunch or a special dinner with your relatives.

Maple Syrup on Barbecue Ribs
Make something tasty and nutritious for supper or lunch. This recipe for barbecue uses a variety of seasonings and maple syrup to give the dish a scrumptious appeal. The dish has about 20 minutes of prep time and 2 hours of cooking time.

Ingredients:
3 pounds of pork spareribs
1 cup of maple syrup
2 tablespoons of orange juice (concentrated)
2 tablespoons of ketchup
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon of mustard dressing
Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of curry powder
A clove of garlic, minced
2 pieces of minced green onion
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds

Procedure:
Prepare the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, place the spareribs on the oven rack, inside a roasting pan. Wrap the pan with aluminum foil and bake the ribs for about 1 1/4 hours. While waiting for the pork to bake, heat the saucepan over medium heat setting. Pour in the ketchup, orange juice, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, mustard and maple syrup. Add in the onions, garlic and the curry powder. Then, simmer the mixture for 15 minutes. Stir the contents occasionally.

After simmering, remove the mixture from heat. Once the spareribs are ready, drain the fat and pour the prepared sauce on it. Continue baking for an additional 35 minutes and put more sauce after a while. Just before serving the meat, sprinkle some sesame seeds on it.

This truly exquisite dish is a delight for those who love to eat something tasty and savory as main course. The recipe is easy to prepare, which adds to the appeal in making the dish. Try the recipe now and give the whole family an excellent meal to enjoy.

For more information on food and recipes, please visit: BBQ ribs and Crockpot Chicken.

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