Cheap but creative, yet easy and quick meal ideas?

Question

I've been spending way too much on groceries and need to cut way back. I'm also not too interested in spending a great deal of time preparing food, especially over a hot stove on a hot day. Any good ideas?

Answer 1

CHICKEN TOMATO WRAPS
Juicy chunks of chicken are slicked with honey dijon dressing and surrounded with chunks of green pepper and tomato in these fabulous wraps.
LETTUCE WRAP SANDWICHES
Cooked turkey, Gouda cheese, and Caesar salad dressing give these low carb wraps wonderful flavor.
BLT WRAP SANDWICHES
These sandwiches can be made ahead of time and placed in an insulated lunchbox along with ice packs or a frozen juice box or two.
CARNE ASADA
These traditional hot wraps are a Mexican favorite. Seasoned beef is grilled, sliced, and wrapped in flour tortillas.
GREEK PITA WRAP SANDWICHES
Cannellini beans, chicken, and feta cheese are rolled inside pita breads for a delicious twist.
SPANISH RICE WRAPS
Long grain rice, flavored with Spanish spices, makes a wonderful filling for wrap sandwiches.
BOLOGNA SLAW WRAPS
Coleslaw mix combined with cubed bologna, shredded carrot, and American cheese is a classic wrap.
CHEESY ROAST BEEF WRAPS
Blue cheese salad dressing and American cheese give flavor and great texture to these cold roast beef sandwiches.
CRACKER BREAD ROLL-UPS
These delicious sandwiches can be made with ingredients from your pantry; and your kids will love them.
CHICKEN SALAD WRAPS
Start with a deli chicken salad and add a few luscious ingredients to make these delicious and easy wrap sandwiches.
EASY COBB SALAD WRAPS
Cobb Salad in a sandwich! I love these tasty and juicy sandwiches that are so easy to make and eat.
TUNA ROLLS
Rice paper wraps contain a filling of tuna, peanut butter sauce, coriander, hoisin sauce, and grated carrot for an exotic lunch. If you pack them in a lunchbox, wrap them in damp paper towels so the wraps stay soft.
SPRIAL SANDWICHES
Herbed spreadable cheese is a fantastic base for any wrap sandwich. Here it's paired with sliced turkey, tomatoes, and Swiss cheese.
SPEEDY VEGGIE WRAPS
Use your favorite deli salad in these super easy, super fast wrap sandwiches

Answer 2

Grilling is always an option. you can get small grills, or large elaborate ones. Propane is always a quick choice, but I prefer charcoal.
As for what to cook, whatever you like. Burgers or hot dogs are always great, veggies are awesome. I coat some asparagus in olive oil, put some salt on it, and in about 3-4 minutes its done.
Pineapple is always good on the grill, even canned. Peaches are good too. just throw them on, turn them after 1-2 minutes, and about 1-2 minutes later it's done.
Bratwurst, and smoked sausage are always delicious. Ham cooks quick, and pork chops are delicious, just put a little seasoning on each side. Just be careful, the thin pork chops cook very quickly.

Answer 3

Get a chicken breast and place onto foil and season with salt and pepper. Cut up a potatoe and onion and place on top. Put a dab of butter on top of that and wrap up with the foil. Cook 350 for about an hour.

Answer 4

Skip waiting areas. When you have an scheduled appointment, check in and then setting off for a walk until the receptionist phones you.

Answer 5

Get your book group to slip on sneaks and chat moving home.

Answer 6

Skip waiting locations. When you have an session, check in and then go for a walk until this receptionist phones you.

Answer 7

LASAGNA SUPREMO: (The Best Lasagna Ever!)

This is a recipe that I have been making for many decades, and everyone who has eaten my lasagna says that it is the BEST LASAGNA EVER!!! I have taken it everywhere, potluck suppers, church socials, family cookouts, I even put it in a contest once won 4th out of 200.

FOR THE LASAGNA

1 (1 lb) package lasagna noodles
3/4 lb ground beef
1/4 lb ground pork
1 lb Italian sausage (thinly sliced)
1 lb button mushrooms (thinly sliced)
1 cup onions (chopped)
6 cloves garlic (minced)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
2 (15 ounce) containers ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 cup pitted ripe black olives (sliced)
1 lb mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1 cup parmesan cheese (grated)

FOR MARINARA SAUCE

2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans hunts chunky crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans hunts tomato paste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic (cut in halves)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic, in juice (from jar)
1 shallot (diced)
2 tablespoons dried oregano
4 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

8 servings

1 hour 45 minutes 45 mins prep

FOR THE LASAGNA:
Prepare lasagna according to package directions.
Drain and set aside.
Cook Italian sausage either in a skillet or by boiling in a pot of water, thinly slice crosswise and set aside.
Brown the ground beef and ground pork in a skillet, drain off and discard fat.
Add onion and garlic to the ground meat, stir and cook another 5 minutes.
Add the sugar, salt, basil, fennel seeds, pepper and the Marinara sauce and simmer for 20 minutes.
While the above mixture is simmering, combine in a large bowl the eggs, Ricotta cheese, and parsley.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Take a 13 by 9 inch baking dish and spray the bottom with a non-stick spray, such as Pam.
In the baking dish, spoon in a layer of 1/3 of the meat sauce.
Then layer 1/3 of the lasagna pasta (overlapping each strip of pasta with the other).
Then layer 1/3 of the Ricotta mixture.
Then layer 1/3 of the sliced olives and 1/3 of the sliced Italian sausage.
Then layer 1/3 of the sliced mushrooms.
Then layer 1/3 of the Mozzarella and 1/3 of the Parmesan.
Then continue to repeat the layering until all of the ingredients are layered.
When the layering is completed, cover with aluminum foil, making certain that the foil is not touching the top of the lasagna, and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and bake, uncovered, another 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to sit and rest 10 minutes before cutting.

FOR THE MARINARA SAUCE (by Alan Leonetti): Empty Hunts chunky crushed tomatoes and Hunts tomato paste into the pot.
Add the extra-virgin olive oil to the pot.
Slice the cloves of garlic crosswise into either halves or thirds or pieces, and dump them into the pot.
Dice the shallot, and dump that into the pot.
Add the rest of the ingredients, and stir to mix well with a large long handled wooden spoon.
Do not strain, as the pulp adds to make this a thick and wonderful sauce.
Cover and cook on medium heat, stirring every 10 minutes for about an hour or until it bubbles and is completely heated throughout.
Reduce heat to simmer, and continue to simmer, stirring every 10 or 15 minutes to keep from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot for 1 or 2 hours.
Remove from heat and give it one last stir.
Serve over spaghetti, ravioli, pasta or use for chicken parmesan, veal parmesan, or anything that calls for a Marinara sauce

Answer 8

Try going to allrecipes.com OR the campbells soup website, they have tons of recipes and a lot of them arent too pricey.

Answer 9

Rachael Ray is the expert on 30 minute meals....or try kraftfoods.com.

Answer 10

If you're buying not many items, skip the cart along with carry a basket.

Answer 11

The easiest thing to do is to get breads like white, wheat, rye, etc, and get food like tuna or chicken salad ham cheese or whatever you like and it fills you up and its not expensive or time wasting :)