Any cheap family meal recipes I can make - its summer here so I am trying to stay away from the casseroles.?

Answer 1

anything with pasta (kids love it). steaks maybe, or pastitsio (a cool greek recipe). burgers. hot dogs. cheesepie.

Answer 2

Try this. Marinated Herrings - chopped into half inch squares
Hard boiled egg
Baby tomatoes or larger ones diced
Gherkins in brine, not vinegar - drained and diced
Handful of Dill and Parsley
Yoghurt and fresh cream
Spring Onion (optional)
Radish sliced


This is a Latvian recipe which to me is the ultimate comfort food in summer and winter. The herring is salty (but cooled by the dressing) and melt in the mouth. The egg is chopped smallish for protein and the whole thing is poured over boiled new potatoes or older ones diced.

It is difficult to give you a recipe as I do not know where you are and whether you can get these ingredients (ie fish and gherkins) But I hope this gives you an idea.

Happy New Year

Answer 3

Steak Sandwich

1 large strip, round, or shell sirloin steak, weighing between 12 ounces and 1 pound

1/2 t. coarsely ground black pepper

Salt to taste

2-3 T. oil

2 T. chopped onion

4 oz. crimini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

1/2 t. thyme

1 loaf French or Italian bread, or 1 Vienna loaf

3-4 T. prepared mustard

Trim any excess fat from the steak. Sprinkle both sides with pepper and salt, then brush with a tablespoon of the oil. Heat a cast-iron or nonstick pan and sear the steak about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan. Cook the onion for 2 minutes in the remaining oil, then add the chopped mushrooms, sprinkling them with the thyme and a little salt. Cook, stirring, until they have softened. If the mixture dries out, add a tablespoon or so of water.

Cut a large piece of bread about 1 inch longer than the steak. (If you're using a Vienna loaf, you may not need to cut it at all.) Slice it lengthwise through the middle, leaving an uncut edge as a hinge. Spread both cut sides of the bread liberally with mustard. Now place the steak on the bottom half and scatter the mushroom mixture on top. Fold the top half of the bread down. Wrap the sandwich in two layers of plastic wrap. Take a long piece of string and tie the sandwich up tightly as if it were a parcel, knotting the string in several places. Put the sandwich on a plate and place another plate on top of it. Now weight it down with either cans of food or a bowl filled with water. Leave it for 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator or other cold place. When you rescue it from the weights, it will be firm and flat. For serving, unwrap it and slice it on the diagonal so you have several strips, each about 3/4 to 1 inch wide. Arrange these on a platter with a bowl of relish or chutney to accompany them. For outdoor eating, leave the sandwich in its package.

Answer 4

Cheeseburger Macaroni
1lb. Hamburger
1 box macaroni and cheese
¼ cup milk
2 tbsp. Butter
1½ cups shredded cheese (your choice)
(Optional) Mushrooms, onion, green peppers, chopped

Prepare macaroni and cheese according to box directions. Brown hamburger in a separate skillet, drain grease. Combine macaroni mixture and hamburger, add milk and butter, macaroni cheese packet and shredded cheese. Mix well to combine.


Mom's American Goulash
1 lb. Hamburger
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 lb. Large elbow macaroni
2 tbsp. Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown hamburger until no longer pink, drain any grease. Prepare macaroni according to package directions. Combine hamburger and macaroni in a large bowl or pot, add sauce, tomatoes with juice and butter. Allow to sit 15 minutes on warm so that macaroni absorbs some of the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Grilled salmon. Get the frozen kind its cheaper than the fresh and still tastes great. Season with a little lemon pepper and salt it only takes about 5 minutes to grill(thawed). Add your favorite sides and there you go.

Answer 7

Cook a joint of gammon, and you've got meat left over to serve with a variety of salads, or use bits to make an egg and bacon pie, and use any stock to make soup, or freeze to use later.

Answer 8

if it's warm, you should grill chicken outside. Nice green salad and some rice pilaf on the side. You should enjoy the sunshine, since it's raining here.

Answer 9

when its hot i do alot of stove top cooking. such as hamburger helper. i also have a very yummy goulash recipe. 1lb ground beef, some onion, 1 can tomato sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar and noodles. it is very yummy. you can make more to your family size! i aslo do spahgetti, ragu is great!

Answer 10

Cheap for one may not be cheap for another - so here's a site that may help you...
http://www.cheapcooking.com