I am on a very tight budget and..?

Question

I would like to make a nice meal for my family but i am always very busy. Can anyone help me by giving me some nice and easy recipes that will satisfy but does not take up the time? Thank You

Answer 1

Well I do not know what your budget is and how many people are coming but check this site up http://southernfood.about.com/od/budgetmeals/Budget_Meals_and_Tips.htm maybe this should help.

On a personal note whenever you host a dinner its not what you serve its how you serve and how good a host you are:) get lots of drinks like coke and milk which wont cost too much and keep em engaged with chips before the main meal.

Answer 2

I think a stew is good because it's easy- you can throw a bunch of stuff in a slow cooker, and forget about it. It's cheap, because you can get cheaper meat and know it will get tender from the long cooking process. Also it lasts a while. Leftovers are always a good way to save money. If you serve a stew with some nice fresh bread, and a crisp salad then you can impress a family with it for a nice fancy meal.

Answer 3

Darlin, this is a great question, everyone is so dang busy these days! Try some of these....

Spaghetti Bake

1 box any type pasta, cooked, drained and not rinsed
1 pound ground round
1 small onion, minced
garlic, as much as you want
salt and pepper
dried parsley, as much as you want
1 bag shredded mozz
1 jar spaghetti sauce
cheesey frozen garlic bread
salad

Cook the meat with garlic onions and spices, drain. Cook the noodles, drain and dont rinse. Mix every thing but the bread and salad to a large baking pan and cook at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes, serve with bread and salad.

Almost NO PREP TIME.


Taco Salad

Brown one pound ground round, drain. Add a taco packet and cook as directed, cool. Crush up doritos, add shredded chedddar, tomatos, black olives, onions, lettuce, black olives, sour cream, taco sauce. Serve with dipping sauces.


Shrimp Pasta

2 pounds shrimp
1 box fettuchini
garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
green onions
parsley

Cook pasta, do not rinse. Heat oil, add onions and garlic, salt and pepper it. Cook for 7 minutes, and then add the shrimp, cook for 4 minutes or until pink, and then add the rest back into pot and get the pasta coated with juices. You could sprinkle parm cheese in, add some sauted mushrooms and artichokes. This whole meal takes 20 minutes and is beautiful! Serve with salad and garlic bread.


I have tons of recipes, if you browse my answers you will see all of them!

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!!!!!

Answer 4

There are so many quick & easy recipes. Do you have a crockpot? If so, you can cut up veggies & put in even a frozen roast, go off for the day, & have a delicious meal ready when you come home. I recommend a good cookbook especially for quick meals--it can give you lots of great ideas. I cook most all of my meals in 30 minutes or less.

Answer 5

I'm thinking that a nice meal is one that makes the house smell wonderful from the time you come in until you sit down to dinner! here are a couple of ideas that should be within your budget and satisfy everyone's taste:

1. Chuck roast with roasted veges:
1 4 -5 lb chuck roast seasoned with kosher salt, pepper,
and garlic powder. Sprinkle with 1 T Worcestershire sauce and 2 T commercial bbq sauce if you have it(or you can cheat and mix some Lipton Onion Soup Mix with a little water and pour over it!)
2 -3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 bag small carrots or 3 -4 larger one, peeled and cut
into chunks
1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into quarters.
Put the meat in a baking dish and let marinate for 1 hour. Add peeled veges and a little wine or water in the bottom. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender and falls off the bone. Remove foil during last 20 minutes of cooking to crisp veges. Serve with a green salad and french bread. Yum!

2. Spaghetti with Meatballs:
1 - 2 lbs ground beef
1 yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 eggs
2 T Italian herbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
Combine the above and make 1 1/2 inch meat balls. Put in baking dish and bake for 1 hour, or until finished.

Marinara Sauce:

1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can diced tomatos with garlic and onion, drained
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 T dried Italian Herbs
1/2 cup chopped basil (if you don't have fresh, add another T of dried herbs)
1/2 cup olive oil
1tsp salt
1 Tsp sugar
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (opt.)
1/2 cup red wine (opt.)

Saute onion and garlic in 2 T olive oil. Add the other ingrediants and simmer for 1 hour. During the last 30 minutes of baking the meat balls, remove them from oven and pour 1/2 of the sauce over them. Return to oven to finish baking.

Serve with your favorite pasta, garlic bread and a nice salad.

Answer 6

Roast a chicken- they're cheap and cook in less than two hours and the flavor is amazing, buy a bag of potatoes and some frozen veggies of your choice and voila, you're a chef.
Simple ingredients are usually best and have the most flavor.

Answer 7

my favorite, and my 10 neices and nephews favorite is so cheap and easy you won't believe it. take 2 pounds ground beef, what ever is cheapest. cook it off and drain the grease. put in a baking dish. cover with 2 cans of corn, top with instant mashed potatoes that you already made and top with shredded cheese. bake for 15 minutes and you have hamburger pie! you can put ketchup or BBQ sauce on the meat if you want too.

Answer 8

Rice and vegetables are easy to cook, take little time and is filling. Add a can of tuna, or other fish, some cooked meat or diced ham

Answer 9

ummmmm u can make baked potatoes and just do a plate with several options for toppings, from butter, sour creme, chives, nacho cheese, bacon bits stuff like that......... my family loves hawaiian toast.....toast bread, butter lightly, put either salami or ham on it, then pineapple or bananas whichever they prefer. a slice of cheese, then ucan put a tomatoe slice or onion slice on top of it, little salt, white pepper and a few drops of soy sauce, if u like it a bit hotter maybe a little paprika, put in oven at about 350 just till chese is starting to melt............ spaghetti bolognese is easy.tacos r easy and not too expensive..........gl

Answer 10

Use a crock pot. It is an easy way to prepare things ahead of time and have them ready when you get home.