Conference turris::cooks

<    I need some help....I could use some recipes that are both inexpensive
<    to make as well as nutritious.  If they're quick to make, even better.

   Expensive/inexpensive is a relative thing.  Most of the recipes in here
are inexpensive if you eliminate those with high priced cuts of meat and the
few with exotic vegetables.

   For example thereis (in here someplace and in Frugal Gourmet) a recipe for
pasta Carbonara  that will stuff 4 people for : 

		1 lb   pasta	.40
		1 cup  cream	.70
		1/4 lb bacon	.75
		2      eggs	.20
		1/4 c  parmesan	.75
				----
				$2.80  = .70 per person

   Tell us more about what your situation is and I'm sure we can help.

Al

    Well, I need recipes for two situations.  The first are for some single
    parents I know who need to make the food budget stretch....most of them
    are still in school but have young school age children.  The second are
    for my four roommates and I......for this situation, I need some
    recipes for meals that could be cooked ahead of time and frozen.  We
    keep a busy schedule, so the microwave comes in really handy. 
    Personally, I spend too much money grabbing fast food, which doesn't
    give me much nutrition.  Quick to make recipes are great, since I don't
    want to always be grabbing a container out of the refrigerator and
    microwaving dinner.  
    
    
    			Alice

    
    My grandmother used to make a casserole that I loved.  My boys both
    love it and I used it a lot when I was a single parent with not a lot
    to spend on food.  There is no name for this.
    
    	1 lb hamburg
    	1 onion sliced and quartered (optional)
    	1 can of tomato soup
    	1 can stewed tomatoes
    	4 potatoes sliced like for au gratin
    	shredded cheese (optional)
    	salt, pepper, garlic and chili powder to taste
    
    Brown hamburg and onions, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and chili
    powder.  Boil potatoes until just beginning to get soft.
    
    Combine hamburg, onion, potatoes, soup and tomatoes in casserole dish.
    Top with shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes and serve.
    
    These amounts serve 4 easily.
    
    I hope this one helps.  I'll double check for more.  I know I have
    them.
    
    Faith
    

I assume you're still looking...  Here are a few ideas my wife and I like:

Make lots  of  spaghetti  sauce  when  you have time. You can then boil some
spaghetti or other pasta any night in a very short period of time. Also, you
can  use  the  sauce to make chicken parmigiana. I get the ready-made frozen
breaded chicken cutlets, then pour on the tomato sauce, mozzarella, and some
parmesan  cheese. This is a little more expensive than spaghetti, but really
fast and easy.

If you're  looking for something really inexpensive, try red beans and rice.
Just  cook  the  red  beans  and serve them over rice with some kielbasa and
chopped  (raw)  onions.  Black beans and rice is similar, but we usually put
cheddar  cheese on top. You don't get food much cheaper than this, and black
beans and rice is really good.

It's also  easy  to  make  lots  of  taco  meat,  then serve it all sorts of
different  ways.  One  of my favorites is to make a sort of dip from refried
beans,  taco  meat,  velveeta, salsa, and maybe a little sour cream. You can
use  that  to  make  sort-of  tacos,  burritos,  or  just use it as a dip on
tortilla chips.  This is a great way to stretch the meat.

Those are  the  only  ideas I could think of off the top of my head. My wife
knows  a lot of "soul food" recipes (read "recipes for people trying to live
on $10 a week...") I could try to dig up if you want.

- Brad

    Buy a turkey.  Cook it.  Have turkey for dinner.  Cut all the meat
    up (except a few bits that you want to eat that week) and freeze
    it in dinner-sized packages.  Slice the white meat to use for
    hot turkey sandwiches (you can make gravy when you make your
    turkey - it freezes well, or you can buy canned stuff).  Cube the
    dark meat for use in casseroles.
    
    You can do the same thing with chickens.  Buy a few of the oven-
    stuffer sized chickens when they're on sale.  Cook them 2 or 3 
    at a time.  You can freeze the cooked meat in dinner-sized packages.
    Or you can freeze the chickens just as they came from the store.
    I usually try to remember to remove the giblets packets before 
    freezing.  I freeze the liver separately, and the rest of the 
    giblets in another packet.  I use zip-lock bags for freezing 
    chicken - the biggest size will usually fit a whole chicken, while
    the pint size will fit pieces and liver and giblets.
    
    Save all bones.  I keep a gallon-size zip-lock bag in the freezer
    for bones.  There's another for soup-peelings - celery strings and
    leaves, potato skins, carrot peels, bean tops and tails, etc.  All
    veggies should, of course, be washed before peeling if you're going
    to save the scraps.  When the bags are full, take your largest pot,
    dump the scraps and bones in, fill with water until the stuff is
    about covered, add a few bay leaves and maybe some garlic and herbs,
    and simmer on your stove for several hours.  Strain the mixture
    into a very large bowl (or two bowls).  Let the broth cool.  The
    broth can then be frozen for later use.  It has very low sodium,
    not much fat.  If you're using things like chicken wing tips in
    the pot, let the broth cool and put it in the fridge overnight.
    Then you can remove the fat and freeze the broth. 
    
    Freeze some broth in an ice-cube tray and bag it.  When you need
    just a little broth, you can take as many cubes as you want out of the
    bag and use them.  Much easier than using half of a container of
    broth, and then having the rest kicking around the fridge.
    
    --Louise

    I am surprised that chicken cutlets were listed under inexpensive
    cooking, they are very expensive in relation to the cost of chicken.
    I buy whole chicken breasts, usually at a market where a large quantity
    purchase reduces the price. Boning chicken breasts is a real simple
    task, no special tools are required. 
    Part of inexpensive cooking is wise shopping. I almost always buy
    and cook in large quantities, even though there are only two of
    us. I freeze in serving sized portions and then microwave them when
    I need them.
    Unfortunately, inexpensive is not always quick. I have to agree
    with  .5, turkey is about the most inexpensive and most versatile
    meat. It's also very healthy, but the initial preparation does take
    some time.

    Pat, have you tried the turkey parts that are now available?  You
    can get just a leg or just a half-breast.  I cook turkey parts and
    chickens (whole) in the microwave.  A whole stuffed oven-stuffer
    takes about half an hour in the microwave.  The turkey legs take
    probably 15 or 20 minutes, depending on size and on how much sauce
    I cook with them.  I've made a delicious curried turkey leg recipe
    - well, it WAS a recipe and then I started modifying.  For one
    skinned T leg, use one apple, diced, a half cup raisins, a couple
    teaspoons or a tablespoon of curry powder, and 1/2 to 1 cup broth
    or apple juice.  Cook the turkey in a covered dish with all the
    other stuff.  If you microwave doesn't have a turntable, give the
    dish a 1/4 turn about every 5 minutes.  Cook until you can poke
    the meat with a fork and get clear, not pink/red, juice.  Serve
    over rice.  You can use carrots instead of the apples, or in
    addition, if you want.  You can fiddle with the spices, especially
    if you make your own curry powder.
    
    Another advantage of microwaving fowl is that you can cook it skinned
    and defatted without having it dry out.  I remove every bit of fat
    that I see (well, until I get sick of removing fat - there comes
    a point!), and have never ended up with a dried out microwaved 
    chicken.  ONE WARNING:  the timer in the oven-stuffer I made Monday
    night popped up well before the chicken was done.  I think it was
    not designed for microwave timing - the meat took another 5 - 7
    minutes of cooking to be done.  Since rare fowl is NOT good, remember
    to check the bird with a fork, spearing one of the thighs since
    they cook more slowly than the breast meat.  
    
    --Louise

    I buy Turkey legs all the time and cook them on the Grill...yummy!
    
    I boil them about 30 minutes first, then put them on the BBQ grill
    about 30-45 minutes...I like my turkey legs on the over done side
    so they fall apart.
    
    I just baste them in a little butter and salt & Pepper.  If you
    do this, I don't see why you couldn't still have stuffing on the
    side.
    
    Kristen

    i am looking for some good ideas for a birthday dinner for my mom. 
    she loves seafood (not lobster however,... lucky me maybe!) (smile)
    but does prefer haddock, scallops and schrod.  other favorites are
    lamb and medium rare cuts of meat.  the things she doesn't like that
    much are italian food (sick of it i guess from living with a mad
    italian for 27 years!) and stuff like chicken and veal.
    
    i need help with this dinner because money is definately a problem
    whereas usually its not when it comes to good food.  just a bad
    time of the month with weddings and showers and well, i'de like
    to make something nice and still keep the price down.  
    
    any advise/comments/suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. thanks 
    in advance.
    
    cj
    

    How about jambalaya?  I had it at a restaurant this past weekend;
    it had shrimp, ham, and chicken in it, and was served over rice.
    
    You could make your own variation with a little of each kind of
    fish that your mother likes, and maybe some other meats, poultry,
    etc. as well.
    
    

    It seems for me, that making chinese food isn't very expensive.
    I usually use a small amount of meat and lots of vegetables. This
    time of the year fresh vegetables are priced better then in the
    winter. My cabinet is already stocked with all types of condiments,
    if you had to buy them then it would get expensive.
    
    Cooking chinese for a crowd is lots and lots of work.
    
    How about something like Ratatouille and garlic bread.
    Or maybe a leg of lamb on the grill, they are on sale this week
    where I do my shopping (Purity).

    a leg of lamb would be purrfect.  for mothers day i made a rack of lamb
    for her (recipe posted under 'mothers day rack of lamb') but anyhoo...
    
    there wasn't enough meat and we both said next time we would just get
    the lamb.  how much is it on sale for ??? purity is heartland also
    isn't it?  and how much would i need for 5 adults? 
    
    thanks for the quick response...!
    
    cj
    
    

    oh i meant the leg of lamb!  still not awake obviously :)
    

PASTA:

1 package (1 pound) macaroncelli or long macaroni, broken into 2-inch
  pieces
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites

FILLING:

2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size onion, chopped, or 1/2 cup frozen chopped onions
1 cup water
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3-inch cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packaged bread crumbs

SAUCE:

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks
4 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon salt


     Prepare  pasta:   Cook  macaroncelli  or  macaroni  according  to
package  directions.   Drain  well.   Return  to  pan;  add  butter or
margarine; toss until coated.  Cool slightly.  Stir in cheese and  egg
whites.


     Prepare filling:  Cut lamb into small cubes, removing all fat and
gristle.   Heat  oil in large skillet over high heat.  Add meat.  Cook
until meat browns and liquid evaporates, stirring  occasionally.   Add
onion.  Saute 1 minute.  Add water, wine, tomato paste, cinnamon stick
and salt.  Bring to boil.  Reduce  heat.   Simmer  about  15  minutes,
stirring  occasionally,  until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Remove
from heat.  Discard cinnamon stick.  Stir in  bread  crumbs.   Mixture
will be dry.


     Prepare sauce:  Melt butter or margarine  in  saucepan;  stir  in
flour.   Cook  over low heat, stirring constantly, until bubbly.  Stir
in milk gradually until blended.   Cook  over  medium  heat,  stirring
constantly,  until  sauce  bubbles.  Beat egg yolks in small bowl with
half the hot sauce; stir mixture  into  saucepan  with  remaining  hot
sauce.  Cook 1 minute.  Stir in salt.


     To assemble:  Heat over to 350 degrees.   Butter  a  10-inch  pie
plate  well; dust with bread crumbs.  Press half the pasta into bottom
and sides of plate.  Spoon filling into center.   Cover  filling  with
remaining  pasta.   Spoon sauce on top.  Sprinkle with grated Parmesan
cheese and bread crumbs, if desired.  Bake 30 minutes or until lightly
browned.  Let stand 10 minutes for easier cutting.

    i am sorry to hear about your dilema.  that must be difficult for you. 
    i suggest that you try the frozen louis rich ground turkey.  when on
    sale, it is .99/lb and it serves two with leftovers nicely.  its great
    stuff and good for you too.  there is two (2) notes with several
    recipes in this file too.  all you have to do is a dir/title=turkey and
    you will see them.    
    
    you should try to save for coupons and shop where double coupons are 
    honored. (ie, victory and heartland) also.  you can save some money 
    by buying family packages and freezing it in separate portions too.
    its usually 25% cheaper than the 1lb packages and is for pork, hamburg,
    chicken and other things.  fish is extremely expensive nowadays.  
    hamburger hasn't been on sale much either come to think of it.  
    steaks do not have alot of meat on them either, as least in my opinion
    they are not worth the money.  stay away from them.  a chuck roast 
    will make an excellent beef stew with some potatoes and carrots. (see
    note 20?)  pasta is always inexpensive too.  good luck!  
    
    cj
    
                               

    
    Making up batches of rice, beans, lentils, etc. can provide you
    with a lot of protein and nutrients for little moulah.  Coupling
    them with vegetables and/or pasta in stock will stretch them even
    further.  Devoting an afternoon on the weekend to this enterprise
    can save you lots of time (and money) during the week.
    
    Maybe this is old news to you or it's not what you had in
    mind - sorry if that's the case.
    
    Good luck,
    Diane

    Re. .1
    
         Thanks!  I do go to Stop & Shop and take advantage of their double
    couponing and specials; that really stretches the $$$ .
    
         I never thought of ground turkey - I've heard of it but figured it
    was something weird.  Looks like it isn't, though.  I've looked up the
    ground turkey notes and will try it.
    
    Re. .2
    
         Rice I know how to cook, but not beans, lentils, etc.  Also since
    I'm very new to cooking I don't know how to combine them with pasta and
    stuff to make something that tastes good.  You'll have to forgive me
    ... I really feel like an infant in the kitchen ;-) .  Prior to this my
    most ambitious task was cooking hamburgers and making macaroni and
    cheese.
    
         Pointers to budget recipes would be appreciated as well - this is
    a *big* conference!
    
         Thanks again!
    
    					- Andrea

    beans...
    Chicken with rice... (you said you have chicks/eggs...)
    Potato omelettes...
    Scrambled eggs with mushrooms over toast...
    Potato Irish stew... (carrots are cheap and you only need some carrots
    and whatever type of meat you have, if no meat is available, some
    chicken will do, or even chourico (portuguese sausage is great for it)
    
    I've cooked them all, if interested I'll post in some receipes...
    

  When we were watching our budget very carefully, we ate an awful lot
  of chicken. Pasta and vegetables too, of course, but chicken was our
  most interesting meal. It's important to buy it at the best price you
  can get, and nowadays that seems to be on family size packages of
  thighs and drumsticks. Breast meat is out of the question, but the
  surprising thing about chicken prices these days is that whole chicken
  (cut up or whole) is very expensive. Though we can afford to, we often
  don't buy it as our way of protesting the high price. When we do buy
  it, we often buy it whole, for a better price than cut up, or so that
  we can stuff it, which helps makes the entire meal go a little
  further.

  Frozen fish can be a reasonably priced change, and as CJ said, chuck
  is the beef to buy, but chuck quality seems to be significantly lower
  than when we were on a tight budget (maybe 15 years ago). We were
  happy with using it for broiled steak (with meat tenderizer, that is),
  but it doesn't work well for that anymore -- too tough and tasteless
  (and I know, because I still love chuck, and find that it's still good
  where my parents live in NY).

  A big help in making boring or frequently-prepared dishes more
  interesting is creative use of herbs, spices, and other flavorings.
  These are essential for vegetable dishes, but will help tremendously
  to add variety to meat, poultry and fish dishes, too. Even though
  herbs and spices seem expensive in those little jars, your initial
  investment goes a long way (except maybe for saffron, which you can
  certainly do without). When we were starting out, we would buy
  something like one new spice every other week, whether we knew what to
  do with it or not. We slowly built up a nice collection, and learned a
  lot about what you can do with each one. It put a little fun into what
  was otherwise often a depressing experience (shopping, that is -- we
  always enjoyed the cooking and eating).

We are on a budget too!  My husband was layed off right before christmas!  

Sometimes I make two quiches and freeze one.  I buy the frozen crusts which 
come in a two pack.  You mix up the eggs (about 6) with some milk, salt and pep, 
then throw in leftovers like, broccoli, cheese, bacon, or sausage.  Bake at 
325 or 350 til done.

As far as ground turkey goes, the Louis Rich is good, but sometimes you can
find stores that pack it themselves which is even cheaper.  I can get a pound
sometimes for 1.00.  I make turkey burgers, throwing seasoned breadcrumbs in, 
an egg, chopped green onion, bell pepper (you can leave it out if you want),
and teriaki sauce.  Mix then broil and add a pinnapple slice.  Yum!
Also ground turkey can be used in casseroles.  Mix a package of frozen spinach, 
thawed with cooked ground turkey and onion (seasoned) and a can of cream of
mushroom soup , a cup of sour cream and some grated cheese.  Bake till bubbly.
You can vary the cream soup to something else or the vegatable.  Also you can
make a bisquick crust for the bottom.

We have lots of pasta too! Chicken, hamburger, stir fry vegetables, big pots
of homemade soup etc.

Also, try to buy the store's brand of things (if stores do that where you are)
they are cheaper.  

    Well, I can sympathize...I'm putting my husband through med school
    so I understand what a limited food bill is....I keep reminding
    myself these days aren'g going to last forever 8*)  Our budget
    is about $30/week for food.  Sometimes I'll save some and carry
    it over to the next week so we can buy different things.
    
    Kinds of things we eat:  (some of you 'rich' people may cringe ;^)
    
    . Chunky soup over bread
    . Tacos (sometimes without the tortilla)
          (You can get mild sauce and it isn't very spicy)
    . I make a huge lasagna and store it in the freezer in serving
      sizes
    . Baked potatoes with pizza sauce/mushrooms/broccoli, etc.
    . Biscuits with Golden Cream of Mushroom soup (yum!)
    . Hamburger helper (or mix hamburger in macaroni & cheese and
      add a little Italian seasoning)
    . Shake 'n Bake Chicken (Barbecue) 
       (We buy the chicken that expires that day, it is usually
        only .89 cents a pound)
    . Italian Meatloaf
    . Burritos (6 for $2) with chili on top
    . Huge pot of spaghetti and freeze it in 2 person serving sizes.
    . Turkey drum sticks (or breasts) Bake for 2 hours.
    . Hot Dogs & beans
    . Beef stew (with mostly vegies) and freeze in serving sizes.
    
    Can't think of anymore right now...
    
    Sometimes when I work overtime we'll splurge and buy red meats
    and stock up on the staples for the tough times.  We usually
    shop at PACE (like SPAGS, SAM'S) and use coupons.  
    
    One word of warning on ground turkey:  I thought that it was
    a great idea but I found it repulsive.  To me, turkey belongs
    with stuffing and taters, not in meatloaf.  So before you buy
    any large quantities, try it first.  I was almost turned off
    of turkey completely! (My stomach turning just thinking of it!)
    
    Good luck,
    Kristen

    Try making stir fry (Chinese style dishes) in a large frying pan or
    wok.   You'll need a big spoon (metal if your pan's not teflon).  Also
    a cover for your pan.
    
    1) Make rice according to package directions.  White is most common but
    brown is more nutritious and filling.   If its done before the stir-
    fry, turn off the heat and leave in the pot until serving.  Stays warm
    for up to an hour.
    
    2) Assemble all ingredients.  Can be: Any cut up vegetables such as
    brocooli, carrots, onions (use raw not frozen); Tofu (use firm) or raw
    pieces of meat; and a small covered jar containing 1/2 cup water, 1
    tablespoon corn starch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and any other seasoning
    you want.  Try using sliced green onions (the long skinny ones that
    look like big grass - slice and use entire onion) with your vegetables
    to get lots of flavor.  You'll also need soy oil.  Supermarket brand
    (Often called cooking or salad) is the cheapest.  You can add a few
    walnuts or cashews to your dish to doll it up.
    
    Have each type of vegetable and meat in separate piles on a big plate.
    For broccoli, separate stem pieces from florettes.
    
    3) Put pan or wok on burner.  As soon as it heats to medium-high (high
    when you get more skilled), add 3 tablespoons oil.  Add the heartiest
    vegetables first such as carrot or broccoli chunks.  Use spoon to
    rapidly turn and toss.  Add Oil if it looks dry at any point.  After a
    couple of minutes, add meat and green onions.  When they're cooked
    (meat changes color and onions get soft), add remaining vegetables from
    heartiest to most delicate.  Broccoli florettes are medium-hearty. 
    Cook, stirring and tossing a couple more minutes, then shake the
    cornstarch-soy-sauce-water jar well, pour it over everything, cover
    pan, and turn heat to low.  
    
    Everything will finish cooking in the steam and the sauce will get
    tasty.  (Spear vegs with a knife to see if they're soft enough.  It
    takes up to 10 minutes, depending on what you started with.)  To serve,
    stir the pan contents well and ladle next to rice on plates. Eat with
    chopsticks or a fork, as you wish.  Leftovers make good lunch heated in
    the microwave at work and give good variety from sandwiches.
    
    
    Stir fries and rice got me through college and are still very nice. 
    You can also put in leftovers, just plan less cooking time.  They just
    need to reheat. You can also put in plain cooked beans, homemade or
    canned to add protein, or sprinkle on cheese at the end. 

    Ground turkey can be disguised in many ways, if you don't like it
    plain.  It's good in american chop suey, sloppy joes (I think I added
    a recipe for "sloppy toms" in here once), and the old standby ground-
    meat-and-a-can-of-soup type recipes.  Here's one of those, in case you
    have not discovered the wonders of making glop:
    
    Standard Glop  (an attractive name, always lovely on a menu)
    
    1 lb roll of ground turkey
    1 can of cream of something soup, mushroom is good
    some oil for frying
    1 onion
    a couple stalks of celery
    1 to n cloves of garlic (with me, n=2-3 depending on size)
    [frozen peas or something like that (corn, peas and carrots, etc)]
    [any sort of herb you like, plus pepper, the soup usually has
     plenty of salt]
    1 cup of dry macaroni
    
    Chop up the onion and celery, start it frying in oil in a deep frying pan 
    (I use cast iron pans, which helps me not burn things when I go into
    the other room to play with the cats for a minute and come back 15 
    minutes later).  Break up the turkey so it is in small chunks and add it.
    Cook, stirring, until the turkey does not look raw.  Chop the garlic
    and add it, or run it through a garlic press.  Add the soup - you
    may want to add some water if the soup is really thick.  Stir well
    so the soup is blended in.  Cover the glop and let it cook.
    
    Cook the macaroni in another pot, following package directions.  You
    can use any kind of noodles/mac you have, whatever is on sale.
    
    Drain the noodles and put them in a covered dish.
    
    Take a look at the glop.  Taste it, add any seasonings you like.
    Add the frozen peas, cook only long enough to cook the peas - 3-5 min
    or they get overdone.
    
    Serve glop over noodles.
    
    NOW, this is a basic recipe that just begs for modifications.  You
    can do just about anything and usually it will be edible, although
    there are times when you'll want to eat it blindfolded if you've
    added something really wierd.  It's very filling, and you only
    get one pan really dirty.  The recipe makes 4 servings for me; your
    mileage may vary.
    
    --Louise

    This is a really good and hearty soup using chick peas and pasta. 
    Sorry for the length but you did say that you weren't too experienced
    in the kitchen.  I usually don't measure the ingredients when I make
    this, but have given some for you as guidelines
    
    Chick Pea Soup
    
    1 cup dried chickpeas (dried beans are about 1/4 the cost of canned)
    1 medium onion, chopped
    1 cup diced carrots
    1/2 cup celery
    1 tin tomatoes (italian tomatoes are preferable but are more expensive)
     drain and reserve the juice and chop the tomatoes
    1 Italian Sausage (optional - will increase cost) cut into pieces
    1 bay leaf
    1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or fresh if you have it)
    1/2 cup small pasta such as elbow macaroni or even fettucini broken up
    into 2 inch pieces
    salt and pepper
    
    Rinse dried chickpeas and sort through them for any possible stones.  I
    use a roasting pan and put all the beans at one end and roll a few at a
    time to the other end to check for stones.  Soak beans overnight in 10
    cups of cold water.
    
    In a big saucepan or stock pot, cook chopped onion in 1 tablespoon oil
    on medium heat for about 3 minutes add carrots and celery and continue
    to cook for another 3 minutes.  If using Italian sausage, add to 
    vegetables, raise heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring
    occasionally.
    
    Add the soaked chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, tomato juice from tin, 3
    cups of water, bay leaf and rosemary.  Bring to a simmer, i.e. one to
    two small bubbles rising to surface every few seconds.  Simmer
    uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours. Check a chickpea to be sure that it is
    tender to the bite - if not, continue to simmer until chickpeas are
    tender.   Add the pasta and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.  Check
    pasta - it should be tender but not mushy - if using elbow macaroni it
    will probably take about 15 minutes to cook.  Season with salt and
    pepper to taste.
    
    I usually serve this with a dollop of extra virgin olive oil and fresh
    grated parmesan cheese on top, but these are both expensive ingredients and 
    not necessary.
    
    I don't know what the price of food is like up your way, but estimated food
    cost for this in Washington D.C. is about $3.50 ($4.25 with the italian
     sausage) and should give you about 4 big servings.
    
    If this is the kind of thing you like I can give you a few more
    recipes. 
    
    
    Cathryn
    
    

    re .10
    
    Sloppy toms is what made me *HATE* ground turkey....Like I said
    before, sometimes things are better left alone! 8*) IMO.
    
    Kristen

Left over from poverty stricken days of having minimum dollars for groceries --
the best cookbook friends I can recommend are the 365 ways to cook hamburger,
and 365 ways to cook chicken.  I always bought family packs of things and 
stored in freezer bags which by the way can be washed out and used many times
over.  Check the different stores for flyers on what is on sale.  You can still
get pasta for 3 or 4 for a $1.00, check the sales for tomato sauce that is on
sale.  Use the vegetables that are in season, don't get anything exotic.

Casseroles are a great life saver.

Tuna Casserole - Can of tuna - cheapest you can get it all blends in anyways
      Can of Cream of something soup (mushroom, cheddar, etc)
      Package of frozen soemthing veggies -- cheapest you can get
      salt and pepper, miscellaneous seasonings.
      Lots of elbow macaroni -- this is the primo stretcher of all times.
      Mix it all together, sprinkle bread crumbs or crushed crackers on top,
       with a few pats of margerine (butter is too $$) cover and bake for 30 -40
       minutes at 350 degrees, ought to be about 6 to 8 servings.

Big Dish Casserole (old college standby)
       2 cans of vegetable soup
	about 1 lb ground meat
        extra veggies, cheap frozen kind
        lots of pasta
        Cover and bake, 350 for 30 minutes

The pastas I use are not cooked totally, but partially, about half the time so
they don't get too mushy and don't make me bake the casseroles too long in the
oven.

If you can't afford lots of spices, or don't have them....I would suggest a 
jar of Mrs. Dash, this has all of them together and it is a pretty versatile
seasoning.

If you have eggs---lucky you...all kinds of omelletes, do a DIR on Omelettes or
Eggs and you should get bunches of recipes.

There was also a dish we used to make, basically scrambled eggs w/some water
(about a teaspoon per egg) to make the eggs stretch a little more, some boiled
and diced potatoes, chopped onions, spices, etc.  All mixed together and pour
into a pan well oiled, let it set like an omelette, but you don't have to turn
it over or anything.  Then you cut it up in wedges and can eat it hot or 
cold.

If you like rice, you can also do a lot of the same things you would with pasta,
and can make some rice salads, etc.  Do a DIR for Rice.  You can buy the long
grain rice in 10 and 20 pound bags real cheap.

Soups are also great, basic chicken soup, basic beef soup, add veggies and/or
noodles/rice.  If you really want to stretch, get a stew chicken (real cheap 
about 39 cents a pound, put in a gigantic stock pot and boil that chicken til
the meat falls off the bones.  I take the meat and save it for stuff like
chicken pot pies and chicken casseroles, etc. and then use the bones and add
spices, vveggies, etc.  Use this stock and make variations of soups,etc.

Macaroni and Cheese, unless you buy the 4/$1 is not cheap becasue of the cheese
costs, but to make it stretch you can add sliced hot dogs to it.

Also, if you can't afford to buy a cookbook, go to the library and get some
cheap recipes from the cookbooks they have there.  They will also have copies
of Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, etc.  Those magazines always have budget
meals listed in them  Borrow cookbooks from friends and copy down recipes,
there will also be lots of recipes in here.

Best of luck...you can do it...I was once there as were many others...you 
WILL survive...and $20 a week for 2 isn't bad.


dana

PS

Let me know if you need some 'real' recipes for what I mentioned.  But most of
them can be done even by a novice -- just remember to taste as you go along, and
spice conservatively.

Soups - homemade and re-heatable almost indefinitely.  I suggest you learn
to make two different kinds of soup on a weekend, separate into meal-size
servings and freeze.  During the week, you can bring out a different kind
of soup for several of your meals.  This will really stretch the budget.

Also, learn to bake your own bread.  It isn't really tricky and although it
takes some of your time, it isn't expensive as long as you keep it simple.
Make a pasta and bean soup and serve a batch of homemade cornbread or other
cereal-based quick bread.  the recipe for the bread is:

	INGREDIENTS:

    Stir together in a large bowl:

	2 cups plain or whole wheat flour
	2 cups cornmeal or other cereal meal like cream of wheat or
			wheat hearts or malto-meal - uncooked
	3/4 cup sugar
	1 rounded tablespoon baking powder
	1 teaspoon salt

    Mix together in a smaller bowl:

	2 eggs, slightly beaten
	2 cups milk or buttermilk (you can use the powdered kind in the
				   dry ingredients and use water here)
	1 cube melted and cooled margarine or 3/4 cup oil

    Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix just until all dry
    ingredients are moistened well.  Pour into a greased 9" X 13" pan and
    bake until well browned in a pre-heated 350 degree F. oven - approx.
    45 minutes.

This makes a big bunch of quick bread.  Cut the recipe in half to bake a
pan 9" X 9".  To halve the recipe, use 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
and 1/2 cup sugar.

Check out soup recipes in this conference - look for bean soups, chowders,
etc.

		Hang in there!

  Along the lines of Louise's "glop" a few replies back, is my husband's 
version of Sloppy Joes:

	Brown some hamburger and onions, add a can of Campbell's 
	Manhandler Vegetable Soup and about 1/4 cup of ketchup, some
	worcestershire sauce, and anything else that might interest
	you.  Serve open-face on toasted hamburger-type rolls.

--Sharon

    Here is a recipe that I use - mostly because my daughter is a
    vegetarian and this provides a good balanced meal.  However, it is
    inexpensive and makes LOTS of food.  Although the recipe says "serves
    5", they must be five VERY hungry, VERY large people.
    
    Enjoy, and good luck.....
    
    
    LENTIL-BARLEY SOUP
    
    3/4 cup chopped onion		6 vegetarian bouillon cubes
    3/4 cup chopped celery		1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary,
    1 clove garlic, minced		    crushed
    1/4 cup margarine or butter		1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
    6 cups water			1/4 tsp pepper
    1 28-ounce can tomatoes, cut up	1 cup thinly sliced carrots
    3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed and	1 cup shredded Swiss Cheese
        drained
    3/4 cup pearl barley
    
    
    In a 4 quart Dutch oven cook onion, celery, and garlic in hot margarine
    or butter til tender.  Add water, undrained tomatoes, lentils, barley,
    bouillon cubes, rosemary, oregano, and pepper.  Bring to boiling;
    reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.  Add carrots and simmer
    for 15 minutes more or just till carrots are tender.  Ladle into soup
    bowls and top with cheese.  Makes 5 servings.
    
    Nutrition Information per serving:
    425 Calories           21 mg cholestral
    18 g protein           1,040 mg sodium
    54 g carbohydrate      829 mg potassium
    16 g fat               14 g dietary fiber
    
    US RDA:
                                                  
    169% vit. A		   35% Vit C
    18%  Thiamine	   14% riboflavin
    15%  Niacin		   30% calcium
    22%  Iron
    
    
    Notes:
    
    I use the 28 oz. can of Crushed tomatoes.  This makes is a very thick
    soup, more like a stew.
    
    Although I use vegetarian bouillon, you could use chicken or beef as
    well.
    
    I never use the cheese on top since my kids don't like it.  They do
    like a dollop (if there is such a word) of yogurt or sour cream.
    
    I figure this dish costs me between $4.50 and $5.00 to make.  It makes
    enough for us to have several meals.
    
    I serve this with crusty bread and have a full meal.
    
    	  

	Have no fear - you're definitely not alone - I don't know anyone
	(us included) who *isn't* feeling the pinch these days.	This is 
	kind of long, but since you're a beginner, I tried to be as clear
	and comprehensive as possible.

	STOCK (a definite necessary staple in our house)

	Homemade stock will help flavor lots of things, and you get
	the benefit of extra nutrients without even trying.  I can't 
	remember the last time I bought canned stock or cubes!

	If you use any fresh veggies - SAVE THE PEELING/SCRAPINGS!
	Collect them all in a freezer bag and keep it in the freezer
	until it's full.  Mine end up being primarily potatoes, onions,
	carrots.  When you get enough (I fill a "storage size" bag) 
	dump it into a big pot, add plenty of water and some spices, 
	and cook it slowly for a couple of hours.  Go easy on the 
	spices in the basic stock - you can "spice accordingly" when
	you use it in various dishes.  When it's done, strain the
	stock to get rid of the peelings, and freeze the liquid in
	ice cube trays.  Then you can pop the cubes out of the tray
	and store in freezer bags (if you wash out the one you kept
	the peelings in you can use that one!).

	I do the same thing with meats - all  bones, skin, trimmings
	go in the freezer and get cooked down the same way.  I usually
	do a poultry stock and a beef stock separately, but we're on 
	a fairly tight budget and rarely eat beef.  I usually put the
	meat stock in the fridge over night and then skim off the fat
	that rises and congeals on the top (we don't need the extra
	fat and calories!).

	SOUP

	OK, now you've got your basic stock...what do you do with it?
	You can make homemade soup or stew (great to do on the weekend, 
	the house smells wonderful!).  Using the vegetable stock, toss
	in a bag of frozen veggies (or fresh if have them), some basil,
	parsley, and a touch of rosemary and you'll have a great soup.
	If you want it a little thicker, shake up about a tablespoon 
	of cornstarch and cold water in a jar and then mix it in the
	soup (makes the soup a little less "brothy").  Toss together
	some cornbread or homemade bread (it takes a lot of "elapsed
	time" but the actual work time is minimal) and you've got a
	healthy, hearty supper.  If you have a crock pot, you can toss
	it together in the morning, simmer it on low, and it'll be ready 
	when you get home from work!

	Rice - use the stock instead of water (or half/half) for extra 
	flavor and nutrition.  If you buy the 10-lb bags or rice, you'll
	really save money!

	PASTA and CLAM SAUCE

	When I have a couple extra $$, I pick up a can or two of minced
	clams (near the tuna in the market).  Then I cook up some pasta,
	and toss it together with a jar of sauce and one can of clams. 
	You *don't* get a fishy taste at all, but you do benefit from
	the protein!  For the two of us, I'll cook about 1/2 pound of
	pasta, a small jar of Prego sauce, and one can (6-7 oz) of
	clams.  I serve a green salad with it and usually have enough 
	for two meals.  

	LASAGNA

	Make it a family size batch, only put it in two 9x9 pans.  Eat
	one now and freeze one for later.  There are are recipes in 
	here for meat lasagna, veggie lasagna, cheese lasagna - you can
	try them all!

	PIZZA

	Make your own pizza.  If you're not used to making your own
	bread dough yet, you can buy the frozen kind.  Top with some
	sauce (I use spaghetti sauce instead of plain tomato sauce
	because we like the extra flavor), cheese and your favorite
	topping.  

	BREAD

	I strongly suggest you make your own bread.  It seems to be
	more of a "meal" when you have homemade bread then store
	bought slices.  It's really not hard - it just takes a while
	because of the rising time.  I usually start my stock on the 
	top of the stove, mix up the bread and put the bowl in the oven 
	(not turned on!) to rise, then go off an do my cleaning or 
	whatever.  So it's not like you're sitting there watching the
	clock waiting for the bread to rise.  You can make all kinds
	depending on your menu - lentil soup and pumpernickle, beef
	stew and rye bread, chicken soup and poppyseed bread, crusty
	italian to go with spaghetti....

	COOKBOOK

	If you don't have the BETTY CROCKER WORKING WOMAN'S COOKBOOK,
	you should really try to get one.  It's been a lifesaver!  My
	husband says it has "real food for real people" (rather than
	some of my other more exotic books).

	It has a bunch of basic recipes that make big batches (at 
	minimal cost) that you divide up and freeze.  Then use use 
	these basics as the base for the rest of the recipes.  For 
	example, there's one recipe for "Freezer Chicken" (uses 1 whole 
	chicken) that you then use to make chicken ala king, chicken divan, 
	chicken stew, etc.  Not all of them require "make ahead" time,
	there are a bunch that can be done start-to-finish when you get
	home from work.

	If I get some time at the end of the week, I'll try to post my
	favorites!

	Conni

    I agree with .14: soup and bread is a weekend staple in our place.
    I like real yeast bread, but it is very easy to make, so don't let it
    intimidate you! - making yeast bread is on the order of making mudpies.
    Here's what we had for Saturday lunch, which cooked while we were doing
    chores around the house:
    
    Two hours before lunch, start making bread:
    
    You will have good luck every time if you have a cooking thermometer.
    If you don't, you need "almost-hot" water (110 oF).  Use one cup of
    water for a standard-sized loaf of bread or a dozen rolls.  Dissolve
    one package of yeast (or one scant tablespoon) in the almost-hot water
    in a mixing bowl.  Mix in a couple of spoonfulls of something sweet:
    sugar, brown sugar, honey (not absolutely necessary but the bread will
    rise faster if you do).  Stir in a spoonfull of oil (use olive oil if
    you are making pizza crust; otherwise use something with a
    less-pronounced flavor) and a beaten egg (not essential, either).  If
    you have some around, yu can also add a small handful of powdered milk.
    Some people add salt, too, but we never do.  Then mix in flour until
    the dough does not absorb any more, which will be about 3 1/2 cups of
    flour.  You can use part whole-wheat flour, corn meal, oatmeal, wheat
    germ, rye flour, or whatever, but use at least half regular white flour
    or your bread will be very heavy due to lack of gluten.  Dump the dough
    out on a floured surface and knead it.  To do this, gather the mass of
    dough into a ball, and press it down.  Then fold the dough in half and
    give it a one-quarter turn.  Repeat for five to ten minutes, putting
    down more flour until the dough is not sticky any more.  When the dough
    has been kneaded enough (which is not real critical), it will become
    smooth and springy and will have stopped absorbing flour.  Wrap the
    dough loosely in plastic wrap, or cover with a damp dish towel, and go
    do chores (:-().
    
    In about half an hour, wander into the kitchen and dig out some
    vegetables for beef soup.  A couple of potatoes, two or three carrots,
    two or three stalks of celery, a small can of tomatoes, whatever other
    root veggies are around (parsnips, rutabagas, turnips).  Wash these and
    peel them (except potatos, which will turn black if you leave them out
    after peeling).  Peel and slice an onion.  Check the bread dough to
    make sure it has not stuck to the covering.  Go do more chores...
    
    In about half an hour, come back to the kitchen.  The bread dough
    should have approximately doubled in size.  If a depression remains
    when you poke it with your finger, it has risen enough.  Shape it into
    whatever shape you want and put it in a greased loaf pan, on a greased
    cookie sheet, or in greased muffin cups.  Cover with plastic wrap or
    damp towel.  Get out a saucepan and saute the onion with about a
    quarter pound of hamburger until the onion is soft and the meat is no
    longer red - you may need to add some oil if the meat is lean.
    Add enough water to cover, and add the sliced veggies.  Add some pepper
    and maybe some herbs (a bay leaf, some basil, whatever).  Bring to a
    boil.  Heat oven to 350 oF.
    
    Cover soup and turn down heat to a simmer.  Put bread pan in oven and
    set timer for half an hour.  Go do more chores; food is ready when the
    timer goes off.  This will serve at least four.
    
    /Charlotte

Yes, it's another ground turkey recipe!  I live on the stuff, primarily 
because it's lower in fat than hamburger.  

I got the following recipe out of last week's Boston Globe as one to make in 
a huge quantity for freezing for later use.  I made it for the first time 
yesterday and brought it in for lunch today.  It's fairly tasty (you won't 
rave), and it's oh, so healthy!  I've cut the quantity in half and at that, 
it makes 8 LARGE servings.  If using for sandwiches, 1 serving makes at least 
2 large ones.

	    	Make Ahead and Freeze Turkey Loaf

2 1/2 lbs ground turkey (the recipe actually calls for ground beef)
2 eggs

1/2 lb carrots
1/2 green pepper (you can skip this)
1 zucchini
1/2 summer squash
1 med. onion

1 C oatmeal
1/2 C wheatgerm (I guess you could leave this out and put some bread crumbs 
                 in instead)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper

1 1/2 tbs. tomato paste

Mix turkey with eggs.  Coarsely chop vegetables with food processor (or by 
hand).  Add vegetables and remaining ingredients, and mix well.

Put into 9 x 9 baking dish, and cover with foil  It will be very full, but 
it should fit.

Bake 1 hr 15 min at 350 or until it pulls away from sides of pan.  Uncover, 
coat with 1 1/2 tbs. tomato paste, and cook another 15 min.  If freezing, cool 
completely and freeze.

    Split Pea Soup
    
    Buy a half pound of ham - either in a slice "package" or at the
    deli - some sell ham "ends" cheap, and if you buy them on a busy
    day/evening, the ham should be good.
    
    Get a package of split peas - (I use green) usually cost 2/$1.00.
    
    Cut up ham into chunks, dice and onion, and follow directions
    on the package for pea soup.  Makes a real hearty meal cheap.

    When I was growing up I learned to love peanut butter mixed with syrup,
    honey, or molasses.  The amount of each is totally arbitrary; but the
    more of the "sticky" stuff you use, the sweeter the results.  You just
    spoon some peanut butter into a bowl and pour in some of the "sticky". 
    Then mix until well blended and spoon onto bread to make a sandwich.
    
    It has some interesting advantages:  it's tasty, it's filling, it
    doesn't take much, and there is some nutritional value from the peanut
    butter and molasses (if you use it)
    
    I love this so much, that I still have it for supper sometimes.
    
    Regards, Ken

    
    Re: 18
    
    Charlotte, congratulations on demystifying bread making!  
    
    TO THE NOVICES:
    
    Don't be afraid to try it.. there's nothing more satifying
    than eating bread (especially with stew/soup!) right out of the 
    oven!
    
    dm

    Hi,
    
    I make this for supper. It's easy and can be bland (if you like). Get 
    some turkey slices, or chicken breast (boneless, skinless - you can 
    debone and deskin it yourself to save $$). Put the meat in the 
    corningware-type dish with 1/2" of water. You can put spices on the 
    top of the meat if you like. Thats it, bake it at about 350 for 30 min 
    (or until meat is cooked thru). Serve w/rice or pasta. You can make a 
    big thing of it and have leftovers for lunch or dinner. (Put the meat 
    in a sandwich w/lettuce and tomato).
    When this is done, you can save the juice/water for soup stock. (Just
    put it in a freezable container and save it until you have enough and
    follow one of the Soup recipes here in the file.)
    
    Another easy and filling idea is to boil some pasta and cook some
    frozen veggies (corn, peas, carrots, chopped broc, spinach all work
    well) and mix the two together. You don't need lots of either (they
    seem to grow when you mix 'em). Then pour some sauce on top and you're
    done! 
    
    You can usually get frozen veggies pretty inexpensively. 
    
    Take care!
    Beth

    I love to eat on the cheap! Not only does it save me money, but I
    usually feel better. 
    
    I get maximum mileage out of my wok. A delicious stir fry can be made 
    with some brocolli, green peppers, scallions. Add a little garlic and 
    ginger, and serve topped with grated cheese.
    
    Another fave is to cook up some lentils and add some curry powder as
    they cook. When done, I toss the whole mess in the blender. I accompany
    it with some plain yogurt to which I add some ginger.
    
    Rice can be used in a variety of economical dishes. I can add some
    tomatoes and peppers for a Spanish-style rice, or some curry for a
    more eastern flavor...
    
    Edd

         Thank you so much for the good ideas!  I especially appreciate the
    long drawn-out (to a non-novice) recipes - I didn't realize, for
    instance, that potatoes blacken if they're peeled (I usually boil them
    up skin and all).
    
         If you have some more recipes, I'd love to have them!
    
         Actually $20 a week doesn't go too far when you include paper
    goods, plastic goods and cat food/litter in there.  I guess there's
    probably only $10-$15 of "people food" in there.  But I do use the
    double coupons at Stop and Shop and I use BJ's when I can - hard
    because you have to buy in bulk and so put out much more (12 rolls of
    papers towels instead of 1, for instance), but usually if I have a
    little extra left over I use it as I save in the long run.  Also
    looking for specials helps.  Last week, for instance, they had Perdue
    leg quarters for 59 cents a pounds - I couldn't resist ;-) !  I hate
    white meat and love dark meat, so I guess I'm at an advantage there.
    
         Keep those recipes coming, if you can, and thanks again!
    
    					- Andrea
                                             

  My favorite eat cheap dinner - covers two nights with one chicken.

   Boil a chicken in water until tender (about 2 hours).  I add
   salt, pepper, and any other spice on the spice rack that seems to smell
   good for chicken.  When chicken is cooked, Remove and cool a bit.  
    (if you are strapped for time you can cook the chicken on the weekend and
     make the meals at night - FAST!)

   I separate the white meat out and throw the dark meat back in the stock,
   bring to a boil and add a package of dumpling noodles - YUM!  I've added
   mushrooms or carrots, or brocolli or whatever else I have had on hand to
   change this around a bit. I've thickened it a bit and served it over biscuits
   or mashed potatoes or just eaten it as "soup" with corn muffins.

   With the white meat I will make FRAJITAS or Chicken Salad or Chinese stir
   fry or whatever else I can think of.  (Frajitas I just stir fry it with
   green peppers and onions with a bit of the broth and serve it on burrito
   shell or corn chips with some sour cream).

   Pretty cheap eating here. And if anyone else has suggestions on other
   things to do with the "white meat" part, I'd love some ideas!

   -Teri (who has learned to make 80% of her evening meals in under a
    half an hour)

    Boy, I have been in your situation many times.  I live week to week.  
    Not pleasant - yet the good thing about it is that I have found some 
    wonderful recipes and I know I CAN survive!
    
    Here is a dish that is hearty - one of my family's favorites and cheap:
    
                      
                          SPAGHETTI A LA CABONNARA
    
    1 lb spaghetti - cooked according to directions on package
    
    1 stick margerine
    1/4 grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
    1/2 lb bacon - fried, drained and crumbled
    4 eggs
    
    Boil spaghetti and drain - put into large serving bowl and mix in the
    stick of margerine.
    
    Fry bacon - drain and crumble.  Scramble eggs (I add a little
    evaporated milk in mine to keep them from being too watery....but that
    is not necessary) in a little of the bacon fat.
    
    Toss the crumbled bacon and scrambled eggs in the spaghetti mixture -
    sprinkle on the grated cheese.  You can also sprinkle on parsley or
    basil if you have it - or chives...any (green) you have on the
    shelf.  When I have had some _extra_ money I have sauteed some
    mushrooms and thrown them in - as well as leaving out the eggs and just
    using bacon, mushrooms and a green vegetable (i.e. broccoli, zucchini,
    green beans or peas).  And, I have served this dish to company - the 
    recipe has been given out many times.
    
    This dish will serve 6 people.  It's good re-heated in the microwave.
    
    
    
    We tend to eat a lot of starch - which can be a problem with weight
    control!  But, when money is very tight you do what you have to do.  
    I find there are endless recipes for spaghetti dishes - or cooking 
    with potatoes.  I always stock up on canned hash, tuna (when it's on 
    sale), macaroni products, canned soups, flour and yeast.  I bake my own 
    bread - I use the canned soups for recipes that include pasta (I'll 
    submit a couple here if you would like) and many times have had eggs, 
    homefries and hash for supper.  As for potatoes....well they are the 
    best thing that was ever invented.  I find for protein I can use one 
    large chicken for about three different meals.  I roast it for Sunday 
    dinner - pick off some of the meat and make a Chicken Paprika and Pasta 
    Casserole (which is WONDERFUL) and then throw the bones in a large pot 
    and make a chicken soup with spinach...and old Italian recipe.  
    
    The list is endless.  If you would like some of these recipes I will be
    happy to enter them for you.
    
    ...now if I could just lose 20 lbs...haha!
    
    Marilyn
    

    
                     CHICKEN PAPRIKA AND PASTA CASSEROLE
    
    1 stick margerine (or butter)
    1 can cream of chicken soup
    1 can tomatoe soup
    1 onion sliced
    2 cloves garlic (sliced or crushed)
    1 green pepper sliced (optional)
    1/2 cup mushrooms sliced (optional)
    1 TBS Paprika
    2 TBS Chili Powder
    1 cup cooked chicken (cut up)
    1 lb spaghetti
    1 package Mozzarella Cheese (optional)
    
    
    Boil spaghetti according to directions on package.
    
    In fry pan melt margerine and saute onions, peppers, garlic, mushrooms
    and add can of tomatoe soup and can of cream of chicken soup.  Stir
    and then add chicken.
    
    Drain spaghetti and put into a 9 x 13 pan - toss in soup mixture. 
    Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Take
    off aluminum foil and put on Mozzarella and bake an additional 10
    minutes or until cheese has melted - but not burned!
    
    Let sit for 10 minutes.  Serves 6 people....and excellent as a left 
    over dish.
    
    This dish is very versatile - and the first time I was served it it had
    sliced green olives in it (yup - green olives).  I left that out of the
    recipe because I don't LIKE green olives and didn't even think of it
    until just now.  The combination of the two soups is good (trust me)
    and I have made this dish WITHOUT THE CHICKEN and was just as good.
    Money was REALLY tight then....
    
    Marilyn
    

    Hello again...
    
    re: potatoes - they only turn black if you peel and cut them and leave
    them out - if you need to do this, put them in a pan of water and they
    won't turn colors on you.  I can't eat many potatoes anyhow since I am
    slightly allergic to them, but when we do have them I don't peel them
    unless the peels are "yucky".
    
    A lot of what I think of as "grandmother food" is cheap to prepare
    (modulo a few ingredients which used to be cheap and are no longer -
    like canned salmon!  Salmon cakes used to be Saturday night dinner when
    I was a kid.) - that's why grandmother cooked those things.  I mean
    things like homemade ravioli (every culture seems to have one of these
    things - pirogen, dumplings, whatever your own grandmother called
    hers), that are mostly flour and water, perhaps an egg, and filled with
    something leftover, like mashed potatoes with sauteed onions, or maybe
    some cheese.  Then you boil the dumplings/raviolis/whatevers until they
    float, and either eat them that way, fry them, or bake them.  I have a
    great pirogen recipe someplace.  They do take a while to make, though!
    
    PS - That lentil and barley soup recipe sounds great!  I'm going to put
    that on the menu for next week, except I think I have some leftover
    chicken in the freezer, so I will probably add that.  I really like
    barley.
    
    /Charlotte

    Ground turkey (or ground chicken) is my latest discovery.  I've always
    hated meatloaf, but really like turkey loaf!  My basic ingredients for
    turkeyloaf are:

    A package of ground turkey
    breadcrumbs
    ketchup/mustard/worcestershire sauce (any or all of these)
    an egg
    spices

    To that I might add:

    a couple cloves of garlic
    a medium onion 
    green pepper
    ground up carrot

    I have a cuisinart, and simply grind all of the veggies into a pulp. 
    Mincing things would probably do the trick too.  The amounts don't seem
    to matter much.  You just mix it all together, add more breadcrumbs if
    everything's too wet (more ketchup/whatever if too dry), and cook it. 
    I usually cook it in the microwave at high for 7 minutes, spread
    ketchup on the top, and cook for another 7 minutes.  The only thing
    I've done to really screw it up is to add too much spice (but I
    *really* overdid it)!

    The recipe mentioned in .10 is something like what I make, only I do it
    with rice, and bake it as a casserole.  Basically:

    1 package ground turkey
    1 green pepper (chopped)
    1 medium onion (chopped)
    2 cloves garlic (minced)
    sliced mushrooms (optional)
    some oil (just enough to keep things from sticking)
    a can of creamed soup (tomato also works well)
    1-2 cups of rice (uncooked)
    about 3/4's the amount of water needed to cook the rice (according to
    	the package)
    frozen and/or fresh veggies (anything works - I like peas)
    spices (e.g. tarragon, basil, garlic powder, oregano) 1-2 tsp?
    Worcestershire sauce (optional)

    Heat the oil, saute the garlic and onion until transparent, add the
    ground turkey, then green pepper and mushroom.  Break up the turkey and
    cook until it looks basically done.  (At this point I always wonder if
    I should drain the liquid, or add it to the dish - comments from anyone
    out there)?  Pre-heat the oven to 350.  Pour the turkey mixture into a
    large casserole dish.  Add the soup, rice, water, spices, veggies and
    anything else.   Mix well, and cook covered for something like 45
    minutes.  Stir it every 20 minutes or so.  I've had a hard time getting
    the amount of water right.  Basically, if you taste it and the rice is
    done but there's still water left, uncover the casserole and let the
    water cook out.  The rice stretches it a long way, and absorbs the
    flavors from everything else.  It freezes very well too.

    Another recipe I like (where ground turkey could be substituted for
    ground beef) is in note #456.1.

    Sorry for the imprecise cooking directions.  What I'm realizing is that
    a little more or less of an ingredient doesn't make a huge difference
    when doing this kind of cooking.  Don't be afraid to be a little
    adventurous.  Once you get the feel of it, you can have a ball!!

    Good luck with everything!  As people have said, you're not the only
    one in this boat!!  Feel free to write if you have any questions.

    Sarah

    Lentils are dirt cheap, and are very nutritious food, easy to digest
    and delicious.
    All types of beans are real bargains.
    Pototoes, about $1, per 10 pound bag, just cannot go wrong!
    
    Potato stew:
    
    2 pounds potatoes, cut in big cubes,
    1 green pepper
    1 onion
    couple cloves garlic, mashed,
    1 bay leaf, some paprika
    1 buillon cube
    
    in heavy pan, fry pepper, onion and garlic, all cut up, till golden,
    add bay leaf, paprika and immediately, 1 quart of water, let it boil,
    add bouillon cube, salt and then add potatoes, cook till tender but not
    too soft.
    
    (this dish can be enhanced by some meat in cubes, or chourizo, or even
    kielbasa sausage; carrots add great flavor, and even some peas add
    color and variety... you can do endless things with potatoes for just a
    few pennies per meal...)
    
    Lots of luck in your cooking, Ana
    

    My mom used to make this alot when we were kids - to help stretch the
    food budget.  Here in N.E. a company called Carl Budig makes packaged
    chipped meats.  Mom would buy that and make a cream sause and serve
    cream chipped beef on toast... otherwise known as... #*#& on a Shingle!
    
    I love that stuff and it's great on potatos, too!  You can also add
    peas or another other type of veggie that you wish.
    
    Rgds,
    marcia

    P.S. - to anybody who hasn't heard that term, I guess I got it's
           nickname because it used to get served in the military alot.
           Hence, the guys gave it the nickname of #&*@ on a Shingle.

    Here's a rat hole -
    
    SOS, as it is affectionately called, is made with ground beef, not
    chipped beef.  It is really good with fresh ground pepper on a cold
    winter morning.  I can remember how good it tasted after a night of
    guard duty.

    
    I guess that depends on whose house you're in!  In my house, SOS was
    ALWAYS made with chipped beef.  And it was delicious!
    
    You guys on guard duty got ground beef, though, huh?  And so it must
    have been a beef gravy instead of a white sauce, then, right?

    re: I can remember how good it tasted after a night of guard duty.
    
    I always knew there had to be somebody who liked it...
    
    SOG too often,
    ed

    re:  last few on SOS
    
    The original recipe was indeed chipped beef in flour gravy on toast.
    
    As I can personally attest from my time in the US Air Force in the 50s,
    the military in its infinite wisdom decided that this would make a
    great breakfast treat for the troops.
    
    But chipped beef is relatively expensive compared to ground beef.  So
    in order to make do with the budgets that the chow halls worked with,
    ground beef was substituted for the chipped beef.  You can imagine the
    first impressions that the troops had upon having this replacement fare
    slopped on their metal serving trays (yes, no plates were involved). 
    It truly did resemble SOS and became a legendary fixture of the
    breakfast menu in all of the service branches
    
    (Mess Sargeant's Barometer of Service = When the troops are griping
    about the quality of food, all is well.  It's when silence descends
    upon the chow hall that you have to be worried about)
    
    Regards, Ken 

re: eating healthy on a budget

actually, you have an opportunity to learn how to be healthy -- something that
most Americans don't learn until it is too late to be of good use.

Eat your starches, especially your whole grains like brown rice, barley,
wheat berries (cook them like a cooked cereal - only approx. 45 minutes).
Grains can be acquired from many co-ops and are generally reasonably priced
when purchased in reasonable bulk.  The same goes for rice.  Use dried
beans and peas in soup and casseroles.  Flavoring for thess dishes can be
celery or onion diced up and added to the pot rather than spices.  The only
spices you really need are black pepper and lite salt (or no salt).  

Eat pasta - simple sauces are fast and easy to make...and lower in fat.

Eat vegetables/fruits, frozen or fresh - whatever you can get - even if it isn't
perfect looking- that makes it cheaper.  Take the bruised fruit and make
cobblers - a simple biscuit dough is easy to learn how to make and can top
almost any fruit that is slices, lightly sugared, and placed in a baking
dish.  Bake until the dough is nice and brown.  

Avoid fats - these will make you fat and clog your arteries - and they are
usually in your most expensive foods like meats/cheese/whole dairy products.
Use a little cheese for flavor, but very little....Buy bones ("for my dog"
works just fine at a butcher shop if you are embarassed), roast them in
the oven until they are nice and brown, put in a big pot with water to cover
and make broth.  Add some carrots and onion for flavor, simmer for 3 -4
hours.  Save in the freezer to add flavor to grains and/or beans.

Buy powdered milk and mix it up 24 HOURS before you drink it.  Chill for 24
hours and it will not have a weird taste.  The one splurge I would recommend
for this is to buy some bottled water to make your milk - it tastes much
better and if you wait 24 hours to drink it, it doesn't have a weird taste.
If it looks too "thin" for you, add more powdered milk than the recipe calls
for - cheap milk and THIS IS BETTER FOR YOU. 

Use 1/2 the fat that any recipe calls for - and use margarine instead of
butter, or when possible, oil.  Canola oil (puritan brand) is cheaper than
olive oil so use it.

Plant some veggies somewhere as soon as you can - tomatoes fresh from the
garden make you feel like royalty...fresh zuchini and other squash are
a find.

I know about this stuff from experience - to this day, I cannot drink whole
or even low-fat milk...I can only stand skimmed milk...it used to be very
cheap.

    How about breakfast?  Cold cereals cost a fortune (somewhat cheaper at
    BJ's) and aren't very filling.  Got to get off to a good start in the
    wee hours.
    
    Oatmeal: Buy traditional, non-quick oatmeal.  Follow package
    instructions.  If you have a microwave, you can make it 1 bowl at a
    time without a messy pot.  Top with yogurt or milk.  Dry-roasted sesame
    seeds (buy the whole-grain sesame at health food stores) make a good
    topping with a little salt.  If you like it sweet, top with brown
    sugar or honey and cinnamon.
    
    Pancakes:  BJ's has Bisquick in the big box and its a good buy.  Or
    make it from scratch - follow any basic recipe.  Add some whole wheat
    flour to the unbleached white to make it more filling and tastier. 
    Since maple syrup is expensive, you can serve pancakes with apple sauce
    or warm homemade fruit compote (see below).  You can safely add extra
    eggs to any recipe.  Just add flour if it gets too thin.
    
    Fruit compote:  Soak dry fruit (your choice) in water with a slice of
    lemon (optional) for a day or so in the refrigerator.  Or simmer for
    about 20 minutes.  This comes out very sweet without added sugar and is
    rich in minerals.
    
    Yogurt smoothie: Excellent for quick starts, pregnant women, and kids. 
    In a blender put 1 cup of plain yogurt with your choice of sweetener
    and fruit.  Such as strawberries, frozen OJ concentrate, wheat germ,
    peaches, banana etc.
    
    Muffins:  Follow any recipe and add whatever sounds tasty for flavor.
    
    Omlette:  Personally, I like it with a tomato-based sauteed vegetable
    mix (such as onions, celery, potatos) topped with grated cheese.
    
    Bread:  Nobody mentioned that you can get it at a big savings at the
    outlet stores, day old.  There are stores in New Hampshire in Candia,
    downtown Derry (closes at 5 pm), and on Danial Webster Highway
    northbound, north of the Hudson bridge.
    
    Biscuits:  If you have Bisquick, follow the box instructions.
    
    Fruit salad:  Peel and cut up oranges and grapefruit.  Add chunks of
    whatever else is reasonably priced.  Add a little apple juice to
    sweeten, if necessary.  

    Speaking of Breakfasts...
    Buy some "JIFFY" muffin mixes from Shaws. (they are in blue and white
    boxes and are about 3 for a buck)  These can be used to make muffins or 
    pancakes.  (I have had more success with these little mixes than with 
    Bisquick, and they already have (fake) apples or blueberries in them.)
    
    JIFFY also sells piecrust mixes.  Use one or two boxes (33 cents each) 
    to make a pie crust for the stews that you make out of your leftovers.
    Instant Turkey pie, Beef Pot Pie or whatever. Yum!  
    
    Sometimes they even sell 33 cent brownie mixes - not the best, but its 
    still a treat when your on a budget! 
    
    

    And speaking of dinners.... 
    
    My old roomate and I lived through some EXTREME times of POVERTY. 
    Here's some of the meals we considered FEASTS!
    
    CHILI BURGERS
    along the lines of sloppy joes.  fry up the burger (sometimes we would
    have a pound - sometimes we wouldn't) drain off the grease and put meat
    back into the frying pan, add a can of baked beans and then
    a can of tomatoe soup.   Mix it all together and simmer about 10
    minutes.  Serve with hamburger buns. (or hot dog buns, or plain bread,
    or over baked potatoes, or even by itself - depending on that week's
    paycheck!)
    
    STUFFED HOTDOGS (my personal favorite!) 
    Boil some hotdogs for a short time.  Take out of water and slice them
    the long way.  Put the hotdogs on a baking tray, sliced side up.  Fill
    the slices with cheese (you only need a few slices of sandwich cheese
    for all the hotdogs) Then top off with chopped onion and barbecue
    sauce.  Bake the dogs at about 350 until the cheese melts (only
    minutes!)  Really good with or without buns!!!  Can use just about any
    topping you have around.  leftover bacon bits from breakfast, or salsa 
    sauce instead of barbecue - possibilities are endless!!!  (^;
    
    GOOD OLE STIR FRY!
    We never had the time or desire to spend time cutting up anything for 
    dinner.  We used a bag of frozen mixed veggies (preferably something
    with broccoli and carrots and especially one that was on sale!) and 
    threw int he precut "stir-fry" beef or chicken from Shaws (about $1.90
    a package) threw in a can of chicken broth and maybe some cornstarch to
    thicken it up... added some soy sauce (if we had it) and then threw the
    whole mess over some minute rice. 

    CHICKEN PARMESAN ( a 'cheap' imitation of the real thing!)
    
    Make your own spahgetti sauce and freeze in serving size portions - or
    buy a jar of plain sauce on sale.  Look for store brand or generic
    breaded chicken "strips" "fingers" or "nuggets" (whatever) that seem like 
    a pretty good price.  (Market Basket had Maple Farms Chicken Strips/box
    of 12 for $1.29 - and they are pretty good too!)
    Anyway, cook your pasta - cook your sauce and bake chicken according to
    box directions.  When chicken is done add to sauce.  Mix the sauce and
    chicken up and heat for a few more minutes.  Serve Sauce/Chicken over
    pasta with bread - tastes great and REALLY fills ya up!
    
    NOTE ABOUT BREAD:  More than a few people have replied with making your
    own bread - another idea is that some supermarkets (Shaws) sell FROZEN
    BREAD DOUGH in pkgs of 5 or 6 loaves.  They are already shaped like
    bread.  All you do is thaw and let rise - then bake.  I think they
    taste pretty darn close to homeade and are alot easier and risk-free. 
    And the pkg of 5 or 6 is only about $2.00 - not too shabby! 

    If you have freezer space and don't want to make bread there are a lot
    of retail bread outlets that sell day old bread.  Most of it
    is great and at half price, too.  (And it's better to freeze day old
    bread than fresh bread anyway.)
    
    ed

    Who carries bread loafs that you can cook? 
    
    REK

    I thought most large grocery stores carry bread loaves that you could
    cook.  In the freezer section.
    
    ed

         Stop and Shop had some pizza dough the other day that I tried and
    it was *good*.  I made a mistake and thought the dough was only for one
    pizza, so the crust was twice as thick as it should have been ;-) .
    
         So for the next time I get it, can I freeze the other half of the
    dough before it's risen again?  Or should I make the pizza, but freeze
    it before I bake it?  Or should I bake it and then freeze it ?
    
         Thanks!
    
    					- Andrea
    

    To The Original Noter, Andrea:  Glad you brought this topic up.
    I've gotten some really good ideas from this note.
    
    Also,
    
    To .28, Marilyn,
    
    I made the Chicken Paprika with Pasta Casserole this weekend and
    it really was a very tasty dish.  I can see I will be making it again.
    Thanks.
    
    
    
    Amelia

I love to cook cheaply even when I don't have to - I consider it a challenge!
There's a lot of good ideas here.   If you can possibly stretch it, try to
stock up on staples when they are priced very low (i.e. pasta sometimess goes
on sale 4 1-lb boxes/$1, chicken leg 1/4's for 39cents/lb, etc).


Here's one of my family's favorites cheap meals:

Macaroni and Beef Casserole

1 pkg (6-7oz) macaroni and cheese (Kraft or equiv)
1 lb. ground hamburger or turkey
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 C chopped onion

Brown hamburger and onion.  Drain off any excess fat.  Stir in the cream of
mushroom soup and about 1/2 C of milk.   Meanwhile, prepare macaroni and
cheese according to package instructions.   In 1.5 quart casserole, layer
1/2 the mac & cheese then 1/2 the hamburger mixture, repeat.  Bake, uncovered
at 350 for 30 minutes.  Serves 5.  Serve with a green vegetable for color.
Cost: ~$3                                                           

Carol

    This is another inexpensive and good [not to mention quick] meal.
    
    Packaged Turkey Sauage [I use Perdue; it' very good]
    Green Pepper
    Onion
    Mushrooms if you like them...
    
    Brown all of the above together... sauteeing the veggies til they're
    tender.
    
    The above can be served with pasta shells or rice.  I use the boxed
    packages-- either Lipton or Uncle Ben's rice varieties.
    
    Another variation on the above is to add some shredded cheese to the
    sausage combination and then definitely serve on pasta.
    

    
    What about Ramen noodles?  When I first tried them I wondered how
    anyone could expect to make a profit marketing them.  Then I was
    introduced to the creative genius of a co-worker.
    
    Break a square of noodles, until you're satisfied, into a bowl (or 
    saucepan) and cover with boiling water.  If you have a microwave, nuke
    them for about a minute, if not then boil em'.  Mix in one egg and the 
    seasoning packet, cook for another minute or so.  Drain out the water,
    mix and viola! a tasty meal.  Being the growing boy that I am I usually
    cook up 2 packages and double everything except the time which should
    only be 1 1/2.  I haven't tried it yet but I imagine you could add just
    about any kind of cooked veggie or meat.
    
    I find that when I'm in a real pinch for $ as well as time this fills
    in very nicely.  Ramen Noodles are sometimes as cheap as .10 a package
    and get this....can even be eaten raw as a snack.  Just open the
    package and munch on em' like you would potatoe chips.  They won't
    stick to your teeth like pasta and the seasoning packet could be used
    elsewhere.  They are kind of bland that way but once you acquire the taste,
    you'll think regular snacks chips are just too "much".
    
    I also agree with the "buy in bulk, freeze, and cook ahead" crowd.  I 
    guess my mom knew what she was doing when she taught my three brothers
    and me how to cook.  I couldn't imagine what my food bill would look
    like if I was a "buy it prepared, single serving, just heat and serve"
    kind of guy.  I've got better things to do with my $$.
    
    David

    
    Jeez, I was just going to enter a note suggesting the Ramen 
    noodles.   Great idea for a novice cook with little money..
    
    Another easy thing to try would be to start with some canned soup
    and add things to make a it fuller and suitable to a meal.
    For example, add cooked rice to canned tomato soup...served with a 
    grilled cheese sandwich and some fruit or applesauce would make
    a nice meal.   Or add some frozen mixed vegetables and maybe some
    cooked, diced potatoes to Campbell's cheddar cheese soup...served
    with a salad and some french bread...yum.
    
    

    We keep this stuff around all the time.  It's cheaper than the Swiss
    Miss type mixes, and we also think it's better.
    
                                Cocoa Mix
    8 oz. Coffee Mate
    6 oz. Nestle's Quik
    1 lb. powdered sugar
    1 8-qt. pkg. nonfat dry milk
    
    Mix all ingredients and store in an air-tight container.
    
    Put 6 Tbsp. of mix into a 12-oz coffee mug, and fill mug with boiling
    water.
    
    Steve

	It took a while, but here are the the recipes I promised.
	The first one is the basic chicken mix that is used in the
	other recipes.  I'll enter the other recipes as separate
	replies.  

	This has been a real time saver - it defrosts quickly in 
	the microwave and you get what my husband calls "real food" 
	without a lot of time after work and no fancy expensive 
	prepackaged foods.  Serve them with salad, rolls and you've 
	got a great meal.

	Enjoy ----	 Conni



		Freezer Chicken Mix	3 meals, 4-8 servings each

	5-6 lbs chicken, cut up [I take the skin off before cooking]
	3 parsley sprigs
	3 stalks celery
	3 carrots
	1 medium onion, sliced
	2 tsp seasoned salt  [I skip this]
	1/2 tsp pepper
	water to cover

	1 3/4 cup water
	1 cup flour
	2 tsp salt
	1/2 tsp pepper
	
	Place chicken, giblets, carrots, celery, onion, seasoned salt
	and 1/2 tsp pepper in large pot.  Add plent of water, enough 
	to cover.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 
	til chicken is done, about 45-60 minutes.  Remove chicken from 
	broth, refrigerate until cool.

	Remove chicken from skin/bones; cut into pieces.  Cover and 
	refrigerate while preparing sauce.  Strain broth; pour 6 cups
	into 3-qt saucepan.  Shake water, flour, salt/pepper in tightly
	covered container; gradually stir into broth.  Heat to boiling,
	stirring constantly.  Boil 1 minute.  Divide cooked chicken
	among 3 1-qt freezer containers (about 2 cups chicken each).
	Pour 2 cups sauce over each.  Cover, label and freeze no longer 
	than 4 months.  This can be used in Chicken Chowder, Chicken-
	Broccoli Deluxe, and Chicken ala King.

	MY NOTES:  Go easy on the spices/herbs when you make the base,
	add your own touch to the specific dishes to keep this versatile.
	I tend to make the sauce a little thicker than they say by 
	adding a little corn starch too.  Because we want to cut down
	on our fat consumption, I usually chill the broth over night
	and skim off all the fat before I make the sauce.  I usually
    	freeze this in plastic bags (and re-use them!) so I don't tie
        up all my containers.  If you remember to pop a container in
    	the fridge in the morning, you'll cut down on dinner prep-time
        even more.

			Chicken Chowder

	1 container Freezer Chicken mix (see 2860.53)
	1 can small white potatoes 
	     [or cut up some fresh ones and nuke them first]
	1 can (12 oz) kernal corn with peppers
	6 cups milk
	1 Tbsp dried parsley
	1/2 tsp paprika
	salt/pepper to taste

	Dip container of Freezer Chicken into hot water to loosen.
	Heat frozen block in 4-qt dutch oven over medium heat, stirring
	occasionally, until thawed - about 30 minutes.  Stir in potatoes,
	corn (with liquid), milk, parsley, salt/pepper.  Heat over
	medium heat, stirring occasionally, veggies are heated through.

	MY NOTES:  Sometimes I just dump in a bag of mixed frozen
	veggies instead of the cans, or use whatever happens to be
	left over from the night before.  I also add a little sage
	and sometimes sprinkle some crumbled bacon on the top.


                                                    

			Chicken a la King

	1 container Freezer Chicken mix (see 2860.53)
	1 4-oz can mushroom stems/pieces
	1 2-oz jar pimiento
	1 small green pepper, chopped
	1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
	noodles, rice, or patty shells

	Dip container of Freezer Chicken mix into hot water to 
	loosen.  Heat frozen block in 3-qt saucepan over medium 
	heat until thawed, about 30 minutes.  Stir in mushrooms 
	(with liquid), pimiento (with liquid) and green pepper.  
	Heat to boiling, reduce heat.  Cover and simmer until 
	chicken is hot and pepper is tender, about 8-10 minutes.  
	Stir in wine if desired.  Serve over noodles, shells or
	rice.

                                                    

			Chicken Broccoli Deluxe

	1 container Freezer Chicken mix (see 2860.53)
	1 cup dairy sour cream
	1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives [I leave this out]
	1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
	2 10-oz packages frozen broccoli (spears or cut up)
	1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

	Dip container of Freezer Chicken in hot water to loosen.
	Heat frozen block in 3-qt saucepan over medium heat,
	stirring occasionally, until thawed, about 30-minutes.
	Heat to boiling, boil 1 minute.  Reduce heat, stir in
	sour cream, olives, nutmeg and heat until just hot.

	Cook broccoli according to package directions, drain.
	Arrange broccoli in ungreased 12x8x2 baking dish.  Pour
	chicken mix over broccoli, sprinkle with cheese.  Broil
	for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is light brown.

                                           

    Somebody earlier mentioned Soup Plus.  This is a universal food.
    
    To canned chicken soup you can add bits of leftover meat, pasta, and
    vegetables for a complete meal.  I like mine seasoned with pesto sauce
    (sold in deli case).  Every culture has its own styles of seasonng. 
    This is also quick and easy.
    
    We also like meatballs in beef gravy.  I mix ground beef wth
    breadcrumbs, an egg, and seasoning (salt, pepper, and whatever - such
    as oregano).  Brown meatballs in frying pan in a bit of oil.  When
    browned outside add a can of beef broth to complete cooking.  Before
    pouring in pan, mix broth with 1 tablespoon cornstarch.  This will
    thicken as you cook without lumping.  Serve over noodles or rice.

    Grease a casserole dish.  Toss in a couple cans of cream of mushroom
    soup, about 3/4 can of milk, add chicken, peas-salt-pepper (optional)
    add 1/2 can durkee dried onions.  cook at 350 for 30 minutes cover 
    top of casserole with other 1/2 of onions and cook another 5 minutes.