Recession dishes

Greyghost inspired me with his Chicken ala Cheap. What are some recipes you use when there is too much month left at the end of your money? I'll start:
 
Pork Tenderloins (called pork steaks also)
     These are the small pork steaks that have been run through the tenderizer. Super cheap.
 
Mix flour, salt and pepper as for fried chicken. Dredge pork cutlets. Sprinkle lightly with water and dredge again.
 
Fry until done  and have a crispy crust(just a few minutes) in half vegetable oil and half bacon grease.
 
I serve this with a baked sweet potato and some greens.
 
Very cheap and good. The potato and greens are so good for you that they make up for the bacon grease.
 

I love comfort food at this time of the year:

chili

potatoes and onions

.........stuff like that.....

Soup made from chicken thigh broth with drop dumplings.

Casseroles are always good and cheap to make. 
 
My favorite is to brown about a pound of ground beef add flour and liquid (milk or stock) as if to make S.O.S, and layer it between slices of potatoes and thinly sliced onions.
 
Or brown off some cubed chicken then add salt, pepper, sliced onions or powder and garlic or powder, cumin, sliced squash (your favorite), stewed tomatoes drained and chopped and a can of Mexicorn, cook uncovered until squash is tender and it dries out a little.  With corn tortillas it makes pretty good tacos and it is even kind of healthy for you, it has very little fat.
 
joe

Breakfast for dinner is always a tasty option.

When money was tight when I was a kid, I thought having French Toast, or pancakes, or BLTs, or scrambled eggs or oatmeal/cream of wheat were special treats, not because we couldn't afford other things. I only found that out years later, after the tough times had passed.

I still love it, though.

BTW - the cream of what/oatmeal/cream of rice/Malt-O Meal was a dessert - we would have small bowls of it, then sprinkle the tiniest bit of sugar, and then a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the middle. Sometimes berries were added, and/or a sprinkle of malt powder. We never knew it was an odd dessert until much later. LOL

Also - mac & cheese with peas and ham
veggie chop suey
hot dogs
sandwiches
potatoes of any sort
meatloaf made "heftier" by adding mushrooms and soda crackers
Soup - especially tomato with a toasted cheese on the side, and toast with cream of mushroom soup poured over it

My wife loves her grilled cheese sandwich plunked in the middle of a bowl of tomato soup.  She has loved this treat since she was a wee one.

We're eating vegetarian dinners twice a week.  Tonight it's roasted veggies.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare root and other vegetables of your choice.  We've used rutabaga, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and winter squash.  Cut everything into pieces roughly one to two square inches.  Add a little oil, about half a sliced onion, and fresh (or dried) herbs of your choice.  We're using rosemary tonight because that's the only fresh herb available in our garden this time of the year.  A garlic clove, or several, wouldn't hurt.  Roast the veggies for an hour, or longer if they aren't tender after the first hour.  Fifteen or twenty minutes before the veggies are done, toss in some raw nuts -- pecans or walnuts work well.

Thyme is the only survivor in our garden at the moment.

Most comfort food is actually inexpensive.  Breakfast for supper is a great idea.  Chili, ham and beans, etc, any kind of soup often is cheap to make.

last night was chicken and rice, baked in the oven, served with a salad.  Tonight, it's pot roast; I bought a 3 lb. chuck roast on sale for a total of about $6.  Potatoes, carrots, and onions are not luxury items either.

good eatin' isn't always expensive...

one of the local grocery stores has fresh blackberries on sale this week for $.99 per half pint, or $2 per pint; limit 4.  I've been back twice to stock up on more; the kids and I have been eating them like popcorn!  Makes us wish for summer!

NYPIzzaNut


My wife loves her grilled cheese sandwich plunked in the middle of a bowl of tomato soup.  She has loved this treat since she was a wee one.

That sounds incredibly good.  So much so that I am surprised that some diner or restaurant hasn't thought of this. The ultimate soup & sandwich combination!!! Grilled Cheese in Tomato Soup!!! I'm going to steal that idea and charge good money.

mark

doggydaddy

NYPIzzaNut


My wife loves her grilled cheese sandwich plunked in the middle of a bowl of tomato soup.  She has loved this treat since she was a wee one.

That sounds incredibly good.  So much so that I am surprised that some diner or restaurant hasn't thought of this. The ultimate soup & sandwich combination!!! Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup!!! I'm going to steal that idea and charge good money.

mark

You are joking, right?

Tomato soup and grilled cheese (or 1/2 a grilled cheese) is a diner staple, as well as on many, many luncheon menus.
The idea is far from new.

There is a forum topic titled "Depression Era Recipes" for those interested in some inexpensive recipes.

David O.

X1

doggydaddy

NYPIzzaNut


My wife loves her grilled cheese sandwich plunked in the middle of a bowl of tomato soup.  She has loved this treat since she was a wee one.

That sounds incredibly good.  So much so that I am surprised that some diner or restaurant hasn't thought of this. The ultimate soup & sandwich combination!!! Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup!!! I'm going to steal that idea and charge good money.

mark

You are joking, right?

Tomato soup and grilled cheese (or 1/2 a grilled cheese) is a diner staple, as well as on many, many luncheon menus.
The idea is far from new.

...I didn't know that ...my wife's mom made that for her whilst she was growing up ...they couldn't afford to go to diners...

 Ground chuck was on sale at one of the better grocery store last week, and I mean the meat is fantastic, at 1.99lb-and I stocked up. This week chuck roasts are on sale-so I will buy a couple....

NYPIzzaNut

X1

doggydaddy

NYPIzzaNut


My wife loves her grilled cheese sandwich plunked in the middle of a bowl of tomato soup.  She has loved this treat since she was a wee one.

That sounds incredibly good.  So much so that I am surprised that some diner or restaurant hasn't thought of this. The ultimate soup & sandwich combination!!! Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup!!! I'm going to steal that idea and charge good money.

mark

You are joking, right?

Tomato soup and grilled cheese (or 1/2 a grilled cheese) is a diner staple, as well as on many, many luncheon menus.
The idea is far from new.

...I didn't know that ...my wife's mom made that for her whilst she was growing up ...they couldn't afford to go to diners...

I said *IS* a staple on diner/luncheon menus. I have no idea if is *WAS* a staple during the Depression.
I grew up with it in my home, as did my Mother and her Grandmother. Your point?

I have to make points here?

For  a newbie you seem kind of pushy, eh?  Notch it down a bit mi amigo - you will live longer and enjoy life more here and there.

My mom made me a lot of hoagies, with tomato sauce and scrambled eggs all cooked together.  Yummy!

NYPIzzaNut


For  a newbie you seem kind of pushy, eh?  Notch it down a bit mi amigo - you will live longer and enjoy life more here and there.

He joined on 3/7/08 and you joined on 3/8/08 so it looks like you're the newbie. ROFLMAO   Good thing I don't suffer from cabin fever. Some of you just crack me up.

NYPIzzaNut


For  a newbie you seem kind of pushy, eh?  Notch it down a bit mi amigo - you will live longer and enjoy life more here and there.

Was this directed at me? If so -

I can't help it if you you have reading comprehension problems. Don't blame that on me. I'm not "pushy" - sorry you read it that way.

Don't tell me to "notch it down", please. You are not a Mod.

And, as pointed out - I joined here a day before you. I just haven't posted as much. I don't need to have a high post count to pad my ego.

One final note, as many here will tell you, because they've met me IRL - I am most definitely female.

I think your   comments are kind of mean-spirited but maybe I am not understanding your point.  I have never seen this on any menu in any restaurant where I have lived over the many decades of my life. 

You need a high post count to pad your ego here?  That is kind of a strange thing to say methinks.

I love the IRL thing - pretty nifty -  took me a mom to figure it out. 

NYPIzzaNut


My wife loves her grilled cheese sandwich plunked in the middle of a bowl of tomato soup.  She has loved this treat since she was a wee one.

 
I think this is what doggydaddy picked up on.

...doggydaddy sounds like one sharp cookie..

Wow, I'm impressed I inspired something. Lots of good ideas here, discounting the late snippiness. Great ideas, I am looking for more.

My favorite thing in th world was when Mom baked a pie-along with what she was doing, she would take whatever dough was left, put it in a mini pie pan and line it with cheese-not cheap stuff, but cheddar, colby or whatever.Bake at 350 till cheese melts. What a treat!

John A

NYPIzzaNut


My wife loves her grilled cheese sandwich plunked in the middle of a bowl of tomato soup.  She has loved this treat since she was a wee one.

 
I think this is what doggydaddy picked up on.

I guess it's what "plunked" means. I took it to mean "dipped", not actually throwing the whole sandwich in the bowl. Even still - tomato soup and grilled cheese is not a rarity on a diner menu.
doggydaddy did not, in fact, say yet if he was joking, and I was sorta hoping he would have chimed in by now to say he was.

annpeeples


My favorite thing in th world was when Mom baked a pie-along with what she was doing, she would take whatever dough was left, put it in a mini pie pan and line it with cheese-not cheap stuff, but cheddar, colby or whatever.Bake at 350 till cheese melts. What a treat!

Hi ann! Hope you're feeling better these days!

Next time you do this - add bacon. I  know, everything's better with bacon, right? LOL
But this is really good. Mitsuwa in IL has a bakery that sells bread braids - and braided into the sticks are slices of bacon. Sheer Nirvana! I got Mr & Mrs MFL, ChuckL40 and Gyp hooked!

A stir-fry with lots of cheap veggies

Stuffed Cabbage, using rice and a little meat

We eat a lot of bone-in Chicken breasts, which I save up in the freezer for soup and/or stew

I make my own sausages...probably as cheap; certainly much healthier (usually make patties because it's easier).  Along this line, I but top round when on deep sale.  Freeze it.  either cook as a steak (marinade) or grind it up for burgers. It's susally cheaper than good hamburg, even if hamburg is on sale

We tend to eat "what's on sale" rather then "what do you want for dinner"

The all-time, big time, tasty............Rice(cooked with broth) with veggies thrown in where needed, and a tiny amount of meat.  Home-made bread on the side, and a salad

As my grandmother used to say...no scrapping now you kids!!

Pasta, rice and potato dishes are always pretty cheap and easy

Like FriedClamFanatic, I love rice in chicken or beef broth, with Kefalotiri or a sharp Parm/Parm-Reg grated over it. Same with pasta.

I like plain pasta drizzled with olive oil and tossed with peas, carrots and corn, too. And the ever-present grated cheese.

For kids - a cheap fun (but not exactly healthy) dish is mini pigs in a blanket. My sister makes them on Friday nights when they go out and get a baby sitter, instead of ordering pizza. The kids are just as happy, if not more. They get ketchup and melted cheese as "dips".

I also enjoy a simple meal of bread, cheese and olives. Wine, too, if I'm in the mood.

Jambalaya or Gumbo are good, hearty dishes, and taste better as leftovers, too.