What's your favorite "the economy's in the toilet, I need to save my pennies" cheapo recipe?

Oh, so sometimes she may add an ***, too? .......

Ok, who banned the word for what comes out of a chicken?

 
Traca posted a nice soup at #12186

You can get many meals out of it. I got 12, 21-25 shrimp at the market for $4.86 add a bit butter garlic pepper etc made some rice with roasted vegs.

 
I make a great Greek Lemon Soup that is a real budget stretcher from the

Silver Palate Good Times cookbook. Chicken stock, eggs, lemon juice. When it's done I add a nice dose of lemon peppper.

 
And I make a meal out of PatNoCal's Oriental Salad...that sustained me through college, for sure!

If I was particularly flush with cash, I maybe added a rotisserie chicken. Big flavor on the dressing.

 
Do you mean this Surprise Coleslaw Traca? If so, I agree, it makes alot, which is nice.

Surprise Coleslaw

1/2 medium cabbage, shredded (2mm Cuisinart disk)
3 to 4 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted*
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted*
1 pkg Top Ramen noodles, or any brand (chicken is best), uncooked and crushed

Toss salad and then add enough dressing to moisten well. Note: You may not need to add all of the dressing.

Dressing:
1 pkg flavoring mix from Ramen noodles (chicken flavor is best)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup oil (I like Canola)
3 tbsp cider vinegar

To toast almonds and sesame seeds: in 350 degree oven on cookie sheet or in dry skillet on stove. Watch closely so they don’t burn.

Optional: can also add chunks of cooked chicken breast

********************************************
Traca: I have a version I like a lot... This is a modified version of the Surprise Coleslaw recipe that's been around the swap for ages (Pat drew my attention to the original--thanks Pat!)

I usually make up a big batch of dressing (4-8 times this). The salad keeps really well for days.
Here's my version:

Dressing:
1 pkg flavoring mix from chicken Ramen noodles
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp seasoning salt (I like McCormicks Season All seasoned salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp dark sesame oil (quality matters here. I use Yeo's Pure Sesame Oil found at Asian Markets – every other kind I've used pales in comparison)
3 tbsp apple cider

Whisk all the ingredients together. For a variation, I sometimes add 2-3 tbsp orange juice (I like Dole's pineapple/orange/banana)

Salad:
1/2 medium green cabbage, shredded
1/4 medium purple cabbage, shredded
3-4 green onions, chopped fine
2 heads of brocoli, separated into bite sized pieces
3-4 carrots, shredded
add cooked turkey or chicken

Garnish:
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (I usually skip the almonds. The salad is already really crunchy and the almonds are often the most expensive part of the salad)1 pkg Top Ramen noodles, uncooked and crushed (I have tried ramen from the Asian market and find Top Ramen noodles have a better consistency, especially after you add the dressing)

Variations: I also will often add red peppers & tomatoes. If I add orange juice to the dressing, I also add orange segments.

 
Andrea, I think whole chickens are a great budget stretcher. You can do so much with them....

and depending on how many you're serving you can roast more than one at the same time then use any leftovers for casseroles, soups, chicken salad sandwiches, or include in salads like the Surprise Coleslaw recipe below, or a cobb salad, etc. If you pick up whole chickens when they're on sale you can save a bundle, and then freeze for future use.

 
Baked potatoes are inexpensive and can be topped with so many things, like

chili con carne topped with grated cheese and chopped onion, becomes an easy tasty meal.

 
A big pot of chili goes a long way, like this: Rec: Chasen's Restaurant Chili

Chasen's Restaurant Chili

1/2 lb. pinto beans, washed and soaked overnight (or use canned pinto beans to save time)
5 cups canned tomatoes (one large and one small can)
1 lb. chopped green peppers
1-1/2 tbsp salad oil
1-1/2 lbs. chopped onions
2 crushed garlic cloves (I used more)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3 tbsp butter (original recipe was 1/2 cup butter)
1 lb. lean ground pork
2-1/2 lbs. lean ground chuck
1/3 cup Gebhardt’s chili powder (I used slightly less)
2 tbsp salt (or less)
1-1/2 tsp. black pepper
1-1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1-1/2 tsp. Accent (I didn’t use)

Wash beans, soak overnight in water. Simmer and cover in same water until tender. Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Saute the green peppers in oil for 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until tender, stirring often. Add garlic and parsley. Saute the pork and beef in butter for 15 minutes. Add the meat to the vegetable mixture, stir in the chili powder, and cook for 10 minutes. Then put in the beans and spices and simmer, covered, for 1 hr. Uncover the pot and simmer for another 30 minutes. Skim off any fat. Serves 8.

Pat’s notes: Very good chili. Sometimes I just use a large can of pinto beans instead, works great.

 
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