What’s your favorite quick and cheap supper

[Lpherr]

I thought this was supposed to be cheap and easy supper.
Some of you get pretty extravagant, and I would like to be invited for supper at those places.

We recently found a new Chinese establishment that has excellent food and large portions for the money.
We can get three entrees, that include a bowl of soup choice, and an egg roll for $20.

We have the biscuits and gravy occasionally, we just had hamburger casserole last night, and planning omelets tonight. We have 1-1/2 dozen eggs that need used.
We get a decent price on NY strips, so we fit those in, with a loaded baked potato, and a large garden salad. We can each have a 12oz steak dinner for less than $25.
We also keep some breaded shrimp in the freezer, just in case.

 

[AtTheMurph]

Making a batch of what we call goulash, though I would share. This has been a staple in our family for years, it’s what dad makes, gets even better the next day, I like mine with some Tabasco.
Pound of burger, pound of elbow macaroni and 4 cans of tomato soup. View attachment 177087 View attachment 177088 View attachment 177089

You should all be in jail for making such a thing.

 

[AtTheMurph]

$3 jacks Pizza with green olives, mushrooms and crushed red pepper along with an expensive bottle of red wine. But the last part is optional.

 

[Zeb]

Buffalo chicken strips

 

[jwamplerusa]

Oh yeah! We had gravy of some sort almost every day when I was a kid. I don’t know how mom did it, but she would fry bologna and make gravy to put over toast. Various gravies and hotdogs were the bulk of the meals growing up, and when mom would fry burger patties with gravy, it was like we were kings!

Those sound good.

That brings back a lot of memories. When I was in Boy Scouts back in the 70's we always took along Dinty Moore on the campouts, especially winter/fall campouts.

This^^^^!!!

 

[tomcat13]

A couple potatoes cut up and fried in olive oil. Usually throw in an egg or two.

Add Cubed Spam while frying those taters & this was a Weekly Regular, when I was a Youngin! Eggs, if any were available.

 

[Nazgul]

Nothing better than stealth bombing a kroger when it's crowded! The aftermath is phenomenal.

When my oldest was about 13 we were in the grocery store and I crop-dusted an aisle. We hurried into the next aisle and heard a lady say "OMG!! What is that stink??".

25 years later she still tells that story.

Don

 

[Super Bee]

I still love the fried chicken Hungry Man TV dinners.

The wife also makes what we call "Churched Up Hamburgers". About 20 years ago she offered to make Salisbury Steak. It was a hamburger patty with brown gravy and a couple cans of sliced mushrooms. I told her "this isnt Salisbury Steak, this is just a churched up hamburger." I got the look. . . but the name stuck.

 

[jerrob]

I remember going grocery shopping in the mid 80's with a $30/week budget. I was making $7/hour and was wondering if leaving the Army during a recession was a good idea.
The bulk of my budget was spent at the worst grocery store around, Save-A-Lot. Every meal I ate that year could've made this thread...........................hard times build character.....................and keeps ya skinny.

 

[Jaybird1980]

$3 jacks Pizza with green olives, mushrooms and crushed red pepper along with an expensive bottle of red wine. But the last part is optional.

So you call out the abomination called goulash (rightfully so btw), and then turn around and talk about adding green olives to something?

WTH.

 

[Jaybird1980]

I remember going grocery shopping in the mid 80's with a $30/week budget. I was making $7/hour and was wondering if leaving the Army during a recession was a good idea.
The bulk of my budget was spent at the worst grocery store around, Save-A-Lot. Every meal I ate that year could've made this thread...........................hard times build character.....................and keeps ya skinny.

When I met my wife I had mustard, summer sausage, and beer in the fridge, that's it.

Making $12/hr as an apprentice and I wasn't spending much of it on food.

 

[El Conquistador]

Oh yeah! We had gravy of some sort almost every day when I was a kid. I don’t know how mom did it, but she would fry bologna and make gravy to put over toast. Various gravies and hotdogs were the bulk of the meals growing up, and when mom would fry burger patties with gravy, it was like we were kings!

Oh I remember the bologna gravy days

 

[Lpherr]

I remember going grocery shopping in the mid 80's with a $30/week budget. I was making $7/hour and was wondering if leaving the Army during a recession was a good idea.
The bulk of my budget was spent at the worst grocery store around, Save-A-Lot. Every meal I ate that year could've made this thread...........................hard times build character.....................and keeps ya skinny.

That is almost a carbon copy of us in the mid '80's, with the exceptions of there were two of us, wasn't in the Army, and we shopped at Aldi's. that's when Aldi's was cheap eats.
We had a $30 budget on $7 an hour. We ate a lot of canned chicken and dumplings, and the box mixes similar to HB Helper without hamburger. Had to drink spoiled milk (chunks and all) on a few occasions.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

So you call out the abomination called goulash (rightfully so btw), and then turn around and talk about adding green olives to something?

WTH.

Our grandkids love green olives right out of the jar. I used to like them when I was a kid too, but now I'm with you...

 

[Jaybird1980]

Our grandkids love green olives right out of the jar. I used to like them when I was a kid too, but now I'm with you...

My kids and wife like them also, I can't look at them for a week after they eat them.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

That is almost a carbon copy of us in the mid '80's, with the exceptions of there were two of us, wasn't in the Army, and we shopped at Aldi's. that's when Aldi's was cheap eats.
We had a $30 budget on $7 an hour. We ate a lot of canned chicken and dumplings, and the box mixes similar to HB Helper without hamburger. Had to drink spoiled milk (chunks and all) on a few occasions.

I still shop at Aldi. Was just there tonight as a matter of fact. Dad always liked them for their produce and I will get some of it (like salad mix, baby carrots, etc.) but mainly shop for staples there. I do like their selection of cheeses. It's surprisingly good. They're owned by the same company that owns Trader Joe's, so I think that's why they tend to have some of the more "gourmet" food items at a much lower price.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

My kids and wife like them also, I can't look at them for a week after they eat them.

I remember when I worked at TGI Fridays back in the mid 80's to early 90's and we used to put them in our tuna salad mix (for tuna melts) and we had a 1 gallon jar that had gone bad. Just the smell of that when I opened it put me off of them for good! (No, we didn't serve them. )

 

[Lpherr]

I still shop at Aldi. Was just there tonight as a matter of fact. Dad always liked them for their produce and I will get some of it (like salad mix, baby carrots, etc.) but mainly shop for staples there. I do like their selection of cheeses. It's surprisingly good. They're owned by the same company that owns Trader Joe's, so I think that's why they tend to have some of the more "gourmet" food items at a much lower price.

They've changed substantially since the '80's. They now carry a lot of health type foods, and have a better quality overall.
We still stop by there once in a while, and it isn't for chicken and dumplings, or the nasty box stuff.

 

[Mongo59]

1 box of the cheapest mac and cheese you can get. Powder cheese not sauce.
1 jar spagetti sauce
1 pound hamburger

brown the burger while the mac is cooking, when the burger and the mac are done drain and put back in same skillet, add spagetti sauce, mix, add cheese powder and stir well. Ready to eat...

 

[DoggyDaddy]

They've changed substantially since the '80's. They now carry a lot of health type foods, and have a better quality overall.
We still stop by there once in a while, and it isn't for chicken and dumplings, or the nasty box stuff.

Agreed. I find a lot of their stuff to be very good. My weekly shopping is split between them and Kroger. I just picked up some wings tonight (they've been out my last few trips). I just made some of Kroger's wings last weekend and they were tiny. Aldi's brand are big and meaty by comparison.