I have 8 people I need to cook for. I was wondering if anyone has recipes that don't include fish and that are cheap. Thanks ahead of time!
By Beth
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Pasta is a great thing to make for a large family. I grew up in a family of 7 with an at home Mom. We had pasta at least once each week. It's fast, easy and everyone tends to like it. I make mine with either a linguica sauce or turkey meatballs. If I have leftover roasts, I will put some of it in the sauce.
Buy roasting chickens on sale. I stock up on whole chickens when they are less than $.99 per pound. I roast them with onions, carrots, and potatoes and some Italian seasoning sprinkled on the entire thing. Any leftovers and the innards get put in a pan with water, celery, carrots, onions, bayleaves and garlic to simmer for a soup stock. We have chicken soup the next night with all the leftovers. Just pick the meat off the bone and add more vegetables.
I buy pork roasts when they are on sale less than $1.49 per pound. Last week I bought a 7 lb boneless pork roast for $.99/pound. I bought one for me and one for my mother for Christmas dinner. I cut the roast up into boneless chops and then a few boneless roasts. I usually get about 4 meals from the larger roast. With a family of 8 you will probably get about 2 meals.
Ham is on sales this time of year. Buy up some hams and have the butcher cut them into ham steaks. My local store is selling ham at $.79/pound. I fry up the steaks and top with maple syrup. Round the meal out with vegetables and you have a quick and easy meal.
Bean meals are very inexpensive. I make bean soups with my ham bones. I add vegetables and seasonings and I have a soup that my whole family loves. I will add a loave of bread with the soup. Leftovers get packaged in containers for a quick freezer meal or for lunch boxes.
Casserols that can be made with leftover meats are great because you get an additional meal from your leftovers.
Another recipe I use when I need to feed a crowd is sausages, potatoes and peppers. I just cut the Italian sweet sausages into 1 inch pieces, slice potatoes, peppers and onions. Put all into a roasting pan and mix in garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Bake in a 400 degee oven for about 45 minutes. Put under the broiler for about 5 minutes, mixing to brown all the potatoes. This recipe is my most requested dish for potlucks.
I use ground turkey alot in my recipes. My local store sells it for about $1.69 per pound. I use it in chow mein, shepards pie, meatballs, hamburgers, tacos, calzones, etc. Very economical.
I agree with the other post...pasta!
I created a baked ziti which is basically an easy lasagna! You cook rigatoni noodles or whatever noddles you want. Then I get at least 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef. Cook it then drain the oil. Add prego sauce (at least 1 full jar, maybe 2).
Then when that is all done, I mix Ricotta cheese and Morzoralla cheese together and basically mix it all together the best you can (noodles, sauce and cheese in a casserole dish). Then bake it in the oven until the cheese is melted (about 25-30 mins at 400).
Then just serve it with a green salad and New York Texas Cheese toast from the store (or any garlic bread. That is my favorite!)
Always make more than you think you will need! It doesn't hurt to have leftovers but it sucks when you run out of food, which always seems to happen to me! Good luck!
My husband and I like to eat the following:
Pasta with tuna and peas
Cook pasta according to directions. We like to use elbow macaroni, but any kind will do. Drain water off pasta. Dump in about 1/2 a bag of frozen peas, a couple of spoonfuls of mayonaisse, and a can of tuna. Also, put in whatever seasonings you like. We like to put in salt, pepper, and garlic.
When cooking this for two people, I would say this costs around $2.00-$3.00 total, depending on whether you use canned tuna, chicken, or just leftover meat.
Italian Beefs are using a great meal. Beef is usually cheaper (around $4 a pound) at a local deli, NOT at chain groceries.
Sloppy Joes are quick, cheap and easy. Roasted Chicken is easy too. And pasta pasta pasta!
I have a wonderful recipe! I used it for my 50th birthday and it can feed an army! Menu: 1. Boneless beef chuck roast in onion gravy 2. Mashed potatoes 3. Scalloped corn 4. Mandarin salad 5. Nectarine crisp and 6. dinner rolls. I made broccoli with cheese instead of corn, a green salad, and ice cream with the crisp (or buy an apple pie).
Hi Beth,
Using a crockpot there are numerous recipes that can be put together easily in the morning and set the crockpot to low and voila there is plenty of food for 8 or more. Try making spaghetti sauce with meatballs and let it slow cook all day then all you have to do is cook the noodles, or make the sausage and rice casserole recipe in this issue of ThriftyFun, but put it in the crockpot to slow cook all day. Chili is always a winner. How about chicken smothered in cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup and put on low to slow cook. You can also make lasagne either with beef or chicken or vegetarian in a crockpot, delicious and gives you time to spend with your family and friends! Good Luck.
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