Cooking When You’re Broke
By: K Greene
Tags: Economics, Food, Recipe, Debt, Cooking

A Few Recipes To Get You Through Until Payday

Frozen Meatballs, Available at WalMart

Growing up in a single-parent household, my mother had a list of recipes she called “waitin’ on payday” meals.

As you could probably guess, these were not fancy meals. But they were pretty tasty, and certainly better than a cold bowl of cereal (which was the default option if we kids didn’t like the dinner choice.)

So, in honor of all of those of you who are single parents trying to get the kids fed, or who are trying to pay off student loan debt, or just got laid off, or just those who are trying to save a few dollars at the grocery store, here are a few recipes that could come in handy until payday.

Not too many ingredients, all of them can be made in a crockpot or oven, and best of all, it’s tasty food that doesn’t require a lot of skill to make.

All of these dinners can be made for less than $2.00 per serving.

Saucy Salsa Chicken

4–6 Servings

Ingredients

2–3 frozen chicken breasts or thighs (you could go with fresh, but frozen is cheaper)

1 jar of your favorite salsa

1 packet of taco seasoning

Instructions

Place the frozen chicken in a crockpot or oven casserole dish Liberally season the chicken with taco seasoning Empty one jar of your favorite salsa on top of the chicken Cook on low 4–5 hours in crockpot OR bake for 60 minutes in a 350 degree oven until chicken is done Shred chicken with two forks Serve over rice, in a salad, in a tortilla, or between two pieces of bread if that’s all you’ve got

Variations

If you have a bag of frozen corn or a can of black beans, add them in during the last hour or so of cooking

Thawing the chicken a bit and searing it in a bit of olive oil before adding to crock pot adds extra flavor

Savory Meatballs & Rice

4–6 Servings

Ingredients

1 package frozen meatballs, any variety

2 cups cooked rice

1 package powdered beef gravy mix

1 cup of water

Instructions

Make the powered gravy mix according to package directions Simmer the frozen meatballs in the gravy until hot and bubbly, approximately 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally Add a ½ cup of chicken or beef broth if you’ve got it to make additional gravy Serve over cooked rice

Variations:

Delicious served on top of mashed potatoes or noodles instead of rice

Mom’s Tortellini Bake

4–6 Servings

1 bag frozen tortellini, any variety

1 jar spaghetti sauce

2 cups shredded cheese

Instructions

Bring about 3 cups of water to a boil Empty one bag of frozen tortellini into boiling water Cook tortellini until done, about 3–4 minutes; tortellini is done when it floats to the top Remove tortellini from water and place in a casserole pan Cover tortellini with jarred spaghetti sauce Add shredded cheese to the top of the spaghetti Bake in a 350 degree oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes

Spanish Chicken & Rice

4–6 Servings

Ingredients

3–4 pieces of frozen chicken thighs

1 can Rotel diced tomatoes, any variety

1 cup uncooked white rice

1 cup uncooked yellow rice

4 cups water

Splash of milk (if you’ve got any)

Instructions

Boil the frozen chicken in the 4 cups of water until completely done, approximately 25 minutes Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and set aside, reserving the water Add the full can of tomatoes to the water Add both cups of the uncooked rice to the water and cook the rice on med-low until done, approx. 20 minutes Once the rice is done, shred the chicken and add to the cooked rice and stir well Add a splash of milk if you want the rice a bit creamier

Variations

Add a can of cream of mushroom or chicken soup if you got it to the cooked rice mixture if you want a creamier chicken and rice

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti Bake

6–8 Servings

Ingredients

2 cans canned chicken

1 lb uncooked spaghetti noodles

1 can Rotel diced tomatoes, any variety

2 cans creamy soup, any variety

½ cup milk

2 cups shredded cheese

Instructions