I consider myself a pretty budget-conscious cook. I’m always on the lookout for affordable budget family meal ideas. I often turn to my loyal subscribers on my Youtube channel Meals with Maria for their best recipes. Recently, I asked subscribers to share their favorite budget meals, and their submissions blew me away!
Mouthwatering Ground Beef Casserole
One outstanding recipe came from Claudette in Texas. Claudette shared her mouthwatering ground beef casserole. It’s perfect for feeding a large family on a budget. The recipe uses simple pantry staples like ground beef, onions, green beans, tomato soup, and instant mashed potatoes. Claudette came up with this recipe because, as her kids got older, they often brought friends home for dinner, and she needed a filling, healthy, and inexpensive meal to satisfy everyone.
Michelle’s Curry Chicken
Another amazing recipe was an curry chicken dish that quickly became a hit with my family. It was submitted by one of my subscribers and turned out to be the best curry chicken we had ever tasted! This recipe is almost a shortcut with very simple ingredients. With just a few affordable ingredients like chicken, salsa, curry powder, and cream cheese, this dish is incredibly easy to make. And a plus, it’s made in a slow cooker! After 3 hours of cooking, the chicken becomes tender and flavorful. When served over rice with some clearance naan bread on the side, it’s a budget-friendly meal that’s sure to impress.
No Waste Rotisserie! Enchilada’s, Potato Soup, and more!
The winner recipe for most resourceful came from Iris in Texas. Iris shared her genius way of utilizing a rotisserie chicken to create multiple meals. She starts by eating some of the chicken on day one. Then uses the carcass to make a homemade broth. She then turns the broth into enchilada sauce, Spanish rice, and potato soup. It’s a no-waste meal idea that’s not only delicious but also resourceful. Iris has the right idea, making the most out of a single rotisserie chicken.
Iris’s Chicken Broth:
Ingredients:
- 1 rotisserie chicken carcass
- 1 bell pepper
- a couple of chunks of onions with the peel on
- a few cloves of smashed garlic
- 16 cups of water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Shred all the chicken off the rotisserie chicken.
- Place the carcass, bell pepper, onion, garlic, water, salt, and pepper into a pot.
- Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for about 4-6 hours.
- Skim off any scum or impurities that rise to the surface.
- Once the broth is done, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer.
- Store the broth in the fridge for later use in enchilada sauce, soup, or other dishes.
Iris’s Homemade Enchilada Sauce:
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon flour
- Chili powder (to taste)
- Garlic powder (to taste)
- Onion powder (to taste)
- Ground cumin (to taste)
- Salt (to taste)
- 2 cups chicken broth (homemade or store-bought)
- Tomato sauce (optional, to taste)
Instructions:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the oil and flour to make a roux. Stir constantly until the mixture is smooth and lightly browned.
- Add chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, and salt to taste. Stir until the mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Gradually add chicken broth while whisking constantly. Make sure there are no lumps in the mixture.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking occasionally, and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 10-15 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add more chicken broth to thin it out.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. If desired, add tomato sauce to taste for a richer flavor.
- Use the enchilada sauce immediately, or let it cool and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Enjoy your homemade enchilada sauce!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 4 whole wheat tortillas
- Several carb tortillas (or corn tortillas, if available)
- Enchilada sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- Cheddar cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a mixing bowl, mix the shredded chicken with some of the enchilada sauce until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Place a scoop of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla, then roll up the tortilla tightly.
- Spread a little bit of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
- Place the rolled tortillas in the baking dish, seam side down.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas.
- Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve with Spanish rice, if desired.
Note: For the Spanish rice, the recipe mentions using 1 cup of rice, 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped pepper, 1 clove of minced garlic, cumin, 1.5 cups of chicken broth, and 1/2 can of tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and turn to low. Cover and cook until tender about 15-20 minutes!
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!
I was truly amazed by the creativity of my subscribers and the incredible budget family meal ideas they shared. I even tried making my own homemade enchilada sauce and Spanish rice using Iris’s recipe. They both turned out amazing! It’s inspiring to see how a little ingenuity and simple ingredients can result in delicious and budget-friendly meals for the whole family. I have plenty more budget friendly meals to share go ahead and check these out!
I encourage you to join the conversation! Watch the whole video right below here. And share your favorite budget family meal ideas in the comments on YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram. Let’s keep the inspiration flowing and continue to support each other in eating well for less. Together, we can build a community of savvy cooks who never run out of delicious and budget-friendly meal ideas!