You can use ground turkey when it’s cheaper, put a spoonful of beef bouillon in it and it tastes like ground beef in a casserole.

When I was a kid, we would spend a weekend at my grandparents' and come home and ask our mom to cook something my grandma had made. My mom: "That's poor food; I'm not cooking that!" She grew up with those recipes and got sick of them, but we thought they were delish. 😄 Nothing more satisfying than making cheap food that's super yummy.

One of my favorite poor man’s dishes is haluski. Egg Noodles, cabbage, onions and some bacon. Super yummy.

I've always used cottage cheese because I find ricotta can taste grainy. I pulse the cottage cheese in my blender or food processor to make it a creamier consistency and mix in parmesan before adding to the pasta. Works great.

Ground beef in my area is $6+ per pound. One way I save is you use 3/4 of a pound in recipes and save the other 1/4. Every 3 meals you get the 4th "free". No one notices the 4oz less meat especially if you add a few vegetables. Also subbing the roll of breakfast sausage is $3.28 a pound.

As a single mom who's ex decided that building a new house was more important than paying child support- things are very tight. Tonight I did something that my granny used to do if extra people showed up for supper. I got a 2lb pkg of ground pork on markdown for $4.30. I added 2eggs, about 10oz of bread torn up,( I make bread so about 1/3 of a loaf) beef bouillon, and a 1/2c of water to make it come together to ( Salt, pepper, garlic) knead it well and make patties. I weighed it. My 2lbs turned into 3. I made 12- 4oz patties, baked them at 350 until done. Cooled, then froze them. My son likes to bake veggies in the toaster oven, now he can put a pattie with it. It really does make meat go farther and it's good.

My mom got the tip for the saltines in chicken salad years ago from Rachel Ray...she said it makes it smoother to spread for sandwiches. Been doing this for about 10+ years love it

What to eat when you’re poor….we will all be needing these recipes soon!

Maria! Super talented to peel those eggs with one hand! The powers of a mom! Lol

How about the inexpensive Irish 7 course dinner? (A 6-pack of beer and a boiled potato.)

Great meal ideas! Back in my really poor days I would make "Mom Specials" basically throwing anything I had on hand together for dinner. My family was always asking what the meal was called and that is why I made up the name "Mom Specials"

First time watcher! I love your personality and demeanor - very nice, very helpful, very humble. Thank you for sharing!

We all need this right now. Prices are skyrocketing worldwide. Thanks looking forward to your recipes. New subscriber.

Wow, kudos on managing to peel eggs with one hand -- very impressive! As for the faux lasagna, you just can't go wrong mixing pasta, a tomato element and cheese. Who doesn't love it? Great video. Thanks! :)

I made a Poor Man’s Beef Stew for my family the other night. We ate hearty amounts and had enough for two meals for our large-ish family. I added biscuits (regular and keto cheddar bay,) a salad and we had a feast! The whole family loved it.

Not commonly used in poor man's meals, but lentils are a good thing too. When you pair beans or lentils with pasta or rice, you have more of a complete protein. That way if you have to cut down a on meat, you can still get enough protein.

With chicken salad, I use the chicken scraps that are left on the bones after I boil the carcasses for stock. During turkey season, you can use the turkey scraps from the carcass after making turkey stock. You may have to add salt, but it’s a great way to use up chicken scraps that would otherwise be thrown out with the bones.

A meal that we had often growing up....cut up hotdogs, brown them in a skillet, then simmer in bbq sauce. Serve over mashed taters, and sweet peas or corn on the side, and biscuits or cornbread.

I am a mom of 5 and I can use these recipes for my children. Thank you so much

I use one cream of mushroom soup can for my beef stroganoff and it's OK with or without additional mushrooms. I keep scallions growing in my kitchen (never have to buy onions again). Thank you for these great ideas.

Oh and a cheap sub for chicken or tuna salad is garbanzo beans. Super cheap and very filling. I use Tofu for egg salad. I love doing budget challenges.

Mentioning ricotta cheese reminded me of something I haven't had in years. My late husband had a recipe for diabetic "ice cream" using ricotta cheese. You just put a serving of the ricotta in a bowl, added the sweetener of your choice, and a few drops of some flavoring. Our favorite was vanilla and almond flavoring and we usually also tossed in some sliced almonds and/or raisins. It was actually a great substitute for ice cream and perfect for a diabetic because you could make it with artificial sweetener.

With nine people, seven were children, in our family and living on one pay check made my mom an economical cook in so many ways. Sundays were a meat night. If we had a ham, dad was cutting off any extra meat on that bone for a 'breakfast for supper' meal on Monday. The bone then was saved for a soup. One of the meals mom made was a favorite of dad's. We called it Yankee Dish. You start with mashed potatoes, a pound or two of hamburger mixed with beef gravy. You place a scoop of mashed potatoes on your plate and pour the hamburger/gravy mixture over the mashed. You could have canned corn or some other veg but usually this is all we had, the meat and potatoes. We had lots of meatless supper so there was a lot of spaghetti. Mom could but didn't always make a home made sauce but we scoffed that up. Every Friday mom made a one-pot-meal she called Goulash. It was never the same and we loved it so much. She put whatever she had in the fridge in a chicken or beef stock and tasted as she cooked to add whatever seasonings she felt the pot needed. Nothing went to waste.

You can also add a touch of vinegar to your ground turkey it does something that makes it taste more beefy. I love your ideas for families eating on a budget “being frugal “ not cheap keep it up Maria!

OMG! I made the lasagna and my picky husband loved it. So, did I. Thank you. Used everything I had. I make my own tomato sauce. It's my pantry staple.

I recently made something I think was super cheap and easy. My kids loved it. One small yellow onion sliced, 4 golden potatoes sliced, one beef sausage, sliced. Toss the onion and potatoes in a little olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked paprika to taste. Throw it all in a skillet and cook it till the potatoes are tender. Makes great leftovers that you can eat in a tortilla as a breakfast burrito the next day.

I have done the chicken salad with canned chicken leaving the water from the can in the salad with the crackers. You can cut down the mayo that way. I have also done this many times with tuna. You can do the stroganoff with cream of mushroom soup and a package of brown gravy or onion soup. It turns out really good.

I’m new to this channel! I love the inexpensive ingredients! I’d like to share a poor mans meal. Fry 3 bell peppers ( I like to use yellow, red, and orange peppers ). When tender add 4 beaten eggs. That’s all! My son loves this meal, and he wouldn’t eat peppers before. Hope you try it!

Your one handed egg peeling ability is AMAZING!!! Great video!!!!

The saltines in the chicken salad makes good sense to me (don't know why I haven't thought of it before) because I love to put chicken or egg salad on saltines to eat them.

I loved the chicken salad recipe. I can't eat the saltines, but I think that I will make this for my wife and granddaughter. They will love it. You're a joy to watch. Thanks for the video. Merry Christmas.

Something you might consider is Dollar Tree sells 2 clear plastic cutting board sheets for $1.25. I snipped the corners off one & only use that cutting board sheet for meats. I use the other sheet for all other necessary chopping. A) If you use a cutting board sheet, you simply pick up the sheet and pour your ingredients into whatever vessel (pot/pan/bowl etc) you're using. Its cleaner & more efficient cuz you get ALL of what you've chopped into the bowl. B) Wood cutting boards are beautiful but they can hold bacteria. You've got babies & I don't want you or anyone in your family to get sick. I've been cooking for over 50years & no one has ever gotten food poisoning from my food. #grandmalove I always enjoy your videos. God bless you dear & your family.🙏❤🙏

You are a master at suggesting substitutes! Well done! One of my biggest struggles is knowing how to substitute ingredients which then prevents me from making a recipe and risking a flop. Thank you for all of those substitution tips you shared - they were incredibly helpful!

That's a mom... multitasking is a must for being a mom! Awesome job!😎😎

With your lasagna......I just made a "lasagna" with frozen ravioli (walmart - $4.98, for the family size). The ravioli already comes stuffed with ricotta and other cheeses, so no need to buy those cheeses (or substitutes). I only used about 1/4 of the bag. Just an idea......

I like the way you use it right out of the container...no need to dirty extra dishes!

i do a similar thing, as the lasagna & i call it a roll over dinner - I double batch some American Chop Suey for one nights supper and the next night, ill even maybe add some pepperonis or some left over sausage but use the leftover suey as my noodle layer, and just insert the cheese layer.. super easy

Love you recipes. Thank you for sharing.

We’re definitely feeling poor right now. I’ve been making poor man’s steaks and they are sooo good.

Maria, great advice at a time that we all need it. I have been working on this concept for some time and discovered THE FREEZER! What it can and cannot do (foods which do not freeze well and those that do), and it is amazing. I figured out over the years of my husband and I working full-time, and often over-time, what can be done in advance and frozen, and the fresh part of the meal can be done in a few minutes before serving. An example of this is any kind of Chicken or Beef stir-fry. The meat and sauce part is the most difficult part and can be frozen (just add a bit of extra liquid as it reduces with freezing. I use Zip-Loc Freezer Bags which I label with the meal and the date frozen and keep a hand-written log of the meals and dates so that they do not exceed their time limit. The rice, noodles, potatoes and any fresh vegetables/salads can be prepared just before serving. I have many recipes: Roast beef or chicken, Goulash, Spanish Chicken, Meatloaf... the ideas are endless. Any extra roasted or barbequed meat can be portioned and identified for Lunch - sandwiches, salads, etc. The point is that when you go to the trouble to cook you should make it count for meals in the future - you are doing the work anyways. If you have a stash of easily usable meals you will spend less and eat healthier and not have to resort to expensive an unhealthy packaged foods.

Love it. More recipes from our past to teach us to survive better in difficult times. Live free!!!

I've always used cottage cheese instead of ricotta to make lasagna. I find that the costliest ingredient is the mozarella, but I have made it successfully with Kraft Mozarella slices, or with the cheese I had on hand, which was cheddar. It tasted fine to me.

Just came across your channel and now I’m hooked. Thank you for all the budget friendly recipes.👏😘

To lower the cost when making Lasagna I mix 1 EGG with COTTAGE CHEESE instead of using Ricotta. I have never heard of this recipe for Chicken Salad interesting

Yummy 😋🌻🤗 blessings and thank you ❤️🌻🦋🌺🌹🥰,in these frugal times.... quite useful. And,appreciative 🤗

I'll have to start putting in the Worcestershire sauce into my ground beef stroganoff, to get that extra flavor. All your dishes looked so frugal and yummy! Paula Deen makes a saltine cracker salad too. It really blows my mind. I can't remember if it has chicken in it or not, but it's a real Southern thing! 😊

I love how appetizing your food looks. I am vegetarian and got some packages of ground veggie meat for a 1.39 so I'm making that pasta dish asap. Thanks Maria!😍

Try adding a pinch of nutmeg and ginger to cottage cheese with 2 eggs, beat with mixer, it will taste like ricotta, with more protein and less money!

Loving your videos I made your black bean soup the other day any my picky 14 year old loved it !!

You can stretch the ground meats by adding mashed beans pinto/black/canneli I've even subbed with butter beans! Up to about 50/50 meat to bean ratio - tho I usually stick closer to 60meat/40bean Another good tip is buy larger quantities/ wait for markdowns so the meat is discounted and pre-portion 12oz servings into freezer/ziplock bags roll it nice & flat/air squished out as soon as you get it home. freeze it flat for maximum storage space and quick EASY thawing.(take a quart Ziploc with 12oz flattened meat divide into 4 indented sections [ + ] it makes for perfect sized slider patties )

An awesome poor man's meal is top ramen cooked then fried with eggs on top. Hot sauce and black pepper to taste. Delicious and cheap even by todays prices!

The chicken salad you can do same way with tuna salad. It's how my school use to do it over 20 years ago it's lunch box special.

I make chicken salad and add things like a chopped apple, celery a handful of chopped nuts, dried fruits like cranberries then mix mayo with a bit of sugar and vinegar. Uses up little bits of this and that and tastes great

Thank you for sharing, such a great and inexpensive meal ideas. One thing I would suggest though is if you have a leftover sweet potato or spinach in the refrigerator to incorporate that into the lasagna. I would first slice the sweet potato and roast it in the oven and then I would use that as a not an additional layer in the lasagna along with the spinach and then the other ingredients that you showed.

I actually use oil AND bacon because the fat keeps me fuller longer and I love the taste!

Thanks for these amazing recipes! in a pinch I have used ketchup in place of tomato paste ;) I really appreciate these budget videos, they're a literal life saver :)

Some really good ideas. However, pre-shredded packages of cheese are very expensive compared to buying 2 # cheese bricks at Sam's/Costco & shredding it yourself. Literally, it takes just a minute or two to do it on a box grater. Also, if you want, use a processor & do a bunch at a time. Then ziplock bag it. You can do it days ahead and keep it in the fridge or freezer 😉 Totally worth the little bit of time invested. 🧀😄

My daughter and i remember eating our poor meals I had 4... 1 can of corn can of Rotel ground beef or turkey pack of taco seasoning and can of refried beans with tortillas for quick burritos or tacos... 2. Frozen veggies chicken ramen noodles nice on a cold day better than the can for sure... 3. Hill shire Sausage links onion green pepper teriyaki sauce or soy sauce careful with salt saute with bit of oil over white rice.. 4 Mac n cheese broccoli and tuna ENJOY

I made 'lasagna' like that last week. I had some ricotta that I had to use so I made it with a half pound of sausage and she'll macaroni because that's what I had. We all loved it. We called it unassembled lasagna because it was like everything ended up mixed together when we ate it. I'll try the other recipes too. Thank you.

I would like to share a poor man's meal that we had quite often as a child it was really good. Cook 6 strips of bacon crispy set aside. To drippings add 1/2 small diced onion. Cook until translucent, add in 1 can of drained whole kernel corn saute about 3 minutes, add in leftover cooked rice stir another 3 minutes add in cooked crumbled bacon stir in 1/2 c. shredded cheese (we used mild cheddar) and 1/2 c. milk. Simmer another 3 minutes till everything is heated through. My mom made this often near the very end of the month when things got tight. That and hotdogs in a tomato gravy served over rice.

Chopped onions and/or chopped celery would be great in the chicken salad, too. You could use relish or olives instead of pickles. We should always be creative with our ingredients that we have on hand in order to save money. Also, I love grating a clove of fresh garlic in salads like that. Delicious! Thanks so much for this! I just subscribed.

I just hit the subscribe button, and the thing that made me do it was seeing you peel those boiled eggs one-handed! I am in awe!

Thanks for sharing. We're not well off at all, so these recipes will help me

Thank you sooooo much. That helped with what I'm cooking tonight

Enjoyed all of these this is the kind a recipe I like right now I'm serving meals to six adult family eaters and I felt like I already cooked frugally but I can find out different ideas and different recipes from other people and be able to extend the menu a long way

I may have to try the easy lasagna after I use up my lasagna noodles. I make my stroganoff the same way you did here. One poor man's dish I grew up on is Chinese pie. There is a history behind the name in Lowell, MA. It is our version of shepard's pie - cook as much ground beef as needed for whatever size pan you use, put in roasting pan and add enough creamed corn to make it gloopy. (This acts as the gravy in the dish.) My family always preferred to cook and mash potatoes, but dried potatoes doctored up work just as well. Cover meat and corn with potatoes, sprinkle with paprika and bake till bubbly. My mom was not into spicing our foods, but since I am, and I cook, this meal has greatly improved. We eat it often.

Three wonderful recipes! I can’t wait to try the Poor Man’s Chicken Salad! You provide the best content and substitutions for every conceivable pop up situation. I’m loving it! 😋😋😋

Thank you Maria! Great ideas and video. I will for sure be putting saltines in my chicken salad and may try it with tuna salad:)

Love your channel! Great recipes

A friend's mom used to make a mock apple pie with saltines. It was delicious.

Yay!! Another video from Maria!!💜🥰😍

My budget stretching meals are basically homemade hamburger helper with noodles, tomatoes and beans instead of beef, and some onions/celery and bell peppers and then I make ground beef stroganoff with tons of onion, celery and bell pepper, a gravy mix packet and sour cream and the beef. Served with baked potatoes.

Love this .... tysm....my favorite video to watch when posted....Rosanne

We make unstuffed cabbage, 1# ground beef ,1 onion chopped, 1 bag of coleslaw mix and 1 -2 cans tomato soup undiluted cook meat and onion, add cabbage mix and tomato soup cook til cabbage is tender. Excellent over mashed potatoes or rice. Cost is about $6.

I use TVP To stretch ground meat. I also add in a grated carrot.

Very well done! Thank you for sharing!

I've always loved the combination of both chicken and egg in a salad.

Maria, L love your videos, you're smart, informative, cheerful, and matter-of-fact...delicious recipes!

For stroganoff use chuck roast. It comes out awesome. Plus Chuck roast goes on sale in my store every 4-6 weeks for $2.99lb. I stock up and freeze them.

Thanks for these ideas. I will definitely use them.

Very practical and tasty-looking ideas! Thanks.

Great ideas and substitutes.

Oh my goodness....looks absolutely delicious!!

Awesome recipes,ideas, thanks for sharing ❤️❤️❤️

Great video, Maria!! Thanks for doing these “ poor man meals” I hear more and more people talking about the high food costs, and needing to fix cheaper meals. Btw- you can use a little bit of ketchup in the stroganoff if you dont have tomato paste. My original recipe calls for the sirloin and 3 T of cooking Sherry, which takes this over the top! Have you heard of the Mock Apple Pie? I believe you use Ritz crackers instead of apples. Ive heard it’s good, but I’ve never tried it!

I had bought 2 years supply food from Jim Bakker Ministries in 2002 set it aside for shtf. When covid lockdown hit i ate it all illl tell u it was dehydrated food but really good. Im broke now but couldnt have made it without that food. Thanks Jim Bakker wish i had more money id get more but im broke n no food stamps.

I make stroganoff without meat. I use mushrooms to bulk it up. One packet of dry onion soup mix, vegetable or beef Better than Bullion and water, and mix about two to three tablespoons of flour into 16 ounces of sour cream, then salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot rice (how my mother always made it) or noodles.

These look great. With chicken sandwiches I just use canned chicken. My family used celery and grape halves-my preference,my sons other grandparents use celery & onion:he prefers it that way. Also with avocado mayonnaise which surprised me but that’s what I was told so works for me. 🙂

These all look delicious!

Just found your channel! I'm always trying to be more frugal.

Oh I bet the chicken salad would also work as a tuna salad using canned tuna, they all soundyummy

I was taught to cook stroganoff using rice & I've come to prefer it over noodles

I plan on trying the beef stroganoff next week,,, retired and this is my first time cooking in years. My partner is the cook

Thsnkyou for sharing.

Great examples; I like how this stirred up additional tips and memories from viewers. One of our favorite "poor man" recipes is poor man's burrito bowls. I put it on the menu plan as our "arrive home" dinner when we go out of town, because I don't have to thaw out any meat.

Love all your videos 💕 Great ideas to use less and still eat well!

Great ideas. Thank you!

For the stroganoff, I have done it vegetarian with lots of sliced onions instead of the meat. Excellent and cheap!

Glad I saw your video. The cheaper lasagna looks so good and easy to make!

We used to have creamed eggs over buttered toast as a cheap meal. With the current cost of eggs it's not so cheap but I still love it! Hard boil eggs, diced. Butter flour milk, salt n pepper. We made it in an electric skillet. I put the diced eggs in then butter like half stick, then about 1/4 c flour in a jar with milk, shake to mix add to skillet. You will probably need more liquid. Milk, water or broth, whatever you want. Then serve over toast. We also tried biscuits but I like toast better! Its probably the butter