Back to school means back to carpool, back to dance, back to scouts, back to church youth group, back to ball practice, back to PTO meetings…yes, back to crazy schedules!
Don’t let your busy schedule be an excuse to do the drive-thru for dinner. Declare this the school year of eating in, instead of eating out!
There will be no more excuses for eating out with these frugalicious (it means frugal and delicious) and fast dinner ideas, but first a few tidbits on how to manage to feed your family when…Johnny needs to eat at 5:00 before you take him to scouts, Sara needs to eat at 6:30 after you pick her up from dance, and your husband doesn’t get home from work until 7:30!
- Check your calendar each weekend and plan meals that will work with the family schedule!
- Learn to love your crockpot…add a few ingredients in the morning and dinner is ready whenever anybody needs to eat!
- Don’t forget your freezer! When you do have time to cook, make a habit of doubling recipes and freezing the extra. Casseroles are the easiest to freeze…simply cover the pan with aluminum foil and then wrap the entire pan in freezer paper. Don’t forget to label the casserole and include cooking instructions. Take the casserole out of the freezer 2 days prior to cooking…perfect for a busy day!
- Casserole for dinner? Why don’t you put your heated casserole in the insulated casserole carrying case that you use for potluck dinners? It will keep a casserole warm for about 2 hours…perfect!
- Let your kids do the cooking! If you’re a working mom, your kids just might have more free time than you to do the cooking! Click here to learn how to set-up a family cooking schedule. This summer my kids have each prepared 1 meal every week! They’re learning to cook, they’re eating their favorite foods, and I’m enjoying a few nights off in the kitchen!
Ready for the frugalicious and fast recipes?
Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
- 3 lb. boneless pork roast or pork shoulder (very inexpensive if you buy them on sale!)
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 12 oz. can Dr. Pepper
- 2, 18 oz. bottles of your favorite BBQ sauce
- Put roast in crock pot.
- Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper.
- Pour Dr. Pepper and 1 bottle of BBQ sauce on meat.
- Cook on low 6 – 8 hours. Note: Meat is done when it shreds easily using the back of a spoon.
- Drain and return to crock pot.
- Using the back of a spoon, shred the meat in the crock pot.
- Add the other bottle of BBQ sauce.
- Reduce heat to warm until ready to serve.
- Serve on buns.
- Yield: 6 servings
Make Your Own Nacho Bar or Burrito Bar
- 1, 16 oz. can refried beans
- 1 cup picante sauce
- 8 oz. Mexi-cheese, shredded
- 3/4 c. sour cream (reduced fat works fine!)
- 4 oz. cream cheese (reduced fat works fine!)
- Combine all ingredients in a crock pot or combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. (Note: use a crock pot if you’ll be serving at a party, so the filling will stay warm.
- Cover and cook on low 2 hours or until heated or microwave until heated.
- Optional nacho bar or burrito bar toppings: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, rice, black olives, jalapeños, guacamole, shredded cheese
- Yield: 6 servings.
Taco Meat
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup picante sauce or salsa
- 1 can chili beans (do not drain)
- Brown beef and drain.
- Add picante sauce & beans.
- Simmer 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a crock pot to keep warm and then everyone can make their own taco, burrito or nachos! Just add: taco shells, flour tortillas, tortilla chips, grated Mexican blend cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, black olives and jalapenos!
Crock Pot Red Beans & Rice
- 1 lb. dried red kidney beans
- 1 lb. smoked sausage sliced in 1″ pieces (turkey sausage, Andouille sausage, or vegetarian sausage…your choice!)
- 4 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 green bell pepper, diced or 1 cup frozen chopped bell pepper
- 1 onion, diced or 1 cup frozen chopped onion
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
- 1 T. Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning
- 2 cups rice, cooked
- Combine all ingredients (except rice) in a crock pot.
- Add 7 cups water.
- Cover and cook on high 7 – 8 hours or until beans are tender. Crock Pot times vary, so start checking your beans after 3 hours.
- Serve over rice.
- Yield: 4 servings
French Bread Pizza
- 1 lb. ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1 1/2 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce (jar or homemade)
- 1 lb. loaf of French bread (a wide loaf works better than a skinny loaf!)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- In a skillet, brown beef or sausage over medium heat.
- Stir in spaghetti sauce.
- Cut bread in half, lengthwise.
- Hollow out the bread just a little bit, so the meat sauce doesn’t overflow!
- Place the bread on a baking sheet.
- Spread meat sauce on bread.
- Top with mozzarella.
- Bake at 400 for 8 – 10 minutes.
- Yield: 6 servings
Southwest Salad
- 1 romaine lettuce, cut-up or 1 package of romaine hearts
- 3 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1, 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained
- 1, 15 oz. can of corn or mexi-corn, drained
- 2 cups mexi-cheese, shredded
- 1, 6 oz. can black olives, drained
- 2 cups tortilla chips, crushed
- diced chicken (optional), but a great way to use up leftover chicken!)
- 1/4 c. ranch dressing (reduced fat works fine!)
- 1/4 c. salsa
- Toss together lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, corn, cheese, black olives & tortilla chips in a large salad bowl.
- Dressing: mix together ranch dressing & salsa.
- Toss salad with dressing.
- Yield: 4 main dish servings.
Lazy Day Lasagna
- 1, 24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce – my personal favorite is Newman’s Own Sockarooni or Tomato Basil, find a coupon and it will cost about $2 a jar!
- 1, 16 oz. container cottage cheese (reduced fat works fine!)
- 2 c. mozzarella, shredded
- 1, 16 oz. package egg noodles
- Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain.
- Return noodles to the pot and add spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese & mozzarella.
- Stir until combine & enjoy the taste of lasagna without the work!
- Yield: 4 servings.
The Budget Diet girl loves frugalicious and fast recipes, so check back often or click recipes on the left side of this page to discover more frugal, delicious and fast recipes!
~~~~~~~
Photo #1 courtesy of Free Web Photos
Photo #2 courtesy of nuchylee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Related posts:
[...] Frugalicious as well as Fast Dinner Ideas! | The Budget Diet [...]
Hi Kristl,
what a great set-up for fast dinner Ideas. Great recipes
I will definitely use them.
Thank you,
Lucy
[...] If you need more frugalicious and fast dinner ideas and recipes, The Budget Diet is your source! Remember: No more excuses…eat in, not out with frugalicious [...]
[...] next week YOUR KIDS CAN DO THE COOKING! You may want to introduce them to The Budget Diet’s frugalicious and fast recipes or easy pizza [...]
[...] Crock Pot BBQ, Crock Frugal dinner ideas with recipes for Crock Pot BBQ, Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice, Southwest Salad and more. [...]
[...] Check Your Calendar – each week before you plan your meals. Don’t try to plan an elaborate meal on a night when everyone is coming and going! How about crock pot dinner night? Try The Budget Diet’s recipes for Crock Pot BBQ or Crock Pot Red Beans & Rice [...]
[...] Crock Pot BBQ [...]
[...] Your Own Burrito Bar Make Your Own Burrito Bar – a fun & festive dinner [...]
Great ideas! I am thinking more and more that a crockpot would be a nice thing to have, especially as the kids get older and have more activities. I love that all of your recipes can be adjusted really easily for vegetarians (except maybe the BBQ, unless a meat substitute is used).
Yum! If it weren’t already 1:00pm, I’d make that red beans and rice for tonight! How about tomorrow?
Love my slow cooker! Cook once…and I have enough meals for two weeks! (Not that I eat the same thing for two weeks in a row…like your post recommends, I freeze half of it : ). I am also a singleton so foods last me a long time!
Cheers,
Kim @ Incandescent Blue Flame
From the Kludgy Mom SU thread
[...] week I served Red Beans & Rice on Tuesday, and Migas on Wednesday. My husband sat down for dinner, and asked, “are we on a [...]
[...] Southwest Salad [...]
[...] you host a FIESTA? It’s frugal, festive and the planning is done for you! Recipes for a Make Your Own Burrito Bar, Southwest Salad, Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars, Margaritas and White Sangria! Make sure to visit The [...]
[...] whether new or used, are inexpensive and will save your family both time and money. Try recipes for Crock Pot BBQ or Crock Pot Red Beans & Rice. Make Your Own Bread Most people have never given serious [...]
[...] is coming and going! How about crock pot dinner night? Try The Budget Diet’s recipes for Crock Pot BBQ or Crock Pot Red Beans & Rice Organize Your Recipes – take time to organize your recipes and revisit some old [...]
[...] Serve with Southwest Salad – Southwest Salad Recipe Related [...]
[...] Your Own Burrito Bar Make Your Own Burrito Bar – a fun & festive dinner [...]
Excellent tips and recipes.
[...] Learn to love your crock pot – the world is filled with crock pot recipes! Put a few ingredients in the pot each morning, and your dinner is ready and waiting! Try Crock Pot BBQ! [...]
[...] Favorite: Morningstar Farms Black Bean Burger – delicious crumbled in my Southwest Salad or use it to make a Southwestern [...]