Living alone is taking some adjusting. Not a bad adjustment, but adjusting all the same. Like when I make dinner, I’m accustomed to making enough to feed an army. Not that I’ve ever fed an army. I’m only accustomed to feeding my boys. They are Eating Machines. We watch The Food Network alot when they’re at my house cuz that’s what I’ve always got on, and when they’re plating these pretty dishes with normal portions of food, they’re like, “What kind of dinner is THAT?!” No, those portions would never make it in this house. I have to cook MONDO size portions. That is my adjustment. Only I don’t really fear much cuz I know they will stop by, rummage through the fridge and feel like they’ve hit the jackpot if they find some leftovers. . . which they will.
Tonight, I made a quick simple dinner – one that I consider a true weeknight meal after a long hard day at the office and one the kids got used to because I raised them on a dime. It’s easy. It’s fast. It’s cheap (cuz who’s not watching their money these days). And it’s tasty, in a Southern-grew-up-on-it kinda way.
Beanie Wienies with Buttered Rice. It was a staple in my house growing up. So I’m used to it. It’s not ever going to make The Food Network, but it does fill some teenage boy’s bellies without me having to rob a bank.
Here’s what’s involved:
For less than $6.00, you’ve got a meal that will feed two grown men and one mom. There won’t be any left overs, but for $6.00, you can’t beat it. And you can do it for less than $5.00 if you get the wieners on sale. That’s usually the only time I buy them.
Anyway, here’s the recipe for the Beanie Wienies:
1 pack wieners
2 cans Pork and Beans
1 cup ketchup
2 t. mustard
4 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 small onion
(Now that the boys are older, I usually throw in some Cayenne Pepper, but I forgot it tonight until I took my first bite. It’s great for a little kick.)
First, slice the wieners whatever thickness you like. I like mine thin so that I stand a better chance of having a wiener in every bite. Brown them in a skillet. Then add the onion. Saute for a few minutes. Add the beans, ketchup, mustard, and worcestershire sauce and stir together. Simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, start your rice. Make as much rice as your family will eat. Mine LOVE rice. . . plus it’s a filler, so I make plenty of it. Just follow the directions on the box. When it’s ready, add butter to taste. I, personally, add a lot of butter, but then I’m a heart attack looking for a place to happen. So you use your judgement.
In the end, this is what you get:
It doesn’t look like much, but it’s hearty and filling and oh, did I mention CHEAP? I have leftovers in the fridge in case BOTH boys stop by. Woohoo!
And do you know the greatest part? This is what my kitchen looked like when it was all said and done.
Oh so clean! No hassle. No fuss. No muss. And no one coming back and leaving their crap in my sink. I’m loving my clean. Oh! And that’s the new kitchen faucet that my youngest boy installed this past weekend. It is so handy having a construction worker for a son. He can do ALL those handy repairs. All for a bowl of Beanie Wienies. Hey, he’s single and he ain’t picky about what food he can get for free.
All the time I was in the kitchen, this is what I had lookin’ at me while I was cooking.
So curious. If she were a boy, I’d have named her Curious George. But then, that’s STILL a Monkey, so I wasn’t far off the mark. Precious.
What’s your cheap Go-To meal? I’m curious. Like my kitty.
7 users commented in " It’s What’s For Dinner "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackTo show my redneck nature, I’ll throw Skillet fried Spam, Mac-n-Cheese with veggie of my choice (usually green beans). To assure everyone, however, that I can transcend my roots, I’ll add Chicken and Yellow Rice. One package of Mahatma Yellow Rice (they come in different sizes for different size families) costs about $0.89 – $1.39 and a few boneless chicken breast tenderloins (that’s the fast, not necessarily cheap way *for cheap I buy thighs, just plain thighs). Begin the rice as directed with JUST a touch more water than it calls for. While that goes prepare the chicken, either boiled with a bouillon cube or cooked in olive oil in a skillet. Shred the meat and add it to the rice. Follow directions on the package (using olive oil instead of margarine or butter cause it works best with the chicken). Heat up some veggies. TahDah!!! I’d estimate with chicken thighs (cause you don’t need a lot of chicken) that it costs around $4.00 MAX and with the breast meat somewhere around $6-$7. Of course, Elder’s learning her way around the kitchen (not the sink for some reason though), so the cooking part is getting lots less aggravating!
OH . . . and I need you to come clean my house!!!! DAMN woman, you’re good! My house is such a DISASTER area that FEMA couldn’t F**K it up more if they TRIED!
my favorite throw together meal – fish, rice and veg. I generally premake my fish packages every weekend, so its a white fish – I use hake, with onions and tomotoes layered under and on the fish, and spices – then I wrap it in tin foil and bake it in the oven for 45min till done (since its normally done from frozen) then there is brown rice and steamed veg – I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn’t! I promise!
Have a wonderful weekend Donna!
Loves and hugs
me
xx
FAST .. try a can of salmon. Poor off the water,
add some flour and an egg and some yellow corn meal. Can add dehydrated onion or some whole kernel corn. Stir it up and cook it by patties in a skillet..Shoud make about 4 good size ones…serve with white rice and a vegetable you can’t get easier or quicker.
I AGREE with momma…. your house puts mine to shame and boy that sink is spotless.. I am green with envy!! Monkey is so cute!!
I’m loving the new faucet! Very nice. Beanie weenie sounds lovely. I especially love the part involving buttered rice. Holy TOOT I can eat buttered rice! And I’m with you–you can’t hurt me on the butter. Lay it on. I’ll try your recipe while I have my kids this go-round. Sounds like they’ll like it.
My quick recipe? Ummmmmmmmm……oh Donna, I’m not much of a cooker. I mean, I cook, but I promptly forget whatever I made and have to go through the agony of finding the recipe or never having it again. It sucks to be me. I’m special, in a short-bus kinda way.
OH! Oh, Melanie’s chili!!! Hang on, I’ll go get the recipe!! Don’t move!
OK. Here goes:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 16 oz can pinto beans
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
(I use way more of all three, personally…byegones)
1 tsp minced garlic (more of that too…)
In large saucepan cook beef and onion until no longer pink. Stir in all the other ingredients. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. (I usually cook it longer, because I believe chili gets better the longer it cooks. But that’s me.)
THAT is my very quick, very easy chili recipe. I have others that are much longer and more involved, but this is my go-to recipe for normal life.
LOVE YOU DONNA!!! I put pictures on my space! Come see my new house!!
First of all, let me say I love your new site…so clean and fresh. I know, I know. I been outta the loop for a while. :-/
Here’s my new go-to meal with BAM! results. Pan-seared tilapia (sold in individual frozen filets so I can make it for just me or surprise guests and thaws in 10 min.) over a bed of angelhair pasta. Top with sauteed mushrooms and diced, fresh tomatoes and a dash of low-fat Italian dressing. Sprinkle with grated parmesean cheese. DELISH! And best of all, cheap and easy.
My go to meal is spaghetti. Two cans or jars of spaghetti sauce, a can of tomato sauce (coz Dr Oz on Oprah said once that adding tomato sauce was the best thing you can do for your children’s health – so it makes me a good mom ya see
and a tablespoon of sugar. Add in some beef which I brown in large batches and freeze in meal sized servings and boil some pasta and I got supper!
I also like to make a big batch of pizza rolls on a Thursday or Friday and then I can get by without cooking most of the weekend. Pizza rolls are these sub sandwiches made with ground beef, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and sub rolls. The recipe is on my site, just scroll down and keep looking at the pics on the right to get to it.
Oh, also, in a pinch, I make grilled cheese sandwiches with turkey on them. Sometimes I make them with slices of pepperoni and some pizza sauce. Oh, they are also good with ham, cheese, mayo,and chopped apples. I have perfected making a meal out of grilled cheese sandwiches! I don’t do it often and you’ll never see me admit that on my site, but MY GOODNESS it is so easy sometimes!!!!
My FAVORITE Go to meal…Fortune Garden Chinese Takeout ~Grins~
Christy
Leave A Reply