Buying meat can be expensive, and as a savvy shopper sometimes it's hard to find great deals on meats at the grocery store. How often do you find a coupon in your Sunday Paper for $$ off a pound of ground beef or a package of steaks? Not often. If you do not buy from a butcher and shop at a local Grocery store you often buy that stores "brand" of meat thus finding coupons to save money on these items is hard to come by, unless the store itself releases one.
Even with rising grocery prices, you can still budget and create a family friendly FRUGAL meal without having to eliminate meats. Below you will find a few Frugal recipes which feature different cuts of meat that will satisfy both your stomach and your wallet!
Click the "Continue Reading" Link below to see 4 Frugal Recipes Featuring Ham, Chicken, and Fish that are easy to prepare, low cost and taste great!
Simple Lemon Chicken
I love Lemon flavored anything. Mmm. Below you will find a simple recipe for Lemon Chicken that is friendly on your budget!
Ingredients:
- 1-3lbs of Chicken. Leg quarters are generally the cheapest cut, and if you cut and thigh from the leg yourself (instead of paying the butcher) you will save yourself even more money.
- 1 lemon squeezed
- Salt, Pepper and Garlic to taste
- 1/4 Cup of Water
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Separate Leg from Thigh and leave on skin to increase flavor.
- Arrange legs and thighs in a shallow baking dish filled with 1/4 cup of water.
- Pour fresh squeezed lemon juice over every leg and thigh, and apply Salt, Pepper and Garlic liberally to taste.
- Bake covered for 25 minutes in preheated oven. Remove foil and bake for an additonal 15-20 minutes until juices run clear.
Simple Baked Ham
Who says Ham is only for Holidays? Canned Ham is a great way of saving yourself money! This recipe below uses Canned Ham instead of Regular Ham and it's very flavorful. However, if you're just not a fan of Canned Ham you can alter the recipe using a cheap cut of ham such as Shank. (But don't forget to adjust the cooking times accordingly!)
Ingredients:
- 1 Canned Ham ( I use 3lb Hams for dinner with family). Canned hams are generally much cheaper than a regular ham and can be just as tastey when cooked correctly. While I would serve up a regular ham on a Holiday, Canned ham can be a great frugal alternative to dinner.
- 1 Can of Sliced Pineapples (and tooth picks!) – Try store brands as they are usually cheaper
- 2 Table Spoon of Prepared Mustard
- 1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Cup of Water
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Score the ham about 1/8 inch deep on each side.
- Rub Mustard over ham generously and pour 1/2 cup of Brown Sugar over ham, pressing it into the ham.
- Place 1/4 cup of water in pan and then prepared ham. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours. Every 30 minutes or so you can baste the ham with the juices to make it more flavorful and juicy.
- After removing from oven garnish ham with Pineapple slices (secured by tooth picks) and extra pineapple on the side!
Yummy Tuna Casserole
As a kid one of my favorite dishes was Tuna Casserole. Why purchase Tuna Helper when you can make it at home, and make much more at a lower cost to you? Let's be honest; almost anything home-made is much better than prepared in a box. Plus, while we're being honest, I am not a big fan of Hamburger Helper Products all together. Have you ever turned over a box of Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, or anything of the like? These products are so full of preservatives, sugars, and sodium. Try making it from home for a healthier (and much cheaper) alternative!
Ingredients:
- 1 Box of Elbow Macaroni (1 lb) – If you shop at a local Grocery store brands like Ronzoni and Mueller's often go on sale 10 for $10 or Buy 1 Get 1 Free making these very cheap to get
- 1 Can of Peas or Mixed Vegetables (I prefer Peas & Carrots)
- 1 or 2 Cans of Tuna, drained depending on families preference
- 2 Jars of White Alfredo Sauce – Another Sale item. Brands like Ragu, Bertolli and Classico always have great sales at your local grocery store so check there for the best deals.
- 1/2 Cup of Dried Bread Crumbs or Cracker Crumbs
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare uncooked Macaroni in boiling water until almost fully cooked, about 7 minutes, meanwhile preparing 2 jars of white sauce.
- After Macaroni and Sauce is finished mix all ingredients (minus crumbs) together in a well greased casserole dish.
- Cover top with bread or cracker crumbs and bake for about 20 minutes in preheated oven.
Enjoy 
Microwaved Chicken Casserole
This recipe is great if you have left over chicken from the night before, extra from a crock-pot recipe, etc. I also use canned chicken breast chunks when making this easy recipe as well. This recipe is very simple and won't cost you much to prepare.
Ingredients:
- 1 Can of Chunk Chicken Breast (Or Previously cooked chicken, about 1 cup)
- Chicken Gravy Mix
- 1 Stick of Butter
- 1 Cup of Chopped Onions, Carrots, and Celery (Your choice depending on taste)
- 2 Cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese – I always find great coupons and sales on Kraft and Sargento Brand Shredded Cheese. Look at combining and stacking store coupons, manufacture coupons and sales for the best cheese deals.
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1/2 Cup of Dried Bread or Cracker Crumbs
Directions:
- Prepare gravy mix as according to package, you want about 10-12 oz of gravy.
- Mix everything together with cooked gravy and microwave for 10 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes and then eat!
Does your family enjoy any recipes you consider to be Frugal? Leave a comment below with your families favorite "Frugal" meal!
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