I don't use breadcrumbs in meatloaf all of the time either. Sometimes I throw in a 1/4 cup of uncooked rice instead. It makes it stretch further, and fills everyone up. I usually serve it with brocoli or spinache salad.
It's the same here, much more expensive, and the stuff you get in the stores is really questionable quality (I used to supervise in a poultry factory, and most of what went into the ground chicken were thighs - higher in fat- and were usually the parts that had bruising or weren't "Grade A" so they couldn't be sold in traypack product.) What I do is grind my own in the food processor from boneless, skinless breast. You can get 3# bag at the local supercenter for about $6-$7 here locally. Also our supermarket has a buy one get one each week that changes, on week breasts, one week tenders. And our grocery outlet beats all that - 3# for $4.50! Any of them puts it in the same range as ground beef on sale! Just remember to add a little EVOO for some heart-healthy fat when you grind it down, because breast meat is virtually fat-free.
But don;t be afraid to try that bulger-burger - quite yummy!
I read a wonderful book about a year ago by Barbara Kingsolver called "Animal, Vegetable and Miracle," which was about eating locally. I've been trying to incorporate more of what I can find at the farmer's market that is fresh into what we eat. I guess that means we eat more green beans now and more broccoli in the winter.
One of the most economical things that I do is buy what they call their "bruised" bag which is a mix of the less than perfect carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, whatever. I use them for vegetable soup and I usually have enough left over to put a quart in the freezer. I don't have a lot of freezer space, so I can't save money that way, but I've been concentrating on not wasting food while buying as much fresh as possible from the market.
Neither my boyfriend nor I are vegetarians. We both LOVE a good steak, but we try to eat half of our dinners meatless. That makes a huge difference, and when we do eat meat we are trying to accept smaller portions.
Turkey burgers! Seriously, they are REALLY good! Ground turkey is so much cheaper and far healthier than ground beef too so it's a double good deal.
Bluejazz - where are you that ground turkey is cheaper than ground beef? Where I am, it's nearly double the price of ground beef, so not half as feasible. I can get ground sirloin for less money, I'm sorry to say.
Got an even better one than turkey burger - cheaper and healthier & the kids love it and even my hubby doesn't know it's not really meat. Get some bulger (health food store, bulk food store or even some supermarkets carry it now) which is cracked wheat. Put as much as you want to use in a bowl, cover it by about 1/4" over the top with boiling water you've dissolved a couple of veggie boullion cubes in. Cover it and let it absorb the liquid. Add 1 egg or egg substitute and season like you would ground beef. let it chill to make it easier to mold. When it is chilled, make your patties, pat some whole wheat flour on each side. Place them gently in a pan gently brushed with EVOO. brown on both sides.
They have a meaty appearance, taste and texture. You can even use the mix loose for sloppy joes, or for a "Meat sauce" for spaghetti. You can adjust the seasonings (garlic, onion, fennel seed & hot pepper flakes) and make hot Italian sausage for spaghetti sauce or an awesome sausage and pepper sandwhich (made these last week. They went over great!)
--
Edited by Host_DonnaA at 08/12/2008 9:45 AM PDT
Turkey burgers! Seriously, they are REALLY good! Ground turkey is so much cheaper and far healthier than ground beef too so it's a double good deal. If you haven't tried them, give it a go! They are so moist and flavorful. Think I know what I am having tonight! LOL!
<span>My kids enjoy taco salad and I can do it in a reasonably healthy manner. I either use ground turkey with the taco seasoning or Mexican spiced kidney beans/refried beans. I take around ten tortilla chips and break them up on the plate, adding the meat/beans and a sprinkle of cheese. We then pile on the veggies and salsa…YUM! The nice thing is we can use whatever meat or veggies we have on hand and it can always be a bit different.</span>
One thing we do to make meals stretch is to heat up leftover chili and serve it over rice. This goes a long way, especially when you add chopped up peppers!
I make a potato and sausage one skillet meal that my kids really love. I soften the potatoes in the microwave to make them easier to cut, then slice them into a skillet with a little oil. I then add sliced polish sausage (there are half the fat and turkey versions that work well also), some chopped onion, and salt and pepper. Fast and filling!
EmilyGrace - tell that to my husband! While I've broken him of the need to eat a lot of starch, I don't know that I'll ever truly be able to break him free of the meat cycle... and it isn't for lack of trying!
> <span>Following up on what Beautiful Dreamer said, purely > vegetarian meals once or twice a week can be very > economical and healthy.</span>
Also, it's been longstanding vegetarian wisdom that if every family went meatless at least one meal a week (in addition to being healthier) the decrease in meat pruducts would drive a reduction in grazing land and use of grains for livestock. The resulting additional land and available grains would be enough to feed every person in the third world on a consistent basis.
I do like making more than is strictly necessary for the evening meal - that way I have the means to pack a healthy lunch for my husband and I don't have to worry about him eating junk!
If I make a soup or stew, or extra sauces, and there's enough left over, I freeze it. Sauces, I freeze in cube form. The soups and stews get double-bagged in gallon-size ziploc bags, and frozen that way. It's great when we've had a long day and we're hungry, but don't want to cook.
