Q&A: What are some easy and inexpensive dinner recipes for two?
Written by Guest on February 26th, 2011Question by Kris: What are some easy and inexpensive dinner recipes for two?
I love cooking but it’s difficult to find a good meal to cook that has cheap ingredients. It’s only my boyfriend and I, and we’re both still in college. We’re not picky but we like eating as healthy as we can. Does anyone have any recipes or websites to find good recipes? Thank you.
Best answer:
Answer by Branalista
This salad is AWESOME and you’ll both love it.
Easy too.
Orzo pasta, boiled to al dente
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 lemon — juice of
1/4 cup olive oil
Chopped flat leaf parsley
Toss together and chill.
Add FETA CHEESE if you want.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Tags: Dinner, Easy, inexpensive, Recipes., some
February 26th, 2011 at 1:16 am
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf246766.tip.html
February 26th, 2011 at 1:45 am
http://allrecipes.com
Try the “Cooking on a Budget” section.
Bert
February 26th, 2011 at 2:13 am
Go to Allrecipes.com they have budget friendly recipes as well as quick and easy.
February 26th, 2011 at 3:09 am
I recently started using the crockpot a lot. It lets you buy cheaper cuts of meat and cook a great meal without spending too much.
Also lots of beans are cheap and filling. If you can be bothered with dry beans, get a whole variety, soak overnight and add things like ham for flavorings.
February 26th, 2011 at 3:12 am
These are just a few of the wonder recipes from the Betty Crocker Cookbook Cooking for Two. You should concider purchasing one. It is well worth the money. I have been married for 32 years and never had any children. It is great to use. You can check out some of the recipes at:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/search/searchresults.aspx?terms=cooking+for+two
Pork Chops and Apples
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 1 hour 5 min
Makes: 2 servings
1 medium unpeeled cooking apple, sliced
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pork rib chops, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (about 1/4 pound each)
Heat oven to 350°F. Place apples in 1 1/2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Remove fat from pork. Spray 8- or 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes. Cook pork in hot skillet about 5 minutes, turning once, until light brown. Place pork in single layer on apples. Cover and bake about 45 minutes or until pork is slightly pink when cut near the bone and apples are tender.
Cheese Garlic Biscuits
1 cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
1/3 cup fat-free (skim) milk
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (1 oz)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Butter-flavor cooking spray, if desired
Heat oven to 450°F. In small bowl, stir Bisquick® mix, milk, cheese and garlic powder to make a soft dough. Drop dough by 5 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 8 minutes or until golden brown. Spray warm biscuits with cooking spray before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm.
Chili Bean Bake
1 cup Progresso® red kidney beans (from 19-oz can), drained, rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) no-salt-added stewed tomatoes
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup Old El Paso® Thick ‘n Chunky salsa
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
1/3 cup fat-free (skim) milk
3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sliced green onions (2 medium)
1 teaspoon margarine, softened
Heat oven to 425°F. In 1 1/2-quart casserole, stir together beans, tomatoes, water, salsa, ketchup and chili powder. Microwave on High 4 minutes; stir. In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients until blended. Drop by 6 spoonfuls onto bean mixture. Bake uncovered 20 to 23 minutes or until golden brown.
Deluxe Cheesburger Melt
1/3 cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons fat-free egg product or 1 egg white
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (1 1/2 oz)
1/4 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 cup canned condensed reduced-fat reduced-sodium cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen mixed vegetables
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 30 min
Makes: 2 servings
Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray 8×4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, stir together Bisquick® mix, water, egg product and 1/4 cup of the cheese; spread in pan. In 10-inch skillet, cook turkey over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in soup and vegetables; heat until hot. Spoon turkey mixture over batter in pan. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese. Bake about 20 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 30 min
Makes: 3 servings
1/2 cup canned condensed reduced-fat reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk
1 cup Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 cup cut-up cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
1/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk
Total Time: 1 hour 35 min1. Heat oven to 400°F. In ungreased 1-quart casserole, stir together soup and 1/4 cup milk; stir in vegetables and chicken. Microwave uncovered on High 3 minutes; stir. In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour over chicken mixture. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
nfd♥
February 26th, 2011 at 4:04 am
Here is one that is romantic AND inexpensive!
Chicken Alfredo Fettuccine
What you’ll need:
~can of already cooked chicken breasts
~alfredo sauce (white and creamy)
~fettuccine noodles
pretty much you just boil your amount of noodles and drain. then heat your amount of alfredo sauce and mix with your amount of chicken. pour the chicken alfredo on the fettuccine. serve in candle light!
twist it up, i put left over peas in it! YUMMY!!!
February 26th, 2011 at 4:44 am
Tasty Tuna Burgers
1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced celery
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
4 hamburger buns
1 tomato, sliced
4 leaves of lettuce (optional)
Combine tuna, egg, bread crumbs, onion, celery, red bell pepper, mayonnaise, hot chili sauce, chili sauce, dill, salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Shape into 4 patties (mixture will be very soft and delicate). Refrigerate for 30 minutes to make the patties easier to handle, if desired.
Coat a non-stick skillet with cooking spray; fry tuna patties for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. These are fragile, so be careful when turning them.
Serve on buns with tomato slices and lettuce leaves, if desired.
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Chicken Pasta Salad
1/2 pound rotini/corkscrew pasta
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced green olives
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 cup minced onion
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup Italian-style salad dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup canned chicken meat – drained and flaked (or leftover chicken)
salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and rinse with cool water. Pour into a large dish.
Combine mushrooms, olives, celery, onion, cheese, corn and green bell pepper with pasta; mix well.
In a small bowl, whisk together dressing and mayonnaise; pour dressing over salad and toss again to coat.
Gently mix in flaked chicken; refrigerate for a few hours or serve.
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Spinach Crumb Casserole
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cubed process cheese (Velveeta)
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup soft bread crumbs
4 1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine, melte
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, eggs, milk, cheese, onion and salt. Pour into a greased 1-qt. baking dish. Combine bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean
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Amish Casserole
1 pound ground beef
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (12 ounce) package wide egg noodles
10 slices American cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. Mix in the cream of chicken soup until noodles are coated.
Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the grease, and stir in the tomato soup, brown sugar, pepper and salt. Spread half of the beef in the bottom of a greased 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Arrange 5 slices of cheese over the beef. Top with half of the noodles, then repeat layers ending with cheese on top.
Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is browned and sauce is bubbly.
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February 26th, 2011 at 5:15 am
This is easy and can be made for 2 or more.
Sounds unappetizing, I know, but truly delicious when served with mashed potatoes.
DO NOT SUBSTITUTE THE PEAS!! It will not come out right, if you don’t care for them, just pick them off
Preheat oven to 350
Place the following in a dish you have a cover for or use tight fitting foil:
Pork chops-cheap ones are fine to use
1 can condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 can, including liquid, peas
1 or more large onions cut up into large chunks
salt/pepper to taste
No need to stir, just plop it all in there
Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes
Serve with mashed potatoes
One of my Mom’s penny pinching recipes which we devoured on a regular basis.