Heather and Ivy say:
Go ahead and laugh, our inner twelve year olds are having a ball with today’s topic. All better? Of course, you could always become a vegetarian and save even more, theoretically. Ivy just spent $40 just on fruit the other day. Yum. Fruit.
Anyway, here are some ways to stretch your meat budget:
- Soup
- Stirfry – vegetables, tofu, and peanuts add a lot of color and flavor
- Pizza – load up on the vegetables and be creative: zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms
- Meatloaf & meatballs – use breadcrumbs or rolled oats to stretch ground beef. Remember there is such thing as going too far, adjust your seasoning to make up for bland additions.
- Fajitas & Tacos- Use lots of vegetables and thinly sliced beef or chicken: bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, portabello mushrooms. Don’t forget loads of cheese!
- Crab or fishcakes – breadcrumbs to the rescue again
- Salads – Especially useful during the spring and summer when produce is plentiful
- Kebabs- Anything on a skewer automatically tastes better.
“Ethnic” food in general is a good meat saver. Think especially in terms of poorer countries- Mexican food, Indian food, Asian food. Most are really good ways to stretch your meat budget and save money!
Now, you tell us: what are your favorite meat-stretcher recipes?
