Cheap Meals For Your Family

Summer is winding down but we haven’t covered our BBQ grill just yet. Most of our summer family meals are prepared either in the crock pot or on the BBQ grill. So I thought I better get some last minute grilling recipes on so you get grilling while the grilling is still good!

I have never been a big fan of the store bought BBQ sauces and so for the first time this summer we started creating  our own homemade sauce . Why didn’t I do this before? It is so easy to make your own BBQ sauce and when your trying to prepare cheap meals for large families, yes even the sauce counts.

Some of the BBQ Sauce Recipes I had came with a list of ingredients I wouldn’t even know where to purchase let alone pronounce them. But to my delight from search online most of the recipes I found for making my own BBQ sauce were simple and my favorite’s called for ingredients I already had on hand.

Here is a list of the top 3 BBQ Sauce Recipes I used in 2009! I have tried all 3 recipes on different meats and through different cooking process this the summer and would recommend all of them. I included one with a lengthy list of ingredients because it was just so good, I am serious! And another that calls for oven baking. I don’t use my oven much during the summer but wanted to share this great recipe  to be used year round.

Salsa BBQ Sauce

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of salsa (we used medium but any flavor will work)
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 2 tbsp of brown sugar
• 1 tbsp mustard

Directions: Mix together with a fork in a bowl. This is usually enough for about 4 chicken breasts.

• My Review: This is the first recipe I found and the easiest. I stock all 4 ingredients at all times (staples) and so this one was a no brainer for me. Of course with my big family we triple each of the ingredients. This one has to be our favorite because it is so simple and of course cheap! This is now the only BBQ grilling recipe my husband uses for making hamburgers on the grill. The salsa gives burgers a nice little kick!

The Perfect Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

• 50 oz. Heinze ketchup (honestly any brand will do)
  

  BBQ Sauce

• 16 oz. tomato sauce
• 2 large lemons, sliced
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp. dry mustard
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 31/2 oz. liquid smoke
• 1 cup oil
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp pepper
• 1 quart 7-up

Directions: combine all ingredients into a pot, mix well and gently boil for 11/2 to 2 hours.

• My Review: The flavor of this BBQ Sauce Recipe was amazing. If time is on your side then I would recommend this one to anyone. But time and money is a factor for me. I had to specifically purchase many of the list ingredients and although I loved the flavor of this sauce on grilled chicken, I didn’t  get to use this one much because I didn’t have the time.

BBQ Sauce Recipes

Slow Cooking BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 tsp. dry prepared mustard
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup vinegar

Directions: combine ingredients in bowl and mix well. Slow cook over meat of choice for at least 2 hours.

• My review: This will be my favorite winter BBQ sauce for spareribs. I recommend using this recipe when baking meat in the oven as it won’t hold as well in a crock pot. I cooked my ribs for about an hour on 300 degrees, I then mixed the BBQ sauce, poured it over the ribs and continued slow cooking for 2 more hours. The ribs were tender and delicious. Again a great recipe because of the simple ingredients I already had on hand.