A Cheap Family Meal With A Crockpot Beef Recipe

Cooking a Roast in the Crockpot can give you so many cheap meal idea options.

I though I would share with you a $5 meal idea using the crockpot and a roast.

My family loves french dip sandwiches and to purchase roast beef from the deli is out of our budget so I found a great recipe that slow cooks a roast to perfection.

It’s full of flavor and so tender it just melts in your mouth.

Not only is the meal simple to prepare but if you can purchase the roast on sale like I did today, for only $2.49 out the door (not per lb.), then you have a the perfect cheap family meal for $5 or less.

French Dip Sandwiches Crockpot Style

Personal Cookbook
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7-9 hours low or 4-5 hours high

Meal Preparation Ingredients:

  • 2 large onions
  • 1/4 cup of butter
  • 3-4 lb. rump roast
  • 5 cups of water
  • 1/2 cup of soy sauce
  • 1 envelope onion soup mix
  • (optional) 1 clove minced garlic

Meal Preparation Directions:

  1. Saute 2 large onions, slice 1/4 inch in 1/4 cup of butter until tender then add onions to crockpot
  2. Add rump roast to crock pot – cut in half if thick
  3. Mix water, soy sauce, dry soup mix and garlic(optional) and pour over roast
  4. Cook on low 7- 9 hours

Meal Assembly:
Serves 6-8. Slice meat and put on french rolls. Use juice from roast for dipping sauce. Serve with a handful of potato chips and side salad.
TIP: Add shredded Swiss Cheese and broil before serving if desired.
TIP: Save leftovers for the perfect make ahead freezer lunch meal throughout the week!

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December 21st, 2008 | Tags: , , | Category: Dinner Recipes, Best Crockpot Recipes | 2 comments

The Perfect Crockpot Holiday Side Dish

I wanted to wrap up my week of Holiday recipes with one final Holiday side dish that will knock your socks off.

I love a recipe that requires the use of a crockpot and what easier way to get your Holiday side dish from your home to your Holiday party still warm and delicious.

I made this the other night for my family, exactly as the recipe is listed and it was an instant hit with the kids!

We will never buy boxed macaroni and cheese again! (O.K. well probably I will but I won’t enjoy eating the box stuff after having this.)

I found this recipe while surfing on Yahoo Answers. Thanks to Shylah Petkus for permission to print.

Trust me when I tell you this recipe ROCKS!!

Please double or even triple the batch for the perfect freeze ahead lunch meal.

My husband gets to enjoy this for lunch tomorrow.

Macaroni and Cheese in the Crockpot

Recipe Submitted By: Shylah Petkus
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook time: 2-3 hours

Here is how I make the mac and cheese:

Boil shells until al dente (undercook) and drain well
Heat 2 cups heavy cream on the stove. Add in:
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. prepared horseradish *optional
1 tsp. chopped garlic
3 T butter

After it is hot, add in 1/4 cup CREMORA or COFFEE MATE non dairy coffee creamer (the dry stuff) (yes, add it) (i promise)
Begin to whisk in 1/2 block of shredded VELVEETA. It’ll be hard to grate, so if you have to use some chunks, that is ok.

Keep whisking over low/medium heat until it is incorporated.

Pour your pasta into the crock pot.
Pour cheese sauce over the top. It will be soupy!!!
Cover crock pot.
Heat on low for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, cover the top with a crumble of the seasoned croutons you have on hand. I usually add in 2 or 3 graham crackers when I pulse it to grind it into crumbs. Gives it a little sweetness that people adore.

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December 15th, 2008 | Tags: , , , , | Category: Best Crockpot Recipes, Dream Dinners Made Cheap | 2 comments

Cheap Quick Rice Meals

As I prepare for cooking meals for a month, there has to be many cheap quick rice meals.

I cannot think of a cheaper ingredient to use to feed this large family of mine.

I love the simple one dish bakes that include rice and chicken.

But what I love even more is when I can use my crockpot to prepare a family meal.

I know what your thinking, rice in the crockpot?

Yes this is the best chicken and rice crockpot recipe I have found.

The rice turns out perfect every time I prepare it.

I guess you could say it’s almost fool proof and believe me when I say those are the safest recipes for me to prepare.

And for those frugal mom’s it is one of the $5 dinner meals I suggest when trying to get control of your food budget, one meal at a time!

Chicken and Rice Crockpot Recipe

Chicken and Rice Crockpot Recipe

Chicken and Rice Crockpot Recipe

Personal Cookbook
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 8 hours
Meal Preparation Ingredients:

  • 10 chicken tenders (or 4 chicken breasts)
  • 1 dry pkg. zesty Italian dressing
  • 1 cube margarine (1/2 cup)
  • 1 cup minute rice
  • 1 can Campbell’s cream of chicken soup
  • 1 soup can(use from above) of milk

Meal Preparation Directions:
1.    Put chicken, dry zesty Italian dressing and margarine into crockpot.
2.    Cook on low to medium for 5 to 6 hours.
3.    Once chicken is cooked, remove and cut into chunks.
4.    Put chicken back into crockpot and add the rice, Campbell’s cream of chicken soup and can of milk. Stir all together.
5.    Cook for 3 more hours on low.
Meal Assembly:
Serves 6 – Add some hot garlic bread and a small side salad for a complete, nutritious and delicious dinner that was cheap and quick to prepare.

TIP: This can be the perfect freezer meals recipe as it holds well during reheat so double the batch for dinner next week.

For the quick one dish (casserole) version here it is: Chicken and Rice Bake

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November 30th, 2008 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Category: Best Crockpot Recipes, Casserole Cooking | Leave a comment
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