Family Dinner Is Served

Hi there. It's almost dinner time again!

I know you could conveniently stop off at some restaurant and pick up dinner to go! For a single person, that will probably set you back $10-40! For a family of 4 you are probably talking $40-100!

There is, of course, the KFC challenge that dares families to prepare their meal for four people for $10 or less! You are on KFC! Let me show you how you can cook a great dinner for 4 people for $10-15.

How are economical dinners relevant? Why quibble over dollars and cents?

Cooking is a skill everyone needs to have! It is just as important to independent living as knowing how to drive, balance a budget, launder your clothes, clean your home, room or office, navigate the internet, and perform basic maintenance on your car or home.

Cooking is also fun! It is a great outlet! Try kneading bread and staying mad for long! Preparing a meal for yourself or your family is a great way to create something rewarding, enjoy a satisfying meal, shrug off the day's stressors and kick back for the night!

If I sound like a "Mom" it is because I am! I could write a book about living on a "shoestring" budget! Sure I have loved to cook since I was a teenager, but a chef I am not!

I have just been a full-time college student and working stiff with a family! I know how hard it seems to come home at the end of a long day's work only to work on into the evening preparing a meal, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, helping with homework, supervising bath time, reading bedtime stories and then doing my own homework! Whew!

I write this blog as a means of celebrating and empowering all people who work hard, love a good home-cooked meal, but don't know how to go about it.

To everyone who does not believe that they can cook, I say YES YOU CAN!

More later. I have to cook dinner now! Keep in touch!

Family Dinner Option # 2

• Marinated Pork Loin Roast
• Baked Macaroni and Cheese
• Green Bean Casserole
• Dinner Rolls

Prices obtained from samsclub.com in October 2008.

Menu Item	Cost ($)	# Servings	Cost per Serving	Cost per Family of 4
Pork Loin, Marinated
Pork loin roast, 2 pounds	$ 4.00	8
Marinade for Pork Roast
Canola oil, 1/2 cup	$ 0.35
Lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons	$ 0.10
Meat tenderizer, 1/2 Tablespoon	$ 0.10
Mesquite seasoning, 1/2 Tablespoon	$ 0.20
SUBTOTAL	$ 4.75		$ 0.59	$ 2.40
Macaroni & Cheese, baked		8-12
Macaroni, 1 pound	$ 0.94
Velveeta, 32 ounces	$ 4.19
Milk, 5 cups	$ 0.80
Flour, 1/4 cup	$ 0.05
Butter, 8 Tablespoons (1 stick)	$ 0.55
SUBTOTAL	$ 6.53		$ 0.54-0.82	$ 2.18-3.28
Green Bean Casserole		4
Green beans, 1 pound frozen whole	$ 1.17
Mushroom Soup, 2 cans	$ 2.00
Milk, approximately 1 cup	$ 0.16
French's french fried onions, 2 cups	$ 2.00
SUBTOTAL	$ 5.33		$ 1.33	$ 5.33
Dinner Rolls, Home Made		6-12
Flour, approximately 5 cups	$ 1.00
Butter, 1/3 cup	$ 0.20
Sugar, 1/3 cup	$ 0.20
Yeast, 1 packet	$ 0.33
Milk, 1 cup	$ 0.16
Eggs, 2	$ 0.24
SUBTOTAL	$ 2.46		$ 0.10-21	$ 0.40-0.80
TOTAL			$ 2.56-2.95	$ 10.31-11.81

Family Dinner Option #1

You can serve meatloaf you and your family will want - again and again and again! This is a beautiful, comforting, simple and delicious way to prepare meatloaf!

• Meatloaf Stuffed with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
  
• Mashed Potatoes
• Brown Gravy
• Biscuits
• Broccoli, steamed

Menu Item	Cost	# Servings	Cost per serving	Cost per Family 4
Meatloaf, Stuffed
Ground Beef, 90% lean	$ 4.00	8-12
Mushrooms, 16 oz sliced	$ 2.58
Onion, 1 large	$ .45
Eggs, 2 large	$ .24
Seasoned Breadcrumbs, ½ cup	$ .30
Lipton Onion Soup Mix, 1 packet	$ .60
Worcestershire Sauce, 2 Tbsp	$ .20
Butter, 4 Tbsp	$ .30
SUBTOTAL	$ 8.67		$ 0.72 – 1.08	$ 2.89 – 4.32
Potatoes, Mashed		8-12
Potatoes, 10 medium (~ 5 lb)	$ 3.15
Water 4 cups	Negligible
Beef bouillon, 4 cubes	$ .80
SUBTOTAL	$ 3.95		$ 0.33 – 0.49	$ 1.32 - 1.98
Broccoli, Steamed frozen	$ 1.21	4	$ 0.30	$ 1.21
Biscuit, Pillsbury Southern Style		4	$ 0.12	$ .48
Gravy, Brown		4-8
Butter, 4 Tbsp	$ .30
Flour, ¼ cup
Bouillon, 2 cubes Beef	$ .40
SUBTOTAL	$ .70		~$ .15	$ .70
TOTAL			$ 1.65 – 2.17	$ 6.60 – 8.69

Serves 8-12 Prep Time:15 min Cook Time:45 min

Don’t be afraid of the volumes in this recipe. Cooking 8-12 servings saves time by cooking ONCE for 2 or 3 meals! Freeze leftovers for another week! (Or cut ingredients in half, and it serves 4-6.)

• 2 lb ground beef, 90% lean
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
• Lipton Onion Soup Mix, 1 packet
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 8-16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• Butter or Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In large skillet or saute pan, saute onions and mushrooms in small amount of butter or olive oil until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Mix ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, soup mix and Worcestershire sauce in large bowl. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Pat ground beef mixture into a rectangle approximately 10” x 12” onto the parchment paper.

Spread onion and mushroom mixture evenly over ground beef mixture. Gently lift one end of parchment paper to roll ground beef/onion mixture in a jelly roll fashion. Lift both ends of parchment paper, and transfer roll to a 9” x 13” greased baking dish. Be sure to remove parchment paper and discard into trash. Cover meatloaf with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes prior to slicing.