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Thought I would share a few recipes that I've been craving, and will be making for the remainder of this weeks' dinners. Mom made these regularly; I am sure you've all probably had something akin to these at some point. We always had a crowd to feed at our house, so the proportions given are kinda big - about half of what Mom would make. If you give them a try, adjust to your needs. The good thing about most "poor food" is that you can make a huge quantity and it lasts for a long time, either in the fridge or by freezing. These dishes never stuck around long enough to warrant leftovers in our house for more than a day or two!
They're easy, tasty, and most importantly - cheap! "Poor food" = nostalgia :)
Hamburger Gravy
*A note: Everything tastes better when made in a good cast iron skillet. Just sayin'.
3 pounds ground beef (you could also use ground turkey to cut the fat content)
1 large can + 1 small can cream of mushroom soup (I recommend using low-sodium soup, to cut the salt content)
3 or 4 beef bouillon cubes
1 large Spanish onion, diced
4 cups cooked rice (again, use brown rice if you'd like to up the health factor)
Pepper, garlic, other herbs and seasonings to taste (Mom kept it simple - a teeny bit of salt, lots of pepper, garlic powder)
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Before the meat is cooked all the way through, add the onions and seasonings and cook until translucent. Drain the excess fat off (paper towel method works for me). While the meat is draining, dump the mushroom soup and bouillon cubes into the skillet and heat up, stirring occasionally until the cubes are melted. Return the meat to the skillet, mix and heat through. Pour over rice, and serve with a green veggie to keep some semblance of "healthy" involved in your meal ;-) Mom also served this over boiled potatoes, and tomorrow I will try serving it over homemade biscuits for a change.
Spanish Rice
6 cups cooked rice
3-4 large cans whole tomatoes (if you have your own canned 'maters, even better!)
2 large onions, diced
3-4 good sized green peppers, diced (I always put more in, because I heart green peppers; you can also use frozen)
2-3 pounds ground beef (or turkey!)
2 cans or 1 bag cooked frozen corn (optional)
Cumin, chili powder, pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, other seasonings to taste (cilantro might be yummy!)
Season and brown the ground beef, onions, and green peppers; drain excess fat. Stir beef mixture and all other ingredients into a big-ol' pot and heat through, adjusting for seasoning as needed.
They're easy, tasty, and most importantly - cheap! "Poor food" = nostalgia :)
Hamburger Gravy
*A note: Everything tastes better when made in a good cast iron skillet. Just sayin'.
3 pounds ground beef (you could also use ground turkey to cut the fat content)
1 large can + 1 small can cream of mushroom soup (I recommend using low-sodium soup, to cut the salt content)
3 or 4 beef bouillon cubes
1 large Spanish onion, diced
4 cups cooked rice (again, use brown rice if you'd like to up the health factor)
Pepper, garlic, other herbs and seasonings to taste (Mom kept it simple - a teeny bit of salt, lots of pepper, garlic powder)
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Before the meat is cooked all the way through, add the onions and seasonings and cook until translucent. Drain the excess fat off (paper towel method works for me). While the meat is draining, dump the mushroom soup and bouillon cubes into the skillet and heat up, stirring occasionally until the cubes are melted. Return the meat to the skillet, mix and heat through. Pour over rice, and serve with a green veggie to keep some semblance of "healthy" involved in your meal ;-) Mom also served this over boiled potatoes, and tomorrow I will try serving it over homemade biscuits for a change.
Spanish Rice
6 cups cooked rice
3-4 large cans whole tomatoes (if you have your own canned 'maters, even better!)
2 large onions, diced
3-4 good sized green peppers, diced (I always put more in, because I heart green peppers; you can also use frozen)
2-3 pounds ground beef (or turkey!)
2 cans or 1 bag cooked frozen corn (optional)
Cumin, chili powder, pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, other seasonings to taste (cilantro might be yummy!)
Season and brown the ground beef, onions, and green peppers; drain excess fat. Stir beef mixture and all other ingredients into a big-ol' pot and heat through, adjusting for seasoning as needed.