6 Budget-Friendly Meals

These days, it seems like we're all trying to economize - stretching your dollars and stretching your minutes are equally important right now. And when it comes to putting dinner on the table, just about any shortcut is welcome...as long as you're not giving up nutrition or taste. Planning a week's worth of meals is a deliciously simple way to make your life easier. With just one trip to the store, you can stockpile everything you need for five days' worth of simple, savory suppers, without straining your schedule or your wallet.

Black Bean and Rice Burritos

*Estimated cost: $1.02 per serving

• Big Y butter flavored cooking spray
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 green onions, sliced
• ¼ tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. Big Y chili powder
• 1½ cups Big Y salsa
• 1 cup cooked Big Y rice
• 6 8-in. flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup Big Y shredded cheddar cheese
• 6 Tbsp. Big Y sour cream

Preheat oven to 300˚F.

Spray a large pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Stir in black beans, green onions, cumin, chili powder, salsa and rice. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Top each tortilla with rice and bean mixture. Roll up and place in a glass baking dish that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Top burritos with shredded cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream.

Makes 6 (1-burrito) servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving Calories: 340 (Calories from Fat: 90); Total Fat: 10g (Saturated Fat: 4.5g); Cholesterol: 15mg; Protein: 12g; Total Carbohydrates: 50g (Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugars: 3g); Sodium: 600mg

Seared Pork Chops with Potato Latkes

*Estimated cost: $1.84 per serving

4 (about 1½ lb.) boneless center-cut pork chops
2 Tbsp. World Classics Trading Co. olive oil
– Big Y salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. dried basil
2 dashes cayenne pepper, divided
1 ½ tsp. Big Y garlic powder, divided
1 sweet potato, peeled and shredded
1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled and shredded
1/2 small onion, grated
2 Tbsp. Big Y all-purpose flour
1 Big Y egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup Big Y canola oil

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Heat a cast iron skillet or other heavy, ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Rub all sides of pork chops with oil and season with salt, pepper, basil, 1 dash cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Sear chops on each side for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Put skillet in oven and bake until pork chops are cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 160˚F. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

To make the potato pancakes: Place shredded potatoes and grated onion in a colander. Place cheesecloth over mixture and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Let mixture sit for 15 minutes, then squeeze again. In a large bowl, combine potato mixture, flour, 1 dash cayenne pepper, remaining garlic powder, salt to taste and egg; mix well.

Heat canola oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Form mixture into pancake-size cakes and place in skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with pork chops.

Makes 4 (1-chop and 2-cake) servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving Calories: 610 (Calories from Fat: 310); Total Fat: 35g (Saturated Fat: 6g); Cholesterol: 195mg; Protein: 50g; Total Carbohydrates: 21g (Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugars: 2g); Sodium: 135mg

Bean Soup with Spinach and Turkey Kielbasa

*Estimated cost: $1.41 per serving

1 Tbsp. World Classics Trading Co. olive oil
1 lb. turkey kielbasa, sliced
– Big Y nonstick cooking spray
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
– pinch red pepper flakes
2 14.5-oz. cans Big Y chicken broth
2 cups water
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2/3 cup dry ditalini pasta
1 15.5-oz. can Big Y red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup butternut squash, diced
1 tsp. dried oregano
– Big Y salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch spinach, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

In a large pan over medium heat, add oil. Once hot, add kielbasa and cook until no longer pink; set aside.

Spray a large saucepan or Dutch oven with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for another minute. Add broth, water, carrot and pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add cooked kielbasa, beans, squash and oregano and simmer for 20 minutes; salt and pepper to taste. Add spinach and simmer until it wilts. Add lemon juice, remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Makes 8 (1/3 cup) servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving Calories: 280 (Calories from Fat: 120); Total Fat: 13g (Saturated Fat: 4g); Cholesterol: 40mg; Protein: 16g; Total Carbohydrates: 28g (Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugars: 2g); Sodium: 740mg

Hearty Beef Stew

*Estimated cost: $2.11 per serving

2 lb. pre-cut stew beef
2 Tbsp. Big Y all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. World Classics Trading Co. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 14.5-oz. can Big Y stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups Big Y beef broth
3 Tbsp. Big Y red wine vinegar
6 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup Big Y orange juice
1/4 tsp. Big Y black pepper
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 cup Big Y frozen peas, thawed

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Place meat cubes and flour in a large, resealable plastic bag. Close bag and shake to coat meat.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook meat in batches, adding more oil as needed, for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned all over. Transfer to a large ovenproof casserole.

Drain most of the oil from skillet. Add garlic, onion and thyme and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is softened. Add in tomato, beef broth and vinegar, stirring to scrape up brown bits; bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and pour over meat in the casserole dish. Add potatoes, orange juice and pepper. Cover casserole dish and bake for 1 hour. Add carrot and peas and bake uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes. Remove casserole from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.

Makes 8 (1½-cup) servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving Calories: 430 (Calories from Fat: 170); Total Fat: 19g (Saturated Fat: 7g); Cholesterol: 75mg; Protein: 27g; Total Carbohydrates: 37g (Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugars: 5g); Sodium: 310mg

Get extra savings on your meat purchases when you buy items marked with the “Buy More, Save More” logo in our Meat Department. The more you buy, the more you save!

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

$2.59 per serving

1 pkg. chow mein noodles
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1lb. Big Y boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 1/2 cups zucchini, sliced
1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced
1 cup green onions, sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/3 cup Big Y chicken broth
1/4 cup almonds, chopped

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and keep warm.

Add oil to a large skillet or wok and place over medium heat. Add chicken and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Add zucchini and carrots and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add green onions, soy sauce, ginger and chicken broth and cook for 2 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

In a large bowl, combine cooked noodles and chicken mixture; toss well to combine. Serve garnished with chopped almonds.

Makes 4 (1½-cup) servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving Calories: 340 (Calories from Fat: 120); Total Fat: 14g (Saturated Fat: 2g); Cholesterol: 65mg; Protein: 31g; Total Carbohydrates: 21g (Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugars: 2g); Sodium: 610mg

No time to cook this week but still on a budget? Come to Big Y for fresh and ready-to-eat meals from our Appetite Stimulus Plan. Great deals on all your family favorites “From Our Kitchen.”

Cajun-Style Baked Fish $2.56 per serving

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Using paper towel, pat fish dry; season to taste with salt and pepper. In a shallow dish, combine flour, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, thyme and oregano; mix well. Dredge both sides of fish fillets with flour mixture.

In a large deep skillet over medium heat, melt butter until hot. Add fish fillets and let cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook other side until golden brown. Transfer fish to a baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

Makes 4 (1-fillet) servings.

*Estimated cost of ingredients may vary by store location and sale pricing. Does not include pantry staples such as olive oil, dried herbs and spices.

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