Would love to see the hybrid Walmart/Dollar Tree meal plans. Would also like to see more slow cooker recipes when you want dinner done when you get home after a long day out of the house! You don't know what an indispensable aid your meal planning videos are for some people, especially me. 😉
This would be a great idea! I'm always curious too whether the Dollar store or Walmart have the better prices per portion too. There will be some things that are better at one then the other
My mom would come home and have meals on the table within 30 minutes or less using her pressure cooker. I shipped hers from Germany so now I am making her recipes.
I think a mixed-market video is a great idea. Some things are cheaper at WalMart and some are cheaper at Dollar Tree, so it would be cool to get the cheapest price total. That's how I like to shop, and I would assume that the majority of people are like me; get the items where they're the least expensive. There are always going to be people who aren't able to do that, but I feel like most people are able to.
these meals are so accessible! she doesn't "assume" the person knows how to cook, and explains everything beautifully. this would be perfect for the young person just starting out, maybe sharing with a roommate like $25 and $25 per person and budgeting that way.
If you wet your knife or take a piece of wet paper towel and set it on the corner of the cutting board, the acid in the onion will be drawn to either of those moisture sources instead of your eyes. I’ve been doing this for the last few years and haven’t cried from an onion burn since. Just a tip to help.
I love the idea of mixing Dollar Tree items with grocery store items. That's how we shop. I see what DT has, then hit the sales at the grocery store! Last night we had ham and bean soup over rice, as you suggested in a previous video. Hubby and I both loved it and plan to have it again. We added some carving board ham since we had it. Great job, Rebecca! Keep these awesome videos coming! We appreciate you!
Wahoo!!! I can watch this and tweak my grocery delivery for tomorrow!! Maybe. I really want to make the black bean tacos from Day 2. You are a rock star Rebecca!! Thank you for all of our hard work on this channel. I don't think you truly appreciate how many lives you have touched and how many people you have helped!!!
I grew up basically poor, but never went hungry. My grandmother was the one pot meal queen. She would start with a cheap cut of beef or pork chops, add rice or pasta, or even vegetables and it was delicious. Cabbage and pork chops was the bomb. We didn't always have meat, but we always had something tasty to eat. She made homemade tortillas nearly every day and we always had beans and rice. Seasonings are important and they're fairly inexpensive at the Dollar Tree and Walmart. Don't have onion? Keep a jar of chopped onions from the seasoning section and just rehydrate those. It works out great in recipes. Dried herbs and seasonings are great when you don't have fresh. I love your videos. You've given me so many great ideas. Keep em coming. :)
I feel like a shake of sage would turn that strata into a thanksgiving-style meal with how close it is to homemade stuffing! I'm floored at the variety of meals you've been able to get out of this $50 series. Keep it up, Rebecca!
Yes if she had made double of the bread and veggies half could be saved for stuffing, just add chicken seasoning and broth. To make it. Complete meal, add apples and sausage, mushrooms and ham, or chicken and either apples or mushrooms.
I love these videos more than the Dollar Tree videos! The DT ones have a lot of great ideas but not the healthiest of meals to eat regularly lol. With fresh meats and vegetables from Walmart your budget friendly meals are much healthier.
So thankful for this channel. Due to recent health issues, I am unable to drive (and live out in the country, so no delivery) and your recipes with limited ingredients makes it so much easier to put together meals from my pantry/freezer. Even if I don't make the recipes exact, it helps to spark some creativity lol
A fantastic easy budget meal is curry! Especially vegetarian curry. I feel like a lot of ppl are intimidated by curry, but it's simple if you use curry powder instead of buying all the separate spices (less cost effective though). We made veggie curry last night using potatoes, carrots, onion, curry powder, salt, a can of chickpeas, a small can of crushed tomatoes, some chicken broth that I made from bouillon, and a can of coconut milk (but using some plain yogurt would be cheaper!!). Served over white rice. If you thinned it with more broth you could probably just eat it as a soup instead of over rice. It makes a TON of food.
This is such a great video, love seeing all of your ideas! Speaking as someone who knows a lot of potato farmers (from Idaho lol), I would try to avoid green potatoes when you can, I know there’s not always great options, but green doesn’t mean underripe for potatoes, it’s where’s the solanine (toxin) is concentrated. Even just peeling away or cutting that part off is better for you! Said with love 💕
I think my husband and I goofed and used green potatoes in our curry last night. We've both been in the bathroom a lot today lmfao. Definitely going to have to pay better attention next time 😅
Yes, and this is extra hard on people with immune issues... Like arthritis, those with allergies and food sensitivities, anyone with even very mild nightshade sensitivity or allergies and those with the MTHR gene variant because of reduced ability to eliminate toxins.
I have to tell you I’ve been binge watching your videos. I don’t necessarily need to live on such a limited budget but you are still giving me plenty ideas to save money with these recipes. You talk about finding a balance of creativity and accessibility and I think you nail it. Thank you for your content and dedication to the channel - it shows!
Just a side note as I’m British, Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb mince, hence the Shepherd in the name. When made with beef, we call it Cottage Pie. I have to say it looked pretty good what you made. What I use to do when I was on government assistance was to bulk it out with lentils, another thing we Brits do, which I highly recommend is to top it with grated cheddar cheese, 10 minutes before it finishes cooking 😋
I was waiting for the movie night nachos using your tortillas crisped in the oven. Topped with the left over turkey, salsa, and cheese. Thank you for inspiring many ideas from your meal plan. 🎉❤ 🏆
Loved this series! I can only imagine the amount of work, research and planning that goes into your videos but I know a LOT of people appreciate it! With the cost of groceries nowadays, there are so many people who are needing to shop and cook on a budget. Grateful for the helpful content you put out!
🙏💜 Rebecca, thank you so much! I was inspired by one of your videos earlier this week to make the black bean salsa, but I added 1 pound of ground turkey that I prepared, like "taco meat," with taco seasoning first. If you do this...brown the meat, drain it, bloom the seasoning packet like Rebecca says while the meat is draining (it really works!), add the meat back to the pan, add the can of Ro-tel (store brand works great) and the liquid from that is probably enough that you don't need to add water (or as much), add your can of drained corn, add your can of rinsed black beans, and heat through until beans are tender--likely less than 10 minutes with stirring and covered. I've been eating this "salsa and meat base" on small tortillas, in a bowl on top of rice with refried beans and cheese (if you can have cheese), etc. You could also eat it like a dip with chips or use other toppings you may have. It is SO full of flavor (I forget it's ground turkey), protein, and fiber that I look forward to thinking of new ways of using it. I may try it on top of a baked potato later today, hmm...LOL! Thanks again for the inspiration, Rebecca! 🙏💜
I always look forward to your videos, no matter what your plan for the week is. I love watching you cook and all the creative things you come up with. I don't think anyone would feel deprived of a good meal, even tho you have kept it on a budget. You really inspire us.
The upside down shepherds pie idea would be great for us. My son doesn’t like potatoes (I know) but I do and then he could have it over rice or pasta or bread (his favorite). 😊
Tip for chopping onion!! If you wet a dish towel or paper towel and sit it on or right next to your cutting board while you're chopping onions, it'll stop the eye burning!
Rebecca..It’s fine to have a “chill evening”! Sometimes we all need a well-needed rest from daily responsibilities, and especially from stressful times at work, with family, or etc.! That being said, I love watching your creativity with the different budget meals, you are providing a great service to many people!!!
One of the things that is great about you is your authentic approach. You keep it real. And there was nothing more real today than your reaction to the onions. So relatable. The stuff pepper skillet was my favorite of all your recipes.
One thing I love to do on a tight budget on cold days is make vege chili. Can be done stovetop or crockpot. A can of black beans, some other bean of choice, canned diced tomatoes and canned corn, and whatever chili spice I have on hand. Can add onion/pepper/garlic if you want. Add some jiffy mix cornbread on the side. Put it over rice or serve on its own. Another lunch dish is rice with skillet roasted canned chick peas (garbanzos). Sometimes I put cabbage slaw with it.
Im not someone who comments about health and safety things (I’m a food safety inspector for my province) but becuase I care about you and your family…please know this ❤Putting shells into the carton where there is still intact eggs causes bacteria from the opened shells to seep into your uncracked eggs, and all over your hands.Pasteurized commercials eggs don’t have the protective vernix farm fresh eggs have and that’s why we refrigerate them. Please throw away or compost your shells immediately after cracking. This would def cause diarrhea and vomiting without you knowing why because salmonella is invisible but nasty!
Stupid question then @mamastyles, does it really matter then cuz the eggs are getting cooked, and will cook off any bacteria? (Honest question, trying to learn....)
I can't even type a reply because of all the ads... Anyway, if shells could contaminate other eggs in a carton then contaminated whole eggs should as well because of the lack of protective coating. If you use a contaminated egg you are contaminating other foods that come in contact with it. But cooking to the proper temp for long enough reduces salmonella to undetectable levels. If you eat undercooked eggs there's a risk anyway because you never know if one is contaminated. If you always fully cook eggs and foods that touch raw egg then you are good. If the egg was already in the carton, and shells are porous and don't stop the spread, then nothing changes when you throw that egg shell back in. Eggs not touching may reduce the spread, but I know I touch multiple eggs when I grab one.
I love the idea of cutting back on the amount of meat to make it stretch further! Great idea! Most times I just add more veggies and no one knows the difference!
The ability to use only 1/2 or 3/4 pound of beef is one of the reasons I buy the frozen formed patties at Walmart. There is, more or less, little to no price difference. The other two reasons are I don't have to worry about how quickly I use it up or have to remember to freeze it if I don't use it; and I don't have to remember to pre-thaw it prior to a meal (as they thaw quickly in the pan).
I do this with chicken breasts. I remove the chicken tenders of each breast and set them aside for a meal of their own. Nobody notices the tenders are missing. It's a great way to get another meal from the chicken breasts without spending more money!
I have enjoyed this series very much much. It’s obvious that you put a lot of thought into planning these meals. Thank you for sharing with all of us. 😊
Back in the day when I worked for PBS we had a chef come in to film a pledge drive segment for her cooking pledge program. I remember she made a strada like baked brunch dish, she used brioche or french bread slices, a lot of butter, heavy cream, eggs and fake lobster. I forget what seasonings she used, I do remember it was not Old Bay. I remember people in studio saying it might be good with lump bluefin crab meat and Old Bay. I've had a sweet version of that with the bread soaked in a mixture of the eggs and heavy cream with vanilla and sugar and topped with dried cherries, pineapple and raisins and dollops of cream cheese. It was dusted with powdered sugar after baking, it made a really nice brunch dish. Yum!
I put my potatoes in the microwave for about 6 minutes. When they’re cool enough to handle I dice/cube them and finish cooking them with in a skillet with olive oil and butter. I season with salt and pepper! They come out so good! I add eggs as the potatoes are cooking and scramble them! Add salsa
So many different varieties of meals in this week! I really appreciated the different textures of each and every ingredient. I appreicate all the work that went into this.
If you can stock these items it's worth it. They really play a large role in giving affordable budget friendly items such as pasta, rice and potatoes much needed variety.
I think it would be great to see a Walmart/Dollar Tree combo. You could show how to stretch a certain budget by getting items cheaper at either store to get the best of both worlds. This series was great as well. You do a terrific job.
Love watching these. Always enjoy the options given as well. So many ideas and it goes to show you really can manage a good weekly menu with a super tight budget (said as I just spent $530 for stocking the pantry and freezer). Look forward to each future video as your content is always fun and helpful!
one of our favorite breakfast/lunch meals you might try is jiffy corn bread mix add an extra egg or even two and mix according to the package now add in creamed corn, cheese and ground sausage turkey or whatever you choose or have leftover , when i have it I add cream cheese or sourcream but that isn't necessary bake as muffins or can do in cake pan according to package. this are filling and can replace a meal on the go or work wonderful with gravy or fried eggs.
I think you should do a shopping trip just to stock your pantry. Sugar, flour, a few spices like cinnamon, powdered milk or canned milk, shelf stable milk, pasta and canned vegs, fruit, gravy mixes, and canned meat. With a well stocked pantry one could spend less each week for groceries. This would help young people just starting out.
This could honestly make a really good semi-long term series: a 4 week "starter pack" for home cooking on a budget, where the first week goes towards stocking up as well as making meals, and then weeks 2, 3, and 4 have maybe a smaller budget but use the stocked pantry from week 1.
i think I'll try that 1st recipe but make it with a bit of ground sausage. 😋 and like you suggested some white pepper gravy on top...OMG sounds so yummy
15:30 I learned this tip from the movie "The Help", if you take a match, strike it, blow it out, then hold the non burnt end between your front top and bottom teeth, you won't cry. It works for me. Try with an unlit match, too, I've had both work. Just don't wear glasses!! You may think they'll keep you safe but all they'll do is swirl the gasses around in your eyes.
My daughter loves shepherds pie but I’ve started doing a kind of deconstructed shepherds pie in the skillet with hash browns. Either way…there’s never leftovers😊
whenever a pepper or two is looking a bit old [I buy them in bags], I stab it a couple times and throw it in the oven to roast til the skin puffs up, then skin and core it, slice it into batons, and spoon the slurpy pile into an ice cube tray to make toss-it-in cubes of roasted pepper that go in late in the cooking process [rather than at the beginning to sauté with the raw onion]
I really liked the two weeks back-to-back meal plans. As usual, you've inspired me to carefully plan out what interesting combos I can throw together. I looked at the canned chicken options (for your chicken pot pie pasta suggestion) but I've never bought canned chicken before since it isn't as cost efficient as buying chicken and cooking it. But maybe that's because I'm comparing the cost of the uncooked chicken to cooked? I'm sure there's weight lost during cooking, but I wouldn't have thought it was that much? At my grocer, cooked canned chicken breast sells for 1.79 a 5 oz can (or $5.73/lb), and raw boneless/skinless chicken boobs are $2.99/lb. Or thighs for 99 cents/lb. I feel like I must be overlooking something here, beyond the convenience and raw/cooked weight.
Also, be aware that the labeled weight on a can of chicken is not all meat, the liquid counts toward it as well, so a "12 oz" can of chicken might only have about 7 oz of actual chicken meat inside, once you drain it. (I was using canned chicken quite a bit, until I actually weighed it once for calorie-counting purposes. I was shocked at how little actual chicken I was getting for the money!)
Canned chicken is more expensive that buying a whole chicken or just legs or thighs. If you have already cooked chicken in your freezer you can use that. She is trying to show younger people how to budget. Us old cooks know to buy a whole chicken and cut it up, boil the bones for broth, package up the meat to use for casseroles. Due to my extremely tight budget right now I'm not grocery shopping and using the canned chicken I bought 2 years ago is coming in handy.
It is usually cheaper per pound to get the raw chicken then cook and shred it. But usually you have to buy a multi pound package of chicken so if you only need it for the one meal a can of chicken can be more practical sometimes
Amen to the comment section. It rocks. I tend to get into a rut and don't mind it most of the time. But there are those days when you just cannot face yet another same old same old. The variations and tweaks folks mention are priceless! The same old basic ingredients become something totally different. I even enjoy the tweaks that are not perfectly tasty because they change things up enough to hit reset on my same old humdrums. Question: On an upcoming severe limitation video (equipment, etc) could you consider doing a how-to-basic cleanup safely in situations where you have limited water or room to wash up, etc? Once, an Army cook showed me some tricks to ensure clean up left dishes sanitized and clean without any hot water. Would love to know some more such tips.
If you change out the tuna for chicken. You might want to do a can of cream of celery with a can of cream of mushroom soup. Add some onion powder and garlic powder to taste.
One of my favorite versions of cottage/shephard's pie using leftover Thanksgiving turkey - an idea I saw on the Rachel Ray show many years ago. The bottom layer is turkey with gravy (and any veg you want in there) topped with squash/sweet potatoes. So tasty! The ground turkey reminded me of it, especially since I have a bag of yams to use right now. Thank you for these inspiring recipes!
I am a super fan! Love love love your content every video. As a vegetarian I have used many of your ideas and techniques and wonder if you would do an episode strictly vegetarian. Vegetarian food is cost effective too!!
Not the same plaza for me, but the same intersection across from each other. I wouldn't be surprised to find that's intentional (like Taco Bell are always close to a McDonalds).
If you want your brownies to last longer, you could wrap several of them individually on the day you cut them and pop them in the freezer in a a ziplock bag. They stay fresh and defrost quickly, then maybe the next week you could buy ice cream for your treat and have brownie a la mode. Yum 😋
Oh my. I browned a tortilla in a skillet, put skillet stuffed pepper mixture on the tortilla like a individual pizza, top with hot sauce and cheese and it was so good!!
Your creativity on how you can use your ingredients is next level. I live with a chef but love watching you shop on a budget and throw things together. You remind me of how he cooks. :) P.S. Eureka!!! One of my favourties. I was actually thinking over the holidays that I'd like to re-watch. Enjoy
I am a budget meal video junkie and you made very creative meals! I also loved that you included coffee, creamer, dessert, butter and seasonings into your budget! I always feel like it is cheating to use seasoning and butter from your pantry since these are such expensive ingredients and they add so much flavor. I loved this challenge.
You have the smoothest and most peaceful voice ever... I feel my blood pressure go down to the sound of your voice... Oh, and you have amazing cooking ideas!
i don’t watch this to save money on groceries. i have really bad ADD and i will buy groceries for a dinner and the remaining ingredients go to waste because i can’t think of anything to make with it. this channel has really helped me get creative and think outside the box. it’s a challenge for me but thank you for that
I will say that when my husband and I were raising our 3 boys, I made mostly one pot meals! They are easy usually and cheaper than trying to feed a family on a meat, starch and veggies. I think that this week of meals was wonderful! thanks for sharing xoxo. I think the combo of dollar tree and walmart would be great!
I think that you are so ingenious with what you make with so little money. The price of food in England has sky rocketed so I have been looking at making more affordable meals. You have given me great inspiration. Thank you ❤
These looked delicious and as always, so well thought out. Thank you for the hard work, effort and consideration of all of us. Yes PLEASE Dollar Tree & Walmart! That’d be FANTASTIC! You’re a joy and a delight, Rebecca! God Bless!
My meal plan was decided this week when I found a pork roast for 99¢/lb. All our dinners came from this $5 of meat. (And it was plenty of meat for the two of us!) I tried to make a variety of flavors with the same meat. Cut some off to make chow mein, cooked the rest as a traditional roast and potatoes meal, and then made pork noodles with the leftover roast and gravy. Each of these made enough for two nights.
We grab pork shoulder when it is that price and cook in the crock pot with BBQ dry rub over a rough chopped onion and a few chopped apples. Add BBQ seasoning and beans to make tacos, nachos, or burritos. Add over beans and rice. Add to a stir fry. Leftover cooked pork goes into a gallon zip, smashed thin and frozen flat so that I can break off a piece to add to other weeks. We even like it over noodles or rice with a creamy or cheesy sauce with mushrooms and onions, broccoli or spinach.
You really do a great job with budgeting and maximizing the use of all your ingredients for the week and creatively making multiple meals using the budget ingredients….Well Done🥰💕❤️💯 and I’m not even a person that usually comments❤️
I am really enjoying these $50 walmart dinner plans. I do most of my shopping at walmart and have 2 adults and a teen to feed. So these ideas would work well for my family as we are also on a tight budget. Thank you for your hard work. Love your channel. Also even though I did not get around to commenting on the other video you mentioned it in, I think you should keep your channel name the same. It is established and people know who you are. I love that you are adding in more content of a different variety too. I also love the idea of the dollar tree/ walmart dinner plan combo you mentioned. Looking forward to all your new ideas. Keep up the great work!
In the town of Meadville Pennsylvania, the dollar tree it’s up that was in the Walmart plaza moved outside of the Walmart plaza cause somehow Walmart controlled what foods they could and could not sell in their dollar tree. Once they went over across the road across from Walmart, they can sell more food.
I would LOVE to see you do some meal plans, or even full weeks with a certain dollar amount budget, using both Walmart and Dollar Tree, or any 2 stores, really! I think it would be a great chance for you to talk about why you bought which ingredients from each store rather than the other, in order to make the most of your dollar. Shopping at different stores is something that I've always found very important for helping with a grocery budget.
I thought maybe panko? I know there are midwesterners who crush potato chips over their casseroles for a crunchy finished top, my ma just wasn’t one of them.
I look forward to your videos every week, and I’ve started making at least one of your recipes every week. Your recipes are very easy and have quick cook times, so if I’m not sure what to make I’ll watch past videos too for an idea. I struggle sometimes trying to come up with dinner ideas and I have most of your go to ingredients on hand, so your videos are extremely helpful ❤
I love all of your videos! Great job! 🥰 You know what would be a great video, (and would also help me out), a video on a Duncan doughnut ice mocha dupe. 🥰
Great video as always! I tend to use instant potatoes half the time i make shepard's pie too..I use a fork for optimal texture and blast it under the broiler (keeping a close eye, of course) at the end of baking for more brown bits!
When you cook up the raw potatoes and stuff I put mine in my air fryer just spray them with a little cooking spray and add Mrs Dash garlic and herb but I cut mine small like you do and I don't cook them or whatever ahead of time and I just put them in the air fryer for a 400 on air fry for 20 minutes where I get them crispy where I like them and oh my gosh they are so good
I do similar with olive oil, garlic powder, and sometimes parmesan at the end in the toaster oven. This also works for sweet potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower, smash and add parm toward the end.
I just found your channel last night and I love it! 🎉 Your creativity under a budget is inspiring, your meals are different than what other youtubers usually do and I’m looking forward to try some of your recipes! ❤ Keep going.
Would love to see the hybrid Walmart/Dollar Tree meal plans. Would also like to see more slow cooker recipes when you want dinner done when you get home after a long day out of the house! You don't know what an indispensable aid your meal planning videos are for some people, especially me. 😉
Good idea!
This would be a great idea! I'm always curious too whether the Dollar store or Walmart have the better prices per portion too. There will be some things that are better at one then the other
My mom would come home and have meals on the table within 30 minutes or less using her pressure cooker. I shipped hers from Germany so now I am making her recipes.
DITTO TO THIS
I also think that would be an awesome idea to see a Dollar tree and Walmart combo show.
I think a mixed-market video is a great idea. Some things are cheaper at WalMart and some are cheaper at Dollar Tree, so it would be cool to get the cheapest price total. That's how I like to shop, and I would assume that the majority of people are like me; get the items where they're the least expensive. There are always going to be people who aren't able to do that, but I feel like most people are able to.
these meals are so accessible! she doesn't "assume" the person knows how to cook, and explains everything beautifully. this would be perfect for the young person just starting out, maybe sharing with a roommate like $25 and $25 per person and budgeting that way.
If you wet your knife or take a piece of wet paper towel and set it on the corner of the cutting board, the acid in the onion will be drawn to either of those moisture sources instead of your eyes. I’ve been doing this for the last few years and haven’t cried from an onion burn since. Just a tip to help.
Or just have a damp dish cloth nearby on the counter
.... you are a hero
I would enjoy the Dollar Tree and Walmart combination store list and menu
I love the idea of mixing Dollar Tree items with grocery store items. That's how we shop. I see what DT has, then hit the sales at the grocery store! Last night we had ham and bean soup over rice, as you suggested in a previous video. Hubby and I both loved it and plan to have it again. We added some carving board ham since we had it. Great job, Rebecca! Keep these awesome videos coming! We appreciate you!
I always mix groc store and dollar tree
That recipe works with potatoes in the soup too, I grew up eating that.
Wahoo!!! I can watch this and tweak my grocery delivery for tomorrow!! Maybe. I really want to make the black bean tacos from Day 2. You are a rock star Rebecca!! Thank you for all of our hard work on this channel. I don't think you truly appreciate how many lives you have touched and how many people you have helped!!!
I know you will love it!!
I grew up basically poor, but never went hungry. My grandmother was the one pot meal queen. She would start with a cheap cut of beef or pork chops, add rice or pasta, or even vegetables and it was delicious. Cabbage and pork chops was the bomb. We didn't always have meat, but we always had something tasty to eat. She made homemade tortillas nearly every day and we always had beans and rice. Seasonings are important and they're fairly inexpensive at the Dollar Tree and Walmart. Don't have onion? Keep a jar of chopped onions from the seasoning section and just rehydrate those. It works out great in recipes. Dried herbs and seasonings are great when you don't have fresh. I love your videos. You've given me so many great ideas. Keep em coming. :)
And me.
My mom was the same. Bought cheap meat at the commissary and pressure cooked it and dinner was on the table in minutes
I feel like a shake of sage would turn that strata into a thanksgiving-style meal with how close it is to homemade stuffing! I'm floored at the variety of meals you've been able to get out of this $50 series. Keep it up, Rebecca!
Yes if she had made double of the bread and veggies half could be saved for stuffing, just add chicken seasoning and broth. To make it. Complete meal, add apples and sausage, mushrooms and ham, or chicken and either apples or mushrooms.
I love the Great Depression meals btw! And the dollar tree/Walmart combo idea sounds great. Let’s be honest, we’ll watch anything you great.
I love these videos more than the Dollar Tree videos! The DT ones have a lot of great ideas but not the healthiest of meals to eat regularly lol. With fresh meats and vegetables from Walmart your budget friendly meals are much healthier.
So thankful for this channel. Due to recent health issues, I am unable to drive (and live out in the country, so no delivery) and your recipes with limited ingredients makes it so much easier to put together meals from my pantry/freezer. Even if I don't make the recipes exact, it helps to spark some creativity lol
i hope your health issues get better soon...
I Appreciate that your servings are generous and would actually fill up the average person.😊
Put some worcestershire sauce in your ground turkey, and it will give the taste of beef
Good tip!
🤔 worth trying
A fantastic easy budget meal is curry! Especially vegetarian curry. I feel like a lot of ppl are intimidated by curry, but it's simple if you use curry powder instead of buying all the separate spices (less cost effective though).
We made veggie curry last night using potatoes, carrots, onion, curry powder, salt, a can of chickpeas, a small can of crushed tomatoes, some chicken broth that I made from bouillon, and a can of coconut milk (but using some plain yogurt would be cheaper!!). Served over white rice. If you thinned it with more broth you could probably just eat it as a soup instead of over rice. It makes a TON of food.
I made an fantastic chickpea and potato curry the other night. It was amazing. :)
This is such a great video, love seeing all of your ideas! Speaking as someone who knows a lot of potato farmers (from Idaho lol), I would try to avoid green potatoes when you can, I know there’s not always great options, but green doesn’t mean underripe for potatoes, it’s where’s the solanine (toxin) is concentrated. Even just peeling away or cutting that part off is better for you! Said with love 💕
I think my husband and I goofed and used green potatoes in our curry last night. We've both been in the bathroom a lot today lmfao. Definitely going to have to pay better attention next time 😅
Yes that’s true, no green potato parts they’re poisonous!
Yes, and this is extra hard on people with immune issues... Like arthritis, those with allergies and food sensitivities, anyone with even very mild nightshade sensitivity or allergies and those with the MTHR gene variant because of reduced ability to eliminate toxins.
I have to tell you I’ve been binge watching your videos. I don’t necessarily need to live on such a limited budget but you are still giving me plenty ideas to save money with these recipes. You talk about finding a balance of creativity and accessibility and I think you nail it. Thank you for your content and dedication to the channel - it shows!
I've watched you for a long time, I'm still amazed at how many different meals you come up with. Thank you for sharing with everyone!
Just a side note as I’m British, Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb mince, hence the Shepherd in the name. When made with beef, we call it Cottage Pie. I have to say it looked pretty good what you made. What I use to do when I was on government assistance was to bulk it out with lentils, another thing we Brits do, which I highly recommend is to top it with grated cheddar cheese, 10 minutes before it finishes cooking 😋
I patiently wait for your videos. I love them. I enjoy watching them on snowy days.
I think a video showing dinner ideas combining Walmart and Dollar Tree foods would be great, because as you said a lot of people shop both stores.
I was waiting for the movie night nachos using your tortillas crisped in the oven. Topped with the left over turkey, salsa, and cheese. Thank you for inspiring many ideas from your meal plan. 🎉❤ 🏆
Loved this series! I can only imagine the amount of work, research and planning that goes into your videos but I know a LOT of people appreciate it! With the cost of groceries nowadays, there are so many people who are needing to shop and cook on a budget. Grateful for the helpful content you put out!
🙏💜 Rebecca, thank you so much! I was inspired by one of your videos earlier this week to make the black bean salsa, but I added 1 pound of ground turkey that I prepared, like "taco meat," with taco seasoning first. If you do this...brown the meat, drain it, bloom the seasoning packet like Rebecca says while the meat is draining (it really works!), add the meat back to the pan, add the can of Ro-tel (store brand works great) and the liquid from that is probably enough that you don't need to add water (or as much), add your can of drained corn, add your can of rinsed black beans, and heat through until beans are tender--likely less than 10 minutes with stirring and covered.
I've been eating this "salsa and meat base" on small tortillas, in a bowl on top of rice with refried beans and cheese (if you can have cheese), etc. You could also eat it like a dip with chips or use other toppings you may have. It is SO full of flavor (I forget it's ground turkey), protein, and fiber that I look forward to thinking of new ways of using it. I may try it on top of a baked potato later today, hmm...LOL! Thanks again for the inspiration, Rebecca! 🙏💜
Nice! That sounds like it would make great burritos and nachos too.
I always look forward to your videos, no matter what your plan for the week is. I love watching you cook and all the creative things you come up with. I don't think anyone would feel deprived of a good meal, even tho you have kept it on a budget. You really inspire us.
The upside down shepherds pie idea would be great for us. My son doesn’t like potatoes (I know) but I do and then he could have it over rice or pasta or bread (his favorite). 😊
I call that a Shephard's pie bowl and do it when I'm lazy. Potatoes are my favorite, so I've never thought of varying it, but that's a great idea.
Tip for chopping onion!! If you wet a dish towel or paper towel and sit it on or right next to your cutting board while you're chopping onions, it'll stop the eye burning!
I saw someone else's channel where they were making a shepherds pie with ground turkey. They called it Pilgrim's Pie.
I love that!
Rebecca..It’s fine to have a “chill evening”! Sometimes we all need a well-needed rest from daily responsibilities, and especially from stressful times at work, with family, or etc.! That being said, I love watching your creativity with the different budget meals, you are providing a great service to many people!!!
Rebecca, Great meal options, even for us vegetarians. Keep up the great work. 😊
The strata looked so good. I love Eureka, if you haven’t seen it Warehouse 13 is a good one.
I’ll check that out, we loved Eureka!
A big second endorsement for Warehouse 13 from another Eureka! loving family.
One of the things that is great about you is your authentic approach. You keep it real. And there was nothing more real today than your reaction to the onions. So relatable. The stuff pepper skillet was my favorite of all your recipes.
One thing I love to do on a tight budget on cold days is make vege chili. Can be done stovetop or crockpot. A can of black beans, some other bean of choice, canned diced tomatoes and canned corn, and whatever chili spice I have on hand. Can add onion/pepper/garlic if you want. Add some jiffy mix cornbread on the side. Put it over rice or serve on its own. Another lunch dish is rice with skillet roasted canned chick peas (garbanzos). Sometimes I put cabbage slaw with it.
Im not someone who comments about health and safety things (I’m a food safety inspector for my province) but becuase I care about you and your family…please know this ❤Putting shells into the carton where there is still intact eggs causes bacteria from the opened shells to seep into your uncracked eggs, and all over your hands.Pasteurized commercials eggs don’t have the protective vernix farm fresh eggs have and that’s why we refrigerate them. Please throw away or compost your shells immediately after cracking. This would def cause diarrhea and vomiting without you knowing why because salmonella is invisible but nasty!
Thank you for sharing! Old habits die hard but I’ll do my best :)
Stupid question then @mamastyles, does it really matter then cuz the eggs are getting cooked, and will cook off any bacteria? (Honest question, trying to learn....)
I was going to say the same thing, I’m not a health inspector but I was raised to throw them out for that reason.
I can't even type a reply because of all the ads... Anyway, if shells could contaminate other eggs in a carton then contaminated whole eggs should as well because of the lack of protective coating. If you use a contaminated egg you are contaminating other foods that come in contact with it. But cooking to the proper temp for long enough reduces salmonella to undetectable levels. If you eat undercooked eggs there's a risk anyway because you never know if one is contaminated. If you always fully cook eggs and foods that touch raw egg then you are good. If the egg was already in the carton, and shells are porous and don't stop the spread, then nothing changes when you throw that egg shell back in. Eggs not touching may reduce the spread, but I know I touch multiple eggs when I grab one.
I love the idea of cutting back on the amount of meat to make it stretch further! Great idea! Most times I just add more veggies and no one knows the difference!
The ability to use only 1/2 or 3/4 pound of beef is one of the reasons I buy the frozen formed patties at Walmart. There is, more or less, little to no price difference. The other two reasons are I don't have to worry about how quickly I use it up or have to remember to freeze it if I don't use it; and I don't have to remember to pre-thaw it prior to a meal (as they thaw quickly in the pan).
That is really clever, I hadn't thought of that!
I do this with chicken breasts. I remove the chicken tenders of each breast and set them aside for a meal of their own. Nobody notices the tenders are missing. It's a great way to get another meal from the chicken breasts without spending more money!
Very clever!
I have enjoyed this series very much much. It’s obvious that you put a lot of thought into planning these meals. Thank you for sharing with all of us. 😊
That's okay. I say it all the time, too. "One of your best videos yet!" 😂
Add shredded cheese to the top of the shepherds pie if possible :) Your skillet rice meal is my kind of yumminess. 20/10 once again Rebecca !!!
I don't care for cheese on my shepherds pie, but i absolutely love it on tuna casserole.
Back in the day when I worked for PBS we had a chef come in to film a pledge drive segment for her cooking pledge program. I remember she made a strada like baked brunch dish, she used brioche or french bread slices, a lot of butter, heavy cream, eggs and fake lobster. I forget what seasonings she used, I do remember it was not Old Bay. I remember people in studio saying it might be good with lump bluefin crab meat and Old Bay.
I've had a sweet version of that with the bread soaked in a mixture of the eggs and heavy cream with vanilla and sugar and topped with dried cherries, pineapple and raisins and dollops of cream cheese. It was dusted with powdered sugar after baking, it made a really nice brunch dish. Yum!
Which show? Do you remember?
Dollar Tree and Walmart together sounds great. Looking forward to it
I put my potatoes in the microwave for about 6 minutes. When they’re cool enough to handle I dice/cube them and finish cooking them with in a skillet with olive oil and butter. I season with salt and pepper! They come out so good! I add eggs as the potatoes are cooking and scramble them! Add salsa
So many different varieties of meals in this week! I really appreciated the different textures of each and every ingredient. I appreicate all the work that went into this.
i get the unflavored potatoes and flavor it myself...i have dried ranch, chives, garlic, bacon bits, cheese powder at home.
If you can stock these items it's worth it. They really play a large role in giving affordable budget friendly items such as pasta, rice and potatoes much needed variety.
@@yvonnepalmquist8676 they don't cost much, but i also have a working pantry as well as a linger term pantry...most of these i find at our dollartree
I think it would be great to see a Walmart/Dollar Tree combo. You could show how to stretch a certain budget by getting items cheaper at either store to get the best of both worlds. This series was great as well. You do a terrific job.
Yes, I'd love the combo store. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Love watching these. Always enjoy the options given as well. So many ideas and it goes to show you really can manage a good weekly menu with a super tight budget (said as I just spent $530 for stocking the pantry and freezer). Look forward to each future video as your content is always fun and helpful!
Glad you like them!
one of our favorite breakfast/lunch meals you might try is jiffy corn bread mix add an extra egg or even two and mix according to the package now add in creamed corn, cheese and ground sausage turkey or whatever you choose or have leftover , when i have it I add cream cheese or sourcream but that isn't necessary bake as muffins or can do in cake pan according to package. this are filling and can replace a meal on the go or work wonderful with gravy or fried eggs.
Using the coffee creamer is a brilliant idea!!! I didn't think of that.
I think you should do a shopping trip just to stock your pantry. Sugar, flour, a few spices like cinnamon, powdered milk or canned milk, shelf stable milk, pasta and canned vegs, fruit, gravy mixes, and canned meat. With a well stocked pantry one could spend less each week for groceries. This would help young people just starting out.
That's a good idea
This could honestly make a really good semi-long term series: a 4 week "starter pack" for home cooking on a budget, where the first week goes towards stocking up as well as making meals, and then weeks 2, 3, and 4 have maybe a smaller budget but use the stocked pantry from week 1.
i think I'll try that 1st recipe but make it with a bit of ground sausage. 😋 and like you suggested some white pepper gravy on top...OMG sounds so yummy
15:30 I learned this tip from the movie "The Help", if you take a match, strike it, blow it out, then hold the non burnt end between your front top and bottom teeth, you won't cry. It works for me. Try with an unlit match, too, I've had both work. Just don't wear glasses!! You may think they'll keep you safe but all they'll do is swirl the gasses around in your eyes.
My daughter loves shepherds pie but I’ve started doing a kind of deconstructed shepherds pie in the skillet with hash browns. Either way…there’s never leftovers😊
Hashbrowns or tater tots work. Bonus if you have garlic powder and a bit of butter, olive oil, or cheese for the top. Even dried powdered parm works.
whenever a pepper or two is looking a bit old [I buy them in bags], I stab it a couple times and throw it in the oven to roast til the skin puffs up, then skin and core it, slice it into batons, and spoon the slurpy pile into an ice cube tray to make toss-it-in cubes of roasted pepper that go in late in the cooking process [rather than at the beginning to sauté with the raw onion]
I really liked the two weeks back-to-back meal plans. As usual, you've inspired me to carefully plan out what interesting combos I can throw together. I looked at the canned chicken options (for your chicken pot pie pasta suggestion) but I've never bought canned chicken before since it isn't as cost efficient as buying chicken and cooking it. But maybe that's because I'm comparing the cost of the uncooked chicken to cooked? I'm sure there's weight lost during cooking, but I wouldn't have thought it was that much? At my grocer, cooked canned chicken breast sells for 1.79 a 5 oz can (or $5.73/lb), and raw boneless/skinless chicken boobs are $2.99/lb. Or thighs for 99 cents/lb. I feel like I must be overlooking something here, beyond the convenience and raw/cooked weight.
Also, be aware that the labeled weight on a can of chicken is not all meat, the liquid counts toward it as well, so a "12 oz" can of chicken might only have about 7 oz of actual chicken meat inside, once you drain it. (I was using canned chicken quite a bit, until I actually weighed it once for calorie-counting purposes. I was shocked at how little actual chicken I was getting for the money!)
Canned chicken is more expensive that buying a whole chicken or just legs or thighs. If you have already cooked chicken in your freezer you can use that. She is trying to show younger people how to budget. Us old cooks know to buy a whole chicken and cut it up, boil the bones for broth, package up the meat to use for casseroles. Due to my extremely tight budget right now I'm not grocery shopping and using the canned chicken I bought 2 years ago is coming in handy.
It is usually cheaper per pound to get the raw chicken then cook and shred it. But usually you have to buy a multi pound package of chicken so if you only need it for the one meal a can of chicken can be more practical sometimes
Amen to the comment section. It rocks. I tend to get into a rut and don't mind it most of the time. But there are those days when you just cannot face yet another same old same old. The variations and tweaks folks mention are priceless! The same old basic ingredients become something totally different. I even enjoy the tweaks that are not perfectly tasty because they change things up enough to hit reset on my same old humdrums.
Question: On an upcoming severe limitation video (equipment, etc) could you consider doing a how-to-basic cleanup safely in situations where you have limited water or room to wash up, etc? Once, an Army cook showed me some tricks to ensure clean up left dishes sanitized and clean without any hot water. Would love to know some more such tips.
what was his secret??
Why not share what the cook showed you?
If you change out the tuna for chicken. You might want to do a can of cream of celery with a can of cream of mushroom soup. Add some onion powder and garlic powder to taste.
One of my favorite versions of cottage/shephard's pie using leftover Thanksgiving turkey - an idea I saw on the Rachel Ray show many years ago. The bottom layer is turkey with gravy (and any veg you want in there) topped with squash/sweet potatoes. So tasty! The ground turkey reminded me of it, especially since I have a bag of yams to use right now. Thank you for these inspiring recipes!
I love Rachel's stuffing muffins
Good to see you back. I really love your content and look forward to watching ❤
I made the black bean salsa it was so good my 9 year old grandson asked me to put avocado in and we both loved it.
I love that! Thank you for trying it!
I am a super fan! Love love love your content every video. As a vegetarian I have used many of your ideas and techniques and wonder if you would do an episode strictly vegetarian. Vegetarian food is cost effective too!!
My Walmart and Dollar Tree are in the same parking lot. Dollar Tree always has the best price on rice and dried beans.
Not the same plaza for me, but the same intersection across from each other. I wouldn't be surprised to find that's intentional (like Taco Bell are always close to a McDonalds).
If you want your brownies to last longer, you could wrap several of them individually on the day you cut them and pop them in the freezer in a a ziplock bag. They stay fresh and defrost quickly, then maybe the next week you could buy ice cream for your treat and have brownie a la mode. Yum 😋
YES a Dollar tree and any other store really would be awesome!!💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽
Lkke you, I've enjoyed this cooking series. Thank you for sharing your ideas and suggestions. 😊
Tex-mex is my favorite, too! That strata thing looks good! I didn't know there was such a thing...going to have to try that this weekend!
Have a wonderful day Rebecca and God bless you and your family
Thank you, you are doing a great service!
Oh my. I browned a tortilla in a skillet, put skillet stuffed pepper mixture on the tortilla like a individual pizza, top with hot sauce and cheese and it was so good!!
Love your ideas!! You really hell stretch the dollar. Thank you for all that you do💗
Your creativity on how you can use your ingredients is next level. I live with a chef but love watching you shop on a budget and throw things together. You remind me of how he cooks. :) P.S. Eureka!!! One of my favourties. I was actually thinking over the holidays that I'd like to re-watch. Enjoy
I am a budget meal video junkie and you made very creative meals! I also loved that you included coffee, creamer, dessert, butter and seasonings into your budget! I always feel like it is cheating to use seasoning and butter from your pantry since these are such expensive ingredients and they add so much flavor. I loved this challenge.
You have the smoothest and most peaceful voice ever... I feel my blood pressure go down to the sound of your voice... Oh, and you have amazing cooking ideas!
i don’t watch this to save money on groceries. i have really bad ADD and i will buy groceries for a dinner and the remaining ingredients go to waste because i can’t think of anything to make with it. this channel has really helped me get creative and think outside the box. it’s a challenge for me but thank you for that
The cottage pie looks great! Love your creativity, it helps me neal plan.
I will say that when my husband and I were raising our 3 boys, I made mostly one pot meals! They are easy usually and cheaper than trying to feed a family on a meat, starch and veggies. I think that this week of meals was wonderful! thanks for sharing xoxo. I think the combo of dollar tree and walmart would be great!
Those egg tacos with the corn/black bean salsa literally made my mouth water.
🙏💜 I shop weekly at both Dollar Tree & Walmart for the best value meal plans so of course I’d love a combo video 🎉
I think that you are so ingenious with what you make with so little money. The price of food in England has sky rocketed so I have been looking at making more affordable meals. You have given me great inspiration. Thank you ❤
These looked delicious and as always, so well thought out. Thank you for the hard work, effort and consideration of all of us. Yes PLEASE Dollar Tree & Walmart! That’d be FANTASTIC! You’re a joy and a delight, Rebecca! God Bless!
I LOVE Eureka! I’ve watched the entire series more than once. Enjoy. 😊
My meal plan was decided this week when I found a pork roast for 99¢/lb. All our dinners came from this $5 of meat. (And it was plenty of meat for the two of us!) I tried to make a variety of flavors with the same meat. Cut some off to make chow mein, cooked the rest as a traditional roast and potatoes meal, and then made pork noodles with the leftover roast and gravy. Each of these made enough for two nights.
We grab pork shoulder when it is that price and cook in the crock pot with BBQ dry rub over a rough chopped onion and a few chopped apples. Add BBQ seasoning and beans to make tacos, nachos, or burritos. Add over beans and rice. Add to a stir fry. Leftover cooked pork goes into a gallon zip, smashed thin and frozen flat so that I can break off a piece to add to other weeks. We even like it over noodles or rice with a creamy or cheesy sauce with mushrooms and onions, broccoli or spinach.
You really do a great job with budgeting and maximizing the use of all your ingredients for the week and creatively making multiple meals using the budget ingredients….Well Done🥰💕❤️💯 and I’m not even a person that usually comments❤️
I loved Eureka! All of these meals look great to me, will have to add these to list!
I am really enjoying these $50 walmart dinner plans. I do most of my shopping at walmart and have 2 adults and a teen to feed. So these ideas would work well for my family as we are also on a tight budget. Thank you for your hard work. Love your channel. Also even though I did not get around to commenting on the other video you mentioned it in, I think you should keep your channel name the same. It is established and people know who you are. I love that you are adding in more content of a different variety too. I also love the idea of the dollar tree/ walmart dinner plan combo you mentioned. Looking forward to all your new ideas. Keep up the great work!
In the town of Meadville Pennsylvania, the dollar tree it’s up that was in the Walmart plaza moved outside of the Walmart plaza cause somehow Walmart controlled what foods they could and could not sell in their dollar tree. Once they went over across the road across from Walmart, they can sell more food.
I would LOVE to see you do some meal plans, or even full weeks with a certain dollar amount budget, using both Walmart and Dollar Tree, or any 2 stores, really! I think it would be a great chance for you to talk about why you bought which ingredients from each store rather than the other, in order to make the most of your dollar. Shopping at different stores is something that I've always found very important for helping with a grocery budget.
I really appreciate you
Thank you!
Loved the video, the chopped potato breakfast dish is something I'll definitely make! Thank you!
I love the idea doing a Dollar Tree/Walmart combination video.
A combo shopping meal plan would be terrific
Your strata looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it! ❤😋
Your subscribe #’ should be so much higher please keep up the amazing work you do and ty.
If you'd move the Shepard's Pie up to the top rack in your oven and turn the setting to broil the tip would probably brown pretty quickly.
Or add a bit of an egg wash… that will help with browning as well
I thought maybe panko? I know there are midwesterners who crush potato chips over their casseroles for a crunchy finished top, my ma just wasn’t one of them.
It needs fat... Butter or cheese would do it.
I look forward to your videos every week, and I’ve started making at least one of your recipes every week. Your recipes are very easy and have quick cook times, so if I’m not sure what to make I’ll watch past videos too for an idea. I struggle sometimes trying to come up with dinner ideas and I have most of your go to ingredients on hand, so your videos are extremely helpful ❤
I love all of your videos! Great job! 🥰 You know what would be a great video, (and would also help me out), a video on a Duncan doughnut ice mocha dupe. 🥰
Great video as always! I tend to use instant potatoes half the time i make shepard's pie too..I use a fork for optimal texture and blast it under the broiler (keeping a close eye, of course) at the end of baking for more brown bits!
Hubby and I are big Eureka fans…we’ve watched the whole series three times! Hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have.
When you cook up the raw potatoes and stuff I put mine in my air fryer just spray them with a little cooking spray and add Mrs Dash garlic and herb but I cut mine small like you do and I don't cook them or whatever ahead of time and I just put them in the air fryer for a 400 on air fry for 20 minutes where I get them crispy where I like them and oh my gosh they are so good
I do similar with olive oil, garlic powder, and sometimes parmesan at the end in the toaster oven. This also works for sweet potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower, smash and add parm toward the end.
I just found your channel last night and I love it! 🎉 Your creativity under a budget is inspiring, your meals are different than what other youtubers usually do and I’m looking forward to try some of your recipes! ❤ Keep going.
I really enjoy your channel and appreciate the hard work you put into these videos. You inspire me to try things outside of my comfort zone.