Low Dollah Dinnah

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

There is no official name for this but it's good and the kids love it.

2 smoked sausages or kielbasa
1 can black beans
2 cups rice
1 large jar salsa - your choice of heat
cheese

Slice sausage and quick fry.  Stir into baking pan with 3 1/2 cups boiling water, rice and drained beans.  Stir in salsa.  Cover with cheese of your choice.  I have used sliced, shredded and even velveeta which wasn't half bad.

Bake at 350 covered until rice is cooked, approx 30-45 minutes.  Uncover for last 10 so cheese will get all bubbly and lightly browned.

Cheap, easy and leftovers make great wraps.

This sounds awesome, I'm going to try it out at Boots' house.

[Richter]

I knew several LDS families in my home town.  They frequently hauled dishes of those potatoes around to whoever in the church needed to be spotted a meal due to illness, death, etc.

Edit: and a least one pan of it seems to appear at every office potluck

Srsly. Can't get away from them.

But they're fucking delicious, if insanely, grotesquely fattening.

..and I'm damn well going to make some. 
Considering the addition of ground beef.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I knew several LDS families in my home town.  They frequently hauled dishes of those potatoes around to whoever in the church needed to be spotted a meal due to illness, death, etc.

Edit: and a least one pan of it seems to appear at every office potluck

Srsly. Can't get away from them.

But they're fucking delicious, if insanely, grotesquely fattening.

..and I'm damn well going to make some. 
Considering the addition of ground beef.

Ooooooh! That sounds good. Or...

BACON.

[Richter]

YES.  Bacon would be awesome to cook in with this.  Not sure about the hamburger, which might be more of a side thing.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

You could use the burger to make a "crust". Mmmmmm..... meat crust!

[Richter]

WANT.

Also: lattice the bacon over the top...

[nostalgicBadger]

A very cheap, simple, reasonably healthy meal requires nothing more than:
pasta ( any kind )
olive oil
garlic
whatever vegetables or meat you happen to have around - this is especially good with olives or peas, especially with feta, but mostly anything works. Roasted red peppers are fun.

Pour the olive oil in a pan
Chop up some garlic, throw it in with the olive oil
Mix in vegetables, stir around
Add to pasta

I usually add salt and romano cheese. Parmesan might work if you're used to it, but I'm really not a fan.



The same basic idea has resulted in some excellent macaroni and cheese as well using provolone, bread crumbs and whatever vegetable is handy.

[Richter]

Cheap kickass salsa:

Get 1 jar of the cheapest salsa you can find.  It may be the 'Fritos' brand or some such shit.

mix in 2-3 tablespoons lime juice. 

Instant GOOD salsa!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I am so proud of myself right now, because we are going to a potluck later today and I, lacking quite enough of anything to make any one horrifying Mormon-style casserole, combined a number of unwanted ingredients to make a SUPER-CASSEROLE!

I had:

Some leftover brown rice
1 can of french-style green beans
3/4 of a bag of frozen string beans
2 chicken breasts
1 family-size can of cream of mushroom soup
A couple dozen leftover tater tots
Part of a block of cheddar cheese
1/2 can of fried onions

I cooked the frozen green beans and chicken breasts and let them cool, then chopped up the chicken and mixed together the green beans, chicken, tater tots, and cream of mushroom soup. I greased a casserole dish with a bit of bacon grease and spread the brown rice in the bottom, then spread the green bean-chicken-tot-soup mixture on top of it. About an hour before we leave I'll throw it in the oven at 375 for 45 minutes, then dump grated cheese and fried onions on top for OH THE HORROR! CASSEROLE! 


I'm also bringing a nice bowl of bright green pickled ma-kok and hot pink pickled turnips for extra appetizer joy.

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

That sounds like one delicious casserole, Nigel. It's not a real casserole unless you've got the cream of mushroom soup and fried onions on top. You'll have to say how it went over at the potluck.

Here's my low dollah shrimp salad recipe (it's easy and quick too):

INGREDIENTS
• 6 large cloves of garlic
• 1 lime
• 1 lemon
• a bunch of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bag of salad (I recommend baby spinach and arugula)
• half pound of salad shrimp

DIRECTIONS
If shrimp is frozen, thaw it out.
Squeeze and strain the lime and lemon and put into a medium size jar (you'll need a lid that seals later).
Press the garlic juice/oils from 3 cloves into the juice.
Chop the other three garlic cloves and put it in the juice as well.
Let sit for 15 - 20 minutes.
Add slightly less than 1 part water to 1 part juice solution (Leave this step out if you like intense lemon/lime flavor).
Add 3 parts olive oil to 1 part juice/water solution.
Firmly screw on the lid and shake it violently for a minute or two.
Dress salad, add shrimp and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Enjoy.

Serves 2. You'll have enough salad dressing for about 8 servings though.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Ooooh now I want shrimp salad! That sounds delicious.