101 Frugal Meals You Can Make Any Day

I’m sharing 101 frugal meals you can make any day. The cost of groceries continues to rise every time I go to the supermarket. I continue to use my freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, but I purchase ready-made canned items when they are on sale as well.

Canned fruits and vegetables are a lot cheaper than freeze-dried fruits and vegetables and are ready to use. Make a list before you go shopping and stick to it. You will save thousands of dollars over the course of many years.

For instance, I typically buy the following items to keep my pantry stocked: green beans, kidney beans, navy beans, black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, spaghetti sauce, olives, chopped green chilies, sliced water chestnuts, cream of chicken soup, tomato soup and a few cans of cream of mushroom soup.

I also like to store the following canned fruits: pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, fruit cocktail, sliced peaches, and sliced pears, to name a few. I always have canned tuna, canned chicken, and peanut butter for protein stored in my pantry.

Today, we will assume you have flour, rice, quinoa, or dehydrated potatoes stored in order to make several of the meals below. If you have the basics like salt, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, cornstarch, oil, sugar, honey, spices, etc. you can make a lot of things from scratch when preparing the meals below.

If you have a garden you are way ahead of the game. I love fresh strawberries and tomatoes with just about every meal during harvest time. This way we can eat for less money, I love it! You will start saving money to put in your savings account.

Here’s the deal make a monthly budget amount for your groceries and you will save money in the long run, I promise. If you stick to your monthly grocery budget you will soon have money to put in your emergency fund. It’s a win-win for you and your family.

101 Frugal Meals

Breakfasts-Lunches-Dinners- Snacks:

Pancakes with fruit cocktail
Homemade granola with milk
Granola bars with juice
Waffles with strawberries
French toast with fruit
Homemade scones with honey butter
English muffins with egg and cheese
English muffins with egg, ham, and cheese
English muffins with eggs and bacon
Crepes with fruit and whip cream: My Crepe Recipe
Toast with peanut butter and sliced fruit
Cereal with fresh blueberries
Cereal with bananas
Baked quiche and sliced oranges: My Spinach Quiche Cups
Eggs in a blanket: take a piece of bread and cut a circle out of the center and fry the bread with an egg in the middle of it. Butter the circle (makes great toast) and fry it in the pan as well.
Scrambled eggs with toast and pears
Scrambled eggs in tortillas
Puffy pancakes: Popeye Puffy Pancakes
Fried eggs and toast
Poached eggs with toast
Eggs Benedict
Boiled eggs with tomatoes: My Baked Eggs
Toast with avocado slices
Bagels with cream cheese: My Homemade Bagels
Toast with fresh bananas
Toast with peanut butter and apples
Egg salad sandwiches with apple slices: My Egg Salad Recipe
Fried egg sandwiches
Cooked link sausage in pancakes
Oatmeal with brown sugar and Cinnamon: My Oatmeal Recipe in Jars
Oatmeal with chopped apples and cinnamon
Oatmeal with blueberries and honey
Oatmeal with raisins
Apple Muffins
Pumpkin muffins
Cinnamon muffins
Chocolate chip muffins
Cinnamon rolls with scrambled eggs
Omelets with vegetables
Egg frittata’s: Linda’s Egg Recipes
Whole wheat cereal
Fruit smoothies with fruit that’s in season
Grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup: Linda’s Grilled Cheese
Potato soup and homemade rolls
Beans, rice, and salsa
Tuna sandwiches and tomato soup
Chicken salad sandwiches with fruit cocktail
Bacon, tomato, and lettuce sandwiches
Tomato, cucumber, and grated carrot sandwiches
Tortillas with beans and rice
Taco salad with fried hamburger, kidney beans, onions, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, tortilla chips, and Catalina salad dressing
Chicken salad with grapes, mayo, celery, and onions on lettuce leaves
Tuna salad with green onions, celery, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and pickles on lettuce leaves
Bean soup with ham chunks, celery, carrots, and chicken broth
Tomato-based soup with macaroni, diced tomatoes, carrots, and celery
Fried squash with fresh tomatoes
Cucumber, tomato, and onion salad with balsamic vinegar with homemade French Bread In One Hour
Spaghetti and salad stuff from the garden or farmer’s market
Zucchini spaghetti and sauce with homemade rolls
Biscuits and sausage gravy: My Biscuit Recipe
Cream chipped beef on biscuits: My Creamed Chip Beef Recipe
Creamed tuna on toast
Silver dollar-size rolls with chicken salad and sliced peaches
Homemade pizza with veggies from the garden
Homemade pizza made with barbecue sauce and canned chicken shredded with sliced purple onions
Cauliflower pizza crust with fresh sliced tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese
Snack Ramen cooked with eggs or meat added, throw some veggies in the pot
Chili made with hamburger and diced tomatoes
White chili made with a can of chicken and spicy Jack cheese
Chicken noodle soup made with a can of chicken, dehydrated onions, celery, and chicken broth. Add pasta of your choice. ***(Hint I always use sweet basil in all my soups, just a little. My Chicken Noodle Soup
Grilled tuna melt with cheese
Bean burritos with cheese, sour cream, and salsa
Fill tortillas with black beans, cooked corn, thawed frozen peas, kidney beans, and salsa.
Make corn tortillas flat by frying them in a little oil. Use the fried tortillas as tostadas with refried beans, Spanish rice, lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and salsa
Make enchiladas using corn or flour tortillas with a can of chicken, grated cheese, and a can or two of red or green enchilada sauce: Linda’s Favorite Enchilada Recipe
Potato soup can be made with dehydrated potatoes (rehydrate them as directed), and chopped onions. Then make a white sauce and add grated cheddar cheese, top with a few bacon bits.
Haystacks are great. You start with leftover cooked chicken and add a can or two of cream of chicken soup with one can of milk to make gravy. Cook a batch of rice and if you have a can of Chinese noodles that’s a bonus. Cut the following items and place them in bowls to let people make their haystacks: chopped celery, shredded coconut, chopped onions, grated cheese, sliced almonds, and pineapple chunks (drained)
Sausage gravy over mashed potatoes
Hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes
Cheese quesadillas with sour cream and salsa
Chicken quesadillas with sour cream and salsa
Savory Crepes with chicken and cream of chicken soup
Tuna casserole made with noodles and cream of mushroom soup
Bowtie pasta salad with spinach, grated Mozzarella: My Spinach Bow tie Salad
Macaroni salad with hard-boiled eggs and chopped bell peppers, add a little mayonnaise
Tacos with beans, grated cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa
Chicken salad with mayonnaise, chopped cashews, chopped celery, and onions on lettuce wraps: My Chicken Salad Recipe
Hot dogs with homemade buns and homemade potato salad
Macaroni and cheese with green beans: My Mac & Cheese Recipe
Chef salad from the garden, lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots. Add some hard-boiled eggs and ham. Dinner is ready in no time.
Vegetarian lasagna with lasagna noodles, veggies of choice, grated Mozzarella cheese, and spaghetti sauce
Sausage lasagna with lasagna noodles, your favorite cooked sausage (mine is Jimmy Dean’s), grated Mozzarella cheese, and spaghetti sauce
Eggs baked in hash
Baked potato bar with butter, grated cheese, bacon bits, chili, cream of broccoli soup, sour cream, chopped onions, and chives (make several choices available) Linda’s Potato Bar
Salad bar with lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped celery, chopped onions, grated cheese, shredded chicken, hard-boiled eggs
Turkey salad with chopped onions and chopped celery with mayonnaise. Add some cranberry sauce and serve in some lettuce wraps/leaves.
Vegetable platter with everything from your garden, zucchini, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and make some dipping sauce (my family loves Ranch dressing)
Chicken and broccoli casserole with cheese (some people call it Chicken Divan) Linda’s Chicken & Broccoli
Crackers with chicken salad and orange slices
Vegetable soup with all the leftover vegetables you place in the freezer, just add some diced tomatoes and some seasonings
Chicken pot pie is great because you can make it with one crust on the top. Use your leftover cooked chicken or canned chicken and some potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery. Add some cream of chicken soup or gravy and make a pie crust for the top and bake until golden brown.

Final Word

I know most of us are struggling to buy groceries, so if my 101 frugal meals you can make any day helps you save some money, I’m one happy chick. May God bless us in being prepared for the unexpected. Here’s to saving money by making a few of my 101 frugal meals.

If you need help with food storage and emergency preparedness my book “Prepare Your Family For Survival” should be in every home. May God bless those who prepare for the unexpected. My book is available in most stores and online. Be prepared before you need to be. May God bless this world, Linda

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