Simple meal for hard times

[mroper]

Ground hamburger browned & seasoned to taste, drain grease, throw in some sliced potatoes or cubed potatoes, cook with hamburger to soften a little, then add a can of corn drained. Once it's all mixed together add 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to slight boil, then mix a brown gravy pack with 1/2 cup of water. Pour gravy mix into pan with hamburger, potatoes & corn. Cook until gravy is to your thickness. Serve with buttered biscuits or bread

We had something like this but we would layer the meat , corn or peas and Mashed potatoes on top then stick it in the oven for a bit. That was always good with some gravy on it . Then the leftovers were good cause the flavors melded together a bit

 

[Axxe55]

There are many times when we make stews, soups or chili, we will make a huge batch of it. Eat them for a few days, then put the rest in the freezer for a later date.

 

[EZ-E]

Brown some hamburger meat, drain grease, season to taste, add can of Ranch Style beans... serve over white rice

 

[TX oddball]

In my college days living with roommates back in the early 80s, I would make a split pea soup with carrots, onion, potatoes and garlic powder, salt, and it was quite good, even without any meat. Served the four of us and cost about a dollar to make. Another buck added a loaf of fresh sourdough bread. Had this for dinner at least twice a week. And I still make this (with ham & bacon) a few times in the winter.

 

[baboon]

Every ham bone we ever had growing up ended up making US senate Bean Soup! I make it still eating & freezing it.

 

[2ManyGuns]

Every ham bone we ever had growing up ended up making US senate Bean Soup! I make it still eating & freezing it.

I will make "15 bean soup". I will go to the store to buy an assortment of dry beans, split peas, mix up a batch, place into quart mason jars, and vacuum seal the jars. I keep the ham bones for use in the soup or use ham hocks.

 

[2ManyGuns]

I make what I call "Dump Soup" in a 9-quart cast iron pot

1 6 ounce boneless chicken breast cubed - I will cut the chicken breast into about 3/8 in square pieces
Sear the cubed chicken in vegetable oil, lard, or in today's instance (I kept the bacon grease from this mornings breakfast) season to taste by adding garlic, black pepper (I prefer coarse ground), and onion, I add a lot cause I like the flavor.

5 teaspoons chicken broth base
2 cans red beans (additional protein)
1 can whole kernel corn
2 cans of sweet peas

(DO NOT DRAIN THE CANNED VEGGIES EVERYTHING GOES IN)

1 hot banana pepper
2 tablespoons fresh arugula

I had homegrown zucchini in the freezer, potatoes (diced) and 1 quart of tomatoes I canned

(Added this with EDIT)
This is even better if you add celery and some green pepper or fresh carrots, I just did not have any and I could not justify making that 34 mile round trip drive to go to the grocery store.
(End EDIT)

(2nd Edit)
Skip the chicken and use some good pork, pork and beef, or venison sausage. This is tasty also!
(End 2nd Edit

Add anything you want, pintos work in place of the red beans, tomato sauce or diced tomatoes will work, any kind of "green" that you can cut into thinly sliced or chopped as well, such as spinach, mustard even cabbage. If you don't have potatoes use 3/4 cup rice even some pasta, such as elbow macaroni even ramen noodles will work to give the soup some body. If you want spicier add more peppers.

In the coming hard times I foresee, might as well start stretching out the budgets and preps. This will make a very filling "soup" with a pretty good amount of nutrients. If this does not "fill you up" I make cheese quesadillas as a side.

Some of the gourmets on this site may sneer at this, but if you are on a tight budget and want something that is tasty, filling, and fairly quick to make this will work.

So today's variation includes only 1 can of red beans and sweet peas, sliced mushrooms (8 oz. can), green beans from the garden (frozen 1-quart size bag), freshly grown carrots just picked, three medium jalapeno peppers (no banana pepper), broccoli leaves finely chopped, for those of you who don't know, you can eat these and they taste like broccoli, double the arugula, and a can of stewed tomatoes, I am out of homegrown and 1 pint-sized bag of purple hull peas.

Just another variation of this is what I have so I'm using it.


Edit: if you harvest broccoli or cauliflower leaves to cook or use raw, select one from each plant, never over harvest. In my case, I have more than 40 broccoli planted and I could pick a sizable amount for use in salads, soups, I'm am even thinking about trying them like fried cabbage or even stuffing them with a meat mixture. You can even eat carrot greens, they have an unusual flavor, not quite like cilantro but it reminds me of this, I will use them more as a "seasoning in soups".

 

[Axxe55]

Every ham bone we ever had growing up ended up making US senate Bean Soup! I make it still eating & freezing it.

Yep. We carved up the ham yesterday. Cut out the bone and the extra fat and put into freezer bags. In the freezer for black-eye peas and beans at a later date.

 

[2ManyGuns]

Take the fat, fry it out, save the fat, and then make candles, now if the power goes out you have a light/heat source. Several candles bunched up and you can cook a small meal or at least a cup of coffee or tea.

 

[Army 1911]

My wife likes this. Keep in mind I usually do the cooking out of self-defense.
1 Can each of wolf brand and hormel chili-no beans
1 Onion chopped pretty small
1 Tablespoon of dijon mustard
Worcestershire sauce to taste (plenty)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients well
Nuke for 6 minutes

This makes good chili pie with Fritos or serve with saltine crackers.
For something different serve over puffed Cheetos.

This will not put hair on your chest but it doesn't take it off either.

 

[baboon]

Take the fat, fry it out, save the fat, and then make candles, now if the power goes out you have a light/heat source. Several candles bunched up and you can cook a small meal or at least a cup of coffee or tea.

I would think the reason candles are not made are for a reason. The smell and smoke being the main reason.

 

[Army 1911]

I would think the reason candles are not made are for a reason. The smell and smoke being the main reason.

Mix in some bacon grease. Everyone loves the smell of bacon.

 

[2ManyGuns]

Emergency use, fats have for ages been used to make candles, when you do not have bees you improvise.

 

[baboon]

Emergency use, fats have for ages been used to make candles, when you do not have bees you improvise.

Emergency use that fat might be better served in your body if things are that bad,

 

[2ManyGuns]

Emergency use that fat might be better served in your body if things are that bad,

True, it has been known in EXTREME times for people to consume candles. I don't know what they were made of.

 

[striker55]

My go to is fried spam and fries.

 

[Grumps21]

Use leftover steak/roast cut into thin strips, place in skillet with some green/red/yellow pepper, onion, garlic, crack a few eggs and make some meaty scrambled eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Add jalapeno, serrano or other pepper if you want, even sprinkle some cheddar on this.

Haha... have you priced out steak lately? Anyone who has left over steak is not in hard times. Still, that does sound good. I may try that with our left over Turkey..

 

[striker55]

Yes price of steaks is up, instead of buying two wife buys one to split.

 

[baboon]

The price of meat has just gone up
And your old lady has just gone down

Frank Zappa

 

[1911'S 4 Me]

Made beef stew today. Stew meat was $10 for 1/12 pounds.
But with everything I put in it I will be eating stew for a week, and still have some to freeze.