Be a Frugal Cook – part 1

Learning the basics of cooking is about all the ways to help you in the kitchen…from knowing what to substitute when you are out of an ingredient to saving money…so here are some ways for you to be a frugal cook with0ut sacraficing taste or time…So for the next couple posts, I am going to be giving you simple tips to be the frugal cook that you can be…

When you make soups, mash potatoes, casseroles, etc., and you have leftovers (or better yet, make a double batch just for this), you will want to pour the extra in muffin tins and freeze them.  Once frozen, then you can put them in freezer Ziploc bags and enjoy later.  Make once, enjoy often…The muffin tins are usually the perfect individual size, so you can take out just one frozen muffin and thaw…or take out more if you end up with unexpected company…You can heat in the microwave or in a small pan on the oven…

Turn one meal into two.  Shred leftover roast and add to casseroles or use extra chicken/ham/beef to make homemade chicke/ham/beef pot pie.  You can cut a few potatoes up and boil them in water and drop some pot pie dough into the water to cook. You can buy frozen or make your own.  Once the dough is cooked, add the meat for a poor mans pot pie…

Buy bulk when it helps…not hurts…If you do a lot of baking, then you might be able to save some money by buying a 25 lb bag of sugar, flour, etc. but don’t buy in bulk and let the items go to waste.  If you are eating healthier by using applesauce instead of oil when baking, then buying a large jar of applesauce and freeze.  If your recipe calls for 1/4 cup of oil/applesauce, then freeze in muffin tins so that you can freeze the exact amount you need.  Then when you are baking, pull out only what you need.