Stocking up
Source of Recipe
???
List of Ingredients
BEEF:
I try not to buy chuck roasts, as it seems that they are always more
fat than meat. I haven't even seen a good sale on them in months either.
I used to buy them when I could get them for between $1.69 and $1.99
per pound, then I would trim off all the fat and cut them into cubes &
use them for stew meat or kabobs. Lately I haven't seen chuck roasts
priced under $2.09 per pound. For the effort I have to put into trimming
and cubing, it's just not worth it. I've seen them as high as $2.99 per
pound, and for the same money I can just buy stew meat, already trimmed
and cut!
I do buy bottom rounds. They are a good value, I can usually pick them
up for $1.79 to $1.89 per pound on sale. Occassionally I get them in a
Big Pack with sirloin roasts/steaks & cube steaks for $2.09 per pound.
Considering that sirloin roasts usually go for $2.99 to $3.49 per pound
on sale, and cube steaks go for $2.29 to $2.59 per pound on sale,
that's a pretty good deal. I usually will buy 3 Big Packs and it gives me
about 35 to 45 pounds of meat, which includes 3 bottom round roasts, 9 to
12 sirloin roasts/steaks, 12 to 15 cube steaks, and about 6 pounds of
stew meat/sirloin tips. That lasts us at least 3 months and costs me
$85-$95.
I slow roast the bottom rounds in the crockpot with a packet of onion
soup mix and a package of brown gravy mix. We use this for dinners and
sandwiches (cold & hot).
Ground beef - in our family no one likes anything under 80% lean, and
we all prefer 90% if we can find it. 80% is fine for tacos, hamburgers,
meatloaf, meatballs, chili, etc., so we mainly use that of if I can get
it inexpensively, we buy 85% lean. We rarely, if ever buy 90%, unless
there is a fantastic sale on it. I usually catch 80% on sale between
$1.99 to $2.28 per pound. When I make chili or soup, I mix the ground beef
with TVP (50/50) to make it stretch. TVP costs me $1.50 per DRY pound,
and a dry pound makes about 3 pounds of reconstituted TVP.
CHICKEN:
I very rarely buy leg quarters, as no one in the family seems to like
them. When I do buy them, I separate them (thigh from drumstick) and use
the thighs for casseroles, Fricassee or for soup.
The drumsticks I season and then broil or grill. I remove the skin
first, then season them with all kinds of different spices/herbs. The boys
like to grab a couple for quick lunches or even snacks. I buy leg
quarters when they are on sale between 29 and 49 cents per pound. I'll
usually buy 50 to 60 pounds and this keeps the freezer pretty stocked for
about 6 to 8 months.
Split breasts are another purchase I don't make a lot, unless they are
a really good deal, and I can find them on sale between 69cents and
89cents per pound. Reason being, nobody in my family really likes to eat
chicken with the bone in it, so I end up taking them home, skinning and
boning them myself, and this is a lot of work, even with my Cutco
knives. Sometimes what I will do is cook them as is, then remove the skin
and bone once they have cooled, then I can use them in casseroles and
chicken salads when they are precooked like that. I will usually only buy
10 to 20 pounds, just to have on hand for quick dinners.
The majority of my chicken purchases is boneless, skinless chicken
breasts, and I will usually buy 30 to 40 pounds when I catch it on sale for
$1.99 per pound. When I get lucky enough to get it for $1.49 per pound,
I'll buy 80 pounds. We eat b/s chicken in one form or another at least
3 times per week. I use it for everything from chicken salad to chicken
kabobs to chicken chili to bbq chicken to chicken nuggets. This is a
very popular meat in our house! 80 pounds will last maybe 4 to 5 months,
depending on the season. In the summer we eat b/s chicken almost every
night in one form or another, so it goes fast!
TURKEY:
This is another meat we eat as often as possible. Whenever I can get
turkey on sale, I usually find it for 39cents to 69cents per pound for
whole turkeys, and 89cents to 99cents per pound for just the turkey
breast. Since everyone likes white meat, the turkey breast is often the
better choice for us, though I do like to buy whole turkeys, so I can have
the carcass for soup. At Thanksgiving time it's nothing for me to have
6 to 8 turkeys in the freezer and use them throughout the year.
Sometimes at Easter turkeys will be on sale again, and I'll pick up 3 or 4
more to last us through till Thanksgiving/Christmas.
We slow roast the turkey breasts in the crockpot and then slice for
dinners and lunchmeat.
Sometimes I'll catch turkey drumsticks, wings or thighs on sale for
49cents to 69cents per pound. These make tasty stock and I use the meat in
casseroles, so if I catch them on sale or markdown, I'll buy whatever
they have, usually 10 to 20 pounds.
PORK:
Pork is an iffy meat in our house. They either love it or hate it. I
don't buy pork butts so much anymore, as they usually have way too much
fat for my or the family's liking. When I catch boneless sirloin chops
on sale for $1.79 per pound, I'll usually buy 10 pounds. They are all
meat, no fat, no bone, and even my son who won't eat pork likes these.
They are great grilled, broiled or pan"fried". You can also bread them
and bake them.
I buy country style (western) pork ribs, as Bill, Luke and I like them,
but Zak isn't fond of them. I like to grill or broil these, or make bbq
pork in the crockpot. I try to find the ones with the least fat & bone
on them. I usualy can catch these on sale for $1.79 to $1.99 per pound,
and I'll buy 30 to 40 pounds, maybe 50 if the budget allows.
I also buy packages of "mixed" cut chops - bone in - when I can catch
them on sale between $1.29 and $1.39 per pound. I won't pay more than
that, as I'd rather wait for the sirloin (center cut?) chops to go on
sale for $1.79, as they are pure meat and taste so good.
Ham is something I buy ONLY on sale. Easter & Christmas are good times
to get these. I try to buy the ones that are boneless or semi-boneless,
as they are the best value for the money. I like the semi-boneless the
best, as I get a small bone for soup stock. I usually am able to get
whole hams at 59cents to 89cents per pound. I usually buy 3 or 4, cut the
whole ham into quarters and use the quarters throughout the year for
various meals and as lunch meat.
FISH/SHELLFISH:
I do buy fish & shrimp from time to time, when the budget allows. Bill
is a bit finicky about the types of fish he'll eat, so I only buy fish
at the local fish market. I go very early in the morning and pick up
whatever we're going to have for dinner that night. Fish is pricey, so we
don't eat a lot of it.
HOT DOGS, SAUSAGE, HAMBURGERS, OTHER MEAT ITEMS:
I will buy these items, but rarely. Italian sausage or bratwurst is a
treat in our house. Usually, if I can find a sale, I can get Italian
sausage for $1.79 per pound. Pre-made hamburger patties are usually more
expensive than buying ground beef and making my own, unless I'm shopping
at Aldi. Believe it or not, my family is picky about hot dogs! I was
buying the cheapos at Aldi, but they prefer a local brand called Sahlens.
Those are PRICEY! I bought a 5 pound bag for the 4th holiday and paid
$8.00 on sale! OUCH! They are normally about $3 per pound and you get 8
to a pound.
I sometimes buy Polish sausage, usually around Easter when I can get it
at a local butcher. I'll buy 10 or 15 pounds in links and keep it in
the freezer.
Corned beef I buy once a year, around St. Patrick's Day. I'll catch a
good sale for between $1.79 and $1.99 per pound, and it's a good cut,
very little fat, and little shirkage. I'll buy 4 to 6 corned beefs and
keep them in the freezer to use throughout the year for Rueben sandwiches
or corned beef hash. The family isn't big on corned beef & cabbage.
Some of the dry goods we keep stocked in the house are:
brown rice
a variety of pastas, all different shapes and sizes
pastina
egg noodles
lentils
split peas
great northern beans
pinto beans
black beans
barley
a variety of dried herbs & spices
walnuts
peanuts
almonds
canned no-salt green beans
canned fruit in its own juice
reduced fat & sodium chicken broth
brown gravy, powdered
onion soup mix (MYO)
mustard (a few different kinds)
store brand Miracle Whip
fat-free or reduced fat mayo
ketchup
dill relish
sweet relish
hot sauce (a few different brands)
dill pickles
Spanish olives
black olives, pitted
canned tomatoes
canned tomato sauce
tomato paste
crushed tomatoes
potatoes
onions
Recipe
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