Cheap Side Dishes

Sometimes it may be hard to think of things to cook for your side dishes. There are many side dishes you can make for cheap. I have a section with some side dish recipes. Here is a list of a few cheap sides. I always make a vegetable for every dinner I cook along with a side dish. If you have a bigger family, I'd suggest making a main dish, two sides, and a vegetable.

• White Rice- Combine rice with twice as much water in a saucepan. Boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, without uncovering at all.
• Macaroni and Cheese - I load up on the Kraft brand when there are sales. They taste a lot better than the store brands.
• French Fries- I think they go well with Hamburger Helpers. To save even more money, make your own french fries. Here is a link to some home made french fries: Homemade French Fries
• Baked Potatoes- Very cheap side dish. Can top with whatever you like, for example: butter, sour cream, chili, cheese, peppers, onions, etc...
• Flavored Rice- You can usually buy these for less than one dollar for the store brand. 
• Pasta Salad- In some stores you can find these for $1. Or you can make you own. Macaroni Salad Recipe
• Mashed Potatoes- I buy the powdered kind because it is very quick and easy to make. 
• Biscuits- You can buy the 4 pack of biscuits for pretty cheap. Or if you'd like you can make your own.
• Stuffing- The boxed stuffing doesn't cost too much for the store brand.
• Ramen Noodles- A very cheap side dish.
• Beans- Canned or dried beans make good side dishes. Dried beans just take a lot longer to cook.

Hot Dog Chili

Another cheap recipe made with hot dogs. Sounds really good. You could also add over white rice, mashed or baked potatoes, or noodles.

Ingredients:

1 can of spicy chili beans in sauce
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 package of taco seasoning mix
4 to 6 hot dogs
Jack cheese, sour cream, avocado (optional)


Directions:
Pour first 4 ingredients into a pan; add taco seasoning and mix well; bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Slice hot dogs into 1/2-inch pieces; add to chili; reduce the heat to warm and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve over a toasted New England hot dog roll and top with any or all of the optional toppings.
Note: For an over-the-top treat, put the roll topped with chili and cheese in the oven for a few minutes to let the cheese melt.

Macaroni and Hot Dog Skillet

Another cheap recipe made with hot dogs but with macaroni this time. You can leave out some ingredients if you don't have them. I have bullion cubes at my house all the time so I will use that as the broth.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
4 cups beef broth
2 cups (8 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound hot dogs, cut in 1/2 to 1-inch slices
1 small can or jar mushrooms, drained (about 4 ounces)
1 tablespoons chopped pimiento

Directions:
Melt butter in a large skillet; add onion and bell pepper and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, until softened. Add beef broth; heat to boiling. Add macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until macaroni is almost tender. Add salt, sliced hot dogs, mushrooms, and pimiento. Cook hot dog mixture for 10 more minutes, or until macaroni is tender.

Crockpot Beans and Hot Dogs

Hot dogs and beans are probably two of the cheapest ingredients for a dinner. I've been looking for more recipes with them to save money,. I came across this recipe that is cooked in a slow cooker. It seems very easy to make, but looks like a lot of ingredients, mostly spices. It is possible to substitute or remove them from the recipe as needed.

Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 large can (28 ounces) pork and beans
1 can (approx 15 ounces) great northern beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (approx 15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup or molasses
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 package (about 8) hot dogs

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except hot dogs in a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker. Cut hot dogs into 1 to 2-inch lengths and stir into the bean mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours.

Cheater Pot Pie

I found this dinner for cheap recipe that uses canned chicken and biscuits. It is quick and easy to make. I would add some garlic and onions. You could add some shredded cheese and other vegetables, like peppers and celery.

Servings: makes one 9-inch pie

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
1 (5 ounce) can chicken chunks, drained
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated layered biscuits

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly butter a 9 inch deep dish pie pan with melted butter; reserve some of the melted butter.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine mixed vegetables and chicken; cook until vegetables are tender. Fold in soup; mix well. Pour in milk and mix until smooth; mixture should not be runny. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and spread mixture into bottom of pie pan. Separate biscuits into layers and place gently on top of mixture. Drizzle remaining butter on top of biscuit layers.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Hot Dog Cornbread Casserole

This is a dinner for cheap made with hot dogs and cornbread. A good, easy recipe to make with things you might already have in your kitchen. You could remove the celery, pepper, and onion if you don't have it. I would suggest topping the casserole with cheese. 

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 (16 ounce) package hot dogs, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (15 ounce) can chili with beans
1 (8.5 ounce) package cornbread mix
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir green bell pepper, onion, and celery in hot oil until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in hot dog pieces and cook and stir until hot dogs begin to brown, 6 more minutes. Stir in the chili and heat the mixture thoroughly.
Beat cornbread mix, egg, and milk in a bowl with a spoon until batter is just moistened, and spread half the cornbread batter into the prepared baking dish. Top batter with the hot dog mixture; spread remaining half of cornbread batter over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until casserole is bubbling and cornbread topping is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Upside Down Pizza

This is a simple recipe for an upside down pizza casserole. The crust is on the top and is made with crescent rolls. There are many ways to make this recipe one of your own. You can add black olives, pepperoni, mushrooms, jalapenos, and basically any other ingredients you would like. I would make with pizza sauce instead of spaghetti sauce though. You could also use different types of meat like ground turkey, sausage, or chicken if you'd like.

Servings: 6

Ingredients: 
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Brown beef, onion and garlic in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Once browned, drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce.
In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spread a layer of sauce. Top with 1/2 of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, another layer of sauce and the rest of the cheese. Top with crescent rolls, pinching seams together.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown.

Ground Beef Curly Noodles

This is an inexpensive recipe. Potatoes and/or biscuits would be a good side dish. You could add some onions, garlic, or peppers to taste. You can also use any vegetable that you like. Peas, carrots, or broccoli would go well.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 (3 ounce) package Oriental flavored ramen noodles

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (10 ounce) can whole kernel corn

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble in the ground beef, and cook until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Drain off grease.

Stir in the flavor packet from the noodles, tomatoes, and corn (with their juices). Break up the noodles slightly, and add them to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until noodles are tender. Stir occasionally to break up any clumps of noodles.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

This is a good vegetarian dish, or a side dish as I would make it. You could even make mushroom burgers with these by putting them on a hamburger bun. I suggest cooking these up if you are planning any BBQ parties. That way you can have something to serve your non-meat eating friends as well as the meat eaters.

Servings: 3

Ingredients:

3 portobello mushrooms

1/4 cup canola oil

3 tablespoons chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Clean mushrooms and remove stems, reserve for other use. Place caps on a plate with the gills up.

In a small bowl, combine the oil, onion, garlic and vinegar. Pour mixture evenly over the mushroom caps and let stand for 1 hour.

Grill over hot grill for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Quick and Easy Goulash

This is a simple goulash recipe. A few ingredients making it a fairly cheap dinner. Garlic bread is good to make as a side with this dish. I suggest using 2 jars or 2 cans of spaghetti sauce though.

Servings: 4


Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) package elbow noodles
seasoned salt, to taste
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add elbow noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a skillet over medium heat, season with seasoning salt and brown the beef; drain.
Heat through over medium heat, the beef, spaghetti sauce, corn, chopped onion, garlic and cheese. Combine with cooked elbow noodles when heated and serve.

Bake Sale Lemon Bars

This is a dessert recipe made for a bake sale. I have read that adding lemon rind to anything with lemon juice will add tartness to the recipe. It doesn't seem very expensive to make. My mom really likes lemon bars so I am thinking about trying these out soon. I actually thought these might be good to freeze and reheat in the microwave later.

Servings: 36


Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Combine the flour, 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, and butter. Pat dough into prepared pan.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until slightly golden. While the crust is baking, whisk together eggs, white sugar, flour, lemon juice until frothy. Pour this lemon mixture over the hot crust.
Return to the preheated oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Cut into squares.

Jalapeno Poppers

I've been making my own jalapeno poppers for years. I have tried many different batters, from boxed fish and onion ring batters to my own home made batters. I've filled them with cream cheese only, adding cheddar cheese and bacon only a couple of times. I have not tried this recipe yet, but will try it out next time I make them. It sounds really good. Just make sure you use gloves to deseed the peppers. Deseeding them does diminish some the heat, so if you choose, you can use Pepper Jack cheese or add some of the seeds to the cream cheese mixture to make them hotter.

Servings: 10


Ingredients:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon bacon bits
12 ounces jalapeno peppers, slice down side and deseeded
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 quarts oil for frying

Directions: 
In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Spoon this mixture into the jalapeno peppers.
Put the milk and flour into two separate small bowls. Dip the stuffed jalapenos first into the milk then into the flour, making sure they are well coated with each. Allow the coated jalapenos to dry for about 10 minutes.
Dip the jalapenos in milk again and roll them through the breadcrumbs. Allow them to dry, then repeat to ensure the entire surface of the jalapeno is coated.
In a medium skillet, heat the oil to 365 degrees F ( 180 degrees C). Deep fry the coated jalapenos 3 to 4 minutes each, until golden brown. Remove and let drain on a paper towel.

Cabbage Balushka

This is a good cheap vegetarian dish. If you are not vegetarian, you can add some bacon to the recipe. I would lower the heat to low and simmer the cabbage for a little while longer. I'm sure this recipe would cook well in the slow cooker. Just add all the ingredients except egg noodles and cook on low 6-7 hrs or high 4-5 hours. Then mix in cooked egg noodles before serving. I would suggest adding about a quarter to a half teaspoon of celery seed to this recipe

Servings: 6

Ingredients: 

1 (16 ounce) package egg noodles
1/2 cup butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 head cabbage, cored and chopped
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions: 

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in egg noodles and return to a boil. Cook noodles uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender but still slightly firm, about 5 minutes. Drain well.
Melt butter in a large skillet or wok over medium heat; cook and stir onion until browned, about 8 minutes.
Cook and stir cabbage into onions until cabbage has wilted, another 5 to 8 minutes.
Gently stir cooked noodles into cabbage mixture; season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Tuna Pizza

I found this inexpensive recipe for tuna. It sounds like a good use to get fish into your diet. You can of course use fresh tuna or even fresh or canned salmon instead. Pizza is a versatile meal and you can add basically any ingredients you would like.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (14 ounce) package pre-baked pizza crust

1 (5 ounce) can tuna, drained and flaked

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Spread the softened cream cheese on the pre-baked crust. Sprinkle the tuna and onions over the pizza; then top with shredded mozzarella cheese and optional red pepper flakes. Bake in preheated oven until the cheese has melted and started to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

BBQ Chicken Wings

This is a more kid-friendly wing recipe than the last one I posted. And very simple to make too. I would season the chicken in the recipe before cooking though. Actually, I might just use the sauce for the last recipe and the cooking process from this recipe to make two separate batches of wings. That's part of the joy of cooking, being able to combine different recipes to make your own.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb. chicken wings
1 cup barbecue sauce


Directions:

HEAT oven to 450°F. CUT wings at joints; discard tip sections. PLACE chicken in 15x10x1-inch pan. BAKE 35 min.; drain. Brush with sauce; bake 10 min. or until done.

Restaurant-Style Buffalo Chicken Wings

I am going to try these out soon. Don't think that this is something the kids would like though. I will post a barbecue wings recipe for them.

Servings: 5


Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 chicken wings
oil for deep frying
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup hot sauce
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash garlic powder

Directions:

In a small bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Place chicken wings in a large nonporous glass dish or bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over them until they are evenly coated. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes.

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). The oil should be just enough to cover wings entirely, an inch or so deep. Combine the butter, hot sauce, pepper and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together and heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and reserve for serving.

Fry coated wings in hot oil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until parts of wings begin to turn brown. Remove from heat, place wings in serving bowl, add hot sauce mixture and stir together. Serve.

Swedish Meatballs

This is a recipe that I made up myself for Swedish meatballs. I used what I had on hand and it turned out really good. I will never make it any other way again.

Servings: 6


Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs (2 slices)
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp chopped garlic
half an onion, chopped
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
1 package of egg noodles


For Sauce:
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can of milk
1 Tbs dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce 
1 Tbs butter or margarine
salt and pepper, to taste


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, 1/4 c. dried parsley flakes, 1/4 c. milk, chopped garlic, onion, 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper. Roll beef mixture into 1 and half inch balls. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. In a large pot, cook egg noodles according to package and drain.


Meanwhile in a medium saucepan, whisk together cream of mushroom soup, can of milk, 1 Tbs parsley flakes, garlic powder, 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce, butter or margarine, and salt and pepper. Heat over medium heat until heated thoroughly. Add meatballs when they are done, continue to heat sauce until bubbly. Pour over cooked egg noodles. Toss to mix well and serve.

Easy Mexican Casserole

I found this recipe online and thought it sounded pretty good. I am thinking about using black beans, drained and rinsed of course. I will probably add a few other spices. Maybe some chili powder, paprika, and/or garlic. 

Servings: 6

Ingredients: 
1 pound lean ground beef
2 cups salsa
1 (16 oz.) can chili beans, drained
3 cups torilla chips, crushed
2 cups sour cream
1 (2 oz) can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese


Directions:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink. Stir in salsa, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in beans, and heat through. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread crushed tortilla chips in dish, and then spoon beef mixture over chips. Spread sour cream over beef, and sprinkle olives, green onion, and tomato over the sour cream. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake in preheated over for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Old Fashioned Onion Rings

These were really great! They just took me forever to make because I used two onions and made my own dry bread crumbs. I didn't even use bread crumbs for half of them and they still turned out great. Next time I won't bother with bread crumbs unless I buy them.

Servings: 3


1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk, or as needed
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
seasoned salt to taste
1 quart oil for frying, or as needed


Directions:
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Dip the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated; set aside. Whisk the egg and milk into the flour mixture using a fork. Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil for easier clean up. Spread the bread crumbs out on a plate or shallow dish. Place rings one at a time into the crumbs, and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat. Give it a hard tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.
Deep fry the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Season with seasoning salt, and serve.

Zippy Beef Casserole

With this recipe I would use chopped onion instead of instant minced. I would also add chopped garlic and maybe some dried parsley flakes. I don't think 40 minutes will be necessary though. I usually cook casseroles like this for around 20-25 minutes. Comment if you can think of any other add ins or variations that might be good.

Servings: 6


1 pound ground beef
4 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
1 can (10.75 ounce size) cream of mushroom soup, condensed
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons instant minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup crushed potato chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook and stir meat until brown; drain off fat. Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain. In ungreased 2 qt. casserole, mix all ingredients, except potato chips.
Cover, bake 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with crushed potato chips and bake 5 minutes longer.