Meals That Stretch: Feeding Your Family Well With What You Have
Some weeks, the fridge is looking bare, and the grocery budget feels tighter than ever. But I’ve learned that the heart of homemaking is creativity, and that meals don’t have to be fancy to be nourishing.
Here are the meals I return to when I need to stretch what we have without stretching myself too thin:
✽ Rice & Beans
These are two things that I almost always have in my pantry in various types and forms. Making sure that I have the ingredients that I need to throw together something tasty and filling for my family that I know that everyone will eat is always top of my list. Rice and beans is a food that crosses cuisines as well. There are a wealth of flavors that you can utilize, not just the usual run of the mill ones. Some great ideas are:
- Jamaican Rice and Peas
- Arroz con Gandules
- Dirty Rice and Red Beans (This can be made with or without meat!)
- Dal Makhani with Rice
✽ Soup Made From Almost Nothing
Wilted veggies, the end of a rotisserie chicken, or even some leftover beans! Cook down the carcass of the rotisserie chicken to make a rich broth. This will save money on having to buy broth and you get some extra health benefits from the collagen in the bones.
✽ Breakfast for Dinner
One egg, the last on the milk, and the end of the bread loaf can make some quick and tasty French Toast. Some pancake or waffles mix wither from the store or a pantry staple you made yourself and some fruit that needs to be used up (because lets face it, there is always fruit that needs to be used) you can have a yummy and quick meal that will fill everyone.
✽ Grazing board
I call them “grazing dinners.” A little bit of this, a little bit of that. There’s a heatwave happening right now and I’m definitely leaning into the no cook option this week. Fresh, cool, and crisp fruits and vegetables, some yummy whole grain crackers, cheese if we have it. Low effort, everyone gets what to have something they want, wins all around!
There are plenty of ways to use what’s on hand. A well stocked pantry and spice cabinet will save the day (and save you some money) every time!