primitives discuss the poor dining on fast food

[Ballygrl]

I've gone, as Scoobie says, "all hoity-toity" and made a batch of chili which will feed five of us for dinner and a few lunches the next day for (drum roll:)

1-lb hamburger: $2.59
1-lb round steak: $3.19
1 package Carrol Shelby's chili mix: $2.49
1 can black beans: .75
1 can pinto beans: .75
Large can chopped tomatoes: $1.50
Small can Ro-Tel tomatoes/Chiles: $1.25

Grated cheese, onion, and saltine crackers: $1.50

Total cost: $14.02 for AT LEAST 10-12 servings of chili.  Last time I made it the kids both had extra helpings, as did I, and I still had enough for a very large lunch with some left over the next day.

Try feeding five people even off the dollar menu at McD's.

Oh, I missed this post. When I made the Chili I had enough for 4 people for dinner then with the leftovers my Husband had chili for lunch and dinner the next day, and he had the chili again for dinner a few night later.

[Ballygrl]

And lots of good tips for Hamburger Helper in this thread. I never thought to add anything to it.

[Chris_]

And lots of good tips for Hamburger Helper in this thread. I never thought to add anything to it.

I usually don't, but I'm not trying to feed four people.

Cooking for more than one person usually goes along with having kids.  Golly, this is hard.

[AprilRazz]

And lots of good tips for Hamburger Helper in this thread. I never thought to add anything to it.

We use the California blend for most types of HH and it turns out great. Just use a little less water than the box calls for and add them when you put everything else in.

[GOBUCKS]

I throw a bag of the store brand vegetables in while the HH is cooking and it will last two to three times longer.

That's true. Toss in a package of okra, and it'll last for weeks.

[Chris_]

I've never tried to make HH from scratch.  I'm just guessing, but I think it's powdered gravy mix, spices, and instant noodles.  Oooh, that's a tough one.

These DUmmies are hopeless.  No wonder they need the gummint for everything.

[Skul]

I heard that McDonald's used to fry their fries in beef fat, which is why they were so tasty.  In the nineties they switched to vegetable oil with "beef essence"

Nah, it's always been vegetable oil.
Spuds were peeled, washed, cut and cooked at the store.
They were fresh.
That's why they used to be the best.

That's true. Toss in a package of okra, and it'll last for weeks.

More like years.

[Ballygrl]

I usually don't, but I'm not trying to feed four people.

Cooking for more than one person usually goes along with having kids.  Golly, this is hard.

You can always freeze what's leftover or have it the next day.

We use the California blend for most types of HH and it turns out great. Just use a little less water than the box calls for and add them when you put everything else in.

I have a large variety of Hamburger Helper in the house, I usually have coupons for it and load up when it goes on sale, I also have a few boxes of Velveeta's version of Hamburger Helper, it's OK, but I prefer the original.

[Bodadh]

Funny how the most active DU threads always seem to involve food.

[jtyangel]

Not only to I add to hh, but I'll make it to 'fill' something else. IE many of the rice versions, I will add chili tomatoes too and corn and we will use that in burritos. Take the beef noodle HH and add mushrooms and sour cream to it to make a pretty decent version of stroganoff. On that note, I can make a huge batch of that: cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, mushrooms, ground beef, and egg noodles. Good stuff. I think the hardest part for me is I don't like cooking so much in the summer time. Eating seems more expensive in the summer since the kids are home and eat more and the cheaper, easier to make meals just don't sit as well when it's hot out. So we do lots of sale hot dogs and hamburgers in the summer and plenty of 'breakfast for dinner'.