Cook once for two separate meals

by Mara
(Alabama, USA)

When we're tight on money, I try to use cooking ingredients, especially meat, for more than one meal.

I can purchase ground beef when it's on sale and get it in larger packages which generally means it's even less per ounce. There are a number of meals we use ground beef for - hamburgers, spaghetti, chili, sloppy joes, etc. - so I can plan on having meals with hamburger twice a week a couple of days apart.

When I get ready to make spaghetti or sloppy joes, I can brown the meat with minimal spices and then separate the cooked meat into packages. If I work the recipes right, I might be able to get three meals out of the beef I buy.

Take out one pre-cooked package of ground beef, add the required seasoning for the meal I'm cooking, and the meal is done in no time at all.