What weird meals have you made while totally broke?

[Kaissa]

oh I forgot one...
canned salmon with with an egg and crushed crackers and smushed into patties and fried. Just mentioning that makes my sister turn green to this day!  They always had these little soft-ish bones in them. ugh.

[bookstorebabe]

The soft bones are why it's a high calcium food-I dump the salmon in a bowl, and thoroughly smush it with my bare hands, the bones disintegrate. I add dill, and a dollop of mayo for some tangyness, and one beaten egg. Anything salmon-y, use some dill. Eh, it's all what you're used to. My sis made these for my girl and she liked it, so I started making  it.
I used to have to eat fried liver as a kid, and hated it. ^_^

[GoatHerder]

We used to have S.O.S a little different... can of cream o mushroom soup, can of Tuna (not drained), peas, shredded cheddar and a little milk. Served over Saltines.
Another was an onion, a couple potatoes, and a couple hot dogs all chopped up and sauteed with butter, salt and pepper. 
Potato pancakes (yummy yummy).
And sauerkraut mushroom soup.

I could go on and on... growing up in the 80's wasn't as bad as the 30's but it wasn't the roaring 20's either:)

[mommasfrogging]

I grew up in a military family and we never had enough money!!  I have no idea where I came up with most of the stuff I did but with my dad always gone and my mom being the type that can burn water...yes, burn it...I learned to cook.

Here are some of my more famous recipes...some are famous because of how good they actually are and others...well...let's just say that the neighbor's dog wouldn't even touch them!!  lol

Stuffed hot dogs.... split them down one side and stuff with instant potatoes and top with a slice of cheese, then bake

Elbows and corn.... a box of elbow macaroni, make as directed, a can of tomato sauce, meat(usually hamburger but have used tuna but I really don't recommend it), and a can of corn...mix all of it together with whatever seasonings feel right at the time or you have on hand.

Beans and things... bag of pinto beans, make as directed, 3-4 potatoes chopped, carrots chopped, onion chopped, meat (if you have it) and a bottle of bbq sauce.   Throw all of it into a crock pot on low for 8 hrs and eat.

Mexican chicken... rice, leftover or canned chicken, jar of salsa, cheese, onion chopped, garlic, mix it all together and bake...if lucky you will have a taco seasoning to add for more flavor.

We always had potatoes, onions and carrots for some reason and I would chop all of them up and throw in the microwave (if short on time) with some butter, garlic, basil and oregano.

Breakfast was always oatmeal unless I baked up some apples for a treat.   We had apples aplenty.  In fact that reminds me of another one...

What has become known as "Patti Pie" to my family and is requested all year long.   I learned how to dehydrate apples in the oven(never waste food of any kind was our family creed I promise!).   We were about 2 days away from payday and we were really scraping the bottom of the barrel as all we had left in the house was those dehydrated apples, flour, oatmeal, shortening, cherry juice concentrate, sugar and about 7 potatoes.   I made a pie shell, boiled the apples in the juice concentrate with about a gallon of water.   Once the apples were nice and juicy again, I added the sugar bit by bit until I liked the mix.  I poured all of it into the pie shell and baked.  I think I was 12 at the time.

[howtocooklamb]

I'm definitely trying tomato sauce soup!

I used to live off of top ramen with an egg cracked in it .

thought I was the only one living that way when I was in college  so I keep a pack whenever I ran out of cash.

[JulieML]

I loved to get a bag of dried chick peas (chichi beans) cook them in crock pot. Then mix with frozen peas & rice with a little Italian dressing. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese.

I love creamed tuna with peas or creaked spinach with a little diced ham over mashed potatoes.

[NightOwl21]

This helps if you have a garden, or get lots of vegetables. Grab a huge pot, the largest you have. Make a soup base, beef broth or chicken broth, put in all sorts of veggies. Now separate it into different containers while leaving some in another smaller pot for yourself tonight.  When I did it I have three bases and one left over for that night.  Now seal and label your containers and freeze them.  They freeze for a long time!  Now back to the pot on the stove, look in your fridge any leftovers?  Add those (within reason of course! any meats or other dinners)  Now you have a unique soup.  Add noodle for something different.  Each base can be made with something different.

[SewMuch4Kids]

When I was in college - many moons ago- my girlfriend and I use to go on midnight runs on our bicycles in the midwest pilfering gardens.  We would make big veggie stir frys.  Not the most ethical thing but definately economical at the time.

[tattooedcupcake]

Well well well....I have a few to add-

Ramen noodles cooked as usual but without the seasoning, once cooked drain and toss in some canned chopped tomatoes and heat. Lots of salt and pepper.

Luncheon meat and tomato sauce on toast (YUM!!! Might have to make some tomorrow)

Vegetables (like potato, kumara, swede, parsnip, carrot, silverbeet, onion. DO NOT use things like tomato, lettuce, capsicum, corn) in a pot with water (use only enough to cook them so that you don't have to drain off all the nutrients in the water, but you could keep this water for soups if you wish) and garlic, salt and pepper. Boil until all of the veges are well done. Drain off the water and keep. Now mash all of the veges and add a little bit of the water if needed (think baby food but not as smooth). Finish off with butter if you wish! Mum used to make this as our baby food and my brother (who is 34) and myself (24) still love it to this day.


Now when I started university I was very broke and I lived off plain rice with peas and soy sauce. If I wanted dessert and I had milk I would have rice with milk and sugar. I would have wheat biscuits for breakfast and cups of tea throughout the day to keep the hunger away.

Instant potatoes and powered gravy mixed together and made up is good too!

[sparrowlegs]

as a child, and one of five kids, money was tight,
my mam would make 'poor' pie  it was full of potato, onions and carrots and any other veg she had in the house and a oxo cube or two mixed it, she made her own pastry too.

corned beef hash....mashed potato..onion and corned beef all mashed up..or make it like a stew, diced up root veggies and lots of potato, add the corned beef at the end to warm through.

I make curry cheaply on those 'skint' days, I use as little chicken as possible, and add lots of onions and chickpeas, 2 chicken breasts can go a heck of a long way

also if we have had a roast chicken, I will use the left over chicken for another meal, then boil down the chicken to make a stock for a soup...I can get 3/4 meals for my family with a chicken.