My Recipes for Dining on a Dime When You Have a Chronic Illness

We all have those times when money gets tight. Living with a chronic illness is expensive! Doing it while on disability is beyond challenging. So I thought I’d share some of my family’s favorite money-saving meals.

Breakfast Burritos —  eggs, cheese, a little green chile and chorizo or sausage if it’s in the fridge. Cook the sausage or chorizo til crumbly and cooked through, add scrambled eggs to the pan and cook season as you like. Sprinkle cheese on tortilla and heat in microwave about 20 seconds. Wrap egg mixture and enjoy.

Simple Stroganoff — 1 pound hamburger and Knorr Stroganoff Noodles. I get the noodles when they are on sale 10 for $10. If I have them, I’ll add mushrooms and sour cream. Brown the meat, drain the juices away and set aside. Saute mushrooms. Prepare noodles according to package directions. Add meat and mushrooms. Use a small dollop of sour cream and blend through to add creaminess.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup — I know, basic, but delicious! I get the Tomato Bisque on sale. Whole wheat bread and Sargento’s Swiss cheese. There are almost always coupons for this brand, and the taste is so wonderful!

Chicken Alfredo With Broccoli Florets — leftover chicken, Knorr Alfredo Noodles from the above sale, and broccoli.

Fried Chicken Salad — Chicken Nuggets, salad greens, tomato and avocado. Good quality chicken nuggets. This is one of the meals I like to make when I’m flaring. Make the salad however you like it; optional toppings mandarin oranges, cornbread croutons.

Taco Salad — 1 pound hamburger, taco seasoning, salad greens, tomato and avocado. Cook hamburger, crumbling it as it cooks, drain away the fat and then add the taco seasoning. Make your salad however you prefer it. In my house, a basic salad must have avocado, then top with the taco meat. Optional toppings are tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, ranch and blue cheese dressings and of course hot sauce.

Chicken Fajita Soup — 1 pound chicken, red, green and orange peppers, yellow onion and fajita seasoning. Chicken broth and water. You can use rotisserie chicken if you like. I usually bake mine a day ahead. Shred chicken. Chop peppers and onion and place in stockpot. I like to use butter to saute my veggies. Add garlic and onion powder, and a little pepper. Once your veggies are almost done, add the shredded chicken. Allow extra time for the chicken to heat and then add the fajita seasoning. I recommend mixing the seasoning and water in a cup ahead of time as you’ll get a better flavor.

Shrimp and Grits — I get my Shrimp at Trader Joe’s, you can a 1 pound bag for less than $10. Shrimp, chili powder, garlic and onion powder, fresh ground pepper. Grits. I also like to add red pepper flakes. I like it spicy.

What are some of your preferred money saving recipes?