Little guys LOVE spaghetti! Always a kid favorite…pssssghetti!
So I had a cucumber that I needed to use up, as we will be out of town for the holiday weekend! Since I don’t prefer cucumbers by themselves, I threw on some sour cream “sauce” to make it a bit tastier. I also love to soak them in balsamic vinegar! Normally we eat broccoli or green beans with our pssssghetti!
Spaghetti
Yield – 4 servings
Preparation Time – 10 minutes
Cooking Time – 20 minutes
Ingredients
- Handful of spaghetti noodles ($.35)
- 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce (I’m planning on starting homemade soon…) ($.66)
- 1/2 lb ground beef (save other half for tacos next week…) ($.85)
- 1/2 green pepper ($.50)
- 1 cucumber, sliced ($.67)
- 1/2 cup “chives” sour cream, diluted with 1/4 c milk ($.25)
- 1 clove garlic ($.05)
- salt & pepper, to taste
Directions
- Cook noodles. Brown ground beef. Drain and add spaghetti sauce. Add in green pepper. Simmer under ready to serve.
- Whisk sour cream with milk, add garlic, salt & pepper, to taste. Pour over cukes and let sit for a bit in fridge to let flavors “mingle”!
Pick green peppers out of 3 year old’s spaghetti! Note to self…next time, put green peppers in the chopper/grinder to make them less visible in the sauce! I have been known to hide MANY a veggie in spaghetti sauce! I failed, however, tonight! Like the cuke, I needed to use up the leftover pepper before leaving town!
Cost $3.33 (with just the right amount for lunch leftovers!)
A different thing you can do with the cucumbers. Peel them, slice thinly and then sprinkle with salt. Let set for like an hour or two, with a plate and something heavy on them, i usually did it in a strainer with a plate on top. Drain off liquid and then add a little sour cream, some dill and a bit of pepper.
Another one is where you chop cucumbers and tomatoes small, add a bit of olive oil, salt, dill, sliced green or regular onion (I do not like onion, but it adds great flavor and I let my husband eat it). Let it set a bit and eat with potatoes!!
You can also make this with sour cream, by just adding some to it.
Great ideas! I wish I had had more time last night! I will try the cukes and toms soon!
Thanks!
I love to make cucumber and red onion salad. Slice both the onion and the cuke very thinly and sprinkle with some sugar, salt and vinegar. Red wine, balsamic, whatever kind you have even white. Pepper to taste and let sit for at least an hour. SOoooooo yummy!
I was wondering how many people are you feeding with 1/2 pound of ground beef and half a jar of sauce? Because to feed my family of 5, (2 adults and 3 kids) with some leftovers, takes about a pound of spaghetti ($1), 1 large jar of sauce ($2) and a can of diced tomatoes (.50) , about half bag of frozen onions and peppers diced (.50) and a pound of ground beef which is about $2.50 a pound for the cheap stuff! parmesan cheese (.50) Thats $7. But for second night leftover dinner I mix in another can of diced or stewed tomatoes (.50) dump a bag of Italian shredded cheese ($1.50)on top and bake. $9 for 2 meals= $4.50/ meal
You’re on top of the game. Thanks for sahrnig.