Budget Stretching Ideas - Meat

As prices rise, people begin to look for ways to stretch their budget. Both my husband and I grew up in homes that for the most part didn't waste much. Stretching the meat and turning leftovers into the next day's meal were a part of everyday life. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking about ways to stretch your meat budget. These ideas are certainly nothing new, but sometimes it helps to revisit old ideas to  when trying to eek every bit of nutrition out of a budget that no longer stretches as far as it used to.

Use Meat Stretchers

When we were children, ground beef was an inexpensive meat option so tacos, hamburgers, and meatloaf were often on the menu. With the rise in beef prices across the board, that is no longer the case. Nevertheless, there are certain dishes we enjoy that feature hamburger. Here are some ways we still enjoy those dishes while lessening the impact of meat costs.

Taco meat - We have used both ground beef and leftover roast as the meat basis for tacos and we have added different things to our taco meat over the years to make the meat stretch farther. We most often stir in cooked rice as the meat finishes cooking in the taco seasoning. We have also used cooked beans and canned corn. Others we know add cooked millet. My host mother in Mexico would add leftover potatoes and carrots from the roast the day before. 

Meatloaf - Many people add bread to their meatloaf, but my mom always used quick oats. I like quick oats because you can get them gluten free and we tend to use leftover bread for other purposes. Nevertheless, you can increase the amount of bread or oats so you can still enjoy this American dish.

Hamburgers -  You can use many of the above ideas to stretch your hamburger meat, though if you plan to use beans or corn, I recommend chopping it first to get the right consistency. You may also need to add egg as a binder - just like you would do with meatloaf.

Use All of Your Leftover Meat

Having meat as the main course can get very expensive these days. While steaks have been more costly for years, the cost of all cuts of meat has risen. In our area, it is often less expensive per pound to purchase a roast than it is to purchase ground beef. The most common way to stretch your roast is to chop it and use it in casseroles or soups. Everyone gets protein, but is served with other items that help to fill your belly and satiate the appetite. Nevertheless, if you purchase a large roast, you can have a meal out of the roast and use the rest for many other meals throughout the week. Here are some ideas for using your leftover meat.

Sandwich Meat - Slice the meat thinly and use instead of store-bought sandwich meat. It is more affordable and healthier, too!

Sandwich Spread - We cut the meat off the bone and chop it in the food processor. My husband grew up with this simple recipe: 

Stir mayonnaise (yes, you can make your own!), relish, mustard (optional) and a few spices (salt, pepper, etc.) into the chopped meat until well mixed. Spread on sandwich bread and add your favorite sandwich toppings.

BBQ Shredded Meat - As above, we cut the meat off the bone and chop in the food processor. If we had a roast with carrots and potatoes, I usually throw them in, too. Add barbecue sauce and cook until the flavors blend. Serve on homemade sourdough bread or on your favorite bun.

Casseroles- Chop leftover roast and use in place of hamburger in your favorite casserole.

Soup Meat - Cut the meat off the bones and chop into small to medium sized pieces. Toss into your favorite soup. Some of our favorite soups that use leftover meat are:

• Potato Soup (we use ham)
• Corn Chowder (we use ham)
• Vegetable Beef Soup
• Beef Stew
• Taco Soup (we use beef or chicken)

Make Broth

Getting all the benefits (and nutrients) you can out of your meat will help stretch your budget. That includes saving the meat juices and making your own bone broth or stock. We save the smaller bones from our meat and put them in the freezer until we have a fair amount and then we use them to make a big pot of bone broth. We drink it straight for the collagen, or we use it in soups and stews, or to cook rice or pasta.

Broth - Broth is made by simmering meat (with or without the bones) and sometimes vegetables for a short amount of time, usually two hours or less. It is often seasoned and is used to add flavor to dishes.

Stock - Stock is made by cooking animal bones in water for two to six hours. The cooking time adds flavor to the water, but is not long enough to extract the collagen from the bones and give the water a gelatinous texture. Stock is typically unseasoned.

Bone Broth - Bone broth is similar to stock, but is cooked with vegetables for a longer period of time,  from 12 to 48 hours. The longer cooking process allows the collagen, minerals and nutrients to be extracted from the bones, giving it a more gelatinous texture. Most resources say that bone broth is left unseasoned, but we like to add herbs and spices to ours.

Using your broth: We use any and all of the above when making soups and stews. We also use them for cooking rice and pasta. It adds both flavor and nutrition. We sometimes drink broth or bone broth when we are feeling ill to help replenish our electrolytes and get some added nutrition. Some of us drink bone broth as a collagen supplement.

Using leftover ham for bone broth and lunchmeat

There are many more ideas you can use to stretch your meat. Let's help each other out by sharing ideas in the comment section below.