(StatePoint) Americans are getting more creative with how they stretch their food budget and save time in the kitchen. Thankfully, there are lots of ways to save money at the cash register and to plan for easy meal prep without sacrificing flavor and nutrition.
Use these useful tips and tasty recipes from Coleman All Natural Meats to stretch your budget:
• Explore different types of meats. Choose meats that offer great value and versatility. For example, pork is an inexpensive yet flavorful alternative to other types of meat and can be used in a variety of dishes. This guide can help you understand how to buy and cook each cut of pork: colemannatural.com/blog/a-guide-to-buying-pork.
• Choose trusted quality meats. Great value doesn’t need to mean compromising on quality. Purchase from brands like Coleman All Natural Meats that deliver on label claims, such as no antibiotics ever, no added hormones and humanely raised, without passing on the cost to you.
• Save time with ready meals. Consider ready-to-eat and pre-seasoned meat to save time in the kitchen and for an easy meal in a pinch.
• Cook once, eat twice. Purchase larger cuts of meat, like ham, that can be used for multiple meals and stored for an easy freezer meal for later. To reheat refrigerated or frozen ham without it drying out, add ham and add a bit of water or broth to an oven-safe dish. Cover and reheat it on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the microwave. This can ensure it retains the most moisture. Note, according to the USDA, leftover cooked ham should be reheated to 165 degrees F.
• Use your freezer! You can buy meat in bulk when it is on sale to use later, saving a future trip to the grocery store. According to USDA guidelines, pork chops can last four to six months in the freezer, uncooked chops and steaks can remain in the freezer from four to 12 months, and a whole raw chicken can last up to a year.
• Transform leftovers. Get out of a recipe rut and minimize food waste by creatively using leftover meats in quiches, soups, pasta dishes, crepes and more. If you’re barbecuing pulled pork this summer, use the extra meat to construct this recipe for 7-Layer Tostadas:
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups of pulled pork
• 12 corn tortillas
• 16-ounce can refried beans
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
• 1 small can sliced black olives
Instructions:
1. Cook tortillas in oil until crispy (or use store-bought tostada shells).
2. In a heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan, heat pulled pork until thoroughly heated and bubbling.
3. In a small pan, heat the refried beans until they are hot all the way through.
4. Spread each tostada shell with refried beans, then using a fork, spread pulled pork evenly on top.
5. Continue topping tostadas with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sour cream and olives.
6. Finish each tostada with toppings of your choice.
7. Serve immediately.
For more easy meal ideas, visit: colemannatural.com/blog/8-easy-weeknight-dinner-ideas.
By prioritizing value and versatility when purchasing meat and by making smart decisions in the kitchen, you can feed your household affordably and with lots of flavorful options.
