How to Stretch Your Meals For More Servings

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Knowing how to stretch your meals for more servings is so important nowadays. With money being short and food in the stores being short it is important to know how to make every meal stretch as far as you can. ( I love leftovers) And if you have unexpected company you need to know how to stretch a meal even more to feed everyone. Of course, we have all heard “add more water to the soup pot or add more potatoes”. I feel like while that may stretch it, it won’t keep you full for long or be that tasty.

 

When I was younger I used to cringe when unexpected company would show up at mealtime, since I usually only fixed enough for what we needed. So I looked like a terrible host because I couldn’t ask them to stay for dinner. Then we would go to someone’s house for a quick stop and they would be fixing dinner and would ask us to stay. So I knew there had to be a way to make it work then after several years I finally learned how to stretch my meals not only for extra company but for us as well.

 

There are easy, healthy, and inexpensive ways to stretch a meal. Adding oats, rice, pasta, veggies, beans, and things you already have in your deep pantry.

You can use oats in:
Casseroles
Meatballs
Shepherd’s pie
Meatloaf / stuffed peppers
Hamburgers

Add equal amounts of oats and hamburger. You can do this with most any hamburger dish. 

You can use pasta in:
Soups
Stews
Casseroles
Meatballs
Shepherd’s pie
Meatloaf
Salads

Add 1 -2 cups pasta depending on the liquid in the dish, you may need to adjust how much liquid you use.

 

You can use rice in:
Soups
Stews
Chili
Casseroles
Tacos/enchiladas/burritos
Meatballs
Shepherd’s pie
Hamburgers
Salads

To use: Add 1 cup uncooked rice to soups, stews and casseroles. Adjust the liquid as needed.
Add 1/2 – 1 cup uncooked rice or 2 cups cooked to meatballs, and meatloaf with an extra egg to bind and adjust liquid as needed.
Add 1 – 2 cups cooked rice to hamburgers and vegetable salads.

You can use beans in:
Soups
Stews
Chili
Casseroles
Tacos/enchiladas/burritos
Meatballs
Shepherd’s pie
Hamburgers
Salads

I use beans in a lot of things they taste good and go a long way.

 

 

You can use vegetables in:
Soups
Stews
Casseroles
Meatloaf
Pasta sauces
Tacos/enchiladas/burritos
Shepherd’s pie
Sausage rolls

Using vegetables is another great way to extend meals and if from the garden they cost nothing and you are getting the health benefits from them also.

To use: grate potato, zucchini, carrot, cabbage, eggplant, tomatoes, onion, celery or finely chop mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, beetroot, squash, sweet potato, pumpkin, swede, turnip, parsnip and add to the recipe. This is a good way to use up those vegetables that need to be used up and to boost vegetable intake without dishing up individual servings, perfect for those picky eaters.

Any of these meal stretchers will help a little meat, chicken or fish go a long way without looking stingy.

 

You can stretch a casserole by serving it over rice, pasta or potatoes Just put a serving of casserole over one of these. It extends the casserole and you use less per serving and no one is the wiser that you are trying to stretch it.

Steaks are awesome but if you suddenly have 4 extra people to feed and only a few steaks you can slice them into thin slices and make fajitas, burritos, or put in a brown-gray and serve over rice, pasta or potatoes ( mashed or baked).

Knowing what meal stretchers you can add to your basic recipes will help you get more servings from your meals. And when you have unexpected company you can feed them a good meal. Plus it can help you keep that grocery bill down.

Stretching a meal is a skill, one that we should all learn and practice.

Do have any good meal scratcher ideas? If you do you can share them down below.

2 Replies to “How to Stretch Your Meals For More Servings”

  1. Toni (in Niagara)

    Hi Connie!
    Thanks for the education – lots of great ideas!
    Adding sides can help too. I’ll make a double batch of biscuits (cheap, easy, and most folks eat at least two!)
    Biscuits:
    Mix in a bowl:
    2 cups (500 ml) flour (OR 1 ½ cups [375 m] flour and 1/2 cup [125 ml] corn flour*)
    2 Tablespoons (30 ml) baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt

    Variation 1 – add 1 cup grated cheese
    Variation 2 – add 1 cup grated cheese and lots of finely chopped jalapeno or chives
    Variation 3 – add 1 heaping teaspoon (10 ml) of cinnamon, 1 (10 ml) of sugar and a grated apple)
    Variation 4 – whatever you need to use up soon!

    Cut in 5 Tablespoons (25 ml) cold butter – use a pastry cutter or 2 knives. (I slice off a bit more than 1/4 cup from a pound and chop it up = 5 T)

    Add 1 cup (250 ml) milk (buttermilk is best, or add 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar to milk and let sit for 20 minutes if you have time, then add to dry ingredients)

    Gently mix a little, plop on a lightly floured board, flatten a bit and fold into 3 layers, flatten a bit and fold into 3 again, adding more flour to the board if needed then roll out and cut. DO NOT TWIST the cutter or you’ll seal the edges.

    Optional – lightly press the biscuit into cornmeal for a crunchy bottom.

    Grease the bottom of a cast iron pan (or pie plate, or cookie sheet). The original recipe says to bake the biscuits10-15 min at 425 F (in a pre-heated oven). (But I find that it usually takes a little longer than that )
    * this makes for a WOW factor

  2. watkinsranches@yahoo.com Post author

    Toni,
    Thanks for the recipe. I love the variations. Do you mind if I share it in a post?
    Have a great day
    Connie