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My neighbor called my 'budget' chili a 'luxury stew' and it made me mad
I was telling him about my big pot of chili, proud I kept it under $15. He looked at the list and said, 'You used two pounds of ground beef? That's not budget, that's a luxury stew.' He showed me his version with a single pound of beef and a full can of black beans, which cut his cost in half. I always thought more meat was better, but his point about stretching the protein really hit different. What's your go-to trick for making meat go further without feeling cheap?
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theaward14d ago
My mom swears by adding oats like @shanegibson uses lentils.
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clairer7916d ago
Mushrooms are the secret weapon, the cheap filler that actually adds flavor instead of just bulk. Chop them up real fine and they cook down with the meat, soaking up all the juices so you barely notice the difference. It works in anything from meatloaf to spaghetti sauce and cuts the ground beef needed by a third easy. That neighbor has a point about beans, but mushrooms make the meat itself stretch further.
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