Making The Most of Your Grocery Dollars

When Norman Cohn was a dishwasher at Michigan State University, the cook made chicken one night and then picked the remaining meat off the carcass to serve the next night.

“She mixed whatever meat was left with Southern spices and vegetables and put it over rice and I have to tell you, it was delicious,” the Farmington Hills resident recalls.

In a challenging economy, it’s imperative to get the most for your grocery dollars. Cook once, eat twice, making the food you buy extend as far as it can possibly reach.

Follow these tips to get the most out of the high-quality groceries you buy at Hiller’s!

Plan ahead. A few extra minutes spent creating cook once-eat twice menus is time well spent. You’ll save at the checkout as well as on time spent preparing your family’s meals.

Make more of key ingredients like beef or chicken so you’ll have enough to use twice. For example, cook onions, green pepper and ground beef for tacos one night and refrigerate or freeze a portion to use in homemade spaghetti sauce later that week.

Think ahead. Roast a large chicken for dinner one night, then pick it clean for chicken pot pie the next night. But wait - you’re not done! With the carcass, make chicken soup with onion, celery, carrots, spices and seasonings, and freeze in portions for future use.

When you find a great price on something, buy a lot of it. Roasts, chicken pieces and frozen foods keep well in the freezer for months. Cut the roast into dinner-sized portions or divide chicken pieces into freezer bags in just the right amount for one dinner.

Specific Cook Once, Eat Twice Suggestions

Poultry – Cook chicken breasts or turkey cutlets. Serve half the first night with sauce, rice and vegetable or salad. Cut the remaining meat into chunks for chicken pot pie or slices for a main dish salad.

Rice – Use as a side dish one night but make more than you need. The next night, turn what’s left into fried rice with vegetables and canned or cooked shrimp or leftover chicken, pork or beef. (Idea number 3: make chicken rice soup or a rice-based casserole.) You may need to add liquid to rice when reheating. Rice also freeze well – label in freezer bags with date and quantity.

Beef or pork – Make a roast one night. Slice the rest for savory sandwiches or a filling stew.

Pasta – Boil more than you need. Mix half with cheese sauce for homemade mac-and-cheese or with marinara and parmesan. On night 2, toss leftover pasta with vegetables and Dijon mayonnaise for pasta salad. Consider adding cooked chicken or fish.

Have breakfast for dinner. Days-old bread becomes beautiful French toast, while leftover cooked or raw veggies can be revived in an omelet.

Fish – Bake filets one night, then flake the remaining flesh to combine with egg, bread crumbs, onion and seasonings for fish cakes the following day.

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