A simple box of frozen pierogies can easily be turned in to a complete and inexpensive meal just by adding some veggies and a little meat. You can easily substitute the sausage in this recipe with diced leftover ham or deli ham.

1 Box Frozen Pierogies (I use Mrs. T’s)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cups fresh spinach, torn into pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (or 2) italian sausage link, sliced in 1/4″ slices (or substitute ham)

Heat 1 Tbsp.  olive oil in a large skillet.  Add onion, pepper and sausage to pan.  Cook until all begins to brown.  Add in spinach and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until spinach is wilted.  Move veggie/meat mixture to a plate.  Add the other Tbsp. olive oil to the pan and heat.  Add in frozen pierogies and 1/2 cup water.  Cover and let cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove lid, add reserved ingredients back to pan and cook until pierogies start to brown.  Serve immediately.

This is a very quick to make meal that is delicious and hearty.  It’s an all-in-one dinner and is quite healthy with the addition of the black beans and veggies.

3/4 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 packets taco seasoning (or use our Make Your Own Taco Seasoning recipe)
1/2 cup water
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15-oz can black beans, drained
1 15-oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1 8 oz. pkg. cornbread mix

Brown ground beef in a large skillet.  Drain excess fat.  Add in onion and sautee until softened.  Add in taco seasoning, 1/2 cup water and  tomatoes.  Cook 2-3 minutes.  Stir in beans and corn and allow to heat while you mix cornbread according to package directions.  Transfer meat & veggie mixture to a 1 1/2 quart casserole or a 9×9 square pan.  Drop cornbread mix by spoonfuls across top of mixture and spread as evenly as you can.  Cook according to directions on cornbread box, or until golden brown.

This is a nice, hearty meal that is easy to make and inexpensive in that it only uses 3/4 ground beef to make a big pot. You can actually decrease the amount of beef and it is still good. For a vegetarian option (even cheaper AND more healthy) simply replace the beef with a can of pinto beans and substitute a table of olive oil for the bacon.

4 slices bacon, chopped
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-oz cans of baked beans
1 15-oz can whole kernel corn, drained

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove the cooked bacon and brown the ground beef in the bacon drippings. Add the onion and spices. Cook until onions are soft (appx 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. (At this point you can drain the meat, but if using lean beef, you may not need to do so.) Add beans and corn to the pan and crumble in the reserved bacon. Cook on low heat 15 minutes or until heated through.