Trim the Budget: Sandwiches

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    My husband takes two sandwiches to work every day.  Typically I was using lunch meat.  He liked lunch meat and it was easy and convenient for me.  But it was not great for the budget or a healthy choice either.  Lunch meat is processed and full of non healthy ingredients and loaded with sodium.   


So here is what I have been doing to cut the cost of purchasing lunch meat and improving health while I am at it!  


When I started I took a whole chicken and cooked it in the crockpot.  When it was done I deboned the meat and chopped it up into small pieces.  I divided the meat into 3 containers.  One I used the week I made it and the other two went in the freezer.  To make a sandwich I took the chopped chicken meat and added a little salt, pepper and mayonnaise to it.  I used this chicken spread for the week.  My hubby loved it and I loved the savings.   


Sandwich meat can run anywhere from $3.00 to $6.00 per pound (and up, but that is the range I have paid).  I buy about a pound or so a week.  My chicken cost me about $5.00 and I had enough meat from it for 3 weeks.   


The second type of sandwich meat I made was beef.  I will have a harder time giving you an accurate cost calculation on this because we buy our beef from a local farmer and buy a whole cow each year.  But I can tell you what I did.  I put a small beef roast into the crockpot (I will guess maybe 4lbs) and let this cook for a good long time… until the meat was falling apart.  I then removed bone and fat and chopped this up and was able to divide it into 4 containers (I figure about 2 cups of meat is what I need per week).  I used it the same way I used the chicken. I added salt, pepper and mayonnaise to the chopped meat and used this to make sandwiches.  I also added a little Dijon mustard as well and that gave it a really nice flavor.   


The cost of this meat would be determined by how much you paid for the roast.  You can use an inexpensive cut of roast like a rump roast or a chuck roast to do this.   


Putting the meat into the freezer also means that I have the added bonus of this being very convenient (one of the reasons I liked lunch meat).  After cooking just one chicken and the roast I ended up with enough lunch meat for 7 weeks of lunches. 


Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 12, 2010 at 2:54 AM

    Thank you, I make lunches for 4 men, and one does not like bread!! With the chicken and roast I can make a 3 sandwiches and pile some in a bowl for the other! Kelley

    ReplyDelete
  2. gabbie427March 12, 2010 at 4:02 AM

    Great ideas here!!!! You can also do some leftovers in sandwiches, like meatballs or even a slice of meatloaf.


    Thanks for sharing Crystal. You always have the best ideas.


    God's Blessings,

    Amy Jo

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 12, 2010 at 12:51 PM

    My friend told about this back in the early '80's - its still my favorite sandwich spread. I mix it in my food processor.


    Mix leftover roast beef, mayonaise, and some mustard pickles. Thats it. When I have not had mustard pickles I have used sweet pickles and a squirt of mustard. Sometimes I will also add some garlic powder. This is also really good on crackers.


    I really enjoy your blog - especially your recipes.


    Denise

    ReplyDelete
  4. VickieMarch 13, 2010 at 1:30 AM

    Those sound great. I have also done a roast (beef or pork) broken it up & then added bbq sauce and made sandwiches that way too. ~Just another option. Take care!

    ReplyDelete
  5. patintennMarch 13, 2010 at 11:53 AM

    This is so smart to do and yet I am sitting here thinking, why didn't I think of this, lol...


    Thank you again for what you are doing here to help us out. This is a wonderdul idea and I plan to put it to use here right away.


    Pat

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMarch 21, 2010 at 12:34 PM

    I am enjoying your blog and came here after someone linked to your website in their blog. I wonder if you could let me know if there are alternatives to use in place of the sucanat in the recipes at your site. I am specifically interested in breakfast meals as I know my children LOVE breakfast while I am content with toast every morning. Yet, saw a lot of myself in what you wrote in the intro. I'm not sure how diligent I'll be with a toddler and newborn coming this July but I know it is something I have to work on eventually after kitchen renovations are done on the home we're moving into.


    Many Thanks,


    Erna

    http://mapletreeacademy.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousJuly 22, 2010 at 5:12 PM

    Sounds yummy and easy for our family of 6! This is my first time surfing your site and I am finding that I love it more and more :)

    God's Blessings,
    Stacey

    ReplyDelete
  8. AJuly 26, 2010 at 6:53 PM

    This sounds great! I was just thinking last week how quickly deli meats add up. Our whole family eats them, and usually go in my hubby's sandwiches all week long. I think I'll try this as an alternative! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

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