We’ve all been there—trying to juggle budget meals for large families while keeping your loved ones healthy and well-fed.
Thankfully, you don’t have to choose between cost-conscious, delicious, or nutritious. Generations of families from Pennsylvania Dutch Country have won the balancing act. This culture has made a lifestyle of stretching staples and eating in large groups family-style as a way of life.
Today, more than 250 years of Amish cooks have inspired the merchants at the Markets at Shrewsbury to offer locally sourced organic produce, meats, canned goods, and much more.
In this blog, we’ll explore how to shop for bulk food, choose flavorful and affordable meat cuts, and reveal five Amish recipes designed to make meal prep easy on your wallet.
Healthy Meals for Large Families on a Budget: Bulk Tricks that Save Big
Buying in bulk is a masterclass in budgeting since every purchase is an opportunity to protect your family’s health and manage your finances wisely.
In fact, studies show that shoppers can save up to 27% of their grocery budget by purchasing groceries in bulk.
But it’s important to understand a few key tips and tricks when shopping in large quantities:
- Plan shopping: Plan ahead with a grocery list that features bulk buys and deliberate meals to avoid impulse purchases or expensive convenience foods.
- Stock staple items: Buying items like rice, beans, oats, and nuts in bulk can reduce the cost per unit and stretch your household’s budget.
- Cook in bulk: Preparing a large batch when cooking meals can allow you to save time and money since you can freeze extra portions as leftovers.
- Serve alternative proteins: Serving cost-effective protein sources like beans, lentils or plant-based meals can keep your family healthy while also slashing the cost of dinner.
- Shop for long-shelf life: Jarred goods are affordable and easy to stock when you have the budget and often last months or years before spoiling, depending on the type of food and canning method.
Careful shopping is the true foundation of preparing large family meals on a budget. Even when you’re in a hurry and can’t cook in bulk, wise purchases can help you save money.
Frugal But Flavorful: Cost Effective Meat Cuts for Large Families
The right meat cut can be a crowd-pleaser and easy on your wallet.
There are five top types of meat we recommend when preparing easy meals for large groups on a budget:
- Chicken: Chicken is one of the most versatile meats. Rather than buying a pre-cut piece of meat, cut a whole chicken yourself and save money with a little practice prepping the meat.
- Beef and pork ribs: These meats are a perfect addition to any barbecue or dinner. Always make sure to buy low fat content for health and be aware that the weight of bones in the ribs can add to the price.
- Hamburgers: 80/29 or 85/15 hamburger meat (ground beef) is far cheaper than whole cuts and more economical than steaks, roasts, and even chicken breasts. A single pound is easy to stretch into tacos, chili, casseroles, pasta sauces, or more with a long freezer life.
- Turkey: Although it’s a holiday favorite, families often overlook turkey as a year-round flavorful and affordable choice. One roast turkey can stretch into multiple dinners and home cooks can simmer leftover bones into homemade broth to double the value.
- Steak: Despite steak’s reputation as a gourmet treat, there are cost-effective cuts your family can enjoy. The best steaks include flat iron steak, chuck eye steak, flank steak, sirloin tip steak, and skirt steak. They’re all useful for grilling and slicing into other recipes.
Not sure where to begin with finding the right cut of meat? If you’re looking for old-fashioned customer service and hands-on experience with locally-sourced and affordable meats, stop by Country Style Meats at Markets at Shrewsbury and connect with a butcher.
5 PA Dutch Country Recipes to Help With Budget Meal Planning for Large Families
Large family meals on a budget are a tradition in PA Dutch Country. In the 1700s, settlers from Germany and Switzerland brought frugal, agrarian lifestyles to America that emphasized resourcefulness and family.
The early PA Dutch had a reputation for thrift and self-sufficiency, with no ingredients left to waste. Leftover bread became pudding, bones became broth, and excess produce was canned or pickled.
Classic Sunday dinners and community meals at events like barn raisings or church gatherings only reinforced the tradition of affordable and hearty family-style cooking.
Today, cultural pride in plain cooking remains strong with simple ingredients, big portions, and value for money. Even famous restaurants in Lancaster County, PA like the Plain & Fancy Farm Restaurant continue this tradition.
Farmers markets like the Markets at Shrewsbury also continue this tradition with family-owned businesses offering everything from organic produce to jarred goods.
Red Beet Eggs
Red beet eggs are a traditional PA Dutch snack, offering delicious flavor and great value for frugal home cooks. Hard-boiled eggs are immersed in a sweet, tangy brine that turns them a vibrant pink. The brine contains affordable pantry staples, such as vinegar, beets, sugar, and salt.
They’re easy to make in bulk, and the pickling technique extends their shelf life, so you can put them in the refrigerator and eat them throughout the week.
Corn Pudding
This creamy pudding transforms everyday corn into a delectable, economical comfort food that can feed a large family. Corn takes center stage as the low-cost ingredient with milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon binding the recipe together to create a rich, filling base.
These affordable ingredients stretch easily into a large, shareable dish that feels festive for everything from Sunday dinners to special occasions.
German Pretzels
Homemade German pretzels have a classic texture with a dense interior and crisp exterior that families have loved for generations as an affordable treat. Ingredients like flour, yeast, water, and a touch of butter make them an inexpensive, convenient snack.
They’re also easy to freeze and reheat, so a single batch can last for the week.
Baked Oatmeal
This Amish country favorite is the perfect blend of breakfast casserole consistency and the sweet, irresistible flavor of a classic cinnamon-spiced oatmeal cookie. Despite its five-star flavor, oats are one of the most economical grains and baked oatmeal is easy to reheat, again and again.
You can also personalize your recipe with whatever fruit or nuts you have in your pantry.
Fasnachts (PA-Dutch Doughnuts)
On Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent, the PA Dutch community celebrates by making fasnachts. These deep-fried doughnuts are traditionally prepared to use up lard, sugar, and butter before the fasting season.
Simple and economical ingredients like potatoes, flour, sugar, and yeast make fasnachts inexpensive to bake and a little more savory than sweet. It’s also easy to bake them in large batches for sharing with friends, family, and neighbors at a price you can afford.
