One of the many ways frugal families save money on meals is by servings soups and stews. Soups are often economical and I call it a one-pot wonder. You can control the meat portion and add extra vegetables. For the recipe below,  you can double the recipe or make them in huge batches. It is freezer friendly and can easily be added to recipes such as meatball sub, Asian Teriyaki Meatballs with rice, and meatballs with rice noodles.

Here's the recipe for Make-Ahead Meatballs. You can use ground beef or ground turkey. Cooking and prepping them beforehand had saved me so much time in the kitchen. Have you tried the Crockpot Hawaiian Meatball? It is by far my family's favorite crockpot recipe and it can feed (and please) a crowd.




Ingredients:

For the MEATBALLS:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage ( remove the casings)
1 egg. beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs - cheaper if you'll use HOMEMADE BREADCRUMBS
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, chop it finely.

Preheat oven to 450. Brush a baking pan or cookie sheet with olive oil.
Mix all the ingredients. Form it into 1-inch meatballs (I made 40). Place the meatballs snugly in the pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, until they are done.

For the SOUP :
2 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup yellow onion
1-2 cups rice vermicelli or can use small pasta shells.
6 cups Chicken Broth ( Homemade is the best!)
6 cups Spinach
juice and zest of one lemon.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Saute until they are done.
Add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add the rice vermicelli ( cook according to the package instruction).
Add the spinach during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Turn the stove off and add the lemon juice and zest.

I served it with French bread. yummy goodness!