Since I am in chronic kidney failure, I am limited to 4 ounces of meat a day. I really stretch meat to get the flavor, here are my groc habits.
1. I buy 2 lbs of ground chuck, take home, cook with onion and peppers, freeze in 1/2 cup portions. When I want a fast dinner, I take out of freezer and thaw quick in microwave, then add to any of the following: spaghetti sauce, mix with cream of mushroom soup and canned mixed veggies, pour in casserole and top w/instant mashed potatoes for shepherd's pie, mix with cream soup and cheese and pour over tater tots, thaw for pizza topping, add to pinto beans with some barbecue sauce for "cowboy beans".
2. Any meat I buy gets repackaged into individual servings for the freezer. If I buy chicken breasts, I wrap in press n seal, then place all in big freezer bag. I only have to thaw what we need.
3. A quick easy dinner staple for us is "homemade beef pot pie".
Take a giant can of Beef Stew, place in a pie crust, top with 1/2 c cheddar cheese and second crust, bake for one hour until crust is done. Will serve the two of us for 3 main dishes when adding a salad.
4. I stretch beans the same way. First day is ham and beans and cornbread, second day is beans turned into chili.
5. When turkey is on sale cheap, I buy and bake. First day is turkey and dressing and fixings, then I package into 1/2 c servings. When I add fajita seasonings or taco mix, tastes like chicken. Great to add to noodles/dumplings.
6. Quick, cheap chicken and dumplings? Mix precooked chicken with chicken broth, add sage and black pepper, drop sliced flour tortillas into broth, constantly stirring. Will make delicious pot of chick/dumplings. Sometimes I add cream of chicken soup also.