My whole dinner plan fell apart when the store was out of ground beef

I was at the Food Mart in Springfield on Tuesday, all set to make my usual chili, and they had zero ground beef left. I had $15 for the week and panicked a little. I grabbed a bag of lentils for $2 and some extra veggies, threw it all in the pot with the spices I already had, and it turned out great. Anyone have other cheap backup plans when your main ingredient is gone?

3 comments

3 Comments

diana69025d ago

That lentil swap is such a good move. I do the same thing with canned chickpeas when I can't get chicken for a curry. Just mash half of them to thicken it up. It works in pasta sauces too, if you're out of meat for a bolognese. What other beans do you keep around for these emergencies?

leow9025d ago

My pantry's got a whole shelf of black beans for this. They're my go to for chili and taco nights.

mark_cooper17d ago

Wait, you mash half the chickpeas? That's genius, I always just throw them in whole. I've got a few cans of kidney beans for chili, but honestly I use butter beans the most. They're so creamy and just fall apart in soups.