$16 Kroger Grocery Haul • Making Prepackaged Sides into Full Dinners • Meal Ideas

Hey y'all! Andrew and I recently housesat and decided to do a video while we were cooking in a kitchen that wasn't ours. We did a little shopping at Kroger and ended up getting some shortcut items that we don't usually buy. We took those basic prepackaged items and turned them into delicious meals for two! Our $16 of groceries (plus a few pantry staples at the house we were watching) got us 3 dinners and 3 lunches.
As always, I appreciate you all so so much!
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[@Genna.K]

Lisa, I wonder if you know how VALUABLE you are to me/your yt community. I love your videos that you gift to us. I have even tried cooking some things I never thought I would. I am now a No Stress cook in the kitchen.

[@LoLoLifeinFlorida]

Totally agree!! ❤️

[@loriwilson7053]

I think this young lady is brilliant 😁😁😁😁

[@jellybean9478]

Miss Lisa, I have been watching your videos for a few years, but this is my first time commenting. I just wanted to tell you how much I absolutely adore you and appreciate your videos. We all go thru hard times and when I unexpectedly was out of work last year for 6 months due to needing 2 surgeries, panic set in fast! Thankfully I had put up a good supply of shelf stable foods (boxed/canned goods, spices, oils, flour, sugar, ect) over the past few "pandemic" years. Between my extra food storage and your incredible videos, I managed to eat so wonderful during an incredibly scary, unexpected time where my income went from living comfortably to essentially non existent for 6 months. So thank you for all you do and to let you know you make a huge difference in people's lives with your videos❤ Much love and respect to you and your wonderful family.

[@joycef8443]

What a nice, well thought out comment! Lisa Dawn is very talented, isn’t she?

[@teresathayn5170]

She's a genuine life saver nowadays!!!❤

[@TheJanetFletcher]

I don't understand people complaining that the meals are not big enough. The portions look fine to me, plus the complainers are free to make their meals any size they want. Lisa usually cooks from scratch with leftovers, but she's on vacation.

[@mimimcgee5512]

People complaining must be overweight, which is a huge problem in America.

[@zara6673]

Portion sizes like this are what is the healthy amount. It's been proven with research that portion size has grown too much over the years in the U.S. & yet food waste is also at its all-time high as well. There isn't education regarding dietary requirements, people either eat too much or go extreme and mass restrict what they are "allowed" to eat on trendy diets.

[@BCGirl822]

Agree! I think Lisa and Andrew are perfectly capable of deciding what is the right amount of food for them. Blows my mind how people think everyone has to do things just like they do or they’re wrong 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@leighanneboles4386]

Absolutely...why anyone complains is beyond me ..if a person doesn't like what they see they should just scroll on.

[@leighanneboles4386]

​@@mimimcgee5512yup!!!

[@wayydowneast]

Lisa isn’t on a high horse about her budgeting. That’s why I love her.

[@lovexoxolove]

I’d love to see a Lisa and Andrew cooking episode 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

[@lisablack9634]

The dishes looked good. Something wrong when you can eat 6 meals for less than price of 2 burgers and a fry🤷

[@teresathayn5170]

Amen!!!

[@jalifritz8033]

Not American but aren’t they always that expensive?

[@samanthadodd8112]

I live by myself and I use those knorr packages alot. Get a dinner and lunch the next day. It's perfect for that. I also do what u do add veggies, meats, and spices.

[@teresathayn5170]

Yum!

[@BosleyStarr]

I really like how practical and down to earth this channel is.

[@sandy-pf9bb]

If you need to feed many cheap, get a Banquet Salisbury steak family entree, heat and chop it in small squares. Cook 2 pkgs of the straugonoff noodles. Mix these and add either low fat sour cream or plain yogurt and some spices like chives, onion powder. If you have mushrooms, they are good added. Either heat in oven or microwave. It's not the healthiest meal ever, but it is delicious, relatively cheap, and quick.

[@aliceschmid9697]

I went to Aldi's the other day and wanted to buy a can of crisco. I bought one about 6months ago and paid $3.23 for it. Now? $9!

[@lisapainter525]

Crazy prices

[@kristita_888]

And the government dares to tell us inflation is low. They must not go grocery shopping!

[@teresathayn5170]

Congress pays themselves $465 a day!! They're sooo out of touch with what we regular folks are going through!!!

[@jalifritz8033]

Sadly it was an extremely bad year for oil plants, but a lot is also simply due to greed

[@tynaedwards8452]

It's so good how you took those convenience foods and added fresh ingredients. They all looked delicious. $16 for all those meals and over $20 for two sandwiches and fries. Amazing. I'm always excited to see your videos.

[@sonyafox3271]

I tend to make a plan the night before, if, I know, I am going to make a certain dish, I want to try, well, I also go back and, rewatch those certain videos and, add those ingredients to my list, that way meals never get boring! Now, I got a little more freezer space, I tend to freeze somethings, I have left overs of or make something up to throw in my freezer! I made like sausage and egg biscuits for example, I can fix them my way. This alone saves money, and, tastes much better than the freezer ones, the biscuits are much softer and, aren’t rock hard!

[@emily--m]

It's about $27 ish with the added garlic, tomatoes, milk, mayo and mustard that were not purchased. They all look great 👍

[@teresathayn5170]

​@@sonyafox3271Hmm. I just need to learn how to make biscuits that aren't like stones! I'm 60 something! I should already know how, lol! 🤣

[@yolandasolis684]

What a beautiful place to house sit! It was like a mini vacation, I'm sure. Did you miss your rice cooker and your pressure cooker? All of the meals look delicious. Great ideas.

[@terriprobst4680]

I was actually wondering if she wished she had taken them along lol

[@yodaleahyhoo]

Wow, what Incredibly delicious looking meals Knocked it out the part again Rice, potatoes, meat, eggs, Onions vegetables, all the best foods in life 🤓👍👍

[@Amym0011]

When we go to Wendy's we get the $5 biggie bags. You get a choice of sandwich (limited menu), fries, nuggets, and a drink for $5

[@justjet]

I can't get fast food anymore it's so high priced. Love your ideas and add ins. Really stretches a meal!! Thanks for taking us to the lake!! Beautiful!

[@teresathayn5170]

That "fast food" isn't healthy! They put stuff in there I can't even pronounce let alone figure out what it is!

[@Kimberley_Black_White_TV]

I love that you went swimming and showed us! And - I enjoy how you don't hold back your true self! xo

[@PeggyParrish-sg1eu]

Yay!!! I love me a Lisa Dawn video!! So glad yall are getting a mini vacay to refresh!! Have fun and take care!!❤❤❤

[@teresathayn5170]

The lake is gorgeous! You've helped so many you deserve it!❤

[@yvonnepalmquist8676]

Yes, Spanish rice definitely has chili vibes. I buy my beef in 1/4 lbs. frozen patties so I never have to worry about thawing and I can control how much meat goes into each meal (same price per pound at my store). I would do a can of tomatoes, a can of black beans and ground two 1/4 patties with the rice... maybe add a can of corn, if I'm feeling it. Very affordable, and a lot of food.

[@Tobywedinikki]

This sounds so good. I’m going to try it. Thank you

[@yvonnepalmquist8676]

@@Tobywedinikki I also do the same with yellow rice and chicken.

[@Tobywedinikki]

@@yvonnepalmquist8676 oh my I bet that’s good too. Thank you for sharing.

[@yvonnepalmquist8676]

@@Tobywedinikki we're doing it tonight for dinner, lol.

[@Tobywedinikki]

@@yvonnepalmquist8676 wish I had some lol

[@glg6069]

You and Andrew work so well together in the kitchen. I love how positive you both are and how much you support each other! Awesome! ❤

[@captaintreepig993]

I love these kind of videos. It's always a bit weird cooking in someone else's kitchen but a true cooking whiz can always handle it!❤

[@darcistephenson5359]

I'm always so weirded out in another person's kitchen, but as a former professional cook, I've also had job interviews where the boss just chucked me into the fire and said" I want to eat this...show me what you can do!

[@shetalbhagat8395]

The way you transform ordinary ingredients into gourmet looking dishes is amazing!

[@psycho4agY]

My husband is having very serious health issues and I’m looking to save money where I can. Thank you for your video’s!❤

[@sunshinecoolwater9528]

I love your meal ideas and combinations. Comes in handy when on a tight budget!

[@lorihouchin4732]

Bacon for $3 is unheard of 🤯

[@extendedpinky]

We buy bulk at IGA got 10 lbs for 22$ !

[@leytonfortnite4724]

My Kroger had bacon for this price last wknd but all sold out. Too lazy to get a rain ✔️. Can you still get those?

[@lisapainter525]

Looks great for so little ingredients and cost. Great job. Great imagination.

[@karenquick8737]

You know a good cook when she lifts the fry pan up and down to mix the food! I'd spill a bunch out!! 😮 Yummy meals too!

[@punishedmatteson7108]

When I first started cooking professionally, I would practice with dried beans or rice. Start slow until you get the rhythm and you'll have it mastered in no time and can flip an omelet without spilling a drop of egg!

[@crabbyresister9194]

All great meals. I like that her husband joins in. Great fast recipes for vacation.

[@cdavidson53]

I'm always happy when there is a new That Lisa Dawn video to watch. I appreciate all you do for us! Charlotte

[@xingcat]

You cooked better meals on your vacation than I generally do on a regular week. Great ideas!

[@TaT2GeN]

Those Knorr sides, when I make them, I have to make mine in the microwave because I cannot physically stand and cook for that long and I noticed their cook time isn't enough to fully cook the pasta and when you do add more time it dries up, so I add extra butter and a 1/4 cup of extra milk to mine and cook for 12-15 minutes instead of 8. It is usually perfect for me. Also, I love your channel, I don't comment much, but you are one of my favorite channels and I look forward to seeing a notice that you've posted. Your content is very comforting and relaxing, you seem like such a sweet, genuine person and are a pleasure to watch! You always put me in a good mood. I hope you two had a great lil' mini vacation!

[@rosemariemichel7050]

Really good meals for two at just the $16!😮

[@krisqueen5939]

🌷How nice for you to be able to go to a lake house! In North Pole Alaska we have about 6 inches of snow and had to scrape thick ice and snow off the truck windshield to drive it today. Quite the difference. 😊

[@joycef8443]

I lived in Fairbanks for a few years and we always knew we would have cold weather for Halloween and the kids would wear coats over their costumes! Good times

[@mamadoom9724]

That lake house looks like a nice getaway 😍

[@lizcarter6938]

So like 30+ years ago I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner. I had a Betty Crocker cookbook that had a recipe for German Potato salad. Fast forward a few years and That cook book ended up mixed in with my brothers belongings and ended up lost in his garage. I searched and searched to no avail finding that exact recipe again. I ended up making my own version of the German Potato salad I had made from the cookbook. Every time I make that dish I am asked for the recipe and I'm always asked to bring it as a side to dinners I attend. My recipe is close to yours although I cut the largest red onion I can find into the smallest pieces and I use red wine vinegar and I add a small, SMALL amount of sugar .......... OMG you're literally making me crave it right now!!!

[@karenholley8356]

So glad you and Andrew were able to slip away! Know that you enjoyed it so much. Thanks for posting your latest masterpieces for us! For the future, would you consider making a "knock-off" Wendy's Chili for us? From what I have learned, it is unique in that Wendy's does not pre-brown the meat before adding it to the sauce. Also, my grandmother used to make fried corn-meal mush with maple syrup for us. She sometimes flavored it with cooked, crispy bacon and browned onions. Sounds horrible -- but it was delicious! Grandma was from Colorado, so it could have been a regional dish.

[@DeterminedDIYer]

my sister worked at wendy's in high school and they broke up leftover hamburgers to make the chili.

[@Genna.K]

​@@DeterminedDIYerI've also heard this.

[@TaT2GeN]

That sort of sounds like Polenta I think? sort of like grits but with cornmeal. Sounds delicious, not horrible in my opinion! I bet it is a great comfort food for you. :)

[@sallygordin2869]

The lake view is so beautiful!! Your meals look delicious. Thanks for another great video. Blessings 😊

[@MissieLotus]

Looks like an awesome vacation weekend! Creative solutions for quick vacation cooking and no leftovers still taste great. Love your creativity. Wish there was fruit and maybe one more veggie. Overall some awesome ideas for traveling camping and trips away thank you.

[@judytieger8976]

Great job Andrew on the deviled eggs. You make them with the same ingredients I make mine. Nice video with lovely scenery.

[@punishedmatteson7108]

Lisa, great video and great cooking! I've always wanted a Duke's sponsorship! Pro-tip: to keep your cutting board from sliding around on the countertop, place a damp towel under it.

[@ymimad49]

that would have cost me 40 bucks here where I live, you are so blessed. love the recipes you come up with.

[@teresathayn5170]

I just watched the $18 video and loved it!! I'm really enjoying your videos! I've mistakenly been watching rich cooks! Never able to afford the ingredients or the equipment!! You've saved the day!! I'll definitely watch everything you make! T Y so much!! PS. Your last video taught me I don't need a pasta machine anyways kuz I've not been able to afford one, duh.❤

[@KatieKitty2003]

What a house to sit! Nice 👍

[@marypeterson1053]

You are so awesome with your shopping and cooking talents. THANK YOU. I AGREE FAST FOOD TOTALLY OVER PRICED MESS.

[@aliceeckardt1694]

I absolutely love all your videos! You are my go to person when i need new ideas and reasonably priced. Thank you!

[@sherlynpatterson4304]

The Wendy's bag meals for 5.99 or 6.99 is a fantastic option while traveling. You get a hamburger, medium drink, frys and chicken nuggets. Since sodas come out of the nachine icy cold get the drink without ice. That will make the drink a large size.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Great idea! That would be enough food for 2 and you could split the drink if you both like the same kind.😊

[@violette2000]

your videos are always so comforting in times of stress

[@julieseidel8258]

Yes! If I'm stressed, I rewatch Lisa's videos and find them soothing and inspiring.

[@BCGirl822]

I loved this video! You’re so creative in the kitchen and the meals looked delicious. It made me smile to see you in the lake swimming, happy for you! It looks like it was a nice little getaway. ❤

[@dianam9028]

Hello Lisa 🙋 All of the food looked wonderful!

[@anitafoss2133]

Just love your videos, always. As packaged pasta mixes are actually quite expensive, and you are amazingly at making homemade pasta from scratch, I would love to see your ideas about the sauces, especially, alfredo or bechamel sauce with costs savings, short cuts, and ability to freeze,....a big request I know , but I just thought I'd ask. Thanks again for all your efforts and enthusiasm. You are a joy to watch and i wish you, Andrew, your mom and all those you love the very best.

[@Makeitbymandy]

Wow!! So jealous of the stores and prices of things there. Up where I am in western Canada, 18 eggs is no less than $7.

[@nodrogytsirk]

Same here in Ontario. Our prices are crazy!

[@mollymollie6048]

Yeah!! It’s so nuts how expensive fast food is! Every once in a while, I have to have an Egg McMuffin, or Mall Food Court lunch…a couple times a year. We totally changed our diet over 10 years ago, and stopped eating out very much, and lost the fast food urge…but, sometimes, it’s a fun comfort food treat. Looking at your ingredients and egg/potato/bacon dish reminded me of a dinner I had at a friend’s apartment in college. She grew up in a large Catholic family, and her mother would make this for Friday dinner for 8 kids: diced up onions, sliced potatoes (¼ in thick in rounds), butter/margarine, salt and pepper in a big cast iron skillet until they’re cooked and browning, and then mix in a bunch of scrambled eggs and cook the eggs with the rest of it in a big cast iron skillet. It was really good and very filling…very adjustable to feed 1 person or 10! Simple, tasty and relatively healthy. Certainly a filling food with good vitamins (didn’t skin the potatoes) and protein that’s very inexpensive. It’s great comfort food (which was why she was cooking it! We were stressed out studying for finals!) Thanks so much for showing how quick and inexpensively you can make good food! Oh! I’m not a mayo fan either, thanks for the recipe!! For deviled eggs, I just saw ‘loaded deviled eggs’ that used sour cream instead of mayo, a little cheese, some chive/green onion, and bacon bits…those looked awesome!! Definitely going to try that also!

[@tonijones8646]

Nothing on TV tonight, so watching you again. Yeah!!!

[@jackiemullinix1881]

Thank you. You are such a pleasant person to watch. And you are a life saver for peeps in a bind

[@NiNitosix]

LOVE watching you, Lisa Dawn!!

[@carolinew.8835]

One of my favorite thing about you Lisa is the simplicity of your videos and how easy you explain everything 🖤🖤🖤

[@cheriemancaruso6160]

What a lovely view!! Delicious meals as always!! ❤

[@tammiepowell2818]

And here I was rewatching your Thanksgiving videos getting some ideas for a small celebration this year and get the notice of this video. Glad you got a little time away and were able to enjoy this beautiful early fall weather at the lake. Great as always!

[@rnr4224]

Missed you, so glad you are back !!!

[@kkandjfischer2903]

Love German potato salad, how I make the dressing, bacon grease, sprinkle w/flour to make a roux then add vinegar,sugar,water and pour in until thickened, then pour over potatoes yum!

[@deannealbrecht774]

You're so creative in your recipes and that makes it easy to expand from there.

[@jeannetaylor2217]

Your lucky to have such a beautiful view. It gorgeous ❤. Your ability to make such delicious meal’s, on a shoestring budget, never fails to amaze me!! Thank you for sharing your meals and ideas. I love watching your videos 💕🙏🙏

[@lindamuhl2854]

Thanks being back!

[@edithjohnson6835]

What a sweet couple. ❤️❤️❤️

[@DLee756]

Thank you for the ideas, Lisa. They all looked delicious!👍

[@djz5456]

Another excellent video, Lisa! The lake house looked absolutely lovely and that was a fantastic stove! ❤️❤️

[@hopereed2306]

I always add 1/4 less liquid when making those pasta and rice sides.

[@mistyriley267]

I make the first meal you made regularly. I use any of the rice blends or a jambalaya mix...always yummy😊

[@Spot4art]

I love your channel! Delicious simple food.❤️

[@victoriastewart7116]

I just love "That Lisa Dawn, Travel Edition" lol! Great video as usual 😁

[@effiecross2008]

It was a wonderful surprise seeing a new Lisa Dawn video today! It looks like you had a great mini vacay. You certainly ate well!

[@terriprobst4680]

Wow what’s an incredible house they have on the lake . Also great small meal ideas too. ❤

[@deannealbrecht774]

When I was very young, there were 6 of us just trying to get by. Potatoes and gravy got us through so many days and was actually yummy. Your breakfast bowl just needed gravy, lol.

[@marketavymazalova4341]

Beautiful place to be on a vacation/house sit. Thank you for your videos, you motivate me to keep me going, we have a really tight budget and we have a two year old daughter.

[@mygodisable2]

Great job Lisa, looks delicious.

[@widowswatch6610]

That looked like a beautiful mini vacation. I hope you two had a blast! The food you bought was very low prices and looked good too.

[@debbiedoodle366]

Love your videos! You have helped me get interested in cooking again. Very creative! Thank you for what you do, you're awesome!!

[@whitney210]

Yay! Love seeing your new videos!

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

They all looked delicious especially the last one. Thank you for the video

[@donnamck8324]

Love your videos and I like seeing how creative you are with minimal groceries.

[@kerrijones719]

Yummy food! Hope you had a great break. 😊

[@patriciadowd2948]

I have a recipe that is very good and does not cost a lot to make I thought people might like. You take a onion and saute then cook 1 lb or 1.5 of ground beef and cook until done. Put in a casserole dish and add 1 can of Rotel and do not drain, 1can cream of mushroom soup and do not add water. i can half drained Red Kidney beans and mix together. Take a package of cornbread mix (i use martha white). Follow directions on package except baking time. Mix together and then pour it on top of your hamburger mixture. It will be a little thick but that is fine. I cook it on 375 for about 20-25 minutes. You can tell it is done when top turns brown. Take it out of the oven and add shredded cheese on top and put back in oven until cheese melts about 5-10 minutes. You can add salsa, sour cream, peppers or anything you like and we like to use tortilla chips when we have them. My husband loves this recipe and wants me to make it a lot.

[@teresitap5778]

That lake house is amazing. Hope you had a great trip!❤

[@boulderdamcottage4926]

wow Lisa so interesting love how you think at the stores! Great video! what a beautiful place to have some time of rest! just beautiful!

[@feliciaf.8444]

Interesting, I was born and raised in Germany and have never seen german potato salad made that way. Never thought about browning the onions.... I may have to give it a try.

[@sabrinatavares9479]

The rice dish looked delicious definitely going to recreate!!

[@donnafreeman5435]

Hi Lisa! I've been watching you for a long time now and still love your shows! You are so sweet, smart, and provide useful content on every video! I really liked this "side dish" theme. I've seen you grow over the years I have watched. Great job. You are like a friend I look forward to hearing from.😄

[@evangelist.b]

Happy to see you 💓 love your cooking video always💜❤💜❤

[@mindym6019]

I'm making all of these. Great ideas!

[@DawnSmith-qm3pw]

I love your style of cooking!! Also love your videos 😊

[@luckypenny4263]

Nice little get away for you both and fun meals to cook ! ❤❤

[@PRTTYBTTRFLY1]

I love watching your cooking and shopping videos I get excited to see what your going to make 😊 oooh! Lake house view is Beautiful

[@olganazario4247]

I love your videos Lisa and I sure do not have any complaints. The portions are good to me. Thanks for sharing your ideas with us. We love you here a the Nazario Home in Brooklyn NY❤😊👍😁😊👍♥️ I hope your Momma is well along with your beautiful Kitty❤🐾❤️

[@yolandaponkers1581]

I am definitely going to try this!!! ❤

[@loriwilson7053]

I think this young lady is so smart and ahead of her time Lisa you are amazing

[@deanacrane5947]

I have done that with the Spanish rice and it is so good! I used petite diced tomatoes and 1/2 pound of burger (with onion cooked with it) and I ate it with tortilla chips. So good!❤

[@christinascleaning]

another video yay!!!!! love yall and God bless

[@flufftronable]

Another wonderful video, you and Andrew are the cutest.❤

[@missbetty7231]

I never eat fast food. It hurts my stomach and never really leaves me feeling satisfied. In fact it leaves me feeling kinda bad. It’s probably been over 5 years and I don’t miss it

[@maddys2741]

Great job! Enjoy your vacation! 😊❤️🍽️

[@Genna.K]

I KNEW this was going to be a good day!