To all the meat eaters , how do you afford to eat it than a couple of times a week?

[csziggy]

133. I check the sales and make a menu based on what is cheap that week

That and when meat is cheap I buy extra and freeze it for future use. For instance, this week Publix has skinless, boneless chicken breasts for $4.69 a pound but it's buy one, get one so it is effectively $2.35 a pound. A decent price for meat with no waste. Since I tend to not make meals with large portions of meat but stretch the meat with casseroles and stews, two packs of chicken breasts make a lot of meals for us.

I also bought zucchini, summer squash, a sweet onion, and mushrooms on sale. Tomorrow I'll make risotto with the vegetables and rice. While that is cooking, I'll season and bake the chicken breasts, cut up what I don't need to go with the risotto and pack the cooked, cut up chicken into containers to freeze. With 1.5-2 cups of chicken per package, I can pull out one to thaw and add it to quick cooking side dishes and vegetables to make no fuss, fast preparation meals for busy days.

They also had boneless pork loins on sale this week, but the price wasn't as good and I have some pork in the freezer already. Previously I've bought entire loins, cut into my own selection of chops, small roasts, and pieces for stir fry - it's boneless so it's easy to do. Wrap and freeze, and one good sized loin provides all the pork the two of need for months.

I never buy steak to cook at home - I am hopeless at cooking steak so it's one of the things I get when we splurge on a dinner out.