Fielding ‘What’s for Dinner’ with Frugal, Foodie Style!

Most of us really do put our money where our mouths are when it comes to feeding the family. Finding delicious, nutritious food that stays within a realistic budget and meets the frantic pace of modern day life isn’t always easy- but it’s always appealing! Here then are some outstanding, affordable ways to appease your family’s finances and taste buds when comes to supper. (Oh, and easily answer that charming “What’s for dinner?!” whine…)

Add these five fabulous local spots to your take-out repertoire- and you’re sure to come back for seconds:

First stop, Maplewood:

Churrasco enjoys a cult-like following of folks who’ve already discovered the delicious combination of huge portions and low prices at this family-owned Springfield Avenue standout. A Portuguese BBQ and Steakhouse, specializes in serving up abundant amounts of flavorful traditional Portuguese fare at old-school prices.

“We’re a family business and we like to feed other families,” explains Joe Ferreira, one of the owners. “We’re all about great food and great prices.” And this place proves it with family-style dishes that come with heaping sides of yellow rice, thin-sliced fries and sautéed veggies. Try the Chicken & Pork Spare Rib Combo ($13) as a perfect introduction to what this place has to offer. Tack on an additional ½ order ($8) of either chicken or ribs and you will have more than enough to serve a family of four hearty eaters- with leftovers to spare- for under $25. (They also throw in fluffy, scrumptious Portuguese rolls.) As for convenience, an ample parking in the back lot makes pick-up a breeze.

Next, Millburn:

- Almost more of a lifestyle than a food store, this cheerful purveyor of gourmet goods makes being frugal feel so MUCH less frumpy than any other store. Enter with almost any budget and culinary craving and you can leave having satiated both. With daily cooking demos led by impressively well-informed staff like Theresa, this store is steadfastly devoted to keeping things global, gourmet, affordable and interesting. (Their latest ‘Fearless Flyer’, which is crammed with new product descriptions, easy recipes and a few helpings of humor, too, is out today, btw.)

Basics like pasta, sauce and poultry form a solid family dinner foundation that you can alter to taste (and budget) with exotic seasonings and upgrade options like going Organic, fresh or frozen. Frozen veggies here really can rival fresh and their bagged organic produce is impossible to beat for price or quality.

Time saving touches like ‘Bake at Home’ Ficelle brings fresh baked French bread onto your table for just $1.99 (for TWO loaves). Pizza from scratch is here is healthy, easy and cost effective (wheat pizza dough will set you back just .99, fresh pizza sauce, $2.29, and cheese to top at all price points) but frozen will do, too, at only $3.99 for their Pizzz 4Formaggi, $3.99. Don't miss the Fire Roasted Bell Peppers and Onions in the frozen section ($2.99) to help make fajitas even faster than phoning for take-out.

Even more appetizing? Trader Joe’s absolutely hassle free return policy: Don’t like something you bought? Bring it back, no problem. Fast, friendly, frugal and foodie-approved, Trader Joe’s rules.

: Sure, everybody knows Chinese cuisine is a fairly cost-effective way to feed the family but what sets this place apart are their fresh ingredients, flexibility to alter orders to dietary requests and their knack for actually packing what you actually ordered. The fact that the facility is fastidiously clean is also a plus, as is the easy to access thanks to the ample parking lot in the rear of the building. Put it all together and this place is really one of the most affordable, convenient take-out spots in Millburn.

Basic dishes here are dependably good and substantial enough to feed two (particularly kids). Standouts include Chicken with Cashew Nut ($9.95), Thai Curry Shrimp ($12.95) and their Steamed Seafood Dumplings ($5.75) which are delicately flavorful and not overly doughy.

Final stop, South Orange:

- If you haven’t ventured to this Irvington Avenue gem, you’re missing out on huge portions of outstanding Jamaican food. Owner Reid Taylor chides his talented chef wife, Sophia (aka Munchie), for having a generous hand when it comes to portions. “The containers we use are really heavy,” he explains. “She crams them so full that they barely shut and lean over at the sides.” Munchie counters with an observation of her own: “That’s just part of my nature,” she says with a laugh.

It’s also part of her nature to make flavorful comfort food so enticing that the scent alone embraces you like a hug when you enter this restaurant (which offers both sit-down and take out from its open kitchen). A Munchie novice family might want to start out by try their signature Jerk Chicken, Brown Stew Chicken and Ox Tails on for size. (They’ll also put together a family-style package for four consisting of two patties, Ox-tails, Jerk Chicken and Brown Stew Chicken for $35, which will easily feed a pair of parents and two children.)

Whatever you order, just plan on having leftovers for lunch the next day!

– located right across from the train station, Stony’s is hard to beat for convenience or prices. You won’t find high-falutin’ entrée choices here, but this casual build-a-burger joint offers fresh ingredients and good grilled burgers, dogs and chicken sandwiches at appealing prices. The fact that they’ve also got realistic kids choices (grilled cheese or the ‘Pup Dog’, both $2.29) shows they’re family-friendly – the fact that they even offer call ahead/curb service pick up shows they’re darn smart, too.

Happy eating!