Kat is not a fan of shrimp unless it's breaded and fried, so on Saturday night while she was at her mom's, I made this non-fried recipe for Shrimp & Brown Gravy Over Mashed Potatoes for Shane and myself. Our opinion was that it was unbelievably good and we think everyone should try it! I served it with a side of sauteed cabbage, a salad, an iced tea for me and a beer for Shane.
After our meal, which we thought was definitely of restaurant quality and portion-size (it would easily have fed three, or possibly four, people), we were wondering out loud what a similar meal for two might have cost in a restaurant.
Deciding Shrimp Etouffee over Rice was probably the closest restaurant dish I'd find, I did a quick search of a local favorite Cajun restaurant. It costs $11.50 there. Side dishes of cole slaw are $2 a piece, as are other vegetable side dishes. Tea is $2 and beer (unlisted on the menu) would probably run at least $3.50. So, for the two of us to dine on a similar meal, it would have cost about $36.50 plus tax and tip. We're looking at a total of around $50.
Then I did a quick, down-and-dirty, best-guess cost break down of our meal for two:
1 pound shrimp - 2.00 (always $4/lb. for 51-60 shrimp at Aldi and sometimes other stores here)
Other ingredients for main dish - 1.50 (bacon, butter, green onion, celery, corn starch, HM turkey broth, etc.)
Mashed potatoes - .75 (sale potatoes and some butter, milk and a little salt)
Cooked cabbage - .50 (sale cabbage, onion, butter)
Salad - 1.50 (lettuce, tomato, cheese, sunflower seeds, radishes, dressing)
Iced Tea - .25 (it probably didn't even cost that much, even with sugar)
Beer - .75 (from a 30-pack, it probably didn't even cost that much)
Tax - 0
Tip - 0
Total for meal for two: $7.25.
Say I'm way off on my breakdown and it really cost $10. That's still just 20% of what it would cost us in a restaurant.
If that's not a good argument for cooking and eating at home, I don't know what is!
6 comments:
Being from southwest LA with a cajun mom, I am all over that!! I love etouffee any time!! Thanks for the recipe--I just may have to try that one next time instead of my usual recipe.
Love it! It's not too often that we go out to eat anymore. Mostly just take-out pizza when I don't feel like making it. When we do eat out, I feel so guilty after, because I know I can usually replicate the dish at home, for a fraction of the cost.
It looks amazing and delicious, I'd swap out the shrimp for mushrooms because I don't eat shrimp, so I suppose that would make it all the cheaper. Probably be making that soon, sounds tasty.
Oh wow, why am I hungry again? I think that it helps that you are an amazing cook. Good job on the break down. This looks like something that I'm going to have to try. Who am I kidding, Den will have to try it!
I hope you see this in time - I saw it & thought of Kat (didnt you buy her some of these recently?): http://midgetmomma1200budget.blogspot.com/2010/03/free-my-little-ponys-march-31-toys-r-us.html
Free My Little Ponies!!!
Sheila: I love Cajun food! It's probably my favorite ethnic cuisine.
Lisa: It just depends on where and why we go out. If it's for a celebration, or when we're on the road and can't avoid it, then I don't mind. It's going out "just because" that makes me feel like the money was better spent in other ways.
Doug: I have a recipe coming up...maybe next week...that you might like.
SonyaAnn: Try it, you'll like it!
Sarah: Thanks. Not sure if I can make it to TRU today or not, but if I do, I'll take the coupon. Sounds like a great deal.
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