By Kitty Jay
FoodConnect New York
myhusbandhatesveggies@yahoo.com

Have you heard about the meatballs? Please tell me you've heard about IKEA's famed Swedish Meatballs. A bag of 50 + a crockpot, and you've got yourself a party. Need to try them out for yourself before you commit to the party sack? IKEA makes it pretty easy (and cheap).

Just like the furniture and decor items that IKEA offers at ridiculously low prices, they have also figured out an ingenious way to keep us all shopping - with tasty, and undeniably cheap eats.

Don't forget dessert! Unless you want to save room for the $1 Cinnamon Buns that await you by the cash registers - that's also where you can pick up your bagged frozen meatballs, Swedish cookies and chocolates, and a variety of smoked fish. Perfect for that homesick Swede on your holiday shopping list.

While its the Swedish Meatballs that get most of the attention, my fave is the tangy Mac & Cheese, pictured at the top of this post. The best part? That "side" portion is more than enough for a great lunch...and it only cost $1.79, leaving me plenty of dough for that 10 pack of picture frames I've been eyeing.