HEIDELBERG, Germany — About 100 single soldiers — most enlisted — along with married soldiers and their families, spent Thursday night lounging and cooking out at an unlikely place — Gen. Carter Ham’s house.

The U.S. Army Europe commander opened his pad for the Family Readiness Group and Better Opportunity for Single Soldiers Cheap Eats Wild West Barbeque. People chowed down on hot dogs, bison burgers and other dishes, and when the rain came, the general invited everyone inside.

Cheap Eats started almost two years ago in the barracks to teach single soldiers easy recipes to encourage them to save some dough by eating out less and cooking more, as well as build some camaraderie among them, said Lana Barshinger, an FRG support technician.

Ham wanted to do whatever he could for his single soldiers, said Spc. Meagan Iafelice, the president of BOSS. "I talked one-on-one with General Ham. He asked ‘What can I do to help?’ "

Iafelice said Thursday night’s Cheap Eats was the biggest one so far. And it continued the Cheap Eats theme, which have also included preparing food for tailgate parties, baking Christmas cookies and giving them to wounded troops at Landstuhl and whipping up other foods using quick and easy recipes suitable for any microwave maestro.

"When it first started barely anyone showed up. They keep getting better and better," Iafelice said.

Being able to kick back at the general’s house shows that it has come a long way from the first Cheap Eats, which involved setting up some tables in barracks halls, Iafelice said.

BOSS in Heidelberg plans on giving other BOSS programs information about Cheap Eats at a conference in the near future with the hopes that it will catch on elsewhere, Iafelice said.

"I think it’s pretty neat," Spc. Ashley Sklenar with V Corps said as she scarfed down some food in the general’s living room. "Now we got other units coming. It’s definitely getting bigger."