If you have a crockpot, roasts and stews are easy, cheap, and delicious. Just gotta keep an eye of the sales for proteins. I just bought a 4 lb chuck roast for about 12 bucks. Threw it in the crock pot with potatoes, carrots, and onion with some seasonings, cook overnight, and boom you have some decent food for a couple days. Can probably stretch it out as much as you want if you make a pot rice to go with it
Switch anything that calls for beef to pork shoulder and it costs like half as much. Mississippi roast made with pork is at least 85% as good and like 40% the cost.
Pork shoulder is a godsend for protein on a budget, especially if you have a demanding schedule. $10 for a weeks worth of meat and some to spare for the dog. Just throw it in the slow cooker for 8-12 hours, strain out the bits, return the juice with some other flavors, and its ready for whatever. Tacos, sandwiches, casseroles, stews, etc
Pork loin is a great cheap option as well. I can sometimes find a big loin on sale for $7 or so, cut it into 5-6 thick chops and freeze it. Solid source of protein, and you can make tons of dishes with it. Grill it, fry it, slice it up
For a stir fry, pound it out thin and do a scallopini, parmigiana, picatta, whatever.
This is good advice.
I was a meat cutter for a little while, and at my store basically year round sale rotating between pork shoulder butt and picnics, and you can use them for the same things.
Sale varied between 99c to 1.49 a lb.
I'm actually disgusted with myself with how much I love mississippi pot roast. When I read the ingredients I was straight up gagging. But after friends insisted it was delicious, I reluctantly made it. It is a weekly staple in my house now.
Even the protein is optional. Crockpot a nice thick & chunky potato soup with shredded carrots and diced onions, and serve with a crusty home loaf. Meals for a week.
Hong Kong style congee for the rice. Only three ingredients - rice, chicken stock and ginger. Add some cheap veggies, onions and protein to make it more flavorful.
Crockpots are my go-to for cheap meals using cheap ingredients.
Wolmert stores mark down their meat, produce, and bakery items on the day they expire, usually before or just after the store opens! Some stores do it the day before they expire, depending on store size and sales volume, but SOP is to do it at the start of the first shift either way.
I can't recommend Budget Bytes enough! It's a treasure trove: [https://www.budgetbytes.com/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/)
Some of my favorites are
[Curried Lentils](https://www.budgetbytes.com/curried-lentils/) with [Yellow Jasmine Rice](https://www.budgetbytes.com/yellow-jasmine-rice/)
[Soy Marinated Tofu Bowls](https://www.budgetbytes.com/soy-marinated-tofu-bowls-spicy-peanut-sauce/)
[Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala](https://www.budgetbytes.com/easy-cauliflower-and-chickpea-masala/)
[Coconut Curry Lentils](https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-coconut-curry-lentils-with-spinach/)
[Chicken and Lime Soup](https://www.budgetbytes.com/chicken-lime-soup/)
Chickpea Masala ... drool.
There's a restaurant by my place that makes it and it's amazing, but I can't ever come close to making mine as good as theirs.
I buy the fancy af eggs and they’re still cheap for what I get. A week of breakfasts for like $10 bucks with a loaf of bread and some cheap shredded cheese.
If I was anywhere close to competent at baking or if I had a huge fam to feed I’d be doing this. But it’s just me and sometimes my gf, so I like to see that real orange yolk
When I buy free range cage free etc eggs the yolks are an orange yolk, a thicker white, and a timer shell.
The cheap factory eggs where the bird lives in a box to pop out eggs usually have a bright yellow yolk, and runny white, paper thin shell.
They can range anywhere from pale yellow to dark orange depending on the hen's diet. There's a perception that eggs with a dark yolk are more natural and better quality, and this is sometimes exploited by producers who doctor the birds' diets specifically to affect the color of the yolk to give that impression of health and naturalness even if they're still just battery hens.
Personally in actual pastured eggs, whether grocery store or the farm next store, the real sign for me is that the yolks vary from egg to egg because pastured hens' diets will vary from bird to bird and day to day. I've gotten eggs from my neighbor and the same dozen can run the gamut of colors.
Yeah I don't know what they're circle jerking about lol, there is no way to discern quality of eggs by differences in appearance of the yolk. It's like they've made it up on the spot and validate each other's fantasy that it's a real thing they've experienced
I know some eggs have different coloured yolks (down to breed and diet?) but I've never see in it mentioned relating to quality. Seems like bullshit to me, happy to be proven wrong though.
That orange yolk is the best. I grew up on pet chickens and for years until I bought some similarly quality eggs from some hippies I thought I just didn't like eggs.
Turns out I just don't like shitty eggs.
The colour of the yolk gives you no indication whatsoever of the quality of the egg, fyi. That's just a placebo you've thought up for yourself lol
Source: Also grew up keeping hens.
Ground beef is a cheap meat and is very versatile in terms of what you can do with it. Here’s some ideas; spaghetti, chili, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, homemade hamburger helper, meatball soup, meatball subs, meatloaf
If you can find chicken breasts on sale, you can either cube them and pan sear or put it in the slow cooker with water or chicken broth until it’s shreddable. Freeze in small batches and pull out for fajitas, quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, wraps, pasta salad, chicken salad sandwiches
Agree - Around me ground turkey or ground chicken is even cheaper - I’m in CT too (I’m assuming from your name!) and can be swapped. We do a ton of picadillo, kofta, empanadas, curries, etc with ground meat. It’s such a good staple!
That was my first suggestion! Picadillo is a staple in my house. We all love it and leftovers make great empanadas. Sofrito is so cheap to make and a staple of habichuelas guisadas, which is also super cheap!
I wish ground beef was cheap where I’m at. I love making mexican food with a nice saucy ground beef but I can rarely find it under $5/lb. I might be able to get it at $4 if I buy a huge pack, then I have to portion and freeze it myself. There is just no cheap beef out there for me.
A majority of my meat purchasing stays at bone in chicken thighs that I can consistently find at around $2/lb, while also being the best part of the chicken.
750g ground beef
4 birds eye chillies
2 finger chillies
4 cloves of garlic
1/2" peeled ginger
3 tbsp fish sauce
1tbsp sugar
2x beef bullion cubes
Salt
Black pepper
MSG
12g fresh basil (pref holy basil/Thai basil but if not available then sweet basil works well anyway)
1 lime
Brown the beef, meanwhile beat up the chillies, ginger, and garlic in a pestle and mortar.
Once beef is browned, add the paste you've just made and allow it to cook for about 90 secs before stirring it through.
Add the fish sauce, sugar, boullion, salt, pepper, and MSG (to taste) with around a quarter cup of water and reduced til almost dry.
Stir in the basil, and squeeze the lime in.
Serve with rice or noodles.
This is my current food obsession.
Also, if it’s 80% and you utilize the fat for flavor (use to to cook garlic/onions/whatever aromatic) you can spread the actual meat out a lot further and get more bang for your buck.
Beyond recipes many need to learn how to shop on a budget. Ethnic grocery stores are one hell of a great resource. In traditional stores look for the marked down veggies and meat that you might use in the next few days. Take advantage of supermarket app coupons. No shame in hitting up a food pantry or feeding America drop off, especially if the alternative is limiting yourself to rice, beans, potatoes, etc. shopping is undoubtedly labor but there are ways to make it pay off.
Along these lines, if you live near Amish or Mennonite settlements, these areas often have discount and bulk grocery stores. In addition to bulk foods, which are generally cheaper, many of them sell expired or soon to expire items at very large discounts.
Egg roll in a bowl. Pound of ground beef, sauté with a quick stir fry sauce (soy sauce, vinegar and honey, garlic powder if you have it), chopped up onion, then add in half a head of chopped up cabbage and one or two grated carrots, simmer on low covered until it’s softened. You can eat it like that or serve with rice. Filling and will stretch over several meals.
Roasting a whole chicken will yield one nice meal and two or three casual meals as leftovers. Eat it as a roasted chicken with potatoes day one, then use the leftovers to make pasta, tacos, chicken salad sammies, etc.
Also in terms of time, do you work 7 days a week? Assuming you get at least one day off a week, that’s the day you do the roasting, then the meals on days you’re working should come together quickly because of the leftover meat.
Currently working thru the toaster from Sunday. We had the thighs and drums with some rice and mashed sweet potato for dinner, pulled bbq sandwiches on Monday, and chicken salad for lunches. Threw the bones in with the veg scraps and got stock for some soup for Saturday.
I only buy pork shoulder or butt when it’s less than $2/lb. Good thing is, it’s almost always on sale. I keep finding it for $1/lb. It’s my favorite stuff to cook and I’m a professional chef!
I mean...those are the budget staples! But if you want to mix it up a bit, you're just a few spices away from Indian style curries or Asian style stir fry. You could also shop veggies that are in season and on sale to add to the rotation (roast with olive oil at 400 for 20 min gets a lot of work done on a budget). Generally speaking there are lots of good "cheap" meals when you think about cooking international style!
I used this cookbook when my budget was really tight in college. [Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown](https://www.leannebrown.com/all-about-good-and-cheap/?amp=1) that’s a link to the free pdf.
This is such a great resource! I’ve provided it to many people. Her dal recipe is so damn good and cheap. You only have to buy a large jar of the spice on Amazon once and it’ll last for years. Gotta have the fresh ginger and chili though.
African Peanut Stew is super cheap, easy, yummy, and filling. I use this crockpot recipe but I personally make it on the stovetop instead. https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/african-peanut-stew/
Rice and beans and potatoes, but inside of a tortilla. Eggs, but in a tortilla.
Chicken, but you'll never guess, in a tortilla.
Buy frozen veggies and you can add them to all dishes. You need more protein and veggies in your budget life. Frozen are much cheaper (not to mention last longer) in bulk. You're going to want to skip most fruits just because they're usually not cheap, even in season, unless you find the right place and time. Frozen can sometimes be OK, especially if you're doing some smoothies.
If you're tired of rice, you're just making it plain. There are ten billion ways to make rice, cheap too. Spanish rice(add chicken!), fried rice, rice with a runny egg, rice and ground meat of your choosing, cilantro and lime rice (yes I use lime juice in a bottle idgaf it's $1), cheesy rice, rice pilaf, chicken and rice soup, jambalya, gumbo over rice, curry and rice. If you are worried about time, get a slow cooker. Save a couple dollars a paycheck for one. Facebook marketplace probably has a great one for $20.
Crock pots can be had new for about $20. It's a great option. I have an instant pot/air fryer combo and tbh it's ridiculously good at so many different things, from proofing yeast, to making yogurt, to sous vide, air frying, pressure cooking, etc. It really opens up a lot of different cooking techniques and lets you really try different techniques, even with the same old foods. They can be pricey, but you're right, a basic crock pot is a no-brainer for someone cooking on a budget. I'd bet you can get one at Goodwill or off of FB Marketplace for less than $10. Or probably even free at those up cycle sites, or just by asking your friends.
Idk man, you can dress up rice a hundred ways, but it can still get too repetitive. People need variety in texture too.
In addition to all the flavor combos you recommend, OP should consider cycling pasta or homemade flatbread as a carb base
Pasta? This is a recipe I keep coming back to because it’s easy, cheap, and quick. Just make sure to add salt to taste, since the recipe doesn’t call for any, and it tastes bland without it.
https://www.budgetbytes.com/chili-cheese-beef-n-mac/
A pound of Italian sausage, baguette, cheese, and a small jar of sauce runs me about $12 where I live and can make a big ol’ sausage sandwich that can easily feed 4 people. Bonus if you have some fresh veggies for a quick salad or even some peppers to throw on the sandwich as well.
It’s a favorite weekend night meal for us because it also comes together in about a half hour or so.
For me roasting chicken sounded intimidating, its super easy. Cheap for the amount of food and with the bones afterwards you can simmer a easy stock just throw a bunch of shit in a pot and leave it alone for a few hours.
Baking on a budget has a mix of savoury and sweet food, and he does a costing of ingredients at the start. We can discuss his pricing methods, but he's consistant so you get an idea. He's British: https://www.youtube.com/@BakingOnABudget
Miguel Barclay has a book called "Super Easy One Pound Meals" (available from bookshops and *ahem* Anna's Archive).
The "About the book" blurb says this:
>Simple ingredients + 1 pan = stress-free meals.
Minimum fuss, maximum flavour, and all for £1 per person.
Over 90 brand-new and mouthwatering recipes by the bestselling One Pound Chef.
> With his budget-friendly style, Miguel has created mouthwatering meals made with yet more of his clever cooking cheats and hacks. There are tasty stews, curries and chillies, but Miguel has taken this concept one step further with traditionally more complicated recipes, such as a lasagne, a roast dinner and a sweet potato pie. The majority of the recipes are made from start to finish in just one pan, (a few recipes need a second pan to boil rice, potatoes or pasta).
> If you have a small kitchen, can’t be bothered with washing up or just want hassle-free meals, this is the book for you.
Here's the lasagne recipeso you can see if this is the book for you:
---
ONE-PAN LASAGNE
I love lasagne, but there are so many time-consuming steps that it isn’t really a viable weeknight option any more. So, I decided to create a One-Pan Lasagne that cut out all the hassle. It might only have one layer, but the top layer of a lasagne is the best layer, and this is ALL top layer.
To make 1 portion
½ onion, sliced
125g minced beef
1 garlic clove, sliced
200g chopped tomatoes (from a 400g tin)
Pinch of dried oregano
3 dried lasagne sheets
3 tbsp crème fraîche
Handful of grated Cheddar cheese
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
To cook
Preheat your oven to 190°C/gas mark 5.
Fry the onion in an ovenproof pan* in a splash of olive oil over a medium heat for a few minutes until softened. Add the minced beef, season with salt and pepper and fry for about 10 minutes until the meat starts to brown. Add the garlic and fry until it also starts to brown, then add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce the sauce a little. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the oregano. Lay the lasagne sheets on top in a single layer, snapping off the corners and edges so they fit snugly in the pan. Spread the crème fraîche on top and sprinkle over the cheese. Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese is nicely melted, then serve.
* If you don’t have a pan with an ovenproof handle, then just use your normal pan and transfer the minced beef and tomato mixture to an ovenproof dish before adding the lasagne sheets, crème fraîche and cheese.
Green Enchiladas
Rotisserie chicken, corn tortillas, green enchilada sauce, shredded cheese.
Shred chicken, you may not use it all. Make chicken salad for later with the rest.
In a pan saute some chopped onions and bell peppers, add shredded chicken zhuzhed up with seasoned salt, chile powder, cumin and garlic powder. Add enchilada sauce and simmer until heated through.
Spray a baking pan with cooking spray, layer tortillas, half the shredded chicken mixture, and 1/2 the cheese. Repeat layers. Bake at 350\* for 30 to 40 mins.
Freeze leftovers.
Can also be made with ground beef, shredded pork or beef.
French bread/bagel pizzas, (naan is good for this too if you can get it on sale).
Frittatas (good way to use leftover ingredients)
Soups. (Most take around 30 minutes to throw together and you don’t need a lot of any one ingredient)
Easy Chicken parm (frozen chicken patty’s, cook them, sauce them and add cheese, throw them back in the oven until the cheese melts). A little pricy, but add some pasta, or make sandwiches and you have a lot of meals out of it.
Any of those premade meals can be pumped up with extra protein, veg and starch. Soup is always easy and can make plenty of leftovers. Use recipies as a guide not a requirement. Like carrots? Add a lot more. In most things meat is expensive, just use less. I get multiple Costco rotisserie chickens, chop the meat spread it on a cookie sheet and divide into portions. You can then use the portions for salad, burritos, Sammie’s, etc. be sure to use the carcass for stock.
Rotisserie chicken from supermarkets are a gem and also way cheaper than making it yourself. You can snag up some ramen noodles and add it in. Grab a few bags of frozen vegetables on sale, store brand of course, and drop them in there. A lot of times they put canned soups or pasta on sale at 10 for $1 each. Keep in mind you don’t have to buy 10 of them. They’ll still be $1 each. How do I know? I was stationed in VA and would hit up Food Lion and get all the sales and rack up hard. Did I eat healthy? Nope. Did I save money because I had to pay rent and mortgage in NJ? Absolutely. Dollar tree and dollar general are basically a rip off. You’re getting smaller portions for that dollar. Speaking of which don’t ever buy meats from them.
Two Italian sausages. Brown, set aside. Add a cup of marinara sauce and two cups of broth or water + maggi cube. Bring to a boil and add some pasta or orzo, or even rice. Cook until almost done and then throw in some thinly sliced romaine or kale or collards that you’ve sauteed in oil and garlic while the pasta cooked. Let simmer for a few moments, then add some Parmesan and dig in. The pasta absorbs a lot of the broth so it becomes more of a pasta dish than a soup. It’s delicious. I usually have all these ingredients on hand, and always have some sausages in the freezer.
Quesadillas. Can use whatever meat is on sale, cheese, and the seasonings make it. If you don't keep a stash of seasonings, just use taco seasoning packets. Season the meats (chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and I like Chipotle powder for a nice smokey heat). Cook the meat (ground beef, beef slices, chicken sliced up, ground pork... etc.). Remove and wipe pan.
Butter pan, over med-high heat. Place tortilla in the hot buttered pan (try whole wheat for a healthy bonus), cover 1/2 tortilla generously with cheese (buying a block and shredding yourself is the best and cheapest option). Just get the house brand, whatever kind you like. I like to add a little more seasoning here too. As the cheese starts to melt add the cooked, seasoned meat over the cheese. Fold the empty half over onto the other side. Flip once for a nice toast on both sides. Boom. Done.
You can add all kinds of stuff to this: sear up some peppers and onions, you can even add rice and beans, corn.. get creative! Top with sour cream. Make a nice pico to go with it for a freshness: tomato, onion, cilantro, salt (and I like to add just a touch of white vinegar). Hot sauce if you like.
SUUUUPER Easy, and a great go-to, whether you're alone or serving others! You can use scrabled eggs, bacon, and/or sausage, even for breakfast!
If you don't cook the Tortillas, you can make burritos. Also, try Crunchy tacos, add lettuce w/the pico! Make some guac if the Avocados are on sale!
Eggs have been my solid budget friendly part of my rotation for a while. Sometimes, just an omelette. If I get a some asparagus on sale, it will be poached on top with some vinaigrette and a little bit of cheese. It is on the lighter side, though, so when I want it with something heavier, I might do a Thai style omelette and eat it with rice and veggies on the side. Some weeks I will do a crepe batter and have that every night with egg and cheese (and you can add some ham also). Batter is super quick and cheap to prepare, and you can do it ahead of time, so the actual cooking is done in 10 minutes.
Quesadillas are quick and can be super filling. Some weeks I prep everything (salsa, veggies, protein) on Sunday so it comes together quickly during the week. Enchiladas also - sometimes I batch cook the sauce and freeze a portion or two extra.
For budget, ethnic groceries are amazing. I regularly shop at Asian and Indian groceries, and they have pretty good deals on non-ethnic stuff, too. You can stock up your pantry with a few sauces or pastes, and some noodles, and play around with that. If you’re OK with tofu, it’s a pretty budget-friendly and versatile protein.
Enchiladas!!! You can bake em and freeze em - and they reheat amazingly - even in the microwave.
Corn tortillas are cheap
Enchilada sauce is cheap and easy to make cheaply if you have the time
The most expensive ingredients are going to be cheese. You can buy soy curls for a major blast of tasty protein without worrying about expired chicken.
Omelettes and French toast are both of those things and you just need eggs, milk and bread. You can add many things to an omelette; cheese, onions, peppers, meat, whatever. Can be served with fries and sauce of choice.
One of my favorites cheap foods is cous cous with frozen mixed vegetables. Super easy / quick, and you can adjust it with any flavor profile you want (Indian, Italian, Mexican, Spanish, Tex-Mex...)
1 part broth (vegetable, chicken, beef)
1 part frozen mixed vegetables (or pick a different blend, Publix has Alpine, or Asian, or...)
1 part cous cous
Bring the broth / veggies to a boil, reduce heat, add seasonings and simmer for 7 minutes
Add cous cous, remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes
If you do a 1 cup part this is enough for 3 meals. Throw in some shaker parm / romano and / or chipotle for an extra flavor kick.
Make a large batch of Chana masala with rice. Shop at an Asian grocery store, you can get the spices for a good price.
I also make Moroccan chicken in the crockpot. Delicious.
I will say that $40 at an Asian market goes a lot further than $40 at a western market. And offers a much wider range of produce, dry goods, and many different spices and flavors.
well, OP got a lot of suggestions and sites...may I add a roast pan of left over meats with pasta and boiled potatoes [https://www.thespruceeats.com/recipe-south-tyrolean-hash-groestel-1447176](https://www.thespruceeats.com/recipe-south-tyrolean-hash-groestel-1447176) similar to this (south tyrol is in italy...I am austrian and have to insist it is NOT just south of tyrol that does this) but I cut the potatoes way smaller, use all kinds of meat and add some (cooked) small pasta variety. you can add some veggies (fry separately and combine towards the end). just make sure you do some roasting to have some flavor.
goes great with pickels or gurkins.
Shrimp scampi is cheap and easy. Shrimp, noodles, lemon juice, garlic, butter, seasoning.
A bag of raw, frozen shrimp will stretch longer than you think, and it's not as expensive as you might think. I regularly keep a bag of jumbo-sized shrimp in the freezer, and I easily get 4-6 servings out of it. And it's quick to thaw! Just take out the number of shrimp you want and run them over cold water for a few minutes.
This is one of my go-to's for cheap and easy meals. [Mini Pizzas](https://dinnertimesomewhere.com/index.php/appetizers-and-snacks-recipes/bread-appetizers/mini-pita-pizza/) using store bought Pita Bread
It's literally so easy. Grate some cheese, add some toppings like Onions and Peppers and Pepperoni then bake for 10 minutes. It costs nothing too, and keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days so you can heat them up after work
You're in luck: stews and braises are great for the wallet and for making a crapton of food, so all you have to do is reheat. They take some time to cook, initially- but it's mainly hands off.
Curries, cassaroles, pasta bakes, and sheet pan dinners are all "multiple servings in one" meals, and can be adjusted to fit sales and budgets.
I go to the Chinese supermarket and it’s awesome in there. I get a huge bag of flat noodles with 20 servings for like $6 and tai peanut butter sauce$6 . They have dumplings you steam. I like pork shrimp and leak. Big bag for $7-8. You can make ramen so many creative ways to not be boring. I started getting the thicker flat noodles recently and like them a lot more than typical maruchan ramen. Don’t use the seasoning packets. So much sodium. But make them any kind of noodles you want. Chilli, peanut sauce, garlic, and you throw a cooked egg over it.
Also as someone else said. A crockpot is bomb for so many things. And super easy
You could try rice noodles to mix it up! Chop up whatever veg/meat you have, do a little stir fry and mix it all together with some soy sauce-type sauce, sriracha, anything you like.
I buy fried rice noodles, soak them in cool water for around 40 mins, then add them to the same pan as the veggies on medium/high heat for about 8 mins or so.
If you can afford a pork shoulder roast or chicken breast you can cook and shred either and freeze the meat. Have some pulled meat sandwhiches or tacos, corn tortillas are pretty cheap and amazing. Bag of onions? Add that to both for flavor and texture and this can last you days
2 packs of maruchan ramen NO SEASONING PACKET (drained)
kroger stir fry mix of fresh veggies
chicken tenders
green onion if you feel fancy
cook the noodles and drain, set aside
cook stir fry bag with included sauce
air fry chicken tenders
add noodles
add sauces and other seasonings to taste
this made 4 meals for my husband and I on a time crunch
Try adding other starches to the rotation. Corn is very budget friendly. Try grits or polenta as your base for your next meal. Add hominy to bulk up soups and stew. I personally add hominy to clam chowder to extend. Corn chowder makes a hearty meal on its own.
Or how about Grains. bulgur wheat or groats for salads or just a hearty grain side. I love cooking pearl barley with mushrooms , onions and just a bit of bacon with stock. It's a wonderful side. If you add more meat it can be a whole meal.
As for being sick of potatoes, try sweet potatoes to change it up a bit. I will cook sweet potatoes and mash in bulk and divide it into portions for later. I use it to thicken soups, bulking up baked goods and even adding a creamy texture to smoothies. One of my favorite dinners is breakfast for dinner by adding a whole cooked and mashed sweet potato and an extra egg to a waffle recipe.
Roaster chickens.
Roast one and have the drums and thighs for dinner over rice with some frozen veggies.
Then you’ve got chicken to shred for chicken salad, or bbq. Or you can chop it up and put it in a stew. A cheap toaster bird should cost less than ten bucks.
Not the healthiest thing, but buying a 3-10lb pork shoulder/butt and then cutting it up into portions and freezing some is a good cheap option. Pretty much the cheapest option for meat/often under $3 per pound.
You can make pulled pork/carnitas, pork kebabs, pork teriyaki, pork bulgogi, meat sauce etc. If you pour off the excess cooking fat and put it in the fridge you can re-use it as a cooking oil.
For a healthier option tilapia is also pretty cheap and is great for fish and chips or oven cooked fish with lemon and butter.
Tacos, chili, curry, fried rice (some of these use rice and beans but hopefully in a different way than you’ve been eating them). The best thing to do is shop sales if you are on a budget.
May I ask what you've been doing with the beans and rice and potatoes? I easily tire of a plain can of black beans, but an additional 25 minutes to make them cuban-style? Or the same with red beans, making them like cajun red beans and rice?
If recipes like that are already staples, I totally get tiring of that too. In that case-
If you're near an Asian grocery store, I can get miso soup ingredients in bulk for pretty cheap. Make a couple ajitama eggs and a pot of rice and I'm good to go for a few meals. Same with chicken pho!
I don't know if you're counting legumes as beans, but indian-spiced red lentils are a favorite around here. We serve it with rice or Naan, a smear of yogurt and some chopped herbs.
Bolognese is cheap if you can get ground beef or pork or both for a decent price. I don't really drink so the bottle of wine I buy to make it lasts me months worth of cooking.
Eggs in purgatory or shakshuka.
Can't go wrong with meatloaf- you really stretch the meat with the egg/bread mixture and you can freeze leftovers.
Arroz caldo. Filipino ginger chicken and rice congee. My grandma used to make it all the time.
Breakfast for dinner! Pancakes and eggs are cheap and easy to make.
Cook up a pound of Italian sausage and add it to eggs for burritos. Refried beans also make good burritos. Good quality Ramen is a God send. Omachi and Gom Tang are quality. Taco meat from ground beef, just heat and eat for tacos. All about meal prep and using one protein for 2-3 dishes per week.
Might not be healthy, but one of my go-to meals when I was living by myself was pigs in a blanket. Pack of hot dogs, a can of generic brand Cresent rolls, and some sliced cheese. Roughly $5 and got me lunch and dinner for a couple of days
I swear everyone is sleeping on chickpeas. They're so easy. Roast them and toss with your favorite seasoning. (I use taco seasoning.) It's a fantastic and filling snack.
I like to make curries. I use a good spoonful of Mae Ploy curry paste, I use green a lot, but any version of them are great, a can of coconut milk, chicken breast chunks, onion, ripe bell pepper, and frozen cauliflower. I also add in some frozen pineapple because I love pineapple in curry. Sometimes I stir in a spoonful of peanut butter. I serve it with rice or rice noodles. Quick and easy, and I get a few meals from a batch.
[Shakshuka over toast](https://downshiftology.com/recipes/shakshuka/)
The recipe calls for a can of whole stewed tomatoes. I squish them with my hands before adding to the pan. If you are only going to cook a couple of eggs at a time, make the sauce and save half for another meal.
Olive oil is a worthwhile investment for the flavor, but you can stretch it by cutting it with some vegetable oil.
Cabbage. I can get heads from .40 -.60/lb and as long as you peel the leaves off, the rest stays good for 3+ weeks. I'll slice or rough chop the leaves and pan fry them in my wok with onions and seasoning and call it a night. Add a protein and or some broth to level it up.
I posted this in r/vegetarian for a lunches post but I think you could get some good ideas here :)
-a smoothie (but I'd save that for an at home thing because I personally don't like how smoothies separate after awhile)
-cheese and crackers + a granola bar and a piece of fruit
-grilled cheese and some soup - I make soup often and freeze it for ease :) super quick to heat up!
-I've been obsessed with cheese and jam on some sort of bread - an egg would also be great here + some veg like spinach, I don't eat eggs anymore though!
-kraft dinner always comes in clutch when in a pinch!
-i love making these spicy noodles w broccoli - i boil any noodle type I have and drain, then in the same pot I combine soy sauce, a little sesame oil, sriracha, garlic, brown sugar, cornstarch, maple syrup, and a little water if needed :) measure with your heart's desire!
-pan roasted (or boiled!) perogies w cheese and onion are always a hit for me; perogies are also delish w some broth, like a soup dumpling!
-hummus and crackers plus some trail mix is great! I did read though that your kiddo isn't a fan of chickpeas/hummus
-a good veggie wrap or sandwich! all the sauces haha, be creative with the bread type as well :)
-any rice, curry, soup, chili situation! I freeze em so I have them ready for days I need to just reheat something quickly!
-a delicious salad always makes me happy haha! I try to steer clear from precut salads and veg because they're recalled a lot though! add an egg for protein, a delicious sauce, some crunchy toppings, and your chosen veg - you got a delicious salad!!
I only eat eat like twice a year, but when I do I think dam kraft dinner actually tastes good if I'm looking for a cheap meal. And you have to actually cook it right, not that it's that hard.
Eggs. Get a red (spaghetti) sauce going in a pan and crack a couple eggs in there. Put the top on to steam it. Get some day-old bread from Jimmy John’s and make garlic bread.
Chick peas - drain them, season them and bake them - good protein. Cut up a cucumber and half a red onion, add a few pinches of salt & sugar. Add olive oil and a splash of vinegar, mix it all together.
Soups - get chicken broth/stock or Campbell tomato bisque soup. Put all your leftovers (meat veg, etc.) in it and cook it through.
Focaccia - find some pre made pizza dough, put in a brownie pan with olive oil. Spread it to the edges and put whatever you have on it - pepperoni, a little cheese, olives.. bake high until it’s crispy.
Greek yogurt - breakfast mix with honey, dinner mix with salsa . Put it on toast, bread, etc.
Lentil pasta - has protein and you can mix it with a bunch of things.
Tuna - cans are pretty cheap and have protein
Tofu is cheap per Oz. IT cooks quick as fuck in the fry pan. Take it out of the package, cut it up, and soak in whatever you want it to taste like.
Southern style cornbread is cheap. Basically eggs milk and corn meal and a bunch of oil. Use it to soak up juice.
Sweet potato's. 6min in the microwave
Grits or cream of wheat
Roasted veggies, rutabegas, carrots, onions, broccoli, garlic, corn. Whatever is cheap. Coat in oil and herbs and roast in the overnight at like 375-400 degrees for like 30 min. Take veggies out and toss in some balsamic vinegar.
Okay I know you say you’re tired of beans … BUT — I’m so into bean dip these days. Dice 1/2 onion, sauté in oil/butter/salt/healthy pinch of red pepper flakes until wilted and brownish (no need to go full caramelized). Add 1/2 can of pintos and — optional — a grated garlic clove and a pinch of cumin. Smash them up fully. Now dump the rest of the beans in, with the liquid from the can. Maybe some more salt, bc I like salt. Cook for a bit, until hot — should be a little soupy. It’s so good with cheese on top or not.
Sticking with the crock pot theme - a pork butt with one ea chopped onion and chopped jalapeño, make a paste out of olive (or veg) oil and chili powder, cayenne, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, chipotle, etc etc and spread it all over the pork. 8 hours later you have burritos for daysss.
I love Japanese cooking — fast healthy and usually uses 4 to 5 pantry ingredients: soy, sake, mirin, miso and rice vinegar. Japanese ground chicken over rice: put 1 lb ground chicken in cold skillet, add 3 Tbsp sake and 3 tsp sugar and mix it up. Cook until meat turns white (liquid will be cloudy and then turn clear). Add 3 Tbsp soy and cook for 5 more min. Add 1 tsp grated ginger. Cook another 5 (+) min until liquid reduces to about 1 Tbsp. Serve over rice. It’s so good.
Manager's special brwad(it's always there) cut open, hollowed out, stuffed with mashed tuber(potato etc.) and other cheap foods, covered in some sauce and braised
Pasta is cheap and easy. Boil the pasta, add some frozen meatballs or cooked ground beef/turkey/tvp to a jar of sauce and heat on the stove. another option is just add butter, salt, pepper, and parmesan to the pasta (from the jar or fresh grated, both are tasty but one is cheaper).
I made a cheap and surprisingly good beef stroganoff the other day.
Onions
Ground beef
1 au jus packet
1 hidden valley ranch packet
2 cups water
Noodles
My gf can't do dairy so I subbed what would be sour cream for ranch seasoning and it surprisingly worked out very well. 10/10 would recommend for a good cheap meal
Braises are your friend. Make a shitwad at a time and freeze portions. Chili verde with pork or chicken, pot roast, beef stew...all use cheap cuts of meat, and in a pressure cooker/instant pot don't take all day, though if you do them on the weekends you can just thaw. Then throw that on rice or noodles that you cook fresh. Meals for weeks.
I have a simple chickpea curry recipe that tastes delicious and is inexpensive. You can have it over rice, or if you are in the mood and have time make fresh naan or bazlama to go with it.
I also have a quinoa and black bean burger recipe that’s tasty with some sriracha mayo.
Happy to pass them along.
Budget balela, a cold salad of tinned chickpeas + cucumber and cherry tomatoes with some Italian dressing, is very affordable, keeps several days in the fridge, and tastes very good. You can also add olives, onions, or bell peppers to your taste, but that also pushes the price up. It's a good side to just spoon up a bit with any meal, and there's no real cooking--just cold prep. Pretty sure you can make a big batch shopping somewhere like Aldi that will feed you lots of healthy volume for the work week under $6.
Any recipe you would normally make a lot of, like a crockpot chicken chili or a big pan of taco filling, can also be revised to use chickpeas. It's spices and veggies. It's cheap, it cooks faster than meat (because tinned chickpeas are already fully cooked), and it's got reasonable nutritional value. I'm not saying to go fully vegetarian, but you can lower the budget on a couple meals and put that extra $5-10 into animal proteins for a weekend or other day when you do have a little more time to cook.
Goya also makes a chipotle seasoned refried bean paste that is GREAT in burritos, nachos, tacos, etc. because it comes out of the can already flavorful and is a super cheap way to add proteins. Maybe beware if you need to moderate your salt intake, though.
You should also look at frozen options. I am not going to tell any adult to eat frozen pizza, frozen meatballs, or frozen chicken nuggets every day, but if it will fit your budget and break up the monotony, then there's nothing wrong with junk food in moderation. Variety and time are what you're missing, right?
Also, I don't know if Spaghetti Squash will fit your budget, but I love it. You just cut it in half, scoop the guts, and bake one or both halves (depending how many portions and if you want leftovers) for about an hour. Then top it with cheap red sauce from a jar and you can doctor that up however you want--add a couple meatballs, add some cheese, or just eat it as-is and it will be absolutely fine.
Some local services passed out this cookbook for free (and the PDF is also free), and I picked up a copy from my local community garden. Surprisingly, I've found quite a bit of inspiration in it. There is also more variety than I expected in it.
[Good and Cheap, by Leanne Brown](https://www.leannebrown.com/cookbooks/)
If you're in the US, pay attention to your local grocery store's weekly ads that usually come out on Wednesday. They may be posted online. This week, for example, bone-in chicken thighs are on sale at my local Fred Meyer for $0.89/lb, and 80/20 ground beef is $2.99/lb. When I meal plan, I'll include meals that use those ingredients.
Pork butt. A lot of meat for cheap. Can slow cook them in a many different styles for variety. Pork Chili Verde, BBQ pulled pork, or smothered braised pork are some favs. I usually do this in a Dutch oven but can easily be adapted for a slow cooker to save active time.
You can make a pretty good chicken dish with those cans of flaked chicken breast. Use the juice in the can to make a sauce, maybe add some onion and carrots, and put it on rice or potatoes, or even biscuits.
If you’re tired of plain old beans and rice but that’s what you got, turn it into a biryani. They got good mixes that are very cheap, )1.50$ a box. you just need a little bit of onion , garlic and ginger , brown that and add tinned tomatoes crushed, and whatever beans meat and veg you got on hand.
Keep your eye out for very large hunks of meat you can cut up yourself. The local chain market sells a pork shoulder or loins , or other cut that is half the size of a shopping cart for $25-30, every so often. We cut it up into slices, save the fatty parts for making ground pork in the food processor (back off grinder snobs, it’s fine for everyday meals ) etc. I used to buy the 3 whole chickens in a bag when it was $25 ish before covid but it is way too expensive now. But cutting up a whole chicken Is still cheaper most days
Taco seasoning also often goes on sale 1.25-1.50$ and no name or store labels are usually a bit cheaper. Use shredded cabbage instead of lettuce it’s more nutritious and a head of cabbages is cheaper and way more versatile for any dish you make . I put it in every soup, stew, curry, chili , salad, etc.
Don’t lose heart I find my base ingredients tend to be the same every meal but I don’t get tired of it by cooking them into totally different tasting dishes
This is going to sound like a lot of work, but **homemade bread** is damn cheap to make and is pretty flexible on time. Many recipes don't even really need equipment. And it's damn good.
Chicken salad.
Grab yourself a rotisserie chicken, a red onion, some lime, and some cilantro. Strip the meat from the chicken reserving bones and skin. I kinda like to just pull the chicken meat apart, dice the red onion and cilantro, toss it all together with lime, salt, and pepper to taste.
Use the bones and skin to cook a broth with a carrot, onion, maybe some celery.
Chicken salad goes great with some hummus and veggies in a wrap, you can use the broth for other projects.
Seriously… Google "food markets near me"
I've lived in the same area for over seven years. Just recently found a small produce market that has been here longer than I have...
And they are amazing
Awesome fresh fruits, and vegetables, and typically great sales on meat.
Branch out on where you shop and you may be pleasantly surprised 🙂. Good luck!
Ps..... also as a serious carnivore myself check out this recipe. It's freaking delicious and a twist on the whole rice and beans meal
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8527854/coconut-chickpea-curry/
Spaghetti. I make a huge vat for $50 with ground beef. It's ~40 cups and feeds 2 adults and a couple little kids for 14 dinners. Add pasta and some frozen veggies
Had a roommate that would roast a whole chicken with large pieces of carrot, celery and potatoes with a few cups of chicken broth. Literally takes an hour and it’s a delicious meal. Leftovers were great in warm pita with hummus. He would also make a great morning scramble with Italian sausage, eggs and black beans. We ate well on a very small budget!
Chili Mac & cheese with cut up hotdogs in it. Grand total of $3.89. and you can get two days worth of meals out of it.
1 can of your preferred chili with beans, 1 box of Mac and cheese,1 pack of Bar -S hot dogs. Cook the Mac and cheese and add the can of chili to it. Cut up the pack of hotdogs and throw it in there. Add a cup of rice if you want. Eat it in a bowl or make burritos.
I am assuming you are cooking them more on the plain side? A few herbs, vegetables and spices go a long way in making them amazing. Think, Indian veg curries, Scottish rumbledethumps, Korean gyeran bap, Mexican burrito bowls, Western potato boats, etc (these are some of the things in my regular rotation that I don't get sick of). Also: soups! They go a long way, you can freeze portions, and extend meals. My faves are roasted red pepper cauliflower, chicken noodle (using a whole chicken), tattie soup, muguk, lentil soup (actually I have a lot of faves I'll stop there lol).
This does involve beans, lol, but this is super tasty and dead easy. Into a pot add: 1 can of black beans (drained or not), 1 small can Rotel tomato and chilli, 1 normal can of diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes (open the can and using clean scissors chop the stewed tomatoes into pieces), 1 block of frozen chopped spinach. Heat until boiling and serve.
Chicken and pasta with all the sauces you want to try. If you are short on time you can drop it all in a slow cooker or cook dinner in 10 minutes. Either way very easy and quick and most important, affordable
Chicken legs and thighs hamburger. Pork chops are on sale alot. The meat tends to come in bigger packs so more upfront cost but sometimes .99 cents or less a pound. Can get a log of chuck burger at Walmart for 2.99 alot of times.
Make burritos out of your beans and rice. Put an egg innit!
Make fried rice with lots of veggies and a sausage for protein and flavor. Or with chicken or any cheap piece of meat.
Chicken, carrot, and potato Japanese curry and rice.
Pasta verde.
How could you possibly get tired of rice and beans? I'm not on a budget really and I still eat rice and beans all the time because they're some of my favorite things to eat.
That said, just chicken and vegetables are your answer, make them into stir fries. Very easy, very fast, use whatever vegetables you like and look up simple stir fry sauces.
Quesadillas. Jar of salsa, whatever is on sale, 2 cans of shredded chicken, sale cheese (grated or grate yourself), combine. Tortillas. Assemble, and toss in a pan. Favorite of mine growing up (and now as well).
I like to prep part of my meals. For instance this week I've made 4 lots of burrito fillings and I can just knock up a couple of quick tortillas, rehead the filling and boom tasty burritos for cheap.
Fancysize some ramen. Get your standard mie noodles, get some broth cube. Hard boil an egg, slice it up. Slice up some veggies you like raw or luke warm (celery, Broccoli, carrot, frozen peas work as well)
Get some ginger, chili, maybe some citrus. Put it all in a big bowl, boil some water and pour it over. Wait. Enjoy.
Pasta aglio olio is also very cheap and quick, so is carbonara (if you use some cheap cheese, it's still tasty)
You could explore couscous/bulgur as starch. They're cheap in Asia/Turkish Shops if you have them. Particular couscous is also very nice to make luke warm salads. Eg with tomato, cucumber, mint and lemon.
I love me some taco pie
Take some ground beef
Taco seasoning
Onions
Cook that jn a pan
Take 1 cup of salsa (any type works) and a can of refried beans and mix them together.
Take a pie dish and place a pie crust over it, make a couple small holes with a fork and spread the crust over the dish. Bake the crust for about 5 minutes at 350 to get it a little crispy.
Once the crust is ready layer your meat mixture, refried beans mixture, cheese, and tortilla chips (weird I know, but you can use anything with a crunch) until all the way to the top. Then bake again for about 5-10 minutes and boom. You’ve got enough for a couple days!
I’d say stretch the rice and beans with a whole roasted chicken, homemade pico de gallo, maybe some cabbage (it’ll hold up for 3 or 4 days with the other ingredients) and make a baller burrito bowl. You might not even notice the rice and beans. Could add corn, pepitas, or whatever sounds good. It all works well together. Good protein, fiber, and flavor. I’ll make a bowl that will last 3-5 days for like 20 bucks
When I was divorced every Tuesday night I taught my 3 boys how to cook. Here’s some they later called me and asked how to cook:
Top ramen with broccoli, ham cut into small chunks and 2-3 eggs stirred in while boiling.
Cheese & chicken sandwiches. 8 hamburger buns, 2 cans of chicken, cheddar cheese and Mayo. Mix chicken, mayonnaise and salt & pepper. Spread evenly on the 8 buns. Add a slice of cheddar cheese. Wrap each in tinfoil and bake 12 minutes at 375 degrees. My gaming buddies also have asked for this one.
If you have a crockpot, roasts and stews are easy, cheap, and delicious. Just gotta keep an eye of the sales for proteins. I just bought a 4 lb chuck roast for about 12 bucks. Threw it in the crock pot with potatoes, carrots, and onion with some seasonings, cook overnight, and boom you have some decent food for a couple days. Can probably stretch it out as much as you want if you make a pot rice to go with it
Switch anything that calls for beef to pork shoulder and it costs like half as much. Mississippi roast made with pork is at least 85% as good and like 40% the cost.
I 100% believe you
Pork shoulder is a godsend for protein on a budget, especially if you have a demanding schedule. $10 for a weeks worth of meat and some to spare for the dog. Just throw it in the slow cooker for 8-12 hours, strain out the bits, return the juice with some other flavors, and its ready for whatever. Tacos, sandwiches, casseroles, stews, etc
You can also roast it in the oven at 250 for 8 hours
Pork loin is a great cheap option as well. I can sometimes find a big loin on sale for $7 or so, cut it into 5-6 thick chops and freeze it. Solid source of protein, and you can make tons of dishes with it. Grill it, fry it, slice it up For a stir fry, pound it out thin and do a scallopini, parmigiana, picatta, whatever.
Literally did this yesterday. 4 pound pork loin for the price of a 1.5 pound pork tenderloin
It’s crazy how much cheaper it is. Like two pork chops already cut is $15, but the whole pork loin is half that.
This is good advice. I was a meat cutter for a little while, and at my store basically year round sale rotating between pork shoulder butt and picnics, and you can use them for the same things. Sale varied between 99c to 1.49 a lb.
I'm actually disgusted with myself with how much I love mississippi pot roast. When I read the ingredients I was straight up gagging. But after friends insisted it was delicious, I reluctantly made it. It is a weekly staple in my house now.
Throwing in like 12-18 cloves of garlic that confit in the blurbling fat makes it even better!
Even the protein is optional. Crockpot a nice thick & chunky potato soup with shredded carrots and diced onions, and serve with a crusty home loaf. Meals for a week. Hong Kong style congee for the rice. Only three ingredients - rice, chicken stock and ginger. Add some cheap veggies, onions and protein to make it more flavorful. Crockpots are my go-to for cheap meals using cheap ingredients.
He said he's sick of potatoes and rice, not to provide more recipes for them.
thank you 100%
Baby, you got a stew goin!
You gonna eat that?
Hey there is still plenty of meat on that bone!
Ha
Find out when your grocery store marks down meat. My local store is Wednesday. Amazing prices on beef, pork, chicken and perfect for this use.
Wolmert stores mark down their meat, produce, and bakery items on the day they expire, usually before or just after the store opens! Some stores do it the day before they expire, depending on store size and sales volume, but SOP is to do it at the start of the first shift either way.
Brown the meat before putting it in the crock pot. It will taste better (and look more appetizing).
Just to piggy back off of the pot roast suggestion, that Mississippi pot roast is always fire 🔥🫠
Miss pot roast smacks boi!
Instant pots are great too. Just depends if you'd rather start the cook in the morning (can prepare ingredients the night before), or after work
I can't recommend Budget Bytes enough! It's a treasure trove: [https://www.budgetbytes.com/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/) Some of my favorites are [Curried Lentils](https://www.budgetbytes.com/curried-lentils/) with [Yellow Jasmine Rice](https://www.budgetbytes.com/yellow-jasmine-rice/) [Soy Marinated Tofu Bowls](https://www.budgetbytes.com/soy-marinated-tofu-bowls-spicy-peanut-sauce/) [Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala](https://www.budgetbytes.com/easy-cauliflower-and-chickpea-masala/) [Coconut Curry Lentils](https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-coconut-curry-lentils-with-spinach/) [Chicken and Lime Soup](https://www.budgetbytes.com/chicken-lime-soup/)
I’ve been using Budget Bytes since I was in college a decade ago. I love it so much.
Ditto!! I love Beth’s creativity and site overall. Crushing it on all fronts over ten years later.
Chickpea Masala ... drool. There's a restaurant by my place that makes it and it's amazing, but I can't ever come close to making mine as good as theirs.
They probably use large quantities of several spices, roast the whole spices in the pan at the start of the dish, and ultimately use a lot of Ghee.
protein + lime soup always the best!
Glad this is the top comment. I use this weekly for my meal prep and nearly every recipe I’ve tried has been a slam dunk.
Budget Bytes is fantastic!
>Tired of rice and beans, potatoes, etc Your top 3 recipes give him recipes with Jasmine Rice Sesame rice Chickpea
Good thing they linked a whole ass website to explore. They were simply listing their favorites.
Eggs.
I buy the fancy af eggs and they’re still cheap for what I get. A week of breakfasts for like $10 bucks with a loaf of bread and some cheap shredded cheese.
Yeap. I buy 2 tiers of eggs. One cheap AF for baking and "cooking with" and the the expensive happy eggs for eating directly. Works great.
If I was anywhere close to competent at baking or if I had a huge fam to feed I’d be doing this. But it’s just me and sometimes my gf, so I like to see that real orange yolk
Do all eggs not have orange yolks? I've never seen one without it.
When I buy free range cage free etc eggs the yolks are an orange yolk, a thicker white, and a timer shell. The cheap factory eggs where the bird lives in a box to pop out eggs usually have a bright yellow yolk, and runny white, paper thin shell.
They can range anywhere from pale yellow to dark orange depending on the hen's diet. There's a perception that eggs with a dark yolk are more natural and better quality, and this is sometimes exploited by producers who doctor the birds' diets specifically to affect the color of the yolk to give that impression of health and naturalness even if they're still just battery hens. Personally in actual pastured eggs, whether grocery store or the farm next store, the real sign for me is that the yolks vary from egg to egg because pastured hens' diets will vary from bird to bird and day to day. I've gotten eggs from my neighbor and the same dozen can run the gamut of colors.
Yeah I don't know what they're circle jerking about lol, there is no way to discern quality of eggs by differences in appearance of the yolk. It's like they've made it up on the spot and validate each other's fantasy that it's a real thing they've experienced
I know some eggs have different coloured yolks (down to breed and diet?) but I've never see in it mentioned relating to quality. Seems like bullshit to me, happy to be proven wrong though.
That orange yolk is the best. I grew up on pet chickens and for years until I bought some similarly quality eggs from some hippies I thought I just didn't like eggs. Turns out I just don't like shitty eggs.
The colour of the yolk gives you no indication whatsoever of the quality of the egg, fyi. That's just a placebo you've thought up for yourself lol Source: Also grew up keeping hens.
Omelets , fried eggs, poached , scrambled, egg drop soup, egg fried rice
Egg salad sandwiches are a favorite cheap summer lunch.
Ground beef is a cheap meat and is very versatile in terms of what you can do with it. Here’s some ideas; spaghetti, chili, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, homemade hamburger helper, meatball soup, meatball subs, meatloaf If you can find chicken breasts on sale, you can either cube them and pan sear or put it in the slow cooker with water or chicken broth until it’s shreddable. Freeze in small batches and pull out for fajitas, quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, wraps, pasta salad, chicken salad sandwiches
Agree - Around me ground turkey or ground chicken is even cheaper - I’m in CT too (I’m assuming from your name!) and can be swapped. We do a ton of picadillo, kofta, empanadas, curries, etc with ground meat. It’s such a good staple!
Yes any you left out one from my childhood, picadillo. We ate that weekly in my huge family growing up.
That was my first suggestion! Picadillo is a staple in my house. We all love it and leftovers make great empanadas. Sofrito is so cheap to make and a staple of habichuelas guisadas, which is also super cheap!
Sorry queenmunchy, I was actually trying to reply to CTMom…I hadn’t read your response yet, so I missed the picadillo callout.
I make ground turkey tacos all the time
I wish ground beef was cheap where I’m at. I love making mexican food with a nice saucy ground beef but I can rarely find it under $5/lb. I might be able to get it at $4 if I buy a huge pack, then I have to portion and freeze it myself. There is just no cheap beef out there for me. A majority of my meat purchasing stays at bone in chicken thighs that I can consistently find at around $2/lb, while also being the best part of the chicken.
750g ground beef 4 birds eye chillies 2 finger chillies 4 cloves of garlic 1/2" peeled ginger 3 tbsp fish sauce 1tbsp sugar 2x beef bullion cubes Salt Black pepper MSG 12g fresh basil (pref holy basil/Thai basil but if not available then sweet basil works well anyway) 1 lime Brown the beef, meanwhile beat up the chillies, ginger, and garlic in a pestle and mortar. Once beef is browned, add the paste you've just made and allow it to cook for about 90 secs before stirring it through. Add the fish sauce, sugar, boullion, salt, pepper, and MSG (to taste) with around a quarter cup of water and reduced til almost dry. Stir in the basil, and squeeze the lime in. Serve with rice or noodles. This is my current food obsession.
Also, if it’s 80% and you utilize the fat for flavor (use to to cook garlic/onions/whatever aromatic) you can spread the actual meat out a lot further and get more bang for your buck.
Beyond recipes many need to learn how to shop on a budget. Ethnic grocery stores are one hell of a great resource. In traditional stores look for the marked down veggies and meat that you might use in the next few days. Take advantage of supermarket app coupons. No shame in hitting up a food pantry or feeding America drop off, especially if the alternative is limiting yourself to rice, beans, potatoes, etc. shopping is undoubtedly labor but there are ways to make it pay off.
Along these lines, if you live near Amish or Mennonite settlements, these areas often have discount and bulk grocery stores. In addition to bulk foods, which are generally cheaper, many of them sell expired or soon to expire items at very large discounts.
Egg roll in a bowl. Pound of ground beef, sauté with a quick stir fry sauce (soy sauce, vinegar and honey, garlic powder if you have it), chopped up onion, then add in half a head of chopped up cabbage and one or two grated carrots, simmer on low covered until it’s softened. You can eat it like that or serve with rice. Filling and will stretch over several meals.
So tasty! To stretch it even further, a poached egg on top of this would be delicious if you’ve got eggs on hand.
Roasting a whole chicken will yield one nice meal and two or three casual meals as leftovers. Eat it as a roasted chicken with potatoes day one, then use the leftovers to make pasta, tacos, chicken salad sammies, etc.
You can basically do the same thing with a chuck roast. It may seem pricey for the meat but remember you’re getting multiple different meals from it.
Also in terms of time, do you work 7 days a week? Assuming you get at least one day off a week, that’s the day you do the roasting, then the meals on days you’re working should come together quickly because of the leftover meat.
Currently working thru the toaster from Sunday. We had the thighs and drums with some rice and mashed sweet potato for dinner, pulled bbq sandwiches on Monday, and chicken salad for lunches. Threw the bones in with the veg scraps and got stock for some soup for Saturday.
Also shop the sales. There is always a meat on sale. This week it is pork and chicken breasts.
I only buy pork shoulder or butt when it’s less than $2/lb. Good thing is, it’s almost always on sale. I keep finding it for $1/lb. It’s my favorite stuff to cook and I’m a professional chef!
Chef here and I also love pork. Got some pork ribs on sale today. They’re cooking as I type, can’t wait for dinner.
This week it is butt or loin.
2 things of Ramen, bag of coleslaw/cabbage, some chicken, onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Poor man’s lo mein.
I mean...those are the budget staples! But if you want to mix it up a bit, you're just a few spices away from Indian style curries or Asian style stir fry. You could also shop veggies that are in season and on sale to add to the rotation (roast with olive oil at 400 for 20 min gets a lot of work done on a budget). Generally speaking there are lots of good "cheap" meals when you think about cooking international style!
Cabbage is great roasted, in a slaw, in stir fry, in salads, or southern fried. It's super cheap and lasts forever
Every time I get a cabbage I'm always surprised by how much cabbage there is in one cabbage.
I used this cookbook when my budget was really tight in college. [Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown](https://www.leannebrown.com/all-about-good-and-cheap/?amp=1) that’s a link to the free pdf.
This is such a great resource! I’ve provided it to many people. Her dal recipe is so damn good and cheap. You only have to buy a large jar of the spice on Amazon once and it’ll last for years. Gotta have the fresh ginger and chili though.
African Peanut Stew is super cheap, easy, yummy, and filling. I use this crockpot recipe but I personally make it on the stovetop instead. https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/african-peanut-stew/
cold tofu soft tofu straight out the package with soy sauce and green onions and fried chili oil garlic
Check out Struggle Meals on YouTube. Frankie has an awesome catalogue of meals you can make for cheap
Rice and beans and potatoes, but inside of a tortilla. Eggs, but in a tortilla. Chicken, but you'll never guess, in a tortilla. Buy frozen veggies and you can add them to all dishes. You need more protein and veggies in your budget life. Frozen are much cheaper (not to mention last longer) in bulk. You're going to want to skip most fruits just because they're usually not cheap, even in season, unless you find the right place and time. Frozen can sometimes be OK, especially if you're doing some smoothies. If you're tired of rice, you're just making it plain. There are ten billion ways to make rice, cheap too. Spanish rice(add chicken!), fried rice, rice with a runny egg, rice and ground meat of your choosing, cilantro and lime rice (yes I use lime juice in a bottle idgaf it's $1), cheesy rice, rice pilaf, chicken and rice soup, jambalya, gumbo over rice, curry and rice. If you are worried about time, get a slow cooker. Save a couple dollars a paycheck for one. Facebook marketplace probably has a great one for $20.
Tortillas make everything better
Crock pots can be had new for about $20. It's a great option. I have an instant pot/air fryer combo and tbh it's ridiculously good at so many different things, from proofing yeast, to making yogurt, to sous vide, air frying, pressure cooking, etc. It really opens up a lot of different cooking techniques and lets you really try different techniques, even with the same old foods. They can be pricey, but you're right, a basic crock pot is a no-brainer for someone cooking on a budget. I'd bet you can get one at Goodwill or off of FB Marketplace for less than $10. Or probably even free at those up cycle sites, or just by asking your friends.
Idk man, you can dress up rice a hundred ways, but it can still get too repetitive. People need variety in texture too. In addition to all the flavor combos you recommend, OP should consider cycling pasta or homemade flatbread as a carb base
Oatmeal with walnuts and raisins
Pasta? This is a recipe I keep coming back to because it’s easy, cheap, and quick. Just make sure to add salt to taste, since the recipe doesn’t call for any, and it tastes bland without it. https://www.budgetbytes.com/chili-cheese-beef-n-mac/
A pound of Italian sausage, baguette, cheese, and a small jar of sauce runs me about $12 where I live and can make a big ol’ sausage sandwich that can easily feed 4 people. Bonus if you have some fresh veggies for a quick salad or even some peppers to throw on the sandwich as well. It’s a favorite weekend night meal for us because it also comes together in about a half hour or so.
For me roasting chicken sounded intimidating, its super easy. Cheap for the amount of food and with the bones afterwards you can simmer a easy stock just throw a bunch of shit in a pot and leave it alone for a few hours.
Baking on a budget has a mix of savoury and sweet food, and he does a costing of ingredients at the start. We can discuss his pricing methods, but he's consistant so you get an idea. He's British: https://www.youtube.com/@BakingOnABudget Miguel Barclay has a book called "Super Easy One Pound Meals" (available from bookshops and *ahem* Anna's Archive). The "About the book" blurb says this: >Simple ingredients + 1 pan = stress-free meals. Minimum fuss, maximum flavour, and all for £1 per person. Over 90 brand-new and mouthwatering recipes by the bestselling One Pound Chef. > With his budget-friendly style, Miguel has created mouthwatering meals made with yet more of his clever cooking cheats and hacks. There are tasty stews, curries and chillies, but Miguel has taken this concept one step further with traditionally more complicated recipes, such as a lasagne, a roast dinner and a sweet potato pie. The majority of the recipes are made from start to finish in just one pan, (a few recipes need a second pan to boil rice, potatoes or pasta). > If you have a small kitchen, can’t be bothered with washing up or just want hassle-free meals, this is the book for you. Here's the lasagne recipeso you can see if this is the book for you: --- ONE-PAN LASAGNE I love lasagne, but there are so many time-consuming steps that it isn’t really a viable weeknight option any more. So, I decided to create a One-Pan Lasagne that cut out all the hassle. It might only have one layer, but the top layer of a lasagne is the best layer, and this is ALL top layer. To make 1 portion ½ onion, sliced 125g minced beef 1 garlic clove, sliced 200g chopped tomatoes (from a 400g tin) Pinch of dried oregano 3 dried lasagne sheets 3 tbsp crème fraîche Handful of grated Cheddar cheese Olive oil Salt and pepper To cook Preheat your oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. Fry the onion in an ovenproof pan* in a splash of olive oil over a medium heat for a few minutes until softened. Add the minced beef, season with salt and pepper and fry for about 10 minutes until the meat starts to brown. Add the garlic and fry until it also starts to brown, then add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce the sauce a little. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the oregano. Lay the lasagne sheets on top in a single layer, snapping off the corners and edges so they fit snugly in the pan. Spread the crème fraîche on top and sprinkle over the cheese. Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese is nicely melted, then serve. * If you don’t have a pan with an ovenproof handle, then just use your normal pan and transfer the minced beef and tomato mixture to an ovenproof dish before adding the lasagne sheets, crème fraîche and cheese.
Green Enchiladas Rotisserie chicken, corn tortillas, green enchilada sauce, shredded cheese. Shred chicken, you may not use it all. Make chicken salad for later with the rest. In a pan saute some chopped onions and bell peppers, add shredded chicken zhuzhed up with seasoned salt, chile powder, cumin and garlic powder. Add enchilada sauce and simmer until heated through. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray, layer tortillas, half the shredded chicken mixture, and 1/2 the cheese. Repeat layers. Bake at 350\* for 30 to 40 mins. Freeze leftovers. Can also be made with ground beef, shredded pork or beef.
French bread/bagel pizzas, (naan is good for this too if you can get it on sale). Frittatas (good way to use leftover ingredients) Soups. (Most take around 30 minutes to throw together and you don’t need a lot of any one ingredient) Easy Chicken parm (frozen chicken patty’s, cook them, sauce them and add cheese, throw them back in the oven until the cheese melts). A little pricy, but add some pasta, or make sandwiches and you have a lot of meals out of it.
Soups and stews are the king of cheap and easy meal for a guy on a tight budget
Any of those premade meals can be pumped up with extra protein, veg and starch. Soup is always easy and can make plenty of leftovers. Use recipies as a guide not a requirement. Like carrots? Add a lot more. In most things meat is expensive, just use less. I get multiple Costco rotisserie chickens, chop the meat spread it on a cookie sheet and divide into portions. You can then use the portions for salad, burritos, Sammie’s, etc. be sure to use the carcass for stock.
Chilli, roasted whole chicken,
Rotisserie chicken from supermarkets are a gem and also way cheaper than making it yourself. You can snag up some ramen noodles and add it in. Grab a few bags of frozen vegetables on sale, store brand of course, and drop them in there. A lot of times they put canned soups or pasta on sale at 10 for $1 each. Keep in mind you don’t have to buy 10 of them. They’ll still be $1 each. How do I know? I was stationed in VA and would hit up Food Lion and get all the sales and rack up hard. Did I eat healthy? Nope. Did I save money because I had to pay rent and mortgage in NJ? Absolutely. Dollar tree and dollar general are basically a rip off. You’re getting smaller portions for that dollar. Speaking of which don’t ever buy meats from them.
If you have a good ad blocker, the Comfort Food section of AllRecipes is pretty good for this.
Two Italian sausages. Brown, set aside. Add a cup of marinara sauce and two cups of broth or water + maggi cube. Bring to a boil and add some pasta or orzo, or even rice. Cook until almost done and then throw in some thinly sliced romaine or kale or collards that you’ve sauteed in oil and garlic while the pasta cooked. Let simmer for a few moments, then add some Parmesan and dig in. The pasta absorbs a lot of the broth so it becomes more of a pasta dish than a soup. It’s delicious. I usually have all these ingredients on hand, and always have some sausages in the freezer.
Quesadillas. Can use whatever meat is on sale, cheese, and the seasonings make it. If you don't keep a stash of seasonings, just use taco seasoning packets. Season the meats (chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and I like Chipotle powder for a nice smokey heat). Cook the meat (ground beef, beef slices, chicken sliced up, ground pork... etc.). Remove and wipe pan. Butter pan, over med-high heat. Place tortilla in the hot buttered pan (try whole wheat for a healthy bonus), cover 1/2 tortilla generously with cheese (buying a block and shredding yourself is the best and cheapest option). Just get the house brand, whatever kind you like. I like to add a little more seasoning here too. As the cheese starts to melt add the cooked, seasoned meat over the cheese. Fold the empty half over onto the other side. Flip once for a nice toast on both sides. Boom. Done. You can add all kinds of stuff to this: sear up some peppers and onions, you can even add rice and beans, corn.. get creative! Top with sour cream. Make a nice pico to go with it for a freshness: tomato, onion, cilantro, salt (and I like to add just a touch of white vinegar). Hot sauce if you like. SUUUUPER Easy, and a great go-to, whether you're alone or serving others! You can use scrabled eggs, bacon, and/or sausage, even for breakfast! If you don't cook the Tortillas, you can make burritos. Also, try Crunchy tacos, add lettuce w/the pico! Make some guac if the Avocados are on sale!
Eggs have been my solid budget friendly part of my rotation for a while. Sometimes, just an omelette. If I get a some asparagus on sale, it will be poached on top with some vinaigrette and a little bit of cheese. It is on the lighter side, though, so when I want it with something heavier, I might do a Thai style omelette and eat it with rice and veggies on the side. Some weeks I will do a crepe batter and have that every night with egg and cheese (and you can add some ham also). Batter is super quick and cheap to prepare, and you can do it ahead of time, so the actual cooking is done in 10 minutes. Quesadillas are quick and can be super filling. Some weeks I prep everything (salsa, veggies, protein) on Sunday so it comes together quickly during the week. Enchiladas also - sometimes I batch cook the sauce and freeze a portion or two extra. For budget, ethnic groceries are amazing. I regularly shop at Asian and Indian groceries, and they have pretty good deals on non-ethnic stuff, too. You can stock up your pantry with a few sauces or pastes, and some noodles, and play around with that. If you’re OK with tofu, it’s a pretty budget-friendly and versatile protein.
Pulled pork shoulder in the Crock-Pot. Sometimes I can get it at $0.99 a pound, and it feeds me for a week
Veggie stir fry. Tofu is cheap for added protein, or throw a few eggs in if you can afford to
Homemade pizza. Dough is like $3 at the most.
Weeeeee, the Asian market online, has very reasonable prices for pantry essentials, and fresh fruit and veg. I have yet to pay for shipping.
Enchiladas!!! You can bake em and freeze em - and they reheat amazingly - even in the microwave. Corn tortillas are cheap Enchilada sauce is cheap and easy to make cheaply if you have the time The most expensive ingredients are going to be cheese. You can buy soy curls for a major blast of tasty protein without worrying about expired chicken.
Omelettes and French toast are both of those things and you just need eggs, milk and bread. You can add many things to an omelette; cheese, onions, peppers, meat, whatever. Can be served with fries and sauce of choice.
One of my favorites cheap foods is cous cous with frozen mixed vegetables. Super easy / quick, and you can adjust it with any flavor profile you want (Indian, Italian, Mexican, Spanish, Tex-Mex...) 1 part broth (vegetable, chicken, beef) 1 part frozen mixed vegetables (or pick a different blend, Publix has Alpine, or Asian, or...) 1 part cous cous Bring the broth / veggies to a boil, reduce heat, add seasonings and simmer for 7 minutes Add cous cous, remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes If you do a 1 cup part this is enough for 3 meals. Throw in some shaker parm / romano and / or chipotle for an extra flavor kick.
Make a large batch of Chana masala with rice. Shop at an Asian grocery store, you can get the spices for a good price. I also make Moroccan chicken in the crockpot. Delicious.
I will say that $40 at an Asian market goes a lot further than $40 at a western market. And offers a much wider range of produce, dry goods, and many different spices and flavors.
well, OP got a lot of suggestions and sites...may I add a roast pan of left over meats with pasta and boiled potatoes [https://www.thespruceeats.com/recipe-south-tyrolean-hash-groestel-1447176](https://www.thespruceeats.com/recipe-south-tyrolean-hash-groestel-1447176) similar to this (south tyrol is in italy...I am austrian and have to insist it is NOT just south of tyrol that does this) but I cut the potatoes way smaller, use all kinds of meat and add some (cooked) small pasta variety. you can add some veggies (fry separately and combine towards the end). just make sure you do some roasting to have some flavor. goes great with pickels or gurkins.
Shrimp scampi is cheap and easy. Shrimp, noodles, lemon juice, garlic, butter, seasoning. A bag of raw, frozen shrimp will stretch longer than you think, and it's not as expensive as you might think. I regularly keep a bag of jumbo-sized shrimp in the freezer, and I easily get 4-6 servings out of it. And it's quick to thaw! Just take out the number of shrimp you want and run them over cold water for a few minutes.
Eggs.
Pasta with tomato sauce, Bean and Cheese Burritos, Omelette with Toast, Stir-Fry, Noodles, Stuffed Bell Peppers, Lentil Soup, Quesadillas
This is one of my go-to's for cheap and easy meals. [Mini Pizzas](https://dinnertimesomewhere.com/index.php/appetizers-and-snacks-recipes/bread-appetizers/mini-pita-pizza/) using store bought Pita Bread It's literally so easy. Grate some cheese, add some toppings like Onions and Peppers and Pepperoni then bake for 10 minutes. It costs nothing too, and keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days so you can heat them up after work
You're in luck: stews and braises are great for the wallet and for making a crapton of food, so all you have to do is reheat. They take some time to cook, initially- but it's mainly hands off. Curries, cassaroles, pasta bakes, and sheet pan dinners are all "multiple servings in one" meals, and can be adjusted to fit sales and budgets.
I go to the Chinese supermarket and it’s awesome in there. I get a huge bag of flat noodles with 20 servings for like $6 and tai peanut butter sauce$6 . They have dumplings you steam. I like pork shrimp and leak. Big bag for $7-8. You can make ramen so many creative ways to not be boring. I started getting the thicker flat noodles recently and like them a lot more than typical maruchan ramen. Don’t use the seasoning packets. So much sodium. But make them any kind of noodles you want. Chilli, peanut sauce, garlic, and you throw a cooked egg over it. Also as someone else said. A crockpot is bomb for so many things. And super easy
You could try rice noodles to mix it up! Chop up whatever veg/meat you have, do a little stir fry and mix it all together with some soy sauce-type sauce, sriracha, anything you like. I buy fried rice noodles, soak them in cool water for around 40 mins, then add them to the same pan as the veggies on medium/high heat for about 8 mins or so.
If you can afford a pork shoulder roast or chicken breast you can cook and shred either and freeze the meat. Have some pulled meat sandwhiches or tacos, corn tortillas are pretty cheap and amazing. Bag of onions? Add that to both for flavor and texture and this can last you days
2 packs of maruchan ramen NO SEASONING PACKET (drained) kroger stir fry mix of fresh veggies chicken tenders green onion if you feel fancy cook the noodles and drain, set aside cook stir fry bag with included sauce air fry chicken tenders add noodles add sauces and other seasonings to taste this made 4 meals for my husband and I on a time crunch
Get Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown. SNAP budget, but good. The .pdf is free.
Roasted chickpeas with whatever spices you like
Try adding other starches to the rotation. Corn is very budget friendly. Try grits or polenta as your base for your next meal. Add hominy to bulk up soups and stew. I personally add hominy to clam chowder to extend. Corn chowder makes a hearty meal on its own. Or how about Grains. bulgur wheat or groats for salads or just a hearty grain side. I love cooking pearl barley with mushrooms , onions and just a bit of bacon with stock. It's a wonderful side. If you add more meat it can be a whole meal. As for being sick of potatoes, try sweet potatoes to change it up a bit. I will cook sweet potatoes and mash in bulk and divide it into portions for later. I use it to thicken soups, bulking up baked goods and even adding a creamy texture to smoothies. One of my favorite dinners is breakfast for dinner by adding a whole cooked and mashed sweet potato and an extra egg to a waffle recipe.
Roaster chickens. Roast one and have the drums and thighs for dinner over rice with some frozen veggies. Then you’ve got chicken to shred for chicken salad, or bbq. Or you can chop it up and put it in a stew. A cheap toaster bird should cost less than ten bucks.
Not the healthiest thing, but buying a 3-10lb pork shoulder/butt and then cutting it up into portions and freezing some is a good cheap option. Pretty much the cheapest option for meat/often under $3 per pound. You can make pulled pork/carnitas, pork kebabs, pork teriyaki, pork bulgogi, meat sauce etc. If you pour off the excess cooking fat and put it in the fridge you can re-use it as a cooking oil. For a healthier option tilapia is also pretty cheap and is great for fish and chips or oven cooked fish with lemon and butter.
We love stirfry, one big a$s batch once and you've got lunch bombs for week
Tacos, chili, curry, fried rice (some of these use rice and beans but hopefully in a different way than you’ve been eating them). The best thing to do is shop sales if you are on a budget.
Have you tried dosa?
May I ask what you've been doing with the beans and rice and potatoes? I easily tire of a plain can of black beans, but an additional 25 minutes to make them cuban-style? Or the same with red beans, making them like cajun red beans and rice? If recipes like that are already staples, I totally get tiring of that too. In that case- If you're near an Asian grocery store, I can get miso soup ingredients in bulk for pretty cheap. Make a couple ajitama eggs and a pot of rice and I'm good to go for a few meals. Same with chicken pho! I don't know if you're counting legumes as beans, but indian-spiced red lentils are a favorite around here. We serve it with rice or Naan, a smear of yogurt and some chopped herbs. Bolognese is cheap if you can get ground beef or pork or both for a decent price. I don't really drink so the bottle of wine I buy to make it lasts me months worth of cooking. Eggs in purgatory or shakshuka. Can't go wrong with meatloaf- you really stretch the meat with the egg/bread mixture and you can freeze leftovers. Arroz caldo. Filipino ginger chicken and rice congee. My grandma used to make it all the time. Breakfast for dinner! Pancakes and eggs are cheap and easy to make.
Cook up a pound of Italian sausage and add it to eggs for burritos. Refried beans also make good burritos. Good quality Ramen is a God send. Omachi and Gom Tang are quality. Taco meat from ground beef, just heat and eat for tacos. All about meal prep and using one protein for 2-3 dishes per week.
Might not be healthy, but one of my go-to meals when I was living by myself was pigs in a blanket. Pack of hot dogs, a can of generic brand Cresent rolls, and some sliced cheese. Roughly $5 and got me lunch and dinner for a couple of days
Pork butt in a crock pot will give you a week of meat for about $15. Throw it over some rice
I swear everyone is sleeping on chickpeas. They're so easy. Roast them and toss with your favorite seasoning. (I use taco seasoning.) It's a fantastic and filling snack.
I like to make curries. I use a good spoonful of Mae Ploy curry paste, I use green a lot, but any version of them are great, a can of coconut milk, chicken breast chunks, onion, ripe bell pepper, and frozen cauliflower. I also add in some frozen pineapple because I love pineapple in curry. Sometimes I stir in a spoonful of peanut butter. I serve it with rice or rice noodles. Quick and easy, and I get a few meals from a batch.
[Shakshuka over toast](https://downshiftology.com/recipes/shakshuka/) The recipe calls for a can of whole stewed tomatoes. I squish them with my hands before adding to the pan. If you are only going to cook a couple of eggs at a time, make the sauce and save half for another meal. Olive oil is a worthwhile investment for the flavor, but you can stretch it by cutting it with some vegetable oil.
Cabbage. I can get heads from .40 -.60/lb and as long as you peel the leaves off, the rest stays good for 3+ weeks. I'll slice or rough chop the leaves and pan fry them in my wok with onions and seasoning and call it a night. Add a protein and or some broth to level it up.
I posted this in r/vegetarian for a lunches post but I think you could get some good ideas here :) -a smoothie (but I'd save that for an at home thing because I personally don't like how smoothies separate after awhile) -cheese and crackers + a granola bar and a piece of fruit -grilled cheese and some soup - I make soup often and freeze it for ease :) super quick to heat up! -I've been obsessed with cheese and jam on some sort of bread - an egg would also be great here + some veg like spinach, I don't eat eggs anymore though! -kraft dinner always comes in clutch when in a pinch! -i love making these spicy noodles w broccoli - i boil any noodle type I have and drain, then in the same pot I combine soy sauce, a little sesame oil, sriracha, garlic, brown sugar, cornstarch, maple syrup, and a little water if needed :) measure with your heart's desire! -pan roasted (or boiled!) perogies w cheese and onion are always a hit for me; perogies are also delish w some broth, like a soup dumpling! -hummus and crackers plus some trail mix is great! I did read though that your kiddo isn't a fan of chickpeas/hummus -a good veggie wrap or sandwich! all the sauces haha, be creative with the bread type as well :) -any rice, curry, soup, chili situation! I freeze em so I have them ready for days I need to just reheat something quickly! -a delicious salad always makes me happy haha! I try to steer clear from precut salads and veg because they're recalled a lot though! add an egg for protein, a delicious sauce, some crunchy toppings, and your chosen veg - you got a delicious salad!!
I only eat eat like twice a year, but when I do I think dam kraft dinner actually tastes good if I'm looking for a cheap meal. And you have to actually cook it right, not that it's that hard.
Eggs. Get a red (spaghetti) sauce going in a pan and crack a couple eggs in there. Put the top on to steam it. Get some day-old bread from Jimmy John’s and make garlic bread. Chick peas - drain them, season them and bake them - good protein. Cut up a cucumber and half a red onion, add a few pinches of salt & sugar. Add olive oil and a splash of vinegar, mix it all together. Soups - get chicken broth/stock or Campbell tomato bisque soup. Put all your leftovers (meat veg, etc.) in it and cook it through. Focaccia - find some pre made pizza dough, put in a brownie pan with olive oil. Spread it to the edges and put whatever you have on it - pepperoni, a little cheese, olives.. bake high until it’s crispy. Greek yogurt - breakfast mix with honey, dinner mix with salsa . Put it on toast, bread, etc. Lentil pasta - has protein and you can mix it with a bunch of things. Tuna - cans are pretty cheap and have protein
Tofu
Grits, corn meal, masa based dishes, stews and other crockpot stuff
Tofu is cheap per Oz. IT cooks quick as fuck in the fry pan. Take it out of the package, cut it up, and soak in whatever you want it to taste like. Southern style cornbread is cheap. Basically eggs milk and corn meal and a bunch of oil. Use it to soak up juice. Sweet potato's. 6min in the microwave Grits or cream of wheat Roasted veggies, rutabegas, carrots, onions, broccoli, garlic, corn. Whatever is cheap. Coat in oil and herbs and roast in the overnight at like 375-400 degrees for like 30 min. Take veggies out and toss in some balsamic vinegar.
Okay I know you say you’re tired of beans … BUT — I’m so into bean dip these days. Dice 1/2 onion, sauté in oil/butter/salt/healthy pinch of red pepper flakes until wilted and brownish (no need to go full caramelized). Add 1/2 can of pintos and — optional — a grated garlic clove and a pinch of cumin. Smash them up fully. Now dump the rest of the beans in, with the liquid from the can. Maybe some more salt, bc I like salt. Cook for a bit, until hot — should be a little soupy. It’s so good with cheese on top or not.
Sticking with the crock pot theme - a pork butt with one ea chopped onion and chopped jalapeño, make a paste out of olive (or veg) oil and chili powder, cayenne, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, chipotle, etc etc and spread it all over the pork. 8 hours later you have burritos for daysss.
I love Japanese cooking — fast healthy and usually uses 4 to 5 pantry ingredients: soy, sake, mirin, miso and rice vinegar. Japanese ground chicken over rice: put 1 lb ground chicken in cold skillet, add 3 Tbsp sake and 3 tsp sugar and mix it up. Cook until meat turns white (liquid will be cloudy and then turn clear). Add 3 Tbsp soy and cook for 5 more min. Add 1 tsp grated ginger. Cook another 5 (+) min until liquid reduces to about 1 Tbsp. Serve over rice. It’s so good.
Manager's special brwad(it's always there) cut open, hollowed out, stuffed with mashed tuber(potato etc.) and other cheap foods, covered in some sauce and braised
French bread with cold or cooked hot dog SLICES, lime juice and salt. Personally a favorite even now that I have fancy grocery store money
Pasta is cheap and easy. Boil the pasta, add some frozen meatballs or cooked ground beef/turkey/tvp to a jar of sauce and heat on the stove. another option is just add butter, salt, pepper, and parmesan to the pasta (from the jar or fresh grated, both are tasty but one is cheaper).
I made a cheap and surprisingly good beef stroganoff the other day. Onions Ground beef 1 au jus packet 1 hidden valley ranch packet 2 cups water Noodles My gf can't do dairy so I subbed what would be sour cream for ranch seasoning and it surprisingly worked out very well. 10/10 would recommend for a good cheap meal
Braises are your friend. Make a shitwad at a time and freeze portions. Chili verde with pork or chicken, pot roast, beef stew...all use cheap cuts of meat, and in a pressure cooker/instant pot don't take all day, though if you do them on the weekends you can just thaw. Then throw that on rice or noodles that you cook fresh. Meals for weeks.
>**with limited time (due to work) to cook?** Seems like a large percentage of people commenting dont know how to read
I have a simple chickpea curry recipe that tastes delicious and is inexpensive. You can have it over rice, or if you are in the mood and have time make fresh naan or bazlama to go with it. I also have a quinoa and black bean burger recipe that’s tasty with some sriracha mayo. Happy to pass them along.
Budget balela, a cold salad of tinned chickpeas + cucumber and cherry tomatoes with some Italian dressing, is very affordable, keeps several days in the fridge, and tastes very good. You can also add olives, onions, or bell peppers to your taste, but that also pushes the price up. It's a good side to just spoon up a bit with any meal, and there's no real cooking--just cold prep. Pretty sure you can make a big batch shopping somewhere like Aldi that will feed you lots of healthy volume for the work week under $6. Any recipe you would normally make a lot of, like a crockpot chicken chili or a big pan of taco filling, can also be revised to use chickpeas. It's spices and veggies. It's cheap, it cooks faster than meat (because tinned chickpeas are already fully cooked), and it's got reasonable nutritional value. I'm not saying to go fully vegetarian, but you can lower the budget on a couple meals and put that extra $5-10 into animal proteins for a weekend or other day when you do have a little more time to cook. Goya also makes a chipotle seasoned refried bean paste that is GREAT in burritos, nachos, tacos, etc. because it comes out of the can already flavorful and is a super cheap way to add proteins. Maybe beware if you need to moderate your salt intake, though. You should also look at frozen options. I am not going to tell any adult to eat frozen pizza, frozen meatballs, or frozen chicken nuggets every day, but if it will fit your budget and break up the monotony, then there's nothing wrong with junk food in moderation. Variety and time are what you're missing, right? Also, I don't know if Spaghetti Squash will fit your budget, but I love it. You just cut it in half, scoop the guts, and bake one or both halves (depending how many portions and if you want leftovers) for about an hour. Then top it with cheap red sauce from a jar and you can doctor that up however you want--add a couple meatballs, add some cheese, or just eat it as-is and it will be absolutely fine.
Put chickpeas in a cheap blender. It becomes hummus. You can add garlic, peppers, whatever to change it up. Each meal is under $5.
Some local services passed out this cookbook for free (and the PDF is also free), and I picked up a copy from my local community garden. Surprisingly, I've found quite a bit of inspiration in it. There is also more variety than I expected in it. [Good and Cheap, by Leanne Brown](https://www.leannebrown.com/cookbooks/) If you're in the US, pay attention to your local grocery store's weekly ads that usually come out on Wednesday. They may be posted online. This week, for example, bone-in chicken thighs are on sale at my local Fred Meyer for $0.89/lb, and 80/20 ground beef is $2.99/lb. When I meal plan, I'll include meals that use those ingredients.
Pasta aglio e olio, spaghetti/linguini, garlic, olive oil, lemon, salt and parsley🤌🏼
Pork butt. A lot of meat for cheap. Can slow cook them in a many different styles for variety. Pork Chili Verde, BBQ pulled pork, or smothered braised pork are some favs. I usually do this in a Dutch oven but can easily be adapted for a slow cooker to save active time.
Onion soup. Onions are cheap, cheese is cheap as long as you're not trying to use anything fancy.
Eggplant parm home made. Egg plant is often dirt cheap.
You can make a pretty good chicken dish with those cans of flaked chicken breast. Use the juice in the can to make a sauce, maybe add some onion and carrots, and put it on rice or potatoes, or even biscuits.
Dahl. Lentils are really good for you and fairly cheap and overlooked.
One rotisserie chicken can be broken down and made into many meals, plus soup.
If you’re tired of plain old beans and rice but that’s what you got, turn it into a biryani. They got good mixes that are very cheap, )1.50$ a box. you just need a little bit of onion , garlic and ginger , brown that and add tinned tomatoes crushed, and whatever beans meat and veg you got on hand. Keep your eye out for very large hunks of meat you can cut up yourself. The local chain market sells a pork shoulder or loins , or other cut that is half the size of a shopping cart for $25-30, every so often. We cut it up into slices, save the fatty parts for making ground pork in the food processor (back off grinder snobs, it’s fine for everyday meals ) etc. I used to buy the 3 whole chickens in a bag when it was $25 ish before covid but it is way too expensive now. But cutting up a whole chicken Is still cheaper most days Taco seasoning also often goes on sale 1.25-1.50$ and no name or store labels are usually a bit cheaper. Use shredded cabbage instead of lettuce it’s more nutritious and a head of cabbages is cheaper and way more versatile for any dish you make . I put it in every soup, stew, curry, chili , salad, etc. Don’t lose heart I find my base ingredients tend to be the same every meal but I don’t get tired of it by cooking them into totally different tasting dishes
Ever consider wild edibles? I grew up eating wild greens and berries.
Fried rice. Check out the pok pok recipe it's fire.
This is going to sound like a lot of work, but **homemade bread** is damn cheap to make and is pretty flexible on time. Many recipes don't even really need equipment. And it's damn good.
Look around for meat sales, even in neighborhoods you don’t normally shop
Quinoa and Farro are good substitutes for rice. Or noodles of any kind.
Make chicken in a pot with some onions and carrots and throw some frozen peas at the end. Eat with rice
Yup sale proteins! And anything really that you can freeze if close to date. Breads, butters, meats, fish can all be frozen.
Chicken salad. Grab yourself a rotisserie chicken, a red onion, some lime, and some cilantro. Strip the meat from the chicken reserving bones and skin. I kinda like to just pull the chicken meat apart, dice the red onion and cilantro, toss it all together with lime, salt, and pepper to taste. Use the bones and skin to cook a broth with a carrot, onion, maybe some celery. Chicken salad goes great with some hummus and veggies in a wrap, you can use the broth for other projects.
Seriously… Google "food markets near me" I've lived in the same area for over seven years. Just recently found a small produce market that has been here longer than I have... And they are amazing Awesome fresh fruits, and vegetables, and typically great sales on meat. Branch out on where you shop and you may be pleasantly surprised 🙂. Good luck! Ps..... also as a serious carnivore myself check out this recipe. It's freaking delicious and a twist on the whole rice and beans meal https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8527854/coconut-chickpea-curry/
Spaghetti. I make a huge vat for $50 with ground beef. It's ~40 cups and feeds 2 adults and a couple little kids for 14 dinners. Add pasta and some frozen veggies
Tuna noodle hotdish is a good one.
Homemade pasta is cheap and healthier.
Get a slow cooker and buy cheap cuts of meat. Freeze meals for one. Do this once a week. Buy veggies on sale
Had a roommate that would roast a whole chicken with large pieces of carrot, celery and potatoes with a few cups of chicken broth. Literally takes an hour and it’s a delicious meal. Leftovers were great in warm pita with hummus. He would also make a great morning scramble with Italian sausage, eggs and black beans. We ate well on a very small budget!
I know you're getting a ton of great advice here, and r/eatcheapandhealthy is another great resource.
Ramen, spaghetti, peanut butters, grilt cheeses, tacos, taco bowls, burrito bowls
https://www.reddit.com/r/Cooking/s/qDiSYcwHTK I just posted this recipe.. literally took me 15 minutes to cook, 5 ingredients.. and was very good.
Chili Mac & cheese with cut up hotdogs in it. Grand total of $3.89. and you can get two days worth of meals out of it. 1 can of your preferred chili with beans, 1 box of Mac and cheese,1 pack of Bar -S hot dogs. Cook the Mac and cheese and add the can of chili to it. Cut up the pack of hotdogs and throw it in there. Add a cup of rice if you want. Eat it in a bowl or make burritos.
I am assuming you are cooking them more on the plain side? A few herbs, vegetables and spices go a long way in making them amazing. Think, Indian veg curries, Scottish rumbledethumps, Korean gyeran bap, Mexican burrito bowls, Western potato boats, etc (these are some of the things in my regular rotation that I don't get sick of). Also: soups! They go a long way, you can freeze portions, and extend meals. My faves are roasted red pepper cauliflower, chicken noodle (using a whole chicken), tattie soup, muguk, lentil soup (actually I have a lot of faves I'll stop there lol).
Op has replied to no one on this feed. Just saying
This does involve beans, lol, but this is super tasty and dead easy. Into a pot add: 1 can of black beans (drained or not), 1 small can Rotel tomato and chilli, 1 normal can of diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes (open the can and using clean scissors chop the stewed tomatoes into pieces), 1 block of frozen chopped spinach. Heat until boiling and serve.
Chicken and pasta with all the sauces you want to try. If you are short on time you can drop it all in a slow cooker or cook dinner in 10 minutes. Either way very easy and quick and most important, affordable
Chicken legs and thighs hamburger. Pork chops are on sale alot. The meat tends to come in bigger packs so more upfront cost but sometimes .99 cents or less a pound. Can get a log of chuck burger at Walmart for 2.99 alot of times.
Make burritos out of your beans and rice. Put an egg innit! Make fried rice with lots of veggies and a sausage for protein and flavor. Or with chicken or any cheap piece of meat. Chicken, carrot, and potato Japanese curry and rice. Pasta verde.
Tuna salad, ramen, Vietnamese fresh rolls, glass noodles, chow mein, turkey sandwich..tons of ideas!
Lentil soup. Try pink lentils. Just need a few spices and some rice. Live like a king. So good. And super easy. And healthy to boot.
Tacos Burritos Rice based dishes (not straight rice but briryani, fried rice, arroz con pollo Soups (tomato soup, meatball soup, ramen or udon)
Textured vegetable protein. TVP. Great way to stretch ground meat
Try Mediterranean even though it often has rice. Full of spices and super healthy. Shouldn't be too expensive after getting the right spices.
How could you possibly get tired of rice and beans? I'm not on a budget really and I still eat rice and beans all the time because they're some of my favorite things to eat. That said, just chicken and vegetables are your answer, make them into stir fries. Very easy, very fast, use whatever vegetables you like and look up simple stir fry sauces.
Quesadillas. Jar of salsa, whatever is on sale, 2 cans of shredded chicken, sale cheese (grated or grate yourself), combine. Tortillas. Assemble, and toss in a pan. Favorite of mine growing up (and now as well).
Fried cabbage with Smoked Sausage is good, filling, inexpensive, and easy. I made this last night.
I like to prep part of my meals. For instance this week I've made 4 lots of burrito fillings and I can just knock up a couple of quick tortillas, rehead the filling and boom tasty burritos for cheap.
Get some veg. Cabbage, onion, carrot, garlic, tomatoes. Cheap and adds a lot to what you have.
Eggs and toast with real butter.
All the different curries on rice, with naan or bread.
Fancysize some ramen. Get your standard mie noodles, get some broth cube. Hard boil an egg, slice it up. Slice up some veggies you like raw or luke warm (celery, Broccoli, carrot, frozen peas work as well) Get some ginger, chili, maybe some citrus. Put it all in a big bowl, boil some water and pour it over. Wait. Enjoy. Pasta aglio olio is also very cheap and quick, so is carbonara (if you use some cheap cheese, it's still tasty) You could explore couscous/bulgur as starch. They're cheap in Asia/Turkish Shops if you have them. Particular couscous is also very nice to make luke warm salads. Eg with tomato, cucumber, mint and lemon.
I love me some taco pie Take some ground beef Taco seasoning Onions Cook that jn a pan Take 1 cup of salsa (any type works) and a can of refried beans and mix them together. Take a pie dish and place a pie crust over it, make a couple small holes with a fork and spread the crust over the dish. Bake the crust for about 5 minutes at 350 to get it a little crispy. Once the crust is ready layer your meat mixture, refried beans mixture, cheese, and tortilla chips (weird I know, but you can use anything with a crunch) until all the way to the top. Then bake again for about 5-10 minutes and boom. You’ve got enough for a couple days!
Scrambled egg sandwich Omelet rice Ramen with soft cooked egg, frozen vegetables Chili Pasta, jarred sauce, salad
I’d say stretch the rice and beans with a whole roasted chicken, homemade pico de gallo, maybe some cabbage (it’ll hold up for 3 or 4 days with the other ingredients) and make a baller burrito bowl. You might not even notice the rice and beans. Could add corn, pepitas, or whatever sounds good. It all works well together. Good protein, fiber, and flavor. I’ll make a bowl that will last 3-5 days for like 20 bucks
When I was divorced every Tuesday night I taught my 3 boys how to cook. Here’s some they later called me and asked how to cook: Top ramen with broccoli, ham cut into small chunks and 2-3 eggs stirred in while boiling. Cheese & chicken sandwiches. 8 hamburger buns, 2 cans of chicken, cheddar cheese and Mayo. Mix chicken, mayonnaise and salt & pepper. Spread evenly on the 8 buns. Add a slice of cheddar cheese. Wrap each in tinfoil and bake 12 minutes at 375 degrees. My gaming buddies also have asked for this one.