Recently, I asked BuzzFeed Community members to share their favorite low-budget meals that don’t feel cheap. This is what they have to say:
1.
What I Made Tonight: Bow-tie pasta, bacon, microwaved broccoli, garlic. Use bacon fat and a little butter to heat up the garlic, add broccoli, and pour it directly over the cooked pasta. I have more bacon left over from my breakfasts. So it’s not really ‘expensive.’ A whole meal is $5 and I get myself three or four servings.”
2.
“A traditional Venezuelan meal! It’s delicious, filling, nutritious and incredibly cheap. Start with some simple rice and beans. Then add some aribias. It’s a simple type of bread made with PAN (cooked white corn meal), salt, water and oil that you make on the stove. If you can. Fill the arepas with some protein like meat, eggs or cheese. To complete the meal, add some fried plantain or fried banana if needed. It will only cost a few dollars per serving.”
3.
Black beans are soaked overnight, then cook with water, bay leaf, thyme, chopped green and red pepper, and some garlic until soft. To serve, make rice with water (or chicken broth if available), onion and thyme and then, when rice is cooked, add Chopped cilantro, and serve beans over rice.
4.
“Simple potato soup: You just need a little potato, onion, garlic, broth (chicken or vegetable), cheese, and whatever toppings you want.”
5.
“Zucchini Lasagna: Cut the zucchini into slices and layer it with your favorite pasta sauce (pesto, tomato, etc.). Then add some cheese and put it in the oven for 20 minutes.”
6.
Recipes vary from family to family, but this Lebanese staple of lentils and rice is warm, delicious, comforting, and filling! This recipe is great but crunchy onions shouldn’t be optional; They give the dish more pop. “
7.
“Tuna patties. 1 can of tuna, 1 egg, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix together in a bowl and fry like a crunchy tuna pie. Extremely tasty and nutritious for the cheap.”
8.
“Honestly, when in doubt, I make vegetable burritos. Some grains (rice, quinoa, etc.) with some black beans and canned corn. I also like to add some peppers and sweet potatoes.”
9.
“I like to buy roast chicken and use it for a meal (we often have chicken on a salad for a couple of nights, but you can use it in a variety of ways). After you eat the meat, put the bones and the rest of the fleshy pieces into a cheesecloth bag in a large pot of water and boil for a few hours.”
10.
“My family’s favorite low-cost, low-effort meal is the baked sweet potato topped with chili. It sounds a bit questionable, but don’t knock it until you try it. We’ve used homemade and canned chili for this, and they both work amazingly amazing. You get the protein vegetables, and everything that satisfies your favorite chili toppings in one convenient meal.”
11.
“Vegetable soup! I probably spend about $10-15 max on ingredients and get five or six servings out of it. I live on this as a chef, haha.”
12.
“Add lentils and/or vegetables to ground meat dishes. I’ve been doing this for years with sorrel nuts, tacos, meatloaf, etc. I’ve been doing this to increase the nutritional content and add protein, fiber, and vegetables to my kids’ diets. But now? That’s because Grocery cost. Spinach helps meatballs stay together. Crushed carrots, celery, peppers, and onions add flavor and texture to a meatloaf. Chop lentils with ground beef and spices and nobody is wiser.”
13.
“Not the most balanced meal, but it’s definitely filling and delicious! Pasta cooked in olive oil, with white onions and fresh garlic. Boil the pasta and then add it to the sautéed garlic and onions. Sometimes I add it with black olives if you get it in the fridge (and it lasts forever). It’s all things.” which you already have in the cupboard and can be bought in bulk for cheap; it also takes only 10 minutes to make.”
14.
“Fritatas – you can use leftover proteins and vegetables, cook everything in one pan, and stick it all in the oven.”
15th.
“Chicken and dumplings! If you make them from scratch, they go a long way with leftover chicken broth, bone-in bone broth, and can easily feed a large family or chop and freeze for multiple meals.”
16.
“I’m Indian and I really think rice is a bliss food. Very cheap and you can literally eat it for every meal. Breakfast: Fried eggs with liquid yolk, rice, soy sauce. Lunch: Fried rice with frozen vegetables, old leftover rice, soy/sesame oil sauce, eggs Any meat on hand (or nothing!) Dinner: A can of chickpeas with spice (chana masala) on rice! Truly the best cheap but satiating and healthy meal comes from rice.”
17.
Loaded baked potatoes! Bake potatoes with any number of items. Baked potatoes in a taco with ground beef, onions, jalapenos, sour cream, and avocado. Greek baked potatoes with feta, chickpeas, and Kalamata olives. Curry baked potatoes with powdered curry, peas, and chickpeas… There are many choices one can make depending on what they have at home.It is very versatile and can contain as many or as few ingredients as needed and is very filling.Remember: spices and seasonings are your friend(especially when it comes to giving sour cream flavor extra!)
18.
“Buy a cheap bag of mixed dried peas/beans/lentils, soak overnight, then cook for a few hours with basic curry spices, some paprika (honestly, whatever you want and it will taste good with curry), add some form of fat (coconut milk) or butter) to the curry while it’s cooking. You can also add a little sour cream or yogurt on top of it when you’re done. Make some rice, and add a little fresh chopped veggies or some (really) frozen veggies, whatever you have or is selling one. Voila, You have a meal that costs less than $5 and will last for multiple dinners. And it’s delicious.”
19.
Sweet potato taco boats. Sweet potatoes (or booze, but desserts are especially good) are baked whole with the crust (about 50 minutes at 400), then sliced on top using taco-seasoned black beans, sauce, sour cream, and cheese. So delicious, Incredibly good for you (lots of vitamins and fiber!), and with very little effort.”
20.
“I take a package of hot dogs and cut them into small bite-size medallions. Throw them in a bowl to get a little color on the edges and then add them in a large pot of sauerkraut (drain about two-thirds of the juice) and cook them together until everything is nice and warm. In Sometimes, I pair it with whatever frozen veggie or can of baked beans I have on hand, or we’ll eat it on sausage buns with chips for a quick, cheap dinner.”
21.
“I love making this pasta dish with red peppers and beans. I cook the noodles and beans together until tender, then in a sauté pan, I toss thin strips of red pepper in the oil and paprika over medium heat, then add the beans and pasta in the pan to cover. Season with salt, of course, Then voila! Delicious, cheap, super nutritious, and simmers in about 15 minutes.”
22.
“Macaroni and cheese with tuna and peas mixed together. Also one meal.”
23.
Easy fried rice: 3 cups cooked, cooled rice, 1 bag of frozen vegetables, 2 lightly beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons sesame oil. Heat sesame seed oil in a skillet and sauté the vegetables on the side or remove from pan and mix Eggs. Mix with vegetables, add rice and soy sauce, and cook until heated through. Boom: cheap and easy fried rice.”
24.
“Mix frozen cheese tortellini with some frozen veggies and Italian dressing. Cover and put in the fridge, you’ll thaw at lunch and you’ll have a delicious cold pasta dish! Cheap, easy, and goes well in a kids lunch bag!”
Do you have a favorite low-cost meal? Tell us all about it in the comments!
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