• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Cheap Food

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Rice. And look at your supermarkets for sales on various meats and vegetables. A costco membership could also be a great investment if you're looking to buy / make in bulk. Maybe get a friend to get in on the deal.
 
Originally posted by: Mwilding
Make any of the following in large batches and save your left overs.

Bolognese Sauce
Curry (gets better over time)
Soup
Stew

If you invest in some decent serving sized tupperware now, you can use your microwave to defrost one meal at a time. You'll eat well and cheaply using this method.
Click to expand...

That reminds me, I could make some Thai Chicken in a big batch and that would last for a few days and be yummy!! Thanks.
 
Spagetti is a good one....not a big fan of Ragu. I've always just gotten Prego Garden Mushroom sauce. Any other sauces I should try?
 
Hamburger Helper and Chef Boyardee are a bit too rich for my blood.

I lived off of a $100 grocery run for kroeger for 3 weeks, and still got some stuff left here and there.. next time i am gonna trying to cut it down to $80 🙂

potatoes/rice/onion is a good choice as far as price and nutrition goes. i also suggest frozen/canned veggies if you are a lazy bum like me and hate time-consuming cooking.

things i cook most often are cheesemelt with pepperoni slices, veggie stew, chicken breast sandwitch and japanese curry. all these take less than 15 minutes of your time to cook (less depending on how you are cutting your ingridients) and are nutritionally complete.
 
Originally posted by: VanillaH
Hamburger Helper and Chef Boyardee are a bit too rich for my blood.

I lived off of a $100 grocery run for kroeger for 3 weeks, and still got some stuff left here and there.. next time i am gonna trying to cut it down to $80 🙂

potatoes/rice/onion is a good choice as far as price and nutrition goes. i also suggest frozen/canned veggies if you are a lazy bum like me and hate time-consuming cooking.

things i cook most often are cheesemelt with pepperoni slices, veggie stew, chicken breast sandwitch and japanese curry. all these take less than 15 minutes of your time to cook (less depending on how you are cutting your ingridients) and are nutritionally complete.
Click to expand...


I've never fixed curry before, but you're the second to suggest it. I take it if I google curry there are tons of recipes, right? I'll have to give it a try.
 
Originally posted by: NissanGurl
Spagetti is a good one....not a big fan of Ragu. I've always just gotten Prego Garden Mushroom sauce. Any other sauces I should try?
Click to expand...
Pick any generic jar of spaghetti sauce and turn it into GOOD sauce.

Saute a medium chopped onion and some fresh garlic in a little bit of olive oil. Add 1lb of ground beef and brown the beef. Drain most but not all of the grease and add a LARGE jar of store bought sauce and simmer on low/medium until hot. Add some basil and oregano right before serving to further liven it up (but don't let it cook in)

This will make you some great sauce. Freeze the leftovers...
 
Originally posted by: NissanGurl
Spagetti is a good one....not a big fan of Ragu. I've always just gotten Prego Garden Mushroom sauce. Any other sauces I should try?
Click to expand...


Buy any of the name brand sauces that are on sale. Spice them up with extra garlic powder, diced peppers, 'shrooms, oregano, whatever. You should be able to buy good pasta at 3-4 pounds for a buck and get 26oz jarred sauces for about a buck. Toss in 50 cents worth of spices or extra veggies and you can get 2 big meals out of less than $2.

And pasta can be used to stretch out other foods as well. Mix a pound of pasta with a can of Chunky Soup or even chili and that'll be good for a couple of meals.
 
Originally posted by: Mwilding
Make any of the following in large batches and save your left overs.

Bolognese Sauce
Curry (gets better over time)
Soup
Stew

If you invest in some decent serving sized tupperware now, you can use your microwave to defrost one meal at a time. You'll eat well and cheaply using this method.
Click to expand...

You can eat cheap and good with a crock pot. Invest in one.

The cheap food that only provides a single meal is CRAP. See above list (PB&J, Ramen, rice, etc.). You can go nearly as cheap if you make food in mass (4-6 servings). Think about lasagna type dishes. Almost all pasta dishes save well.

Look into the cost/meal, not the overall cost. Of course you are going to spend $15 making this kind of food, but when it lasts 6 meals it's worth it.

All depends on "how cheap" you want to eat. Hard to beat ramen noodles at a few pennies/cup, but it taste like cardboard after a while (I see you have gone through your "ramen" time and refuse to go back, me too 😉 ).
 
Bean and rice burritos

1 Can Refried beens $1
2 cans red beans $1.50
1 can black beans $0.75
10 flour tortillas $2
1 cup brown rice $0.25
salsa/hot sauce $1

10 meals for $6.50 at the most

I usually stock up when beans, salsa are on sale; and when tortillas go on sale for $1 -- that's burrito week.

Also, potatoes with anything -- 10lbs/$1 is common sale price; brown rice $1/bag is common sale price; white rice is even cheaper (for stir fries)
 
Originally posted by: NissanGurl
Originally posted by: VanillaH
Hamburger Helper and Chef Boyardee are a bit too rich for my blood.

I lived off of a $100 grocery run for kroeger for 3 weeks, and still got some stuff left here and there.. next time i am gonna trying to cut it down to $80 🙂

potatoes/rice/onion is a good choice as far as price and nutrition goes. i also suggest frozen/canned veggies if you are a lazy bum like me and hate time-consuming cooking.

things i cook most often are cheesemelt with pepperoni slices, veggie stew, chicken breast sandwitch and japanese curry. all these take less than 15 minutes of your time to cook (less depending on how you are cutting your ingridients) and are nutritionally complete.
Click to expand...

I've never fixed curry before, but you're the second to suggest it. I take it if I google curry there are tons of recipes, right? I'll have to give it a try.
Click to expand...
Go find a store that sells Patak's Curry paste (or one of their other pastes).

Saute an onion, brown some slice chicken breast, add some paste and a can of chopped or stewed tomatoes and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

You can vary this recipe in a hundred ways...

Add partially boiled potatoes, use beef cubes instead of chicken, dump in some mixed frozen veggies, etc...
 
Originally posted by: Mwilding
Originally posted by: NissanGurl
Originally posted by: VanillaH
Hamburger Helper and Chef Boyardee are a bit too rich for my blood.

I lived off of a $100 grocery run for kroeger for 3 weeks, and still got some stuff left here and there.. next time i am gonna trying to cut it down to $80 🙂

potatoes/rice/onion is a good choice as far as price and nutrition goes. i also suggest frozen/canned veggies if you are a lazy bum like me and hate time-consuming cooking.

things i cook most often are cheesemelt with pepperoni slices, veggie stew, chicken breast sandwitch and japanese curry. all these take less than 15 minutes of your time to cook (less depending on how you are cutting your ingridients) and are nutritionally complete.
Click to expand...



I've never fixed curry before, but you're the second to suggest it. I take it if I google curry there are tons of recipes, right? I'll have to give it a try.
Click to expand...
Go find a store that sells Patak's Curry paste (or one of their other pastes).

Saute an onion, brown some slice chicken breast, add some paste and a can of chopped or stewed tomatoes and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

You can vary this recipe in a hundred ways...

Add partially boiled potatoes, use beef cubes instead of chicken, dump in some mixed frozen veggies, etc...
Click to expand...

Thanks 😀
 
Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Those giant bags of meatballs from a grocery store and a jar of marinara can last a bit.
Click to expand...


I had to read that twice , for some reason I saw "Those giant bags of meatballs from a grocery store and a jar of marijuana can last a bit". ......
 
Originally posted by: NissanGurl
Spagetti is a good one....not a big fan of Ragu. I've always just gotten Prego Garden Mushroom sauce. Any other sauces I should try?
Click to expand...

Paul Newman's is pretty good. Add some ground turkey and maybe some turkey apple sausage also. It lasts quite awhile. Prego is usually on sale though, esp if you can get on double coupon days.

 
beans are good, and you can freeze whats left in smaller, meal type servings. cheap as hell, and easy to season to taste. tyson frozen chicken patties are cheap. you can get a dozen for around $2.50, and they cook in about 1:30 in the microwave. you can also grill up some chicken and freeze it. just pop it in the microwave when you want to eat it. not as good as straight off the grill, but its still good.

for breakfast, look for some frozen pancakes/waffles. my wife buys them for the children. you can pick up 20 for around 2 bucks. go fot the brands in bags, not boxes. their always cheaper, youget more, and they taste the same. ive found, in general, that holds true for just about any frozen foods.

as others have suggested, spaghetti sauce is good to make up in large batches and freeze in servings.
 
My gf makes homemade "jumbo" lasagna that is about 4" thick and 1 piece is all you can manage to eat in a sitting. It's her Mothers recipe and it's the most incredible lasagna you'll ever taste in your life. 1 pan of Lasagna gives 12 enormous pieces, which lasts 12 meals.
 
tomato soup and rice is my favorite cheap meal. cook up a pot of rice and toss in a couple cans of tomato soup. tastes great and makes enough for 3-4 meals (depending on how much rice you cook, naturally).

pasta is another good one. $4 in pasta and sauce and I have enough food to last half the week.
 
Originally posted by: nutxo
Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Those giant bags of meatballs from a grocery store and a jar of marinara can last a bit.
Click to expand...


I had to read that twice , for some reason I saw "Those giant bags of meatballs from a grocery store and a jar of marijuana can last a bit". ......
Click to expand...

Heh... yeah, I imagine the jar of marijuana would tend to make the meatballs not last as long.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top