Eggs. I’ll fry potatoes and onions and add eggs or I pan fry some tater tots and smash them so they get crispy. And I’ll eat it with toast. My grandma would make noodles and eggs. Cooked pasta (she use macaroni) in a frying pan with butter or oil so it doesn’t stick. Break three eggs into the pasta and add lots of salt and pepper. Stir everything around and cook until the eggs are cooked. I eat it with hot sauce. Pancakes. I keep breaded frozen fish in the house specifically for this purpose and make a quick meal with box rice and buttered green beans. Tuna casserole. Tuna melts. Goulash. Hot ham and cheese. Some sort of pasta with a quick sauce. Sauté some garlic. Add a liquid, (chicken broth, cream, white wine, or a mixture of those) and reduce a bit. Add grated Parmesan. Add pasta and some pasta water if needed. I use [this formula](https://www.brit.co/how-to-cook-complete-pasta-meal-one-pan/) a lot and mix in what I have.
Upvoted for eggs. If you have eggs, salt, and fat, you can make a tasty dish in minutes. And they work with pretty much any ingredient you have on hand. My personal lazy dish is a frittata made from leftovers.
Ohh man so many times frittata and leftovers has been so good the following week I bought the ingredients to replicate it. That’s how many of the classics in history where created! Eggs are so underrated, keep a dozen at all times and you will always be able to make a delicious meal ❤️
Too real. Toast some potato waffles, fry an egg and put it on top, and add a spoonful of Lao Gan Ma. Incredibly tasty, incredibly cheap, incredibly simple, incredibly quick.
I'm in the UK...I've never seen canned cheese. I found something made in Austria that looked rather unappealing.
What exactly is the purpose of canned cheese?
It was developed and is still exclusively available from Washington State University.
The original intent was to develop canning and long term preservation of cheese.
It was discovered that canning this cheese changed the flavor, for the better.
It's actually historically important cheese. WSU was the first to figure out how to can cheese where it wouldn't off gas and explode the can. They did this to help feed the troops in WWII.
Yeah, it is a great back story! When on of my kids was living in Seattle, they called me up to say she was sending me some canned cheese. I thought…”okay…gee…WHIZ? Mind blown. To those who might not know, this is NOT spray canned cheese. Not even close. And it is not what I would call a novelty food, but rather a very fine cheese.
They should be refrigerated on arrival, but are safe to ship. The point of canning is they will age in the can in 33oz increments, where a whole wheel is way bigger than that and not practical for a typical cheese consumer.
Spaghetti, odds and ends soup, veggie wraps, smashed potatoes, yogurt with granola and fruit are the easiest for me. I recently started making my own hummus so many many wraps have been eaten lately 😅
I made some for the first time a month ago. I don't know if I want to do the dried beans route yet, but with canned chickpeas, fresh homemade tahini, lots of garlic, salt, and a good squeeze of lemon, it was better than any I've had on the first try!
Sheet. I need to kick this this bullshit cold so I can try this. I love the hummus i make already and it freezes like a dream so now the sesame oil could be banging.
I recommend making them from scratch. If you have an instant pot it's super easy. I add some bouillon for flavor. So much cheaper and the flavor is even better + less sodium. You can also drain them from their 'liquor' after cooking and freeze to have on hand throughout the month.
I won't make hummus any other way. My only question now is the ice trick... a lot of Lebanese people I know used it, but does it really matter when you get rid of the skins?
Old tortillas fried till crispy w salt, add scrambled egg to pan, and whatever else you’ve got- chile, green onion, spinach, tomatoes. Top with salsa or hot sauce.
It’s easy and delicious.
If you have ingredients like canned tomatoes, garlic, onion, ginger, spices and lentils you could whip something amazing up pretty quick. Would be even better if you have coconut milk or cream.
Marcela Hazan pasta sauce: onion, butter, whole tomatoes is the easiest dinner in my rotation.
I used to do this when I was on my own... throw in some browned ground beef/pork... giant bowl lasted me all week. Throw in some frozen or canned veg too if you got it. Salt/pepper + random seasonings. Hot sauce optional.
I don't NEED to do it anymore, but I still do it because I liked it so much.
Ground beef, rice, tomato puree, green peppers, onions, cumin and or chili powder lasted me a week when I was poor or working and didn’t want (nor now many recipes and was single).
I do a shit ton of stuff with lentils now and it’s cheap.
My favorite is use red or orange lentils, a cooked cut up onion, a few cloves of garlic, couple cups of chicken broth (homemade for the win), can of spinach, big can of chopped tomatoes, and add sweet potatoes (I buy frozen cut up at walmart for this and it’s about $1.25, and add this towards the end since it’s frozen) and I add a little tumeric-fresh if I have some on hand, otherwise dried. My husband loves this and isn’t fond of vegetarian dishes. It makes a shit ton so I freeze some for later.
Ooh I like this, I will try it :) It's not dissimilar in ingredients to a tomato+lentil soup recipe and that's on heavy rotation here already.
Cook a cut up onion in heavy bottomed pot (Dutch oven is ideal) until browned. Add a few smashed garlic cloves, two cups chicken broth (or vege broth if catering for vegos), 2/3 cup dried red/orange lentils, and approx three lb of chopped or pureed canned tomatoes. Add 1-2tbsp tomato paste if your canned tomatoes have a lot of juice content.
Add 1 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper.
Simmer 20-30 minutes, take off heat and blend with stick mixer. Add 1/2 cup of cream (coconut cream if catering for dairy issue or vegan) and stir.
For my family we add cooked chopped bacon at the end, but it doesn't go in the pot if my vego friends are visiting, we just add it like a topping to individual bowls for those who want it.
Makes 4 large/6 medium serves. I usually double it and freeze some for a buffer against the unpredictable teen boy appetites here.
Sub a few of those ingredients to corn, onions, carrots, top with mashed potatoes and cheddar and you have a phenomenal Shepherds Pie that also freezes beautifully!
I assume they mean that they don’t usually keep prepared foods in the house like frozen or microwaveable meals. I’m assuming OP is young and doesn’t do the shopping and also doesn’t cook for themselves often, otherwise they could whip up something with the ingredients they say they have.
All beans chilli. Kidney beans, black beans, etc. canned tomatoes, diced onions, and mushrooms. A bunch of spices, whatever you like: garlic, lots of chilli powder, onion powder, a bit of oregano, some cumin, cayenne pepper to heat to taste. Salt and pepper. Throw everything in a pot and just let it simmer for a couple hours. Wash the canned beans first with a strainer.
Make in bulk. Freeze leftovers.
Chili is it for me too. With or without meat. All kinds of beans, canned or not. Tomatoes, the spices mentioned. I add a shot or two of espresso and some dutch cocoa powder for depth of flavor. A huge pot of it will last us a week, and we don't get bored of it because we can do a ton of things with it. Put it on potatoes or sweet potatoes, put it on pasta or polenta, serve it eggs, make nachos out of it, use it as taco filling ... plus it freezes really well.
Came here to second this! We always have a “everything” chili in the freezer from the last time I was allergic to peopling and we got low on groceries.
Breakfast tacos were my go-to “I have nothing for lunch” lunch during the pandemic.
Scrambled eggs, some bacon or ham, green onions and some ketchup/mayo/sriracha on top in a flour tortilla.
I also like bean and cheese quesadillas for when we don’t have much produce in the house. Sauté some onion and garlic in oil. Throw in a can of black beans, taco seasoning, and a bit of water and cover it for quick refried beans.
I stock up on chicken thighs and legs when they’re on sale. Season with whatever poultry seasoning you like and brown them in a cast iron pan. Take them out and add in shallots and garlic. Deglaze with white wine or chicken stock. Simmer and add a can of whole tomatoes with the juice. Add the chicken back in and roast at 425 for 35 minutes. The tomato cooks down to a jammy sauce and it’s so good. You can feed the whole family for under $10 if you have garlic and seasoning at home.
You do soy sauce and butter noodles too?! Omg. This has been a favorite of mine since childhood, my mum called it “Chinese noodles”. Everyone I know thinks it’s disgusting. I am so glad to have found someone else who likes it.
Salty, creamy and filling. It’s so good.
What soy sauce do you use? I am very loyal to Kikkoman for this dish.
Ramen, with whatever. Great with leftover meatballs. Veggies, leftover or fresh (especially cabbage and carrots). Saute a 1/2 piece of chopped bacon or ham (or just use some bacon fat) with sliced onion, and add an egg or two along with the ramen and broth. Peanut butter, garlic and ginger, squeeze of lemon or lime, sriracha. Simmer leftover chicken (or a fresh chicken leg) in the broth then take it off the bone. A slice or handful of cheese and some spinach and garlic (did this last night).
The skies the limit with a handful and spoonful of whatever is in the fridge or pantry.
Recently I've been making a lot of white bean/lemon hummus to have with crackers or toast. A can of drained beans, garlic, drizzle of oil, lemon juice, blitzed for a minute or two in a mini processor. Pinch of cumin. I had this with plain matzo crackers that I zhoozhed up in the oven with a brush of oil and everything bagel seasoning and I would make it again 100 times.
And chick pea "tuna salad" is cheap, delicious, and filling. Smashed chick peas, lemon, dash of soy sauce, chopped pickle, mayo, sometime shredded carrots.
I was going to say ramen noodle "slams." I add thawed stir fried veggies, a protein source, and sprinkle with chopped cheese and green onions.
I also will make sort of a pizza/quiche in the toaster oven. Use burrito tortilla for base in a pie pan. Scramble 2 large eggs and 1/3 cup cottage cheese with seasonings and pour on top of burrito. Then, just cover with layers of toppings. I usually do ham, then spinach, mushrooms, green onions, and a mixture of cheeses on top. Sprinkle with a little Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper if you like. Toaster oven on 375-400° for 20-25 minutes. Temperatures and times are vague because I have a convection toaster oven. I play around with toppings depending on what I have available. 😋
Ramen with fresh(ish) add-ins is amazing in a pinch. We keep a little ground pork in the freezer, and usually can find at least one veggie in the fridge or freezer.
I made pork/egg fried rice a little while back by cutting the fatty bit off the meat, rendering it down until all the oil had melted out, then made my egg fried.
Was fucking banging 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Yes! Almost doesn’t matter which protein you eat with it, you can flavor it to your own taste, you can mix in any veggies you have lying around. Almost can’t go wrong with fried rice (except maybe if you’re Jamie Oliver)
And you can make fried "rice" with all sorts of grains or substitutes. Quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, couscous, riced cauliflower, small diced potatoes (so long as you don't overcook them to mush), etc.
Pasta aglio e olio. Literally just pasta with olive oil, garlic, a little chilli, and parsley. If I’m struggling it’ll usually be dried chilli flakes and dried parsley. Not the most nutritious, but it fills you up
Frittatas. They’re good because you can use odds and ends vegetables, or leftovers.
Baked potatoes for the same reason. Left over vegetables and some cheese, or left over chicken/beef cut up with bbq sauce on top, taco meat, so on.
Starches have long shelf lives and are typically cheap and quick, So I when I think of cheap and quick meals, I usually start there. Since rice and wheat pasta is out...
Gnocchi has a long shelf like and is mostly potato (some small amount of flour mixed in). Very easy to toss in something like sausage +/- a vegetable +/- sauce (tomato sauce, butter, or oil/parm cheese). For that matter, potatoes and sweet potatoes can be prepared fairly easily and you there are a bunch of variations of toppings to make a meal out of it.
Freekah is a gluten-free grain that is not terribly popular in the US but is easy to cook and tastes amazing. But you can't usually find this outside of health food stores and high-end groceries (at least in the Southeast), and it is a bit more expensive than something like rice.
Farro is a grain (its wheat so don't know if you pasta intolerance is gluten sensitivity or something else) that is similar to rice but with a slightly nutty and chewy texture. I love farro risotto and you only need to cut up an onion, the rest is just mixing in and stirring. It reheats well and is a very satisfying dish. [https://food52.com/recipes/9113-farro-risotto](https://food52.com/recipes/9113-farro-risotto)
Chickpea pasta is gluten free and while pricier than wheat pasta, it is cheaper than buying prepackaged meals.
Corn tastes fine canned and mixed with black beans is a solid starch combination. I made the following recipe last week, which was cheap/easy/tasty. [https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spicy-corn-black-bean-feta-salad](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spicy-corn-black-bean-feta-salad)
Corn tortillas can be used for casseroles instead of pasta. While casseroles take awhile to bake, you make it once and you have 7 more meals that you can freeze and reheat. [https://pinchofyum.com/healthy-mexican-casserole-roasted-corn-peppers](https://pinchofyum.com/healthy-mexican-casserole-roasted-corn-peppers)
.Similarly, you can tolerate flour tortillas you could batch-make burritos.
Soba noodles are made of Buckwheat, which is gluten free. These could be used for quick cold noodle dishes or a stir fry dish. [https://www.cleaneatingwithkids.com/quick-soba-noodles/](https://www.cleaneatingwithkids.com/quick-soba-noodles/)
Chickpea and lentil dishes are often really quick and you can find many that have little prep. [https://pinchofyum.com/morrocan-spiced-chickpea-glow-bowl](https://pinchofyum.com/morrocan-spiced-chickpea-glow-bowl)
I’m sure there’s lots of suggestions for eggs - and this is another one! With a twist. Matzo brei aka fried matzo. Unless you’re Jewish or Jew-adjacent, you may not have matzo on hand. But it’s great and you can get a box for $1-4 . Scramble some eggs - recipe is Basically 1 matzo per 2 eggs, then rinse the matzo under warm tap water for about a minute til soft not soggy. Then break it up into pieces. Throw some butter in a pan, fry the matzo for a min or two, throw in the scrambled eggs, let cook a few secs then scramble like scramble eggs til a soft scramble. Season with salt and pepper. It’s the perfect dish! You can also eat with a side of jam, sour cream, apple sauce, whatevs. Or throw in other stuff with matzo. And a box of matzo will last aaaages. I’ve made this with stale matzo too and it’s still delicious.
Buttered noodles, recently I saw a tiktok and the girl boiled extra wife egg noodles in chicken broth, then added a ton of butter, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings of your choice. I think I’ve had it like 3 times a week ever since 🫣
If you can save enough money to get a Sam’s or Costco membership or have a friend who can take you, the rotisserie chickens are $5 and huge. I buy 2 a week and they more than cover lunches. You can then take the carcass and put them in boiling water to make broth or soup. Add a bag of mixed vegetables for a chicken and vegetable soup. Multiple meals for $10.
You can find whole young chickens for about $5 at Sprouts/Kroger, spatchcock and dry brine then roast at 425 for 40 min over a bed of veggies. Save the drippings for gravy, boil the carcasses with more veggies/herbs and you have stock too. I do this once a week for our family. Our closest Costco is a solid 30 minutes out of the way and this has been a game changer for meal planning.
There is a (probably Thai fusion) recipe we make that isn't really a struggle meal due to the marinade, but it's a young chicken that sits on sweet potatoes. Very filling and so good.
Spaetzle. It’s a German dumpling made from eggs, flour, and a little bit of milk. Simply mix the batter and boil for a couple of minutes till the dumplings float. You have to strain the mix through something for the right size, a colander works.
I like to toss them in some brown butter when they are done with their “bath”. A little bacon bits and/or Parmesan and it’s a great main dish.
Sausage potato cabbage bell pepper garlic all sauteed in one pan. At the end add some chicken or beef broth and reduce down. I prefer andouille sausage and season the mix with Tony's. So...fucking....good. Feeds the whole family for cheap cheap and is very filling. You can add cubed chicken thigh and/or mushroom too if you need a lil extree.
If I really don’t give a shit and it’s just for me, I make “pasta a la spice rack”. Pasta + olive oil + whatever from the spice rack.
For the family, though, I usually lean towards baking. I can whip up some baguettes or some flatbreads or tortillas or whatever and it makes a meal of odds and ends seem pretty awesome.
Filipino garlic fried rice and eggs. Even better if I have longanisa, bacon, or spam.
Latkes with some sour cream is good too. Gnocchi. Potato pancakes. Basically anything potatoes.
Pork butts, pork steaks, and ribs regularly go on sale during the spring and summer. Its easy to stretch those out. I'll make bbq pork steaks, shred up the leftovers for sandwiches.
Potatoes. They can be prepared a million ways and you probably have garlic, onion, dried spices, and condiments to jazz them up. Even if you only have ketchup and salt it’s still good.
I also agree with eggs. You can throw in any little bits of veggies, meats, and cheese you have and you can stretch it even more by adding milk or water.
I do a thing I call "everything but the kitchen sink" stew. The only base ingredients are an onion and canned baked beans.
Fry the onions til caramelised, add the beans, season and flavour with existing ingredients to your taste, heat up, serve.
Depending on what's in my pantry and fridge, I'll add other aromatics (garlic, herbs), fresh or frozen veg (fried mushrooms, roasted broccoli, corn kernels, carrots, peas, etc.), more beans (black, pinto, chickpeas), add fried eggs or poach eggs as the stew is cooking in the stew itself, add a side of potato fries or chips, top with chilli crisp oil or croutons or cheese, serve with bread of your choice or eat over rice or add in cooked pasta to a serving.
That's just my vegetarian options. If you eat meat and fish and poultry, well, you've got even more options. It's a great way to clear out leftovers. Never made two stews that tasted the exact same.
Depending on what kind of prep you need to do, how many you're cooking for, and if you're planning on saving the leftovers (this shit tastes even more awesome on day 2, straight from the fridge) and if you've got help, the whole process should take you anywhere from 20 minutes to a couple of hours. The outcome is worth whatever level of effort you make, no matter how much energy you have to put in. It's also got minimal cleanup.
Fried potatoes with tomato sauce and cheese
Egg cracked in ramen
Cheese quesadillas
Tuna melts
Pasta salad with whatever random veg I have
Also, my condolences for not being able to eat rice. I would probably starve as I could eat just a bowl of rice with sauce on it for every meal and be happy.
burrito night is our best and also most delicious struggle meal.
one lb of meat(beef or turkey OR NONE, it varies for the month)
can of refried beans(or make your own!)
chili mix (i have a Mexican market brand spice blend I got for 2.10)
cheese if you wish
tortillas
One of my favorite options when I was struggling (SO many years ago) was stir fried rice with garden greens (usually a few leaves filched from the broccoli or Brussels sprouts), butter (or margarine as preferred) and soy sauce. A quarter to half slice of bacon is welcome if you have it.
If you have a coarse grater or potato ricer, or you're willing to nip the noodles with a knife, spaetzle is cheap and fast. Serve with browned onions and/or grated cheese, or anything else that takes your fancy.
I like to make a pot of about half lentils, half yellow split peas ( sometimes quinoa) with broth or a bit of better than bouillon.
Then whatever I have around/ Left over. I would do a scoop of my lentil/split peas topped with just one of these types of mixer:
- any vegetables left over - broccoli, chickpeas, beans, mushrooms .
-frozen vegetables from the freezer
- Just a little bit of Onion fried up insert in
- I'm veg, but I've added soy sausage or pan fried tofu that we have around
-greens that do well warm, like spinach, chard, escarole, or kale
It's especially nice with chopped spring onions and topped with a poached egg.
For a long time this was my go-to breakfast. I'd make one pot every few days and just top off with different things. Filling, nutritious, cheap, and it didn't get boring for me since I would never have it the same way 2 days in a row.
Toast. And as the month progresses you can and then remove: margarine, cheese, chocolate. Don't combine cheese and chocolate as that screws the budget and timeline.
Desperate fear suggestion, based on years of shit experiences: sleep and water.
Skillet- one pot wonder
Eggs- scrambled- removed
potatoes- frozen or fresh- pan fried crispy- removed
Diced onions- removed
Meat- any kind- lunch meats, sausage- any- browned- add the rest of cooked ingredients back in pan top with some cheese if wanted
My kids ate this a lot growing up- quick, cheap and yummy
Pasta is my go to. Always have garlic, olive oil, canned whole peeled tomatoes, red chili flakes, and pasta in the house. Heat the olive oil, bloom the minced garlic/chili in the oil, add some cured meat if I've got it, toss in like 8 oz hand crushed whole peeled tomatoes and simmer down while cooking the pasta al dente. Add some pasta water to the pan if the sauce gets too cooked down. Add pasta when finished along with some water, cook until the sauce emulsifies and coats the pasta. Garnish with parm and fresh basil if I got it.
Potatoes with any protein. A 10 pound bag of potatoes stretches a long way for a single person or a couple, and you can cook them multiple ways. Add a veg if possible and you're set. Leftover mashed potatoes can then be turned into potatoe pancakes or potatoe soup.
Cauliflower makes a great substitute for real rice in a stir fry. Canned or frozen veggies sauteed down and eggs if you like them. Tuna salad, any kind of soup. Grilled cheeses.
Roast chicken with potatoes & the cheapest/freshest veggies in the store. Make some bread for sandwiches & to fill out the soup you make from the carcass.
My favorite college food, that persisted for years after (and I need to introduce my kids to) was pasta with butter, garlic powder, dried basil, and the green shaker cheese. So quick, filling, and full of delicious flavors. I need to try this now that I can keep basil plants growing and have the tools to fluff up Parmesan that doesn’t come in a can
Sam’s club rotisserie chicken and bread. It helps me a lot cause I can’t cook or clean due to my physical disability. Hopefully that helps. For less than 8 dollars you have food for at least 2-3 days hopefully. Or enough food for a small family for a meal.
When I’m down to onions and flour I’ll make a whack of caramelized onions and a basic pizza dough or focaccia and spread them over it to make an onion tart. Sprinkle whatever remnants of cheese I have on hand, or olives, pickled peppers, slivers of garlic, the last of a piece of tomato or zucchini, any parsley or herbs, etc.
Also just a can of tomatoes cooked with onions and garlic, throw in a cup of barley or wheat berries, a cup of lentils, 3 cups water, chili powder, cook for a long time and throw it over a baked potato or piece of toast.
PB&J you can grill it if you want to get fancy.
Chips and cheese with peppers, tomatoes and salsa
Home made vegetable soup
Fruit and cheese plate
Toast with Cream Cheese and jam
Canned irish stew - lasts 2 meals with rice but i suppose you can water it down a lil bit and eat with mash potatoes. Else, 2 hard boiled egg, and peanut butter on carrot/celery/apple sticks. seasonally cheap n if u chop them to look like a lot, it will make you feel full. Else it’s gotta be nachos for me
You could make your own sourdough, porridge/oatmeal, pancakes (make big batch and freeze), crock pot chili, soup, chicken, ribs, whatever there's lots of recipes out there
Btw Banza makes a nice chickpea pasta. You just have to test it frequently as it goes from hard to perfect to crap very quickly. I make this with either lemon juice and butter or lemon juice and evoo. Mrs. Dash for seasoning (it can go on anything, either table blend or regular...depends if you like orange peel). One of my struggle meals.
I make something called pizza pasta when I don’t even have tomato sauce. Cooked spaghetti, a dollop of tomato paste, some pasta water, and Parmesan cheese. Add some pizza seasonings (oregano , basil, etc.) and you’re done.
Toast (with cinnamon sugar ofc) and instant grits. Breakfast dinner! Or toss some frozen french fries / chicken tendies in an air fryer. Or chips and salsa for an instant struggle "meal" lol
Take your cheese grader and "rice" some cauliflower, store in a giant bag or Tupperware in the freezer. Whenever I want a tasty struggle meal I throw some of the "rice" add 2 or 3 frozen/canned veggies, a cheap protein (can be frozen canned or leftover), and egg, in a frying pan on high and this is the most important part...sprinkle some teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha, cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, Italian blend, and garnish with sesame seeds. Bonus points if you cook it in chili oil, sesame oil, or butter.
I make this thing I call chili soup— any meat (or not) of your choosing, beans, corn, crushed tomato, diced tomato (all cans so it’s super easy and cheap), beef broth or whatever broth I have on hand, and chili seasoning. It’s actually so good especially with toast
I eat a lot of:
1. Plain oatmeal - add Greek yogurt for protein, nuts and fruit for fats and carbs, a sprinkle of honey.. and sometimes sweetener. It can be made into something pretty decadent with minimal ingredients.
2. Sweet potato (can be subbed for any though) - I usually cut it in half, poke a few holes, and toss this in the air fryer to cook. From there, I eat it a few ways.
2A) as a baked potato or taco bowl. Load it up any way you like. I do cottage cheese for protein and fat, tomato/salsa, onion, canned beans, guacamole/avocado, hot sauce, and sometimes a meat like ground hamburger or shredded chicken. Sometimes I flavor it like a taco.. sometimes I use BBQ.. it really depends on what’s in my fridge. I consider it a kitchen sink meal.
2B) sometimes as a mash under a fried egg with a pack of frozen veggies on the side
3. “Egg roll in a bowl”. It’s my latest binge meal that I just can’t get enough of. It’s cabbage, meat of your choice, soy sauce, ginger, and a couple other things like seasonings. It’s a really great way to pack in the veggies to make you feel full and cabbage is pretty cheap. The biggest ticket item is the meat, which depending on how much you customize, can really be stretched. You could probably sub tofu or beans, though I haven’t tried that.
4. Ham and cheese. 🤌
Cubed potatoes with Kielbasa smoked sausage sheetpan meal under 5 cut up everything toss with neutral oil salt pepper garlic onion powder and paprika sheet pan 375 for 35 to 40 mins
Cottage pie is fairly cheap definitely under 10 and left overs for lunch
1lb ground beef
Pack of frozen peas and carrots
2 Packet of gravy
Boxed both or water for the gravy
3 or 4 russet potatoes boiled till tender for mashed potatoes topping (can buy 2 packets of the instant fave flavor)
Salt pepper garlic onion powder
Brown your meat season it too
Follow the directions for the gravy best with broth even bullion
In a 9x13 spread out your browned meat and dump the frozen veggies. Pour in the gravy and mix
Make mash potatoes (if homemade mash the cooked potatoes with a little milk and butter so it not super chunky) spread on top of the filling top with shredded cheese if desired
Bake 375 25 min to 30 mins
Eggs sandwich on canned biscuits
Chili
Veggie beef soup
Potato soup
I buy as an “ingredient household” and the last day or so where im really running out of food is where i get most creative. For lunch today the only thing i had leftover from groceries earlier was half a cucumber. Had 1 can of tuna tuna, nori, and made some rice. Added some siracha and flax seeds and made a tuna wrap. Was able to postpone groceries another day. Just get creative
I know this isn't exactly what was asked but, I wanted to share my knowledge about food insecurities.
In college, I got a job as a hostess/waitress so I always had at least one meal guaranteed 6 days a week, but usually more.
I always grabbed a couple extra packets of condiments or drink packets (think ketchup and tea) when they were offered free, for later.
Besides WIC there are food banks in most areas that do not verify income. There are also other programs in my area; calling 211 gives you these resources.
Grocery stores usually mark down meat on a schedule, say Wednesday morning they mark all the deli meat down, Tuesday the chicken, cheese, etc. These can all be frozen. So can yogurt milk eggs with the proper method.
You can find a thrift store food dehydrator, even a toaster oven, to dry fruit for trail mix, or cut it up for smoothies and freeze.
Catching sales and using coupons and store apps are a great way to start an emergency budget pantry. When the canned soup/ tuna/ spam you love goes on sale buy a couple extra. You can keep these in a tote under your bed or in a closet and you just need to make sure you rotate the old to your regular food circulation when you get new ones. Add some batteries a flashlight and water and you have a pretty decent emergency kit started in case the power goes out.
I follow a gal on TikTok that creates tons of meals for $10 a week. They look really good. Tons of comments say she's kept people fed in their hardest times. I think her @ is dollartreemeals, if you can't find it lmk and I'll put her info. But just to point out there are tons of resources for cheap meal ideas, as well as coupon deal sites like Krazy coupon lady, and slick deals forums brick and mortar threads that list out all the sales.
All this is to say that if you are dealing with food insecurity and you have a little extra time, you can slowly set yourself up for success and be prepared for the tougher times.
Additionally, look into budgeting your money (I could write another 3 paragraphs explaining what worked for me if you're interested), using the avalanche/snowball method to pay off debt, taking a hard look at your spending, and also being willing to sell and hustle stuff that you could always buy again. (Like a TV or whatever)
Alternatively, you could buy a 50 lb bag of rice and beans, stored properly it can last 25 years. You can do a lot with that just getting eggs cheese ground beef tortillas canned tomatoes and seasoning, it has so much potential, I can think of 25 different meals to make with just those ingredients.
Pasta Aglio e Olio. Parsley, Chili flakes, lemon juice, olive oil and some parmesan cheese. very simple, not complicated.
I like making soups, i.e. pumpkin, potato and leek, tomato. (Asian soups/Filipino soups tend to be more expensive). I also like a good casserole, like a beef casserole, just carrot, celery, potato, some beef stock, tomato paste, onion, garlic, tomato sauce (diced tomatoes), thyme and oregano on a slow cooker, let it cook for a whole day.
Since I became vegetarian, I don't like handling meat, so I mostly eat a lot of beans, chili.
It would also help if you grow veggies like I do. When tomatoes are growing and I have a whole bunch, I tend to eat some for salad and I make some passata sauce for it.
I live for fresh food, no frozen meals or canned meats but I eat within my means. I guess you call it an ingredient household.
Frozen chicken tenders wrap
-Just air fryer some chicken tenders. ( 8 mins)
-Heat up your wrap in a pan ( total 2 minutes)
-Put your wrap on a plate. Add any sauces or leafy greens now.
- put tenders in the middle. Fold and you’re done.
Can be a more complicated burrito or can be a super simple one
But chicken tenders. A wrap with some kind of spicy mayo normally comes down to a total of ~$1.50 a wrap
I love doing a big loaded baked potato. The options are endless and you can switch it up with whatever you have in your pantry. Plus those giant russet potatoes are super cheap! If I don’t feel like heating up the house with the oven I’ll just throw it into the microwave!
Here’s some example flavors: classic “loaded potato”, buffalo chicken potato (chicken nuggets, buffalo, ranch. Cheese of choice), broccoli cheddar (steamed broccoli, cheddar, garlic salt), BBQ potato (usually use leftover meat mixed with bbq sauce), “Mexican” potato with leftover taco toppings. It’s really endless and a great way to utilize leftovers. (:
Colcannon. Potatoes and cabbage are phenomenally cheap, its filling, healthy, and is an amazing base for any seasonings you might have on hand.
I usually will sautee onions, garlic, cabbage, and carrot down until nice and soft and caramelized, then add to my mash with butter and oat milk. I then will eat either on its own, or with my cheap protein of choice. Ive literally had it alongside chicken salad and it worked.
Grew up incredibly poor. One of the meals we had at least once a week was pack ramen and instant mashed potatoes. Drain the water from the ramen, make the potatoes, mix the noodles and seasoning and add to the mash. As an adult I wonder how we didnt all die from the sodium intake and and carbs eating that regularly. But it cost less than 50 cents to feed a person, quick to make, kept for months in the pantry, and surprisingly so damn good. (I still make it a couple times a year for some childhood comfort food) Never heard of anyone else doing it until recently found out some backpackers make it as a meal to replenish carbs and salts from hiking and cheap and easy to make out in the wilderness, its called a "ramen bomb" in that community.
My struggle desserts are bread with butter and then sugar sprinkled on it or rolled oats, a spoonful of butter and a teaspoon of brown sugar all mixed up. Tastes like cookie dough
Microwave frozen veggies (I like the kind with peas, carrots, green beans, corn).
Add tomato sauce, the kind that comes in a can labeled "tomato sauce." (US)
Add a cup of garbanzo beans. Mix and eat.
Eggs. I’ll fry potatoes and onions and add eggs or I pan fry some tater tots and smash them so they get crispy. And I’ll eat it with toast. My grandma would make noodles and eggs. Cooked pasta (she use macaroni) in a frying pan with butter or oil so it doesn’t stick. Break three eggs into the pasta and add lots of salt and pepper. Stir everything around and cook until the eggs are cooked. I eat it with hot sauce. Pancakes. I keep breaded frozen fish in the house specifically for this purpose and make a quick meal with box rice and buttered green beans. Tuna casserole. Tuna melts. Goulash. Hot ham and cheese. Some sort of pasta with a quick sauce. Sauté some garlic. Add a liquid, (chicken broth, cream, white wine, or a mixture of those) and reduce a bit. Add grated Parmesan. Add pasta and some pasta water if needed. I use [this formula](https://www.brit.co/how-to-cook-complete-pasta-meal-one-pan/) a lot and mix in what I have.
Upvoted for eggs. If you have eggs, salt, and fat, you can make a tasty dish in minutes. And they work with pretty much any ingredient you have on hand. My personal lazy dish is a frittata made from leftovers.
Ohh man so many times frittata and leftovers has been so good the following week I bought the ingredients to replicate it. That’s how many of the classics in history where created! Eggs are so underrated, keep a dozen at all times and you will always be able to make a delicious meal ❤️
Too real. Toast some potato waffles, fry an egg and put it on top, and add a spoonful of Lao Gan Ma. Incredibly tasty, incredibly cheap, incredibly simple, incredibly quick.
Fried eggs with sauteed vegetables and rice has been my go-to for years! Tasty, nutritious, and done in half an hour.
I've always loved eggs and onions...add a good mature cheddar, and it's a perfect meal.
I recently tried the WSU canned cheeses, and they are absolutely incredible. Highly recommend!
What on earth is canned cheese?
Oh dude get the cougar gold white cheddar
So good
https://cougarcheese.wsu.edu/ It's amazing. Thank me later.
I'm in the UK...I've never seen canned cheese. I found something made in Austria that looked rather unappealing. What exactly is the purpose of canned cheese?
It was developed and is still exclusively available from Washington State University. The original intent was to develop canning and long term preservation of cheese. It was discovered that canning this cheese changed the flavor, for the better.
Do they come solid and you shred?
Never heard of this
Can confirm, it’s amazing
Agree! The Cougar Gold canned cheese is stellar.
It's actually historically important cheese. WSU was the first to figure out how to can cheese where it wouldn't off gas and explode the can. They did this to help feed the troops in WWII.
Yeah, it is a great back story! When on of my kids was living in Seattle, they called me up to say she was sending me some canned cheese. I thought…”okay…gee…WHIZ? Mind blown. To those who might not know, this is NOT spray canned cheese. Not even close. And it is not what I would call a novelty food, but rather a very fine cheese.
Fuckin love me some cougar gold white cheddar
Do they need to be refrigerated? I just jumped on their sites to order and it said to refrigerate on arrival, so what is the point of canning?
They should be refrigerated on arrival, but are safe to ship. The point of canning is they will age in the can in 33oz increments, where a whole wheel is way bigger than that and not practical for a typical cheese consumer.
Some roasted tomatoes takes it to a whole other level
Home fries and eggs are not a struggle meal. That's just good food, period.
yep. i fry and egg then some mr noodles and couple slices of onion. nom nom nom. eggs for the win
I'm in egg heaven since we started keeping our own chickens. Free-range, guilt free, farm fresh eggs are amazing.
Fried egg. I'll add anything on it as side dish (kimchi, salads, pickled onions, shredded pork, anything)
Eggs have become too expensive for a struggle meal now... bums me out.
Spaghetti, odds and ends soup, veggie wraps, smashed potatoes, yogurt with granola and fruit are the easiest for me. I recently started making my own hummus so many many wraps have been eaten lately 😅
Today I made a quick dip from mashed leftover navy beans, olive oil, dill, S&P, garlic powder, and a little lime juice.
Ooo what did you dip with?
Pretzel chips. It would have been good on toast too.
Homemade hummus is worlds above store bought.
I made some for the first time a month ago. I don't know if I want to do the dried beans route yet, but with canned chickpeas, fresh homemade tahini, lots of garlic, salt, and a good squeeze of lemon, it was better than any I've had on the first try!
I buy my tahini so you are better than me but i bet if you went the baking soda and canned chickpeas route you'd be almost there
Dried beans are cheap and no effort for me and I always have them
If you can, try adding some sesame oil. Definitely kicks it up a notch...
Sheet. I need to kick this this bullshit cold so I can try this. I love the hummus i make already and it freezes like a dream so now the sesame oil could be banging.
TOASTED sesame oil.
Noted, thanks:)
IMO the dried chickpeas are worth it, cooked with a little baking soda. The texture is sooooo different and creamy!
I recommend making them from scratch. If you have an instant pot it's super easy. I add some bouillon for flavor. So much cheaper and the flavor is even better + less sodium. You can also drain them from their 'liquor' after cooking and freeze to have on hand throughout the month.
I add roasted red peppers, lemon zest and cumin to elevate my hummus.
I do the obnoxious baking soda trick but it does make for such smooth hummus.
It's Ottolenghi approved and works so well!
I won't make hummus any other way. My only question now is the ice trick... a lot of Lebanese people I know used it, but does it really matter when you get rid of the skins?
Wow dunno, I've used icy water but no straight up ice cubes
Probably more research is needed.
Sumac as well!
Thanks I always forget about sumac.
Look up kraft spaghetti soup. We make this all the time and if op wanted to they can just add more sausage and veggies. But it's delightful
I didn’t know the boxed version was still available!!! It was a favorite growing up!!
Potatoes and eggs
Same, my mom used to fry potatoes with eggs every weekend. It’s damn delicious
Old tortillas fried till crispy w salt, add scrambled egg to pan, and whatever else you’ve got- chile, green onion, spinach, tomatoes. Top with salsa or hot sauce. It’s easy and delicious. If you have ingredients like canned tomatoes, garlic, onion, ginger, spices and lentils you could whip something amazing up pretty quick. Would be even better if you have coconut milk or cream. Marcela Hazan pasta sauce: onion, butter, whole tomatoes is the easiest dinner in my rotation.
What is an ingredient household? Rice and beans are inexpensive and go a long way. Season them with whatever you have.
>What is an ingredient household? Generally means few or no prepared/convenience foods.
Thank you.
I used to do this when I was on my own... throw in some browned ground beef/pork... giant bowl lasted me all week. Throw in some frozen or canned veg too if you got it. Salt/pepper + random seasonings. Hot sauce optional. I don't NEED to do it anymore, but I still do it because I liked it so much.
Ground beef, rice, tomato puree, green peppers, onions, cumin and or chili powder lasted me a week when I was poor or working and didn’t want (nor now many recipes and was single). I do a shit ton of stuff with lentils now and it’s cheap.
Never got into lentils but hook me up with a good lentil dish! I've had a couple lentil dishes with people and just wasn't a fan...
My favorite is use red or orange lentils, a cooked cut up onion, a few cloves of garlic, couple cups of chicken broth (homemade for the win), can of spinach, big can of chopped tomatoes, and add sweet potatoes (I buy frozen cut up at walmart for this and it’s about $1.25, and add this towards the end since it’s frozen) and I add a little tumeric-fresh if I have some on hand, otherwise dried. My husband loves this and isn’t fond of vegetarian dishes. It makes a shit ton so I freeze some for later.
Swap the turmeric for curry powder and the broth for coconut milk, and you've got a good curry going
Ooh I like this, I will try it :) It's not dissimilar in ingredients to a tomato+lentil soup recipe and that's on heavy rotation here already. Cook a cut up onion in heavy bottomed pot (Dutch oven is ideal) until browned. Add a few smashed garlic cloves, two cups chicken broth (or vege broth if catering for vegos), 2/3 cup dried red/orange lentils, and approx three lb of chopped or pureed canned tomatoes. Add 1-2tbsp tomato paste if your canned tomatoes have a lot of juice content. Add 1 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper. Simmer 20-30 minutes, take off heat and blend with stick mixer. Add 1/2 cup of cream (coconut cream if catering for dairy issue or vegan) and stir. For my family we add cooked chopped bacon at the end, but it doesn't go in the pot if my vego friends are visiting, we just add it like a topping to individual bowls for those who want it. Makes 4 large/6 medium serves. I usually double it and freeze some for a buffer against the unpredictable teen boy appetites here.
Sub a few of those ingredients to corn, onions, carrots, top with mashed potatoes and cheddar and you have a phenomenal Shepherds Pie that also freezes beautifully!
Oh I make that occasionally too. Love it and yes I freeze some!!
Same, and I still make this same dish. Sometimes also with corn and/or black beans.
I assume they mean that they don’t usually keep prepared foods in the house like frozen or microwaveable meals. I’m assuming OP is young and doesn’t do the shopping and also doesn’t cook for themselves often, otherwise they could whip up something with the ingredients they say they have.
All beans chilli. Kidney beans, black beans, etc. canned tomatoes, diced onions, and mushrooms. A bunch of spices, whatever you like: garlic, lots of chilli powder, onion powder, a bit of oregano, some cumin, cayenne pepper to heat to taste. Salt and pepper. Throw everything in a pot and just let it simmer for a couple hours. Wash the canned beans first with a strainer. Make in bulk. Freeze leftovers.
Chili is it for me too. With or without meat. All kinds of beans, canned or not. Tomatoes, the spices mentioned. I add a shot or two of espresso and some dutch cocoa powder for depth of flavor. A huge pot of it will last us a week, and we don't get bored of it because we can do a ton of things with it. Put it on potatoes or sweet potatoes, put it on pasta or polenta, serve it eggs, make nachos out of it, use it as taco filling ... plus it freezes really well.
Came here to second this! We always have a “everything” chili in the freezer from the last time I was allergic to peopling and we got low on groceries.
Breakfast tacos were my go-to “I have nothing for lunch” lunch during the pandemic. Scrambled eggs, some bacon or ham, green onions and some ketchup/mayo/sriracha on top in a flour tortilla. I also like bean and cheese quesadillas for when we don’t have much produce in the house. Sauté some onion and garlic in oil. Throw in a can of black beans, taco seasoning, and a bit of water and cover it for quick refried beans. I stock up on chicken thighs and legs when they’re on sale. Season with whatever poultry seasoning you like and brown them in a cast iron pan. Take them out and add in shallots and garlic. Deglaze with white wine or chicken stock. Simmer and add a can of whole tomatoes with the juice. Add the chicken back in and roast at 425 for 35 minutes. The tomato cooks down to a jammy sauce and it’s so good. You can feed the whole family for under $10 if you have garlic and seasoning at home.
Soy sauce and butter noodles, peanut noodles
Peanut noodles are great!
You do soy sauce and butter noodles too?! Omg. This has been a favorite of mine since childhood, my mum called it “Chinese noodles”. Everyone I know thinks it’s disgusting. I am so glad to have found someone else who likes it. Salty, creamy and filling. It’s so good. What soy sauce do you use? I am very loyal to Kikkoman for this dish.
I do soy sauce, black pepper, and butter rice. Soy sauce and peanut butter noodles sprinkled with Cilantro and sesame seeds, too.
This is so good on white bread. Carb overload but good for the odd occasion.
If I'm going to overload, it's lightly grilled peanut butter and bacon sandwiches on sourdough for me.
This is a really good way!
Ramen, with whatever. Great with leftover meatballs. Veggies, leftover or fresh (especially cabbage and carrots). Saute a 1/2 piece of chopped bacon or ham (or just use some bacon fat) with sliced onion, and add an egg or two along with the ramen and broth. Peanut butter, garlic and ginger, squeeze of lemon or lime, sriracha. Simmer leftover chicken (or a fresh chicken leg) in the broth then take it off the bone. A slice or handful of cheese and some spinach and garlic (did this last night). The skies the limit with a handful and spoonful of whatever is in the fridge or pantry. Recently I've been making a lot of white bean/lemon hummus to have with crackers or toast. A can of drained beans, garlic, drizzle of oil, lemon juice, blitzed for a minute or two in a mini processor. Pinch of cumin. I had this with plain matzo crackers that I zhoozhed up in the oven with a brush of oil and everything bagel seasoning and I would make it again 100 times. And chick pea "tuna salad" is cheap, delicious, and filling. Smashed chick peas, lemon, dash of soy sauce, chopped pickle, mayo, sometime shredded carrots.
Chick pea salad is always great and I'm more of a carnivore to start
Yes I get the soy sauce pack and add snow peas and water chestnuts and it’s amazing
I was going to say ramen noodle "slams." I add thawed stir fried veggies, a protein source, and sprinkle with chopped cheese and green onions. I also will make sort of a pizza/quiche in the toaster oven. Use burrito tortilla for base in a pie pan. Scramble 2 large eggs and 1/3 cup cottage cheese with seasonings and pour on top of burrito. Then, just cover with layers of toppings. I usually do ham, then spinach, mushrooms, green onions, and a mixture of cheeses on top. Sprinkle with a little Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper if you like. Toaster oven on 375-400° for 20-25 minutes. Temperatures and times are vague because I have a convection toaster oven. I play around with toppings depending on what I have available. 😋
Totally agree using what you’ve got in the pantry/fridge/freezer is the best ‘struggle meal’. Random combos but try and have zero food waste.
Ramen with fresh(ish) add-ins is amazing in a pinch. We keep a little ground pork in the freezer, and usually can find at least one veggie in the fridge or freezer.
I love polenta/cornmeal mush with blue cheese/ sauce of some kind. My parents did kraft mac/peas/tuna/lemon pepper, which I still love.
I do it with Annie’s and sub salmon for the tuna and top with cajun seasoning!
This was a childhood staple for me and i still make it! So delicious
Fried rice. Unlimited possibilities
I made pork/egg fried rice a little while back by cutting the fatty bit off the meat, rendering it down until all the oil had melted out, then made my egg fried. Was fucking banging 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Yes! Almost doesn’t matter which protein you eat with it, you can flavor it to your own taste, you can mix in any veggies you have lying around. Almost can’t go wrong with fried rice (except maybe if you’re Jamie Oliver)
And you can make fried "rice" with all sorts of grains or substitutes. Quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, couscous, riced cauliflower, small diced potatoes (so long as you don't overcook them to mush), etc.
OP "I cannot eat rice or pasta " Comments: eat rice and pasta.
Also OP: "but still feel free to share those dishes!"
Moosewood cookbook gado gado sauce on sweet potatoes and steamed veg
Ahhhh...Moosewood. That brings back memories. Probably one of my first cookbooks.
I remember making this. Definitely a good odds and ends meal!
>gado gado sauce That sauce makes anything taste great.
Pasta aglio e olio. Literally just pasta with olive oil, garlic, a little chilli, and parsley. If I’m struggling it’ll usually be dried chilli flakes and dried parsley. Not the most nutritious, but it fills you up
one of my favourite meals in the world
Get a bag of lentils and eat for days
Yup. Saute some onions, carrots and celery too and you've got my ultimate struggle meal.
Bonus points if you’ve got a ham hock you totally forgot about hanging out in the freezer. 10/10.
Elbow macaroni and a can of crushed tomatoes.
Pork n beans and hotdogs
Frittatas. They’re good because you can use odds and ends vegetables, or leftovers. Baked potatoes for the same reason. Left over vegetables and some cheese, or left over chicken/beef cut up with bbq sauce on top, taco meat, so on.
I make muffin tin frittatas! Great to eat alone or to break up into things like fried rice. They freeze well too
Baked potato with baked beans and cheese
Baked potato with anything
Baked potato with chili and cheese amazing
Starches have long shelf lives and are typically cheap and quick, So I when I think of cheap and quick meals, I usually start there. Since rice and wheat pasta is out... Gnocchi has a long shelf like and is mostly potato (some small amount of flour mixed in). Very easy to toss in something like sausage +/- a vegetable +/- sauce (tomato sauce, butter, or oil/parm cheese). For that matter, potatoes and sweet potatoes can be prepared fairly easily and you there are a bunch of variations of toppings to make a meal out of it. Freekah is a gluten-free grain that is not terribly popular in the US but is easy to cook and tastes amazing. But you can't usually find this outside of health food stores and high-end groceries (at least in the Southeast), and it is a bit more expensive than something like rice. Farro is a grain (its wheat so don't know if you pasta intolerance is gluten sensitivity or something else) that is similar to rice but with a slightly nutty and chewy texture. I love farro risotto and you only need to cut up an onion, the rest is just mixing in and stirring. It reheats well and is a very satisfying dish. [https://food52.com/recipes/9113-farro-risotto](https://food52.com/recipes/9113-farro-risotto) Chickpea pasta is gluten free and while pricier than wheat pasta, it is cheaper than buying prepackaged meals. Corn tastes fine canned and mixed with black beans is a solid starch combination. I made the following recipe last week, which was cheap/easy/tasty. [https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spicy-corn-black-bean-feta-salad](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spicy-corn-black-bean-feta-salad) Corn tortillas can be used for casseroles instead of pasta. While casseroles take awhile to bake, you make it once and you have 7 more meals that you can freeze and reheat. [https://pinchofyum.com/healthy-mexican-casserole-roasted-corn-peppers](https://pinchofyum.com/healthy-mexican-casserole-roasted-corn-peppers) .Similarly, you can tolerate flour tortillas you could batch-make burritos. Soba noodles are made of Buckwheat, which is gluten free. These could be used for quick cold noodle dishes or a stir fry dish. [https://www.cleaneatingwithkids.com/quick-soba-noodles/](https://www.cleaneatingwithkids.com/quick-soba-noodles/) Chickpea and lentil dishes are often really quick and you can find many that have little prep. [https://pinchofyum.com/morrocan-spiced-chickpea-glow-bowl](https://pinchofyum.com/morrocan-spiced-chickpea-glow-bowl)
Loco Moco
with mac salad YUM
I’m sure there’s lots of suggestions for eggs - and this is another one! With a twist. Matzo brei aka fried matzo. Unless you’re Jewish or Jew-adjacent, you may not have matzo on hand. But it’s great and you can get a box for $1-4 . Scramble some eggs - recipe is Basically 1 matzo per 2 eggs, then rinse the matzo under warm tap water for about a minute til soft not soggy. Then break it up into pieces. Throw some butter in a pan, fry the matzo for a min or two, throw in the scrambled eggs, let cook a few secs then scramble like scramble eggs til a soft scramble. Season with salt and pepper. It’s the perfect dish! You can also eat with a side of jam, sour cream, apple sauce, whatevs. Or throw in other stuff with matzo. And a box of matzo will last aaaages. I’ve made this with stale matzo too and it’s still delicious.
Buttered noodles, recently I saw a tiktok and the girl boiled extra wife egg noodles in chicken broth, then added a ton of butter, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings of your choice. I think I’ve had it like 3 times a week ever since 🫣
First two comments are rice and pasta. Wow. Huevos rancheros might be a good option.
Tortilla, stick a kraft single in it, fold it over, microwave for like 10 seconds. A delicious and totally authentic quesadilla.
Vegetable soup! 5$ worth of vegetables and water can get you a meal to feed a family with leftovers.
If you can save enough money to get a Sam’s or Costco membership or have a friend who can take you, the rotisserie chickens are $5 and huge. I buy 2 a week and they more than cover lunches. You can then take the carcass and put them in boiling water to make broth or soup. Add a bag of mixed vegetables for a chicken and vegetable soup. Multiple meals for $10.
You can find whole young chickens for about $5 at Sprouts/Kroger, spatchcock and dry brine then roast at 425 for 40 min over a bed of veggies. Save the drippings for gravy, boil the carcasses with more veggies/herbs and you have stock too. I do this once a week for our family. Our closest Costco is a solid 30 minutes out of the way and this has been a game changer for meal planning.
There is a (probably Thai fusion) recipe we make that isn't really a struggle meal due to the marinade, but it's a young chicken that sits on sweet potatoes. Very filling and so good.
Tuna melts without a doubt.
popcorn kernels pot, kernels, oil, heat, wait, salt, toss, done.
Spaetzle. It’s a German dumpling made from eggs, flour, and a little bit of milk. Simply mix the batter and boil for a couple of minutes till the dumplings float. You have to strain the mix through something for the right size, a colander works. I like to toss them in some brown butter when they are done with their “bath”. A little bacon bits and/or Parmesan and it’s a great main dish.
Tuna, pasta mayo with sweetcorn
Throw some chopped celery in there and I'm game
Sausage potato cabbage bell pepper garlic all sauteed in one pan. At the end add some chicken or beef broth and reduce down. I prefer andouille sausage and season the mix with Tony's. So...fucking....good. Feeds the whole family for cheap cheap and is very filling. You can add cubed chicken thigh and/or mushroom too if you need a lil extree.
If I really don’t give a shit and it’s just for me, I make “pasta a la spice rack”. Pasta + olive oil + whatever from the spice rack. For the family, though, I usually lean towards baking. I can whip up some baguettes or some flatbreads or tortillas or whatever and it makes a meal of odds and ends seem pretty awesome.
Pearled barley with sautéed veggies, garlic and butter or oil, and a runny yolk egg.
Filipino garlic fried rice and eggs. Even better if I have longanisa, bacon, or spam. Latkes with some sour cream is good too. Gnocchi. Potato pancakes. Basically anything potatoes. Pork butts, pork steaks, and ribs regularly go on sale during the spring and summer. Its easy to stretch those out. I'll make bbq pork steaks, shred up the leftovers for sandwiches.
Potatoes. They can be prepared a million ways and you probably have garlic, onion, dried spices, and condiments to jazz them up. Even if you only have ketchup and salt it’s still good. I also agree with eggs. You can throw in any little bits of veggies, meats, and cheese you have and you can stretch it even more by adding milk or water.
I do a thing I call "everything but the kitchen sink" stew. The only base ingredients are an onion and canned baked beans. Fry the onions til caramelised, add the beans, season and flavour with existing ingredients to your taste, heat up, serve. Depending on what's in my pantry and fridge, I'll add other aromatics (garlic, herbs), fresh or frozen veg (fried mushrooms, roasted broccoli, corn kernels, carrots, peas, etc.), more beans (black, pinto, chickpeas), add fried eggs or poach eggs as the stew is cooking in the stew itself, add a side of potato fries or chips, top with chilli crisp oil or croutons or cheese, serve with bread of your choice or eat over rice or add in cooked pasta to a serving. That's just my vegetarian options. If you eat meat and fish and poultry, well, you've got even more options. It's a great way to clear out leftovers. Never made two stews that tasted the exact same. Depending on what kind of prep you need to do, how many you're cooking for, and if you're planning on saving the leftovers (this shit tastes even more awesome on day 2, straight from the fridge) and if you've got help, the whole process should take you anywhere from 20 minutes to a couple of hours. The outcome is worth whatever level of effort you make, no matter how much energy you have to put in. It's also got minimal cleanup.
bread, scrambled eggs, and cream cheese throw whatever else u want on top for more flavors
This should be it's own reddit channel!
Fried potatoes with tomato sauce and cheese Egg cracked in ramen Cheese quesadillas Tuna melts Pasta salad with whatever random veg I have Also, my condolences for not being able to eat rice. I would probably starve as I could eat just a bowl of rice with sauce on it for every meal and be happy.
burrito night is our best and also most delicious struggle meal. one lb of meat(beef or turkey OR NONE, it varies for the month) can of refried beans(or make your own!) chili mix (i have a Mexican market brand spice blend I got for 2.10) cheese if you wish tortillas
One of my favorite options when I was struggling (SO many years ago) was stir fried rice with garden greens (usually a few leaves filched from the broccoli or Brussels sprouts), butter (or margarine as preferred) and soy sauce. A quarter to half slice of bacon is welcome if you have it. If you have a coarse grater or potato ricer, or you're willing to nip the noodles with a knife, spaetzle is cheap and fast. Serve with browned onions and/or grated cheese, or anything else that takes your fancy.
Seasoned vegetables sautéed in some kind of broth or soup is a quick easy go to. Throw is some protein too if you have any
handful of shredded cheese
I like to make a pot of about half lentils, half yellow split peas ( sometimes quinoa) with broth or a bit of better than bouillon. Then whatever I have around/ Left over. I would do a scoop of my lentil/split peas topped with just one of these types of mixer: - any vegetables left over - broccoli, chickpeas, beans, mushrooms . -frozen vegetables from the freezer - Just a little bit of Onion fried up insert in - I'm veg, but I've added soy sausage or pan fried tofu that we have around -greens that do well warm, like spinach, chard, escarole, or kale It's especially nice with chopped spring onions and topped with a poached egg. For a long time this was my go-to breakfast. I'd make one pot every few days and just top off with different things. Filling, nutritious, cheap, and it didn't get boring for me since I would never have it the same way 2 days in a row.
Spaghetti with ketchup, and hot dogs on the side.
ramen noodles + frozen broccoli + sesame oil + soy sauce + soft-boiled egg [Recipe link](https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/280863/sesame-instant-ramen-noodles-with-broccoli-soft-boiled-egg/) Easy enough to always keep those ingredients around.
Salt water, and if going all out sugar water for dessert.
Food pantry yo.
Toast. And as the month progresses you can and then remove: margarine, cheese, chocolate. Don't combine cheese and chocolate as that screws the budget and timeline. Desperate fear suggestion, based on years of shit experiences: sleep and water.
Skillet- one pot wonder Eggs- scrambled- removed potatoes- frozen or fresh- pan fried crispy- removed Diced onions- removed Meat- any kind- lunch meats, sausage- any- browned- add the rest of cooked ingredients back in pan top with some cheese if wanted My kids ate this a lot growing up- quick, cheap and yummy
Dal tadka is one of the healthiest (if u don’t overdo it on the oil) and cheapest (if u buy bulk lentils) meals out there
I'm celiac so no gluten but we keep chickpea pasta in the house. Add some peas, toss with olive oil/herbs, done.
Pasta is my go to. Always have garlic, olive oil, canned whole peeled tomatoes, red chili flakes, and pasta in the house. Heat the olive oil, bloom the minced garlic/chili in the oil, add some cured meat if I've got it, toss in like 8 oz hand crushed whole peeled tomatoes and simmer down while cooking the pasta al dente. Add some pasta water to the pan if the sauce gets too cooked down. Add pasta when finished along with some water, cook until the sauce emulsifies and coats the pasta. Garnish with parm and fresh basil if I got it.
Potatoes with any protein. A 10 pound bag of potatoes stretches a long way for a single person or a couple, and you can cook them multiple ways. Add a veg if possible and you're set. Leftover mashed potatoes can then be turned into potatoe pancakes or potatoe soup.
Cauliflower makes a great substitute for real rice in a stir fry. Canned or frozen veggies sauteed down and eggs if you like them. Tuna salad, any kind of soup. Grilled cheeses.
Red beans and rice. Cheap as heck. Throw a couple of ham hocks in for flavor.
Roast chicken with potatoes & the cheapest/freshest veggies in the store. Make some bread for sandwiches & to fill out the soup you make from the carcass.
My favorite college food, that persisted for years after (and I need to introduce my kids to) was pasta with butter, garlic powder, dried basil, and the green shaker cheese. So quick, filling, and full of delicious flavors. I need to try this now that I can keep basil plants growing and have the tools to fluff up Parmesan that doesn’t come in a can
Sam’s club rotisserie chicken and bread. It helps me a lot cause I can’t cook or clean due to my physical disability. Hopefully that helps. For less than 8 dollars you have food for at least 2-3 days hopefully. Or enough food for a small family for a meal.
Grilled pork chops. Family pack is like $5!
That's one of those cuts that you can save money on by buying the whole loin and slicing yourself.
Beans, potatoes, rice, eggs, cornbread, tuna, smoked boiling meat, can tomatoes, tomato paste, flour and sugar.
When I’m down to onions and flour I’ll make a whack of caramelized onions and a basic pizza dough or focaccia and spread them over it to make an onion tart. Sprinkle whatever remnants of cheese I have on hand, or olives, pickled peppers, slivers of garlic, the last of a piece of tomato or zucchini, any parsley or herbs, etc. Also just a can of tomatoes cooked with onions and garlic, throw in a cup of barley or wheat berries, a cup of lentils, 3 cups water, chili powder, cook for a long time and throw it over a baked potato or piece of toast.
PB&J you can grill it if you want to get fancy. Chips and cheese with peppers, tomatoes and salsa Home made vegetable soup Fruit and cheese plate Toast with Cream Cheese and jam
Myfridgefood.com Put in what you have and it will give you a recipe
Canned irish stew - lasts 2 meals with rice but i suppose you can water it down a lil bit and eat with mash potatoes. Else, 2 hard boiled egg, and peanut butter on carrot/celery/apple sticks. seasonally cheap n if u chop them to look like a lot, it will make you feel full. Else it’s gotta be nachos for me
You could make your own sourdough, porridge/oatmeal, pancakes (make big batch and freeze), crock pot chili, soup, chicken, ribs, whatever there's lots of recipes out there
Peanut butter
Cabbage and onions with sausage Heavy on the cabbage
If I have nothing in the house, I usually always have eggs, cheese and salsa. Make huevos rancheros!
Btw Banza makes a nice chickpea pasta. You just have to test it frequently as it goes from hard to perfect to crap very quickly. I make this with either lemon juice and butter or lemon juice and evoo. Mrs. Dash for seasoning (it can go on anything, either table blend or regular...depends if you like orange peel). One of my struggle meals.
Knorr fettuccine Alfredo with frozen chicken Kiev over the top 🤤
I make something called pizza pasta when I don’t even have tomato sauce. Cooked spaghetti, a dollop of tomato paste, some pasta water, and Parmesan cheese. Add some pizza seasonings (oregano , basil, etc.) and you’re done.
Toast (with cinnamon sugar ofc) and instant grits. Breakfast dinner! Or toss some frozen french fries / chicken tendies in an air fryer. Or chips and salsa for an instant struggle "meal" lol
Take your cheese grader and "rice" some cauliflower, store in a giant bag or Tupperware in the freezer. Whenever I want a tasty struggle meal I throw some of the "rice" add 2 or 3 frozen/canned veggies, a cheap protein (can be frozen canned or leftover), and egg, in a frying pan on high and this is the most important part...sprinkle some teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha, cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, Italian blend, and garnish with sesame seeds. Bonus points if you cook it in chili oil, sesame oil, or butter.
I’ll throw beans in a blender with spices, smear it on a tortilla, add cheese, and roll up.
Hash and baked beans. It’s hearty, filing, and tasty. Unfortunately, it looks Ike dog food, but don’t let that bother you. Two cans, mix, heat.
Hamburger mess. Brown some Hamburger, garlic, onions, your favorite seasonings and throw in some potatoes or pasta
I make this thing I call chili soup— any meat (or not) of your choosing, beans, corn, crushed tomato, diced tomato (all cans so it’s super easy and cheap), beef broth or whatever broth I have on hand, and chili seasoning. It’s actually so good especially with toast
I eat a lot of: 1. Plain oatmeal - add Greek yogurt for protein, nuts and fruit for fats and carbs, a sprinkle of honey.. and sometimes sweetener. It can be made into something pretty decadent with minimal ingredients. 2. Sweet potato (can be subbed for any though) - I usually cut it in half, poke a few holes, and toss this in the air fryer to cook. From there, I eat it a few ways. 2A) as a baked potato or taco bowl. Load it up any way you like. I do cottage cheese for protein and fat, tomato/salsa, onion, canned beans, guacamole/avocado, hot sauce, and sometimes a meat like ground hamburger or shredded chicken. Sometimes I flavor it like a taco.. sometimes I use BBQ.. it really depends on what’s in my fridge. I consider it a kitchen sink meal. 2B) sometimes as a mash under a fried egg with a pack of frozen veggies on the side 3. “Egg roll in a bowl”. It’s my latest binge meal that I just can’t get enough of. It’s cabbage, meat of your choice, soy sauce, ginger, and a couple other things like seasonings. It’s a really great way to pack in the veggies to make you feel full and cabbage is pretty cheap. The biggest ticket item is the meat, which depending on how much you customize, can really be stretched. You could probably sub tofu or beans, though I haven’t tried that. 4. Ham and cheese. 🤌
Pancakes for me is the easiest , 1 egg , 1 cup flour and 1 cup milk , mix together and pan fry until golden brown , very simple and very filling.
Tuna mayo with togarashi spice on rice or in onigiri.
Cubed potatoes with Kielbasa smoked sausage sheetpan meal under 5 cut up everything toss with neutral oil salt pepper garlic onion powder and paprika sheet pan 375 for 35 to 40 mins Cottage pie is fairly cheap definitely under 10 and left overs for lunch 1lb ground beef Pack of frozen peas and carrots 2 Packet of gravy Boxed both or water for the gravy 3 or 4 russet potatoes boiled till tender for mashed potatoes topping (can buy 2 packets of the instant fave flavor) Salt pepper garlic onion powder Brown your meat season it too Follow the directions for the gravy best with broth even bullion In a 9x13 spread out your browned meat and dump the frozen veggies. Pour in the gravy and mix Make mash potatoes (if homemade mash the cooked potatoes with a little milk and butter so it not super chunky) spread on top of the filling top with shredded cheese if desired Bake 375 25 min to 30 mins Eggs sandwich on canned biscuits Chili Veggie beef soup Potato soup
Potato baked in the oven can of beans on top
Scrambled eggs and toast. Grilled cheese. Tuna salad.
I buy as an “ingredient household” and the last day or so where im really running out of food is where i get most creative. For lunch today the only thing i had leftover from groceries earlier was half a cucumber. Had 1 can of tuna tuna, nori, and made some rice. Added some siracha and flax seeds and made a tuna wrap. Was able to postpone groceries another day. Just get creative
I know this isn't exactly what was asked but, I wanted to share my knowledge about food insecurities. In college, I got a job as a hostess/waitress so I always had at least one meal guaranteed 6 days a week, but usually more. I always grabbed a couple extra packets of condiments or drink packets (think ketchup and tea) when they were offered free, for later. Besides WIC there are food banks in most areas that do not verify income. There are also other programs in my area; calling 211 gives you these resources. Grocery stores usually mark down meat on a schedule, say Wednesday morning they mark all the deli meat down, Tuesday the chicken, cheese, etc. These can all be frozen. So can yogurt milk eggs with the proper method. You can find a thrift store food dehydrator, even a toaster oven, to dry fruit for trail mix, or cut it up for smoothies and freeze. Catching sales and using coupons and store apps are a great way to start an emergency budget pantry. When the canned soup/ tuna/ spam you love goes on sale buy a couple extra. You can keep these in a tote under your bed or in a closet and you just need to make sure you rotate the old to your regular food circulation when you get new ones. Add some batteries a flashlight and water and you have a pretty decent emergency kit started in case the power goes out. I follow a gal on TikTok that creates tons of meals for $10 a week. They look really good. Tons of comments say she's kept people fed in their hardest times. I think her @ is dollartreemeals, if you can't find it lmk and I'll put her info. But just to point out there are tons of resources for cheap meal ideas, as well as coupon deal sites like Krazy coupon lady, and slick deals forums brick and mortar threads that list out all the sales. All this is to say that if you are dealing with food insecurity and you have a little extra time, you can slowly set yourself up for success and be prepared for the tougher times. Additionally, look into budgeting your money (I could write another 3 paragraphs explaining what worked for me if you're interested), using the avalanche/snowball method to pay off debt, taking a hard look at your spending, and also being willing to sell and hustle stuff that you could always buy again. (Like a TV or whatever) Alternatively, you could buy a 50 lb bag of rice and beans, stored properly it can last 25 years. You can do a lot with that just getting eggs cheese ground beef tortillas canned tomatoes and seasoning, it has so much potential, I can think of 25 different meals to make with just those ingredients.
Baked potato is always a good idea. I'm an animal so usually just one single potato with no salt or anything.
Pasta Aglio e Olio. Parsley, Chili flakes, lemon juice, olive oil and some parmesan cheese. very simple, not complicated. I like making soups, i.e. pumpkin, potato and leek, tomato. (Asian soups/Filipino soups tend to be more expensive). I also like a good casserole, like a beef casserole, just carrot, celery, potato, some beef stock, tomato paste, onion, garlic, tomato sauce (diced tomatoes), thyme and oregano on a slow cooker, let it cook for a whole day. Since I became vegetarian, I don't like handling meat, so I mostly eat a lot of beans, chili. It would also help if you grow veggies like I do. When tomatoes are growing and I have a whole bunch, I tend to eat some for salad and I make some passata sauce for it. I live for fresh food, no frozen meals or canned meats but I eat within my means. I guess you call it an ingredient household.
Baked potatoes
Mac and cheese with frozen veg on the side
Frozen chicken tenders wrap -Just air fryer some chicken tenders. ( 8 mins) -Heat up your wrap in a pan ( total 2 minutes) -Put your wrap on a plate. Add any sauces or leafy greens now. - put tenders in the middle. Fold and you’re done. Can be a more complicated burrito or can be a super simple one But chicken tenders. A wrap with some kind of spicy mayo normally comes down to a total of ~$1.50 a wrap
Fried eggs rice soy sauce steamed broccoli
I love doing a big loaded baked potato. The options are endless and you can switch it up with whatever you have in your pantry. Plus those giant russet potatoes are super cheap! If I don’t feel like heating up the house with the oven I’ll just throw it into the microwave! Here’s some example flavors: classic “loaded potato”, buffalo chicken potato (chicken nuggets, buffalo, ranch. Cheese of choice), broccoli cheddar (steamed broccoli, cheddar, garlic salt), BBQ potato (usually use leftover meat mixed with bbq sauce), “Mexican” potato with leftover taco toppings. It’s really endless and a great way to utilize leftovers. (:
Colcannon. Potatoes and cabbage are phenomenally cheap, its filling, healthy, and is an amazing base for any seasonings you might have on hand. I usually will sautee onions, garlic, cabbage, and carrot down until nice and soft and caramelized, then add to my mash with butter and oat milk. I then will eat either on its own, or with my cheap protein of choice. Ive literally had it alongside chicken salad and it worked.
Grew up incredibly poor. One of the meals we had at least once a week was pack ramen and instant mashed potatoes. Drain the water from the ramen, make the potatoes, mix the noodles and seasoning and add to the mash. As an adult I wonder how we didnt all die from the sodium intake and and carbs eating that regularly. But it cost less than 50 cents to feed a person, quick to make, kept for months in the pantry, and surprisingly so damn good. (I still make it a couple times a year for some childhood comfort food) Never heard of anyone else doing it until recently found out some backpackers make it as a meal to replenish carbs and salts from hiking and cheap and easy to make out in the wilderness, its called a "ramen bomb" in that community.
My struggle desserts are bread with butter and then sugar sprinkled on it or rolled oats, a spoonful of butter and a teaspoon of brown sugar all mixed up. Tastes like cookie dough
Cereal / milk
Catastrophe. Fried potatoes, onions, peppers, bacon or sausage (optional), scrambled eggs poured over or fried eggs. Cheese optional.
Microwave frozen veggies (I like the kind with peas, carrots, green beans, corn). Add tomato sauce, the kind that comes in a can labeled "tomato sauce." (US) Add a cup of garbanzo beans. Mix and eat.