I personally know some folks who spend all their money on fast food, and then online it seems pretty common folks not knowing how to cook causes massive financial problems.
My super duper cheap meal that takes no effort is “lazy rice veggie soup”: Can of peas and carrots cooked with a bouyon cube until cube is dissolved Add cooked rice to mix, and heat until rice is flavorful with absorbed broth
I do a cup of dried rice, and a can of peas and carrots which means the soup has 800ish calories and I think it’s pretty good as it’s either 2 small meals that you can have sides with, or one large one!
So what are your cheap meals you like to make? The less well known, the better!
I grew up with polenta, so that’s an easy cheap meal I have.
For one serve mix roughly 3/4 cup of polenta with roughly 2.5 cups of water. Stir in a pot over a stove for about 10 minutes and you’re done.
It’s around $1 AUD per serve by itself. I usually add cheese so it’s a bit more for me.
Gruel! Three spoons of oatmeal in a bowl, pour about 500ml (~1 pint) of boiling water on it. You can put a bit more oatmeal in, but if you go too far you get porridge. You’re aiming for thin or miserly porridge.
For a mild seasoning, you can cry over the bowl, and let the salt from your tears enhance the subtle flavours. If you’re feeling rich, salt can be purchased from shops and used instead.
For optional nutrients beyond simple survival, you can then throw any leftover or past-best veg, precooked meat or edible garden plants in the bowl. For deliciousness, you can add a bit of butter, or even cheese.
Heat it in a pan on the hob, whilst stirring, for as long as you can be bothered waiting. Cooking for longer tends to make it taste better. Alternately, microwave it for a few minutes.
You’re ultimately going to end up with something like a thick soup (or a luxurious cheese sauce, depending on ingredients) that’s surprisingly filling, and significantly nicer tasting than you might expect from the description.
Gruel. It sounds shit, but it’s ace.
The Victorians considered gruel to be health food. Mind you, they also thought granulated arsenic was a good substitute for sugar.
Off-topic but this could be interesting: https://traumbooks.itch.io/the-sad-bastard-cookbook
Delightful! Thanks for sharing! I just bought the printed book from Barnes and Noble.
thanks for this, can never have enough cheap eats cookbooks
1lb Ground turkey, 6oz crushed Frito corn chips, 2 cloves minced garlic, pinch red pepper flake. Combine, form 4 thin patties, and fry. Serve on toast with or without cheese. Great burgers, and super cheap.
1lb Ground Turkey: $3.17
6oz Fritos: $2.92
2 cloves garlic: $0.10Total Price: $6.09 / 4 burgers = $1.50 per 1/4lb patty.
Gotta be rice and beans for cheapest. Not sure what it comes to exactly but rice, some veg or other, and a protein (usually tofu) is my usual go-to when I’m cooking.
Obviously you can spice this a million deferent ways. Like tomato + cinnamon, or chili flakes and green beans, etc etc etc
E: oh I just read the part about about being uncommon. I’d say a rich tofu scramble with veggies. You can even do like half and half egg and tofu. Sometimes I’ll do that to like upgrade my morning egg
