Cheap Meals

Simple Meals That Stretch

Cheap meals do not have to be sad little plates of nothing. A good frugal meal uses simple pantry foods, stretches leftovers, and makes the most of what is already in the kitchen.

Beans, rice, potatoes, oats, pasta, eggs, soups, casseroles, and sale meats can become a whole week of meals when they are planned carefully.

Very Cheap Meal Ideas

• Beans and rice with onion, garlic, and seasonings
• Potato soup with bread or crackers
• Egg fried rice with leftover vegetables
• One-pot pasta with canned tomatoes and garlic
• Lentil soup with carrots and onions
• Bean chili with cornbread
• Grilled cheese with tomato soup
• Oatmeal with peanut butter or fruit
• Pancakes with eggs or fruit
• Chicken and rice casserole
• Tuna noodle casserole
• Vegetable soup with leftover meat or beans

Meals From Pantry Staples

• Rice: fried rice, beans and rice, rice bowls, casseroles, soup filler
• Beans: chili, soup, burritos, bean dip, beans over cornbread
• Potatoes: baked potatoes, potato soup, hash, casseroles, fried potatoes
• Pasta: tomato pasta, tuna pasta, pasta salad, baked pasta
• Oats: oatmeal, baked oats, granola, pancake filler
• Eggs: breakfast, fried rice, egg salad, casseroles, pancakes

Stretch-It Tricks

• Add rice, beans, pasta, potatoes, or oats to stretch meat.
• Turn leftovers into soup, casseroles, fried rice, or wraps.
• Cook once and use the food twice.
• Use broth, gravy, sauce, or cheese to make plain foods feel like a meal.
• Keep a “use first” shelf in the fridge so food does not disappear into the fog.
• Freeze leftovers before they spoil.

Sample Cheap Supper Plan

• Monday: Pinto beans, rice, and cornbread
• Tuesday: Potato soup and toast
• Wednesday: One-pot tomato pasta
• Thursday: Egg fried rice with vegetables
• Friday: Bean chili and crackers or cornbread
• Saturday: Chicken thighs, potatoes, and carrots
• Sunday: Leftover soup, sandwiches, or casserole

Good Things To Keep On Hand

• Rice, pasta, oats, potatoes, flour, and cornmeal
• Dry beans, lentils, canned beans, tuna, peanut butter, and eggs
• Canned tomatoes, broth, soups, vegetables, and fruit
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and cinnamon
• Frozen vegetables, sale meats, cheese, bread, and tortillas when affordable

Related Frugal Living Pages

• Meal Plans
• Shopping Lists
• Recipes
• Freezing
• Food Storage
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