Delicious and nutritious meals don’t have to be expensive. These recipes use ingredients that are always in season and readily available at reasonable prices. They pair very well with plain, inexpensive salads—like cucumber or red cabbage—that will keep you within a $10 budget.
Serve it up with chips
Classic pub food made at home without a deep fryer? Yes you can!
Photo by Karen Hermann
CLASSIC BATTERED FISH AND CHIPS
SERVES 4
Total cost: $8.46
Chips
Vegetable oil
4 potatoes, peeled, cut and patted dry
Batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Kosher salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Beer, or club soda
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Fish
1 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
1 pound cod (or any thick white fish), cut into pieces, rinsed and patted dry
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Malt or cider vinegar, to serve
Into a Dutch oven or deep skillet, over medium-low heat, add vegetable oil—about 2 inches deep. When oil is hot, add potatoes and blanch (partially cook) until almost done—no browning—about 4–5 minutes. Remove to a platter lined with paper towels, and set aside.
In a shallow bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and peppers. Add beer/soda slowly—just enough until the mixture reaches the consistency of pancake batter and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in lemon juice and set aside. Let batter rest about 30 minutes.
Increase oil temperature to medium-high and watch carefully. In another shallow bowl, combine more flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the fish pieces in the flour mixture to coat, then in the batter, before placing them into the oil one at a time. Be sure to drain the excess batter off the fish before putting it into the oil. Cook on both sides until golden brown; remove to a platter lined with paper towels. Repeat until all fish are cooked.
At this point, add the chips back into the oil and finish cooking until golden brown. Remove from oil and plate with the cooked fish. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve with vinegar or your favorite condiment.
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Sausage-Stuffed Bell Peppers
Comfort food
Try this recipe for sausage-stuffed bell peppers—just like Mom used to make.
Photo by Karen Hermann
SERVES 4
Total cost: $9.46
4 large green bell peppers (6 if small)
1 pound Italian sausage links, removed from casing
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
1 24-ounce jar tomato and basil pasta sauce, divided
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a large roasting pan with cooking spray. Cut tops off peppers. Remove seeds and ribs inside peppers. Set aside. You can cut peppers in half lengthwise to make smaller portions, if desired.
In a large bowl, combine the sausage, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper flakes, salt, pepper, 1 cup pasta sauce and Parmesan. Mix until well combined. Divide meat mixture among peppers. Cover bottom of roasting pan with 1 cup of pasta sauce and place peppers in pan. Pour the remaining 1 cup of pasta sauce over the peppers. Cover tightly with foil. Bake peppers until stuffing temperature is 165 F on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour, depending on size.
Remove from oven and discard foil. Increase oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle tops of peppers with shredded cheese and return to oven. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10–15 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley.
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Chicken Pasta Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Small price, big flavor
Your family will love this entree salad that is nutritious, delicious and affordable.
Photo by Gina Moore
SERVES 4
Total cost: $8.55
Lemon vinaigrette
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup garlic flavored/infused olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
Salad
2 cups pasta, cooked (your favorite)
2 cups shredded leftover or rotisserie chicken
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup Kalamata olives, halved
¼ cup basil, roughly chopped
¼ cup toasted pine nuts, optional
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
In a small measuring cup, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use, or refrigerate in a small glass jar for up to two weeks.
In a large salad bowl, toss together pasta, chicken, onion, tomatoes, olives and basil. Add half of the vinaigrette and toss until all ingredients are covered. Finish by adding the nuts and feta and tossing very lightly. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Please note that the pasta will soak up a lot of vinaigrette. Plate salad and serve with remaining vinaigrette.
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Beefy Cheesy Mac
For kids of all ages
Who doesn’t love this classic combination of noodles, beef and lots of cheese?
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
SERVES 4–6
Total cost: $8.78
8 ounces cooked macaroni pasta (elbow, cavatappi or mini penne)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef, crumbled
Kosher salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk, warm
Pinch nutmeg
3 cups grated cheese (your favorite)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons seasoned breadcrumbs
Cook pasta according to directions on the packaging. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Saute onions until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Add salt, pepper, dried herbs and tomatoes. Stir and continue to cook for 3–5 minutes. Drain off juices and set aside.
In another large skillet or Dutch oven, over medium heat, melt butter and add flour. Whisk continuously until the consistency of wet sand, 3–4 minutes. Do not let brown. Add milk and continue to whisk until thickened. Remove from heat and add nutmeg and cheese; stir until cheese is melted. Add pasta and thoroughly combine.
Into the prepared baking dish, add one-third of the pasta and cheese mixture topped with half of the meat mixture. Layer again with one-third of the pasta and cheese mixture followed by the remainder of the meat mixture and finally the remainder of the pasta and cheese. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan and breadcrumbs and sprinkle on top. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Let rest 15–20 minutes before serving.
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Doing the math—tips for frugal chefs
- In calculating the cost of these meals, I took into consideration that the average kitchen is equipped with basic staples like flour, seasonings, dairy, eggs, oils, vinegars, etc. For price comparison, all of the ingredients for these recipes were sourced at a local Walmart.
- If the cost of a rotisserie chicken is out of budget, substitute cooked and shredded chicken thighs. They are juicier and tastier than breast meat and always a bargain in the supermarket.
- Knowing where to shop and what to look for is key. Don’t shy away from private label store brands. They are often a better value and just as good.
- Buy frequently used ingredients when on sale and freeze for future use. Meats like chicken parts and ground beef are usually offered at special pricing at least two times per month in supermarkets. And “flash-frozen” fish is actually fresher than “fresh” fish, and less expensive.
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What’s cooking at SCLiving.coop
Cheap dessert—A delicious dessert for less than 50 cents? Chef Belinda shows you how to do it in this video recipe for caramelized bananas. It’s also a great topping for pound cake or ice cream.