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There’s this thread on Reddit asking people what their favorite poverty meals are that they still enjoy eating today, no matter their current financial situation. So, when we stumbled upon it and read the answers, an idea dawned - these are not just some cheap lunch ideas; they are, in fact, easy to prepare, delicious foods that anyone can enjoy on the go without having to break their piggy bank. That’s why we gathered some of the best simple meal ideas from the thread, put them all in one place, and now share them with you. You can also try to recreate these cheap meal ideas whenever you’re in need.
While most of these recipes are not necessarily the healthiest, they are definitely the most comforting. Who would deny that cinnamon toast is just the warmest and tastiest snack to go with a cup of tea? Even better is that you don’t really have to put that much effort into making it!
Then there are rice-based meals, and surely there’s nobody who doesn’t like rice as it is so versatile and neutral-tasting. Truly, rice is the perfect outlet for your culinary creativity (especially if you’re on a budget and the choices aren’t that many). And that’s just to name a few - as you’re about to see, the budget meals people have listed aren’t boring or bland; on the contrary!
So, are you ready to check out frugal meal ideas from people who actually make and enjoy them? If yes, scroll down below, and once you are there, be sure to give your favorite recipes an upvote. If you have your own go-to simple meal recipes, be sure to write them down in the comments section. Who knows, you might give someone a meal idea that might become their favorite!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
"Grew up poor, but my mom sure knew how to stretch a dollar. She would make steak fingers out of the cheapest cuts she could find. Tenderize, fry them up make gravy out of the drippings and serve with mashed potatoes. The whole meal probably cost less than 5 bucks in 70s dollars, and I'm telling you nothing tasted better. I made it for my kids when they were growing up and they still ask me for it sometimes. She would be 94 today. Love you miss you mom."
RELATED:
#2
"Boiled potatoes and butter don't care if I am rich or poor that is my go to snack."
Michelle D 3 years ago
Made some last weekend after craving them for a few days. They were as good as I remembered!
#3
"Bread and butter is my favourite food in the whole world. When I'm fancy, it's fresh sourdough and boujee butter."
Michael King 3 years ago
Bread and olive oil with some herbs. Like in the restaurant but super easy.
Ela 3 years ago
Oh gosh. When I was a kid this was fresh wheat bread warm out of the oven, and we were so dead broke we didn't have loaf pans, we saved the big cans the yeast came in, so our loaves were round. I thought square bread was weird. We got raw milk from a neighbor with cows, skimmed the cream ourselves and dad whipped it with the mixer to make butter. So good. Butter and sometimes honey on warm bread with a glass of milk.
#4
"I’m a chef. I own a restaurant. I’ve eaten some of the finest foods on this planet. Very few things taste better than box Mac and cheese with cut up hot dogs."
Hugh Cookson 3 years ago
As a Chef anything made by anyone else is good - retired Michelin Chef here x
Steve Robert 3 years ago
I once made in college Hamburger Helper without the hamburger. Called it Helper Helper
Benita Valdez 3 years ago
Aldi has a stroganoff type helper and I love it without meat. It's just delicious cheesy noodles. I like to add extra cheese and some sour cream
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VodkaInMySweetTea 3 years ago
Vegetarian version: Mac and cheese with canned green peas. Ultimate comfort food.
Jescia 3 years ago
As a child of the 80s and 90s we were all basically raised on convenience foods. They were massive hits when they came out. Just because I've "matured" I'm not supposed to eat what I've enjoyed forever and now I'm supposed to like stuff like foie gras. No thanks, I'll take the blue box of Mac n cheese!
Jen 3 years ago
I like the Linton sides - slightly "fancy" flovored mac and cheese that has the dehydrated veggies right in it. A package for 4 as a side is enough for 2 as a single dish. My favorite is the chicken and brocolli flavor, no real chicken (just boullion) but bits of dehydrated brocolli.
#5
"Fried egg with rice and beans, I was a missionary in Brazil for a few years and when I would eat at peoples homes they would apologize for that being the only thing they could afford. I could not convince them that it was one of my favorite meals."
Michael King 3 years ago
That's basically fried rice you'd get from a Chinese place.
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Jacinda SW 3 years ago
Rice, soy sauce, torn up nori sheets and a fried egg on top is amazing!
#6
"Peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Containers of both last forever. Last year, we lost power for 13 days in the rural area I was living in and lost all food. I lived off those sandwiches on rye bread for those two weeks and bottled water. Never got sick of them at all lol. I lost 12 pounds."
Erica Knapp 3 years ago
A friend of mine just told me how he makes little pb & banana sandwiches and then air fries them 🤤
Load More Replies... #7
"Grilled cheese sandwich. Grilled cheese can be cheap or gourmet. If your making a grilled cheese at home it isn’t going to cost much."
Andrea Jones 3 years ago
Thinly sliced peeled apple, shredded ham and grated cheese grilled open, so tasty.
#8
"I had a PB&J recently and felt like a fool! Why did I stop eating these when I became an adult? Society lead me to believe this was the way. It is not! Been having PB&J a couple nights a week since. I refuse to let societies unenlightened views dictate my dinner choices! PB&J is a top tier dish for any occasion."
Verified Loser 3 years ago
Not a fan of PBj but gotta thumbs up for the 'unenlightened adults' bit!!!!! There are so many 'kiddie' foods I or people I know like (I still know a dude who survives on chicken nuggets) but it really is crazy how people expect your palate to "be mature" lol. What even is that?
Jen 3 years ago
Cant eat PB but still love Almond butter or nutella and jelly for a quick meal and nuggets and fries are perfrct when you are starving and dont have a lot of time to cook AND need to get a bunch else done at the same time - just toss them in the oven (takes seconds to get them on the sheet tray) and get all the dishes done or clean the bathroom, etc while they cook.
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robman1ok1 Hernandez 3 years ago
Crunchy Peter Pan and mango pineapple jelly on wheat... it's the s**t.
Andrew McLoughlin 2 years ago
Broadly speaking, somewhere after the age of about 12 the average person shifts from preferring sweet things and disliking bitter things to preferring (or at least appreciating) bitter things. The amounts of minerals like sulfur (just for example) that you need in your diet shifts after childhood, so there's an evolutionary incentive to shift your food preferences accordingly. That's what's usually meant by a "mature palate." (A classic example is coffee. Adults generally enjoy the taste, children tend to find it off-putting.) Not true of everyone (and different people clearly have different preferences) but that's why something with that much sugar is seen as being more enjoyable for kids.
#9
"Tomato Sandwich with lite mayo and salt and pepper."
Clara Rotti 3 years ago
When I was a kid my Mom would make butter and sliced radish sandwiches or mustard and onion sandwiches with a glass of Coca Cola to wash it down. So good. She grew the veggies in her little garden in the backyard.
#10
Commenter No. 1 wrote: "Butter noodles." SpazzJazz88 replied: "Yes!!! And if you were lucky to have parm and garlic, then you're eating good."
Maltaros 3 years ago
I just don't get the love for pasta. It has no inherent flavor on it's own and nutritionally it is pretty much bad. All carbs and maybe a small amount of other things added in if they use enriched flour but not a significant amount. Even when it has spinach or tomato to give it color, the flavor is still pretty much that of wallpaper paste. I'd rather have a bowl with just the sauce.
AnnaPanda 3 years ago (edited)
Pasta may be not the best on its own but you can make so many amazing dishes with it. Lasagna, beef stroganoff, baked ziti, lobster mac and cheese also homemade fresh pasta tastes much better than boxed
Load More Replies... Pandapoo 3 years ago
Butter noodles, chicken seasonings, & crumbled Ritz crackers on top. This is one of the side dishes people fight each other over for more at Zehnder's & Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth MI. This is literally pennies to make & it is the favorite side with chicken dinners they serve.
Izzabelle Mendiola 3 years ago
Has anyone tried it with elbow macaroni instead of spaghetti noodles? So good
#11
"I’m Mexican. For us, it’s usually quesadillas without meat, rice and black beans as the sides."
#12
"Piece of bread with butter, cinnamon, and sugar broiled in oven until just toasted. Still my favorite late night snack."
Shelby Moonheart 3 years ago
If you are sick to your stomach, break it up and cover it with warm milk. It is gentle and comforting. Milk Toast. My Mom used to make it for me.
Maltaros 3 years ago
One of my earliest memories is my mom making this for me when I was very little and sick. It makes me gag but the memory is sweet.
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Nora Petricien 3 years ago
If you add a bit of milk before putting it in the oven (and maybe an egg depending on the recipe) you'll have a french toast
Janina Prado 3 years ago
Yes! My dad would do that with the heel of sliced bread, or the heel of round bread. Sooo good!
Benita Valdez 3 years ago
Cinnamon raisin toast with some ricotta cheese and a little dash of cinnamon; delicious snack
#13
"Pancakes. Cheap to make and filling, can be eaten with whatever is in your fridge."
Maltaros 3 years ago
I love pancakes but as I have aged I can't eat as much of them as I used to. I usually end up leaving too much behind to make it economical.
Jen 3 years ago
You can make a big batch then wrap individual ones tightly with plastic wrap then the whole stack in foil and freeze for up to a month. You can then reheat in a toaster oven (or regular oven) like eggos when you want some more. And then you have 1 day with all the prep and multiple enjoying the pancakes
Load More Replies... #14
"Breakfast food. Eggs and potatoes for life."
Hamlets twin 3 years ago
I wish I could eat eggs! I've cooked too many from when I wanted to be chef. Now I can only have them in bread, pastries, clafoutis, etc.
Karen Tyas 3 years ago
This was always our “broke til payday” meal but we(my brother and I) didn’t realize it until we were grown. Eggs were cheap, ya know like they were in 2021 and forever before that, potatoes are cheap, together they kick a*s. If we didn’t have eggs they were easily “borrowed”.
Michael King 3 years ago
I feel like these were mostly done before the avian flu made eggs pricey.
#15
"Pizza in Italy was originally only eaten by poor people who couldn’t afford proper meals, and so they used the basics of flour, tomatoes and other cheap items to come up with pizza. However instead of the meat and other things on modern pizza, the basic vegetables make the pizza just as tasty and I always enjoy eating it."
#16
"Pasta aglio olio. Warm some garlic in olive oil, add a sprinkle of red pepper and grate some parm on top. Love this simple, cheap classic."
Pandapoo 3 years ago
Another is cooked spaghetti noodles still warm tossed with a raw egg(which cooks the egg,)then add grated romano/parmesan cheese & cooked bacon that has been chopped up. Season to taste.YUM!!! nice piece of crusted bread,& a toss salad. So good!!
NamiKoa 3 years ago
Carbonara? I love that, I could eat it every week easily.
Load More Replies... #17
"Honestly? Spaghettios. They remind me of my grandpa. miss you grandpa joe."
Marilyn Russell 3 years ago
Sometimes I’ll get some Chef Boyardee. I’m 53 and can make authentic pasta carbonara.
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
In Australia we have a similar tinned food, spagasaurus. So awesome, dinosaur spaghetti, especially inside a toasted jaffle.
#18
"Cuban style rice and black beans. Sure, I'll toss in some avocado now I can afford to, but the base dish stays the same."
#19
"I'm South African and for me that's samp and beans (samp is corn). Both are soaked overnight and then pressure cooked with spices and some cheap meat, served with melted butter, salt and black pepper. It doesn't sound like much but I swear, this is an S-Tier comfort food that I'd pick over high priced sushi any day."
#20
vontoque wrote: "Sleep." cowboyfromhell324 replied: "This is my favorite stress and depression food." fantastic_feb replied: "Love it so much I have it every night."
Alisha Thompson 2 years ago
If sleep were a food, I'd be morbidly obese. I sleep at every opportunity. Even if I only have a short break, or during a car ride. I sleep so much, my husband once thought I had narcolepsy. And I have fallen asleep while driving. The car was totaled, but neither I nor anyone else was injured. I can't fight sleep and deep down I don't want to. Now replace every time I said sleep with eat or something food related. Lol.
#21
"Migas! Corn tortillas fried crispy, scramble in some eggs, add a fistful of cheese. Serve with ketchup, hot sauce, or both. Also cook a cup of rice, put in a pan with a can of black beans, cook it all together with salsa. I'm gainfully employed and make good money and I still eat both of these at least three to four times a week."
robman1ok1 Hernandez 3 years ago
Well I can tell you right now seeing that my last name is Hernandez anybody I know that I've taught to make migas would ban you from the kitchen for ever putting ketchup on them. Like the saying goes "just because you can do something doesn't mean you should"
Erica Knapp 3 years ago
Ketchup on ANY type of latin food is indeed an abomination!! Same with ketchup on steak!!
Load More Replies... #22
"Fried eggs with fried potatoes."
#23
"Potato soup. We usually had it with veggies that were starting to go bad, and if we had any, we’d toss bacon in there. My mom makes it pretty well, but my late great-grandfather made the best."
Jodie daubenmire 3 years ago
My kids called it garbage stew..but they ask for now when they come home.
Erica Knapp 3 years ago
If we had cheese my mom would put some in the bottom of our bowl and cover with potato soup....nice gooey surprise and so tasty lol
Verified Loser 3 years ago
I love me some soup!!! All soups except the obvious gross ones like pizza and lasagna soup lol.
#24
"Hot dogs in baked beans."
#25
"Grits with salt and butter."
Jolie McCleave 3 years ago
I live in Canada (western)and it's nearly impossible to find them anywhere, I cannot wait for a trip south to try them for the first time!
René Sauer 3 years ago
Grits sounds like it is multiple pieces of a solid food, not semi-liquidy stuff it actually is
#26
"Ham and beans, butter beans, Cajun red beans and rice. All cheap to make and make a ton so they can feed my family twice for less than $5-$10."
#27
"Stew. There could be anything in there but it's still delicious."
Marilyn Russell 3 years ago
So true - thanks for reminding me! I’ll make some this week. And I make really good fluffy dumplings!
#28
"English muffin pizza. A jar of pasta sauce, English muffins, mozzarella and toppings of your choice. Fresh produce is dirt cheap. The pasta sauce is the most expensive part, and if you make it, and the English muffins at home, each mini pizza is like 30 cents."
BoredGrandma 3 years ago
''Fresh produce is dirt cheap'' I wish with all my heart that was true where I live. We are paying $5 for a very small head of iceberg lettuce, that's if you can find it at all.
Ivanna Hansen 1 year ago
My mom would do this but with the Pillsbury biscuits that come in those popping cans! For my 13th birthday, I had a sleepover and she prepped us a build-your-own-mini pizza station. Flatten the biscuits with hands, add the toppings and bake. It was a hit!
#29
"One of my life long favourites is fried macaroni with butter and breadcrumbs. I always loved when my grandma made that. One day I told her so and she laughed. "We only eat that when we need to go to town for groceries"."
#30
"In Ireland (specifically Dublin) we have a dish called coddle. Its a salty white stew from the days of the poor tenements. It's made with leftover sausages, bacon, potatoes and variable other veggies and grain such as barley. It is an ugly dish to look at but it is so tasty, wholesome and filling."
Nicole Weymann 3 years ago
...which answers the question from the Irish thread "Do you Dubliners actually eat this or is it a tourist scam?"
Ashleigh O'Sullivan 3 years ago
It's definitely a Dublin thing they love it
Load More Replies... Ashleigh O'Sullivan 3 years ago
Aw I can't b doing with coddle soggy sausage 🤢 it's definitely a Dublin thing, the rest of Ireland just do the stew 🍲
#31
"Corned beef hash. A cheap, simple and hearty meal that takes me back to childhood. Twas one of my nan’s staple dishes."
Spencer's slave 3 years ago
I still make this! Chuck everything in the slow cooker and you have a hot, tasty, filling dinner when you get home. Make a big cheese scone ( 15 mins ), put it in the dinner bowl, hash on top, so good.
#32
slejeivw wrote: "Ramen." thebangzats replied: "I'll one-up that with Indomie specifically. If you haven't heard of it, you're missing out. It was so popular in Nigeria it practically replaced the world "noodle" (despite Indomie being an Indonesian product, 11,688 km away). I brought it to an international summer camp in Finland where all the delegates from other countries pretty much lapped up the serving tray like dogs."
Ramona Braund 3 years ago
Love love love Indomie noodles. So does my fussy English husband. He's a whimp and I'm only 23% Indonesian so I leave out the hot sauce 🥵
#33
"So many. I love poverty meals. Spaghetti with thick sauce. Beans and rice. Shepherds pie. Stew, beef stew or bigos (polish hunting stew I 100% recommend) Chicken noodle soup."
robman1ok1 Hernandez 3 years ago
You're pretty much spot on except when was the last time you made shepherds pie? If you make it right it's not cheap.
Hugh Cookson 3 years ago
Shepherds Pie IS expensive as Lamb mince is Chuffing dear !! Better to make Cottage Pie with cheap (ie reasonably high fat content) minced Beef ; as a bonus, this is really good for using up and veg that is getting old, plus if you have some really old cheeses in your fridge, grate them up - doesn't matter what they are - and sprinkle over the top of the pie before finishing it off under the grill, tasty, filling and cheap.
Load More Replies... #34
"Chili cheese dip, ate it all the time as a kid. Cream cheese, chili, and cheese. Super simple and cheap."
#35
"Those blocks of cheese, also known as government cheese to some. Me and my great grandad used to cut it into slices and then eat it. I loved it, and if I can find the block of cheese, I'll still eat it!"
Michelle D 3 years ago
The closest I've found as an adult is Land O Lakes American cheese from the deli. We also called it government cheese.
Benita Valdez 3 years ago
My friends used to rave about government cheese. I always wanted to try it
#36
"Baked beans on toast with grated cheese."
Maltaros 3 years ago
It just sounds extremely unhealthy. But comfort food is more about memory so that is the most important part.
Ibbie Ikenzebates 3 years ago
What is unhealthy about beans, toast or cheese in moderation
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#37
"Egg drop soup: 1 quart chicken stock 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp corn starch 1 inch grated ginger whisk in 2 eggs green onions sprinkled."
#38
"Mexi-Mac: Cook a pound of ground beef with a packet of taco seasoning. Make a box of Kraft Mac n' Cheese. Mix together. Also, that's your salt quota for the week."
Marilyn Russell 3 years ago
Interesting… Probably would have liked it as a kid though. Liked tacos and like Kraft dinner.
Shyla Bouche 3 years ago
Add a can of corn, chopped up cauliflower, onions, whatever veggies of your choice. You can also put in taco sauce, and/or lettuce and tomato, and/or serve with tortilla chips.
#39
"There's a south indian dish called Kanji, which is pretty much just rice put in water and cooked for a really long time. Sort of like rice porridge. Then you put different food items and curries inside for flavor. I still make it all the time, especially when I'm sick."
SarDemMin 3 years ago
My m-i-l makes Vietnamese congee. Rice and water, and she'll make it with fish. I'm not Vietnamese so did some research. It originated in South India and was exported by French to Vietnam.
third molar 3 years ago
True, congee originated from tamil word "kanji".. all are based on a rice porridge...
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#40
"My moms lentils and rice, smothered in caramelized onions."
#41
"Bread and water can easily become tea and toast, read that in a fortune cookie once like 20 years ago when I was down n out, changed my life forever."
Lorrene Polaski 3 years ago
I have a coffee cup that says that. It has a pic of a bear at a crossroad that says: "your life" one direction and "no longer an option" the other direction
#42
"Lentils! Great cheap protein and can be used so many ways. Lentils with curry and whatever cheap veg is around, usually spinach or cauliflower. Also a baked plantain for a super cheap and filling snack."
#44
"Maruchan instant ramen noodles drained and tossed in butter, hot sauces and that seasoning packet."
Christine Sweet 3 years ago
I do this with frozen bagged chicken tenders and whatever vegetable mix I can find in the freezer. Never disappoints.
Load More Replies... Nikki138 2 years ago (edited)
1. Drained and tossed with stir fry veggies of choice, Sriracha, and peanut butter 2. Drained and add gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbles and black pepper Or 3. Throw out seasoning pack use your own chicken broth and top with two poached eggs, sliced scallion, chili crunch, garlic crunch, Sriracha and toasted sesame seeds I know.....I'm weird Edited to say....just realized what I mentioned wasn't frugal.....sorry
#45
"Cream of mushroom soup & rice."
tori Ohno 3 years ago
Add a small can of diced roasted green chilies, and serve with a dollop of sour cream. Best pork chops ever.
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#46
"My mom's chilli makes like 10 meals from $11 dollars. It gives you crazy diarrhea if you aren't super regular digestively, but goddamnit I love it so much."
Marilyn Russell 3 years ago
You should be affected that way unless you have a digestive disorder or your mom isn’t the best cook in terms of cleanliness.
robman1ok1 Hernandez 2 years ago
If the chili is giving people diarrhea you might need to reevaluate the ingredients and cooking technique. That's not normal.
#47
"Fried spam."
0zed119 3 years ago
Slice it, egg wash, dip in bread crumbs, then fry it. GI Schnitzel. Damn I miss my Dad, he said he would make this whenever he went to the field.
Bluberry65 3 years ago
My grandma would toss the slices in cornmeal first so it had a nice crunch. DELISH! Super score if served with potato pancakes!
Steve Robert 3 years ago
First had it in Boy Scout camp. Cooked on an outside wood stove, it was delicious
#48
"Tuna and Friends (pasta with canned tuna/peas/some kinda oil or butter)."
#49
"Velveeta. Made a huge comeback in my house at the beginning of pandemic when we were scared, unemployed, and feeling sorry for ourselves."
#50
"Rice, beans, homemade cornbread. Add a little salsa to the rice and a bit of finely chopped onion to the beans and that's luxury. And delicious! Real butter on the cornbread, of course, and a plus for putting on some homemade apple butter."
Pandapoo 3 years ago
Going to make cheesey potatoes ( sour cream, potatoes O'Brien, cream of mushroom soup, & grated cheddar cheese)? For a different taste & turn it into a full meal add a large jar of black beans & corn salsa, instead of plain sour cream add a chip dip sour cream like Kroger's street corn chip dip, switch your grated cheddar cheese to a mexican cheese combo,& add 1-1 1/2 lbs of cooked ground meat. Bake 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips to get every bit. The family LOVES this.
Pandapoo 3 years ago
Want homemade apple butter? Get large jars of applesauce on sale. Pull out your crockpot pour the 12 cups of unsweetened applesauce in the crockpot then sweeten to taste with brown sugar 2-3 cups, do not pack it in the measuring cup. I use apple pie seasoning to flavor the apple sauce. Put crockpot on low cook for 8-10 hours, last 4 hours take lid off crockpot the house will smell heavenly! It not thick cook a little longer till it is. You can can this,put it in the fridge & you can even freeze it.
Load More Replies... #51
"Chipped beef on toast, its depression era, but it tastes sooooo good."
Erica Knapp 3 years ago
Yep and my grandma used canned tuna.... great memories, but guess who doesn't eat sh*t on a shingle now lol
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Squirrelly Panda 3 years ago
My gran taught me to make it back in the 70's. Recently discovered walmart carries the amour brand dried beef and made up a batch. Brought me back. Num.
#52
"Chicken paprikás. You can make a huge pot for like less than $20 and eat it for four days, and it’s sooooooo good."
robman1ok1 Hernandez 2 years ago
It's delicious,easy to make but I don't want to eat it four four days.
Nicole Korondy 3 years ago
My dad makes it with mini drumsticks and wings, Onion, Paprika, Fresh Tomatoes and sour cream at the end on Nokedli. If you are going to make it look up the real Hungarian recipe it's the best.
Nicole Korondy 3 years ago (edited)
Ooh also make Hungarian Cucumber Salad to go with it too or a big Polski Ogorki Pickle.
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#53
"“Ghetto Mac” it’s where make some pasta and add in whatever you can find in the fridge or cabinets. Cheese, lunch meat, spam, spices, etc. No two meals were ever the same."
robman1ok1 Hernandez 2 years ago
My fiance first made this for me one night when we were broke... WOW I can't believe that was over a decade ago. Anyway she calls it what the noodle and even though those days are luckily behind us I'll still haven't her make it for me now and then. Still delicious...love this girl.
#54
"We used to eat squash and eggs growing up. Grew the squash and eggs are cheap enough, or trade with the neighbors. You just cut the squash into thin round and cook in a pan with a little oil until they're just soft. Scramble the eggs with the squash, add a bunch of pepper, some salt. Sometimes we ate it over noodles or rice."
#55
"Smashed potatoes with cheese. Was once my favorite poverty meal and now some kind of soulfood lol."
#56
"Sausage gravy served over toast."
Marilyn Russell 3 years ago
I’ve always wanted to try authentic sausage gravy and biscuits when I visited the states but never did. Guess I could make it myself. I make pretty good biscuits.
Benita Valdez 3 years ago
I'm obsessed with sausage gravy but I can only eat it when I make it because typically it's made with alot of pepper and I'm allergic to pepper. I may have to make sausage gravy today
#57
"Can of sweet corn, can of Ro-Tel (Chile’s and tomatoes) mixed together."
#58
"Rarebit, except the way my Grandma made it used canned tomato soup and instead of adding water/milk, she added a slice of Kraft cheese. Heated that until it was a sauce and then poured it over toast. My husband thinks it’s disgusting, but I still love it!"
Hugh Cookson 3 years ago
Your Rarebit is completely different to mine (although mine is Welsh Rarebit - made by mixing grated cheese (Cheddar or similar) with English Mustard (about a tsp is enough for 4 slices of toast), a tbsp of plain flour a little beer to wet the mix. Set aside. Toast 4 slices of white bread on one side then spread the Rarebit mix on top of the untoasted side - pop under the grill and leave until browned on top. I usually sprinkle a little Worcestershire sauce on top for extra bite.
Jen 3 years ago
We did it like you but with a little beef boullion instead of beer because my grandfather had no alcohol in his house ever and it was his favorite. But he had every flavor of bouliion ever made in his cabinet
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Aileen Grist 3 years ago
I used to love cheese in milk. Add grated cheese to milk & heat. Serve on toast or with bread to dip in the milk.
Jodie daubenmire 3 years ago
I have a consistency thing with wet bread, but if you toast it for a good while..it is wonderful
#59
"Egg and veggie omelet. Hot. Delicious. Protein and other nutrients. On the cheap."
Nora Petricien 3 years ago
What ?!? Where I live you can get like 18 eggs for 6€ (approx $6) and it's a big city so it's not a short supply chain or anything. $1 an egg that's crazy.
Load More Replies... #60
"Soup Beans. I love it so much. My wife is from eastern Kentucky, I'm from England. One of our favourite dishes. Chicken and dumplings, too."
Steve Robert 3 years ago
My Auntie Ester made the best chicken and dumplings. She's been gone for sixty years but I still remember how good it was! Still miss you Auntie!
Lori Mccormick 3 years ago
Soup beans with chopped onions and cornbread. I don't make it as well as my Pappaw but still so comforting!
#61
"Steamed white rice, crack a raw egg in it while it's scorching hot, stir aggressively and dash with soy sauce. if I have some, some roasted seaweed in that shiz. Super cheap breakfast but oh man is it filling/delicious."
Alexigirl1 3 years ago
Again, Tama Tama Gohan!!! Considered ' Poor Man's food' in Japan. But super yummy!!
#62
"Oven-baked potatoes with salt and margarine. Cheap ingredients found in almost every home and easy to make. Also, the starch in potatoes makes you feel full for pretty long."
#63
"I still regularly eat my struggle nachos, tortilla chips with slices of American cheese on top and microwaved. Now that I can afford it I’ll throw taco meat on top every now and again but still very much enjoy just the chips and cheese."
#64
"Literally just a plain slice of white bread right out of the bag."
#65
"Oatmeal with banana and peanut butter."
#66
"Dinosaur chicken nuggets. I will be eating these until I am dead in the grave."
#67
"Lentil stew Boiled potatoes with salt and a couple of slices of herring Cabbage soup and crackers Tea and toast Steamed rice with furikake."
#68
"Ketchup and cheese sandwiches. Bonus points if you use the big block of govt cheese. Or a baked potato. When I was a poor adult, I could buy a big bag of potatoes and eat a couple baked potatoes a day and I was good. Well, not "good", but I wasn't hungry."
Erica Knapp 3 years ago
I'm an adult and something about ketchup and dill pickles is so good lol
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Nicole Weymann 3 years ago
According to Wiki: Government cheese is processed cheese provided to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and the elderly receiving Social Security in the United States, as well as to food banks and churches. This processed cheese was used in military kitchens during World War II and has been used in schools since the 1950s. Government cheese is a commodity cheese that was controlled by the US federal government from World War II to the early 1980's. Government cheese was created to maintain the price of dairy when dairy industry subsidies artificially increased the supply of milk and created a surplus of milk that was then converted into cheese, butter, or powdered milk. The cheese, along with the butter and dehydrated milk powder, was stored in over 150 warehouses across 35 states. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_cheese
Load More Replies... #69
"A gas station slushie mixed with gas station wine. Poor man’s daiquiri."
Nicole Weymann 3 years ago
Gas station wine is CHEAP? Huh. Hereabouts one gas station bottle costs about the same as three to five ALDI or LIDL bottles - and we can all agree that quality is not a factor here
Aidan Pite 3 years ago
Apparently, in the States, there exists a wine referred to as a 'two buck chuck'; a bottle costing only $2. In my country, the cheapest bottle you can get is around $9.
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Maltaros 3 years ago
Or maybe you just know that price isn't necessarily the deciding factor in what you find tasty. It has been repeatedly shown that if you give wine experts a variety of wines without showing them labels first they often go for the cheaper bottles.
Load More Replies... #70
"Dal. Aside from tumeric you can buy all the ingredients for less than $2 a pound."
#71
"Not a meal (that’d be a cheese jaffle) but flatbread. 2 ingredients - self-raising flour and Greek yogurt - can’t go wrong. Can use as a pizza base, burger “bun”, in place of naan bread or just to eat with dips. Easy, cheap and versatile."
Marilyn Russell 3 years ago
Or if you want to make easy fluffy biscuits use self-raising flour and whipping cream.
Canarygirl 3 years ago
Not op but, just enough to make it come together. The dough should be slightly sticky and you roll it out with more flour and cook over medium heat on the stove.
Load More Replies... #72
"Rice milk and sugar. It was a treat when I was a little girl and is still a treat now!"
Nancy Bourque 3 years ago
Yes, we ate this as a warm cereal in the morning. It’s not thick like rice pudding, more like you’ld eat a bowl of cereal.
#74
"Yellow pea soup. 500g yellow peas. Soak over night 1 onion. Halve. Boil together until peas start to fall apart. Add salt, thyme and marjoram. Enjoy with mustard. About 1 buck will give you ten servings. And gas. But it's one of my all-time favorite meals."
Rose the Cook 3 years ago
Much improved by adding bacon bones which are very cheap. Also a cubed carrot and potato makes it really filling.
#75
"Fried egg, baked beans and oven chips."
#76
"Huevito con weenies. The first time my Hispanic husband made it for me I was super weirded out, but now it’s literally in my top 5 favorite meals. The weenies HAVE to be the cheap ones (I like BarS). Tried it with expensive ones and it wasn’t the same..."
#77
"Frozen Costco pizza. You can get 5 pizzas for $10. A whole pizza is enough to feed a person for a day."
Hey! 3 years ago (edited)
Funniest thing happened to me. I used to eat a whole small pizza on my own. Then I got surgery 2-1/2 months ago and now I can only eat half of it or anything else I use to eat. Edit: surgery had nothing to do with my stomach; it was for my eyes!
Load More Replies... #78
"Canned refried beans + hot sauce."
What do you think ?
BluEyedSeoulite 3 years ago
My mom made a goolash that was basically whatever canned veggies and fresh veggies thrown together with macaroni noodles. She and grandpa canned their own tomatoes so I can't really get it to taste the same with store bought canned tomatoes. As an adult, I'm You tubing all the stuff I should have paid attention to when I was a teen and they were still around
BluEyedSeoulite 3 years ago
My mom's bean dip. It's basically just refried beans, some salsa, onions, black olives, Mexican shredded cheese baked until hot. Then I eat it with sour cream and nachos or as a burrito. My kids don't like it yet so I have it all to myself.
Zamein 3 years ago
Growing up with a mom working two jobs and going to school full time in a completely different city 40 miles away, which made things such as food dificult (I mean having the middle class bare minimum kind of food). People with limited resources usually end up making enjoyable meals from what ever they find. So I would have to say mine is chicken cup of noodle (drained of its broth) with canned tuna made with mayo. Use kitchen shears to cut up the noodles so that they are both size and top off with salt. I agree with the statement above "I dont care if I am rich or poor, this is my got to meal." I guess comfort food, to us, is more than just a taste and smell. It also links you back to that feeling when you first had it. So, subconsciously we put ourselves into a happy place amd we do not even know it. Happy Feeding.
Joy Clement 3 years ago
My husband loves it when I make kitchen soup. I take whatever I have put in the freezer as leftovers and put in pot with water and some of the vegetable bouillon from dollar tree. Me, I love toast with peanut butter, rice with sugar, cinnamon, a small dab of real butter and sugar warmed up. Tomato sandwiches. Tuna and Mac and cheese. Where can one find government cheese? I miss that cheese. Grilled sandwiches. Pickles. Liver and onions. Fried onions and potatoes with kielbasa.
Hey! 3 years ago
Before my kids were teenagers (now adults), I used to make leftover soup. They liked it better than having to choose between all the leftovers we had. So I would start with broth, then add all the vegetables and meat leftovers from the week. Check the seasoning and adjust if needed.
Load More Replies... Christine Sweet 3 years ago
Falafels. I use a can of chickpeas with whatever lemon juice and spice I can find. Good, filling, and cheap.
Ryan Merten 3 years ago
Cheesy tortilla hot dog. My mom made these for me when I was a kid. Cook hot dog. Put cheese on tortilla and melt in microwave. Roll up hot dog in cheesy tortilla. I still love these
Jen 3 years ago
Bbq hot dogs. 1 medium onion diced then browned in a bit of oil in a sauce pan, while they are cooking mix together 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp ground mustard, 1 tsp paprika, a couple drops Tabasco. Add to browned onions and cook down for 15 minutes on Med-low. Meanwhile slice 1 package of hot dogs in half and arrange cut sides up in an ovenproof glass or ceramic baking dish (never metal with all the acid). Pour over the sauce and then bake at 375 for 30 minutes. You can serve them on buns or bread or just with a fork. The sauce would soak in and plump up the hot dogs and the rest we would spoon over them to serve, no condiments needed.
Squirrelly Panda 3 years ago
"Tuna n curry" a meal that we had when I was a kid that I now realize was a way to feed 4 super cheaply. Its not at all an Indian dish and it sounds gross, but I still love it. Heat one can cream of mushroom soup with one can tuna. Serve over rice.
BluEyedSeoulite 3 years ago
My mom made a goolash that was basically whatever canned veggies and fresh veggies thrown together with macaroni noodles. She and grandpa canned their own tomatoes so I can't really get it to taste the same with store bought canned tomatoes. As an adult, I'm You tubing all the stuff I should have paid attention to when I was a teen and they were still around
BluEyedSeoulite 3 years ago
My mom's bean dip. It's basically just refried beans, some salsa, onions, black olives, Mexican shredded cheese baked until hot. Then I eat it with sour cream and nachos or as a burrito. My kids don't like it yet so I have it all to myself.
Zamein 3 years ago
Growing up with a mom working two jobs and going to school full time in a completely different city 40 miles away, which made things such as food dificult (I mean having the middle class bare minimum kind of food). People with limited resources usually end up making enjoyable meals from what ever they find. So I would have to say mine is chicken cup of noodle (drained of its broth) with canned tuna made with mayo. Use kitchen shears to cut up the noodles so that they are both size and top off with salt. I agree with the statement above "I dont care if I am rich or poor, this is my got to meal." I guess comfort food, to us, is more than just a taste and smell. It also links you back to that feeling when you first had it. So, subconsciously we put ourselves into a happy place amd we do not even know it. Happy Feeding.
Joy Clement 3 years ago
My husband loves it when I make kitchen soup. I take whatever I have put in the freezer as leftovers and put in pot with water and some of the vegetable bouillon from dollar tree. Me, I love toast with peanut butter, rice with sugar, cinnamon, a small dab of real butter and sugar warmed up. Tomato sandwiches. Tuna and Mac and cheese. Where can one find government cheese? I miss that cheese. Grilled sandwiches. Pickles. Liver and onions. Fried onions and potatoes with kielbasa.
Hey! 3 years ago
Before my kids were teenagers (now adults), I used to make leftover soup. They liked it better than having to choose between all the leftovers we had. So I would start with broth, then add all the vegetables and meat leftovers from the week. Check the seasoning and adjust if needed.
Load More Replies... Christine Sweet 3 years ago
Falafels. I use a can of chickpeas with whatever lemon juice and spice I can find. Good, filling, and cheap.
Ryan Merten 3 years ago
Cheesy tortilla hot dog. My mom made these for me when I was a kid. Cook hot dog. Put cheese on tortilla and melt in microwave. Roll up hot dog in cheesy tortilla. I still love these
Jen 3 years ago
Bbq hot dogs. 1 medium onion diced then browned in a bit of oil in a sauce pan, while they are cooking mix together 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp ground mustard, 1 tsp paprika, a couple drops Tabasco. Add to browned onions and cook down for 15 minutes on Med-low. Meanwhile slice 1 package of hot dogs in half and arrange cut sides up in an ovenproof glass or ceramic baking dish (never metal with all the acid). Pour over the sauce and then bake at 375 for 30 minutes. You can serve them on buns or bread or just with a fork. The sauce would soak in and plump up the hot dogs and the rest we would spoon over them to serve, no condiments needed.
Squirrelly Panda 3 years ago
"Tuna n curry" a meal that we had when I was a kid that I now realize was a way to feed 4 super cheaply. Its not at all an Indian dish and it sounds gross, but I still love it. Heat one can cream of mushroom soup with one can tuna. Serve over rice.
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