This one is a winner and also cheap!
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Last night we had sheet pan roasted cabbage, onions, apples, and sausage. I tossed everything in a maple-mustard vinaigrette before the roast. Stretch it with potatoes, and you have a terrific cheap meal.
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Oooh… I sometimes have leftover shredded pork, might be good to use for unstuffed cabbage.
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Creamed tuna on toast…I was not really a fan as a kid, but it makes me happy, now. Our new cheap favorite is Padma Lakshi’s kichidi (red lentils, rice, vegetables).
My kids would live on grilled cheese. I once made them a cake that looked like a giant grilled cheese sandwich and they were bummed that it turned out to be cake.
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We definitely ate creamed tuna on toast growing up. My spouse thinks it sounds awful, but to me it was a childhood comfort food.
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I make something called Pea-U (it’s my pun from a cafe that makes Stew-U)
2 cans split pea soup (no meat)
Brown rice
Carrot
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Mushrooms
Roast the veggies that have been cut into stew sized pieces
Heat the soup
Scoop rice into a bowl, add roasted veggies, ladle on the soup.
Easy, inexpensive and depending on the soup, can be pretty healthy (I buy Amy’s when it’s on sale 2 for $7) that feeds 3 adults for about $10
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I would be totally bummed if what looked like a grilled cheese sandwich turned out to be a cake! Kudos for your cake artistry!
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I had a grilled cheese with tomato sandwich for dinner. I didn’t have time to thaw any bacon, so tomorrow I’m going to do a repeat with bacon and tomato soup (supposed to snow all day).
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Well, I was going to say omelettes with cheese and whatever happens to be in the fridge, but according to that egg thread and recent experience, not so much these days. I told my husband just last night that we need to do a better job of EATING the groceries we buy, including eggs which we tend to wind up throwing away more often than we should.
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You may know this already, but eggs last for weeks after the date on the carton.
Also, joking aside, even with the rise in prices, I find eggs to still be a relatively cheap meal. So let’s not give up on those omelettes!
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I hardly ever remember to soak my beans overnight. Bring the beans to a boil then let it sit for an hour. Drain and cook as you want.
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Have your eggs gone bad??? I don’t know if I’ve ever had an egg go bad! Wondering how old they would be to go bad.
But this brings up a good point - often a cheap meal is the one that is in your freezer/refrig.
We are so conditioned to just buying and buying, adding more food in storage than we take out of storage!
I often (am doing this now) just tell myself no grocery trips besides refreshing veggies, fruit and dairy until I drill down and empty out (largely) the freezer. It takes some creativity but also results in some great cheap meals!
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This is a favorite -
We also really like split pea soup. DH doesn’t eat meat so no ham required but I add in dried herbs de Provence & make delicious buttery croutons to go on top.
Someone mentioned Gallo Pinto upthread - DH makes that and it’s soooo good.
Mrs T’s pierogies are always on sale here - great with applesauce & sautéed cabbage.
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I made a big pot of sweet potato tortilla soup last night. I think that was pretty cheap. I have sweet potatoes coming outta my ears here in the top sweet potato-producing state in the country and it seems like my husband brings more home every time he goes to the farmer’s market.
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Okay, this is not a cheap meal, but it is a cheap drink that I love, and my husband made a batch over the holidays. He picked up the concept a decade ago at a cloistered monastery where he goes regularly to teach-- the monks have it and water as the main drinks.
Homemade Kvass- a low alcohol content drink of fermented bread.
We save the butt ends of our whole wheat bread. No one really likes to eat them, and so it is kind of saving food waste also. Apparently the Walmart brand doesn’t work well, but the Aldi whole wheat and Kroger whole wheat store brand do. No white. We stick the butts in the back of the freezer until we have enough- like 15/20. Then take them out, thaw, and then toast until blackened. Put in very large Dutch oven with 3 figs (or lots of raisins- we happened to have dried figs from Christmas stocking stuffer), 6 cups of sugar (yes, it is a sweet drink. You could cut some sugar), yeast, and a whole lot of water. It boils a long time. (Edit: There is something in here about sitting for a while to ferment overnight) He strains it, and then we bottle it in old apple juice containers etc.
The first day it is really sweet and almost no alcohol. It gets less sweet and more alcoholic as time goes by, but it is really low content. It’s a bit like cider with far less alcohol. Fruity with bubbles. And it has all the vitamins of the whole wheat bread! It is best when it has rye bread in it also, but that is more expensive bread so we don’t get it often. We have thrown in pumpernickel as well. The darker the bread, the more vitamins and minerals. It even has fiber.
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I made chicken tortilla soup last night with the end of the rotisserie chicken. The chicken is the most expensive part of the meal, but since it came from Costco it was not expensive. I make the soup with black beans, corn, crushed tomatoes, green chilis and jalapenos. Topped with crushed tortilla chips, green onions, cilantro, spicy jack cheese and avocados. It hit the spot last night on our “cold” Southern California evening and we have plenty of leftovers.
Grilled cheese with tomatoes and bacon are on tap for lunch today since I am still wfh as I’m testing positive for Covid.
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Creamed tuna on toast (I throw in a few peas, too) does not get enough love.
I’d eat it a few times a week, but only D17 and my mom will eat it with me. 
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Good cheap tip on it’s own - a Costco rotisserie chicken for $4.97 can become at LEAST a couple of meals depending on the size of your dinner audience. We usually do it one night as is (slice some of the chicken and serve with sides), one night shred some chicken for chicken enchiladas, and then simmer the carcass for chicken noodle soup. Honestly often there is enough chicken for one more meal too when it’s just H and I. What a deal.
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Using crockpot also avoids soaking beans
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We normally get 2 dinners and a couple of lunches (chicken on salad or sandwiches) with a Costco chicken. It is a great way to stretch your budget.
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