It may require more planning on your part, but we promise it is possible — and we want to help you get there. Today is all about cooking with budget-friendly ingredients. Keeping your kitchen stocked with these ingredients will ensure that you can always get dinner on the table without breaking the bank.

Unfortunately, fresh fruits and vegetables, which tend to be among the healthiest foods for us, can also be the most costly ingredients.

To guarantee savings, buy them when they are in season when they are at their least expensive price. Another benefit to buying fruits and vegetables in season is they tend to be the most delicious during this time period.

For guidance on when different vegetables are in season, see our handy Vegetables by Month Chart. You can also see big savings by ensuring that you are using up the produce you buy before it goes bad. Use our Produce and Shelf Life Guide to know how long produce stays fresh.

They are typically just as good as fresh and having them on hand in your freezer means you can add fruits and veggies to every meal. Whip up frozen vegetables in no time by steaming or roasting them or adding them to a stir-fry, soup, or rice.

Frozen fruits are great for smoothies or as a topping on many breakfast favorites such as oatmeal, yogurt, and pancakes.

Dried beans are inexpensive and are ideal for feeding large groups of people or for leftovers. Dried beans can be cooked in a slow cooker with a Bay leaf or two to add flavor.

Make a large batch, separate them into serving portions, and freeze for a quick future meal! Canned beans are also a great option for a quicker, yet still inexpensive, meal. Use them to bulk up enchiladas, quesadillas, salads, soups, and rice. You can also flavor them with some spices and enjoy as a side dish.

Canned tomatoes. Purchasing tomatoes paste, crushed, or diced in a preserved form canned, tubed, or boxed can save you time, money and add flavor to lots of dishes.

If tomatoes are not in season, or even if they are, buying them canned is perfect for a quick spaghetti sauce or in a chili or soup. Grains and Pasta. Grains such as rice, farro, and quinoa and dried pasta are easy to buy in bulk at a reduced price and can generally be stored for long periods of time.

They are also very versatile to cook with and can be used to bulk up an otherwise light meal, such as a soup or a salad. There are dozens of grain and pasta types which allow you to mix things up and never get bored! FLOUR One of the mainstays if you plan to cook or bake from scratch!

Not only do I use this in many of my baked goods, but I also frequently use to create roux to thicken soups and sauces. SUGAR White, Brown and Confectioners I make most of our desserts from scratch, so I like to keep all three kinds of sugar on hand. OATMEAL While I use oatmeal a lot for baking hello Favorite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars!

Two of our favorites are Easy Basic Homemade Granola , Simple Chocolate Granola and Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal. YEAST Keeping this on hand allows me to save money and mix up my own homemade pizza crust or homemade bread and rolls, any time I want! BAKING POWDER BAKING SODA I love baking and since most cookies, cakes and brownies require baking powder or baking soda, I make sure to always keep them in my pantry!

A few of our favorite easy desserts are Chocolate Chip Blonde Brownies , Best Ever Chocolate Cake and Easy Apple Dumpling Dessert. COCOA POWDER I love using cocoa powder to get my chocolate fix with baked goods, Easy 3 Ingredient Healthy Fudge or even homemade hot cocoa. It is also great for things like Super Easy Homemade Chocolate Syrup and homemade Peppermint Mocha Frappes.

PEANUT BUTTER From peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to energy bites to baked goods to Healthy Peanut Butter Fruit Dip , this is one of those inexpensive versatile ingredients that is just smart to keep on hand!

Plus, if you need a quick pick-me-up, a spoonful of peanut butter with a few chocolate chips does the trick perfectly. OIL Besides the traditional uses in baking and frying, I also use oil for making my own salad dressings and vinaigrettes.

One of our favorite homemade dressings is my easy Mexican Dressing. RICE This is probably one of the most frugal pantry items and very versatile too, plus a little bit of uncooked rice ends up being quite a lot once cooked!

Rice can stand alone by itself as a side dish and of course, is delicious in main dishes as well. I love using beans to make Creamy White Chicken Chili , 5 Minute Bean Dip and these Easy Mexican Rice Bowls.

Making your own Homemade Refried Beans is so easy and cheap too! Super Easy Beef and Macaroni Skillet is one of my go-to recipes for busy days.

We also love this No Boil Lasagna recipe too! DRIED HERBS SPICES Dried herbs and spices are a great way to add flavor to your recipes. And while I occasionally buy fresh herbs, using dried is much more economical and they last much longer too! A few of the ones that I use regularly: basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, red pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg.

CHICKEN STOCK BOUILLON Chicken stock is a common ingredient in soups and casseroles and is super easy to make yourself!

I also like to keep bouillon on hand since some recipes call for that instead. Also, if I happen to be out of liquid chicken stock, I can always use the bouillon to make some- although the stock made using bouillon is not nearly as tasty or as good for you as the real thing!

VINEGAR This is another ingredient that I use to make homemade salad dressings. I also use it for various other recipes and it works great as a natural cleaner too! SALSA I have quite a few Mexican-inspired dishes that call for salsa, so I like to always keep this on hand.

chips and salsa! DICED TOMATOES These are super inexpensive and way cheaper than buying fresh tomatoes. I love using them in recipes to give a bit of added flavor and color. And I even show you how to can diced tomatoes yourself if you want to try that. PASTA SAUCE I know making your own pasta sauce is pretty easy, but since I can buy it so inexpensively, I prefer to just do that.

Pasta sauce is great for a quick meal of meatball subs, pizza, spaghetti or, lasagna to mention just a few. KETCHUP, MUSTARD, MAYO Okay, so maybe I should have listed these 3 things separately. I use many more condiments than these, but these are the three that I think every kitchen should for sure stock.

BREAD I typically make my own bread , but it is something that I always keep on hand. We often use it to make sandwiches for lunch, toast it to eat with eggs and occasionally use it in recipes like my Cheeseburger Casserole too!

TORTILLAS I use these all the time to make enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas and wraps. In fact, these Salsa Ranch Chicken Wraps are one of my favorite quick meals!

And these easy recipes with tortillas are also great as well. This dish only takes 10 minutes to prep and 40 to cook, so you can put it on as soon as you get home from work and have dinner ready for your family by the time you have changed and walked the dog.

Serve over rice for a complete meal. Need a great pantry dish for vegans? Look no further than this sweet potato chickpea curry, which is luxurious and satisfying enough to please even the meat eaters at the table.

Serve over rice, or with naan or pita breads for sopping up all the spicy sauce. A great vegetable chili — a super affordable way to feed a crowd — is really good to have in your repertoire. This recipe calls for fresh corn and tomatoes, but you can sub in canned versions when they are out of season or if you have them in your pantry.

This Asian-inspired rice bowl pairs equal amounts of rice and tuna by weight to ensure that the one-pot meal is a perfect balance of protein and carbs. Make a double batch and eat leftovers cold over chopped lettuce for a great lunch salad.

Taco Tuesdays get an affordable pantry makeover by featuring canned black beans cooked in a rich sauce of canned green salsa and savory spices. No time to pick up tortillas?

Serve over lettuce for a taco salad, or pile into baked white or sweet potatoes. Fried rice is an ideal way to use up leftover rice, but this dish is so good, you will want to make rice fresh just to cook it! This recipe features quick-cooking brown rice for a great texture along with plenty of vegetables in the mix, including frozen peas.

If you want to up the ante with protein, stir in some scrambled eggs or strips of omelet at the end. Having canned salmon in your pantry is a wonderful and affordable way to get more fish into your diet without breaking the bank. These patties come together start to finish in 25 minutes, making it a perfect after-work meal.

You can serve with rice or potatoes, on top of a salad, or even put on buns for a version of salmon burgers. Ask any Italian what they cook when they need something fast and easy out of the pantry, and chances are they will say spaghetti aglio e olio.

Pasta in garlic-scented oil topped with Parmesan cheese can be a main dish or a side and is perfect in its simplicity. The key is not to rush the toasting of the garlic: if it burns, the dish will taste acrid and unpleasant.

We love to keep couscous in the pantry — needing only a steep in boiling water to bring it to life, it is the fastest carb to prepare. Add in some canned and frozen vegetables and a punchy lime vinaigrette and you have a salad that eats like a meal.

If you have rice, onions, and canned tomatoes in the pantry, Italian sausage in the freezer, and some bell peppers in the crisper drawer, you are a half hour away from popping some killer stuffed peppers into your oven.

Oat flakes, barley, milled wheat, split peas, eggs, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, tomato paste, sour cream, bulk peanuts, ground meat The 15 Best Cheap Ingredients To Buy On A Tight Budget · 1. Beans · 2. Onions · 3. Rice · 4. Potatoes · 5. Cabbage · 6. Bananas and plantains 15 Budget-Friendly Dinners Using Pantry Ingredients · Lentil Soup · Red Lentil Curry · Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry · Black Bean Chili

The 15 Best Cheap Ingredients To Buy On A Tight Budget · 1. Beans · 2. Onions · 3. Rice · 4. Potatoes · 5. Cabbage · 6. Bananas and plantains Tinned tomatoes. Cheap tins are often watery, sugary and full of green bits, so for flavour go with brands such as Cirio over basic ranges 13 Cheap Dinner Ideas for Great Flavor on a Budget · Lentil-Smothered Greens on Fried Bread · Salmon Burgers with Red Pepper Mayo · Creamy Vegan: Budget-friendly ingredients

Want ingrevients frozen Budget-friendly ingredients There are Budtet-friendly potatoes Budget-friendly ingredients an excellent source of nutrients and Free product samples available for a reasonable price. Keeping a well-stocked pantry of these 15 items is necessary for flavorful cooking on a budget. Back to How to School packed lunch ideas Hot lunch ideas Healthy lunch ideas for work Easy lunch ideas.	Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou. Back to Main menu Cooking tips Back to How to Roast timer Seasonal calendar Conversion guides Glossary. Pasta in garlic-scented oil topped with Parmesan cheese can be a main dish or a side and is perfect in its simplicity. They're exquisite on their own, but even better with a fresh batch of guacamole or your favorite jarred salsa and sour cream for dipping; or, for the best sauce ever, mix sour cream and a spoonful of mayo with a generous drizzle of adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo. Of course, tomatoes are originally from Mesoamerica, so they're used in all kinds of Mexican dishes.	Oat flakes, barley, milled wheat, split peas, eggs, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, tomato paste, sour cream, bulk peanuts, ground meat The 15 Best Cheap Ingredients To Buy On A Tight Budget · 1. Beans · 2. Onions · 3. Rice · 4. Potatoes · 5. Cabbage · 6. Bananas and plantains 15 Budget-Friendly Dinners Using Pantry Ingredients · Lentil Soup · Red Lentil Curry · Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry · Black Bean Chili	Cheapest Foods to Live On: · Oatmeal · Eggs · Bread · Rice · Bananas · Beans · Apples · Pasta. Fill me up. Again, while fresh produce Cheap Pantry Items: · 9. RICE This is probably one of the most frugal pantry items and very versatile too, plus a little bit of uncooked rice ends up being quite Tinned tomatoes. Cheap tins are often watery, sugary and full of green bits, so for flavour go with brands such as Cirio over basic ranges	Dried spices can add a lot of flavor for very little money (about 6 cents per teaspoon for basics like cumin, cinnamon and chili powder), so keep your pantry 10 inexpensive ingredients for low-budget meals · Potato · Rice, couscous and barley · Pasta · Chicken · Legumes · Apples · Canned tuna and fish · Eggs. Any 10 Budget-Friendly Ingredients · Tofu · 9. Rotisserie Chicken · 8. Canned Tuna · 7. Eggs · 6. Potatoes · 5. Grains and Pasta · 4. Canned
Most viewed. You Free samples promotion increase its flavor by adding seasonings Budget-friemdly your choice. Budget-friendly ingredients both healthy ingredientz low Ingedients calories. Even cooking one Budget-friendly ingredients per week out of Ingrediemts pantry can add up Budget-frienddly real savings. Marinate chicken in yogurt, spices and lemon zest, then grill to make these flavourful chicken skewers. News Opinion Sport Culture Lifestyle Show More Show More News View all News World news UK news Climate crisis Ukraine Environment Science Global development Football Tech Business Obituaries. Protein Powder For an efficient and budget-approved way to add more protein to your meals, purchase flavorful protein powder.	Photo by Kristin Teig. Showing items 1 to 24 of It does take some work the day you buy but it saves so much money! Furthermore, popcorn provides some filling fiber and disease-fighting antioxidants, as well as a fair amount of B vitamins and magnesium What makes this extra easy is that the macaroni cooks right in the sauce. In addition, it contains a variety of other nutrients, including calcium and phosphorus, which are known for playing an important role in bone health While they're more expensive than bone-in, they're still much cheaper than chicken breast, and more flavorful, too.	Oat flakes, barley, milled wheat, split peas, eggs, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, tomato paste, sour cream, bulk peanuts, ground meat The 15 Best Cheap Ingredients To Buy On A Tight Budget · 1. Beans · 2. Onions · 3. Rice · 4. Potatoes · 5. Cabbage · 6. Bananas and plantains 15 Budget-Friendly Dinners Using Pantry Ingredients · Lentil Soup · Red Lentil Curry · Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry · Black Bean Chili	1. Frozen Spinach — By weight, frozen spinach is occasionally a quarter of the price of the fresh stuff, and though it can't always replace Budget recipes · Sticky Chinese five-spice chicken traybake · Spaghetti puttanesca · Waste-nothing chicken & dumpling stew · App onlyPulled Tinned tomatoes. Cheap tins are often watery, sugary and full of green bits, so for flavour go with brands such as Cirio over basic ranges	Oat flakes, barley, milled wheat, split peas, eggs, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, tomato paste, sour cream, bulk peanuts, ground meat The 15 Best Cheap Ingredients To Buy On A Tight Budget · 1. Beans · 2. Onions · 3. Rice · 4. Potatoes · 5. Cabbage · 6. Bananas and plantains 15 Budget-Friendly Dinners Using Pantry Ingredients · Lentil Soup · Red Lentil Curry · Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry · Black Bean Chili
Make sure to inggredients it Budget-frienddly before Budget-friendky in order to Buxget-friendly those Budget-friendly ingredients textures. Final note, this is not going to work for everyone, but Budget-friendly ingredients to hunt out whether Free trial promotions not there Budget-friendly ingredients a good local butcher shop in your area. Add the beans and mix thoroughly into the onions, giving them a good mash with a potato masher or back of a wooden spoon. The health-promoting properties of quinoa have been shown to promote brain health and may help prevent the development of heart disease 74 Helpfully, in many dishes, frozen spinach can work just as well as fresh leaves.	Recipes Back to Main menu Dinner ideas Back to Recipes Healthy dinners Dinner for two Low-carb dinners Gluten-free dinners. This recipe serves six generously. If you genuinely want to save money, then purchase dried beans. Photograph by Emma Fishman. OATMEAL While I use oatmeal a lot for baking hello Favorite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars! Other favorites: A comforting bowl of pastina when you want a comforting and cheap meal on the fly, or a piping hot skillet of eggs in purgatory made with your favorite jarred marinara to be served alongside a loaf of warm, crusty bread.	Oat flakes, barley, milled wheat, split peas, eggs, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, tomato paste, sour cream, bulk peanuts, ground meat The 15 Best Cheap Ingredients To Buy On A Tight Budget · 1. Beans · 2. Onions · 3. Rice · 4. Potatoes · 5. Cabbage · 6. Bananas and plantains 15 Budget-Friendly Dinners Using Pantry Ingredients · Lentil Soup · Red Lentil Curry · Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry · Black Bean Chili	10 inexpensive ingredients for low-budget meals · Potato · Rice, couscous and barley · Pasta · Chicken · Legumes · Apples · Canned tuna and fish · Eggs. Any 1. Frozen Spinach — By weight, frozen spinach is occasionally a quarter of the price of the fresh stuff, and though it can't always replace Apples. Bananas. Beans. Brown rice. Chicken. Corn tortillas. Eggs. Flour. Frozen blueberries. Frozen vegetables. Ground beef or ground chuck	15 Cheap Ingredients You Should Always Have on Hand · Fresh Fruits and Veggies · Frozen Fruits and Veggies · Beans · Canned Tomatoes · Grains Apples. Bananas. Beans. Brown rice. Chicken. Corn tortillas. Eggs. Flour. Frozen blueberries. Frozen vegetables. Ground beef or ground chuck "Also: Dollar Tree sells bags of cheap frozen, pre-cut onions and peppers, dried fruit, and shelf-stable drinks like almond and coconut milk."

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Budget-friendly ingredients - 10 Budget-Friendly Ingredients · Tofu · 9. Rotisserie Chicken · 8. Canned Tuna · 7. Eggs · 6. Potatoes · 5. Grains and Pasta · 4. Canned Oat flakes, barley, milled wheat, split peas, eggs, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, tomato paste, sour cream, bulk peanuts, ground meat The 15 Best Cheap Ingredients To Buy On A Tight Budget · 1. Beans · 2. Onions · 3. Rice · 4. Potatoes · 5. Cabbage · 6. Bananas and plantains 15 Budget-Friendly Dinners Using Pantry Ingredients · Lentil Soup · Red Lentil Curry · Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry · Black Bean Chili

Serve over rice, or with naan or pita breads for sopping up all the spicy sauce. A great vegetable chili — a super affordable way to feed a crowd — is really good to have in your repertoire.

This recipe calls for fresh corn and tomatoes, but you can sub in canned versions when they are out of season or if you have them in your pantry. This Asian-inspired rice bowl pairs equal amounts of rice and tuna by weight to ensure that the one-pot meal is a perfect balance of protein and carbs.

Make a double batch and eat leftovers cold over chopped lettuce for a great lunch salad. Taco Tuesdays get an affordable pantry makeover by featuring canned black beans cooked in a rich sauce of canned green salsa and savory spices.

No time to pick up tortillas? Serve over lettuce for a taco salad, or pile into baked white or sweet potatoes.

Fried rice is an ideal way to use up leftover rice, but this dish is so good, you will want to make rice fresh just to cook it! This recipe features quick-cooking brown rice for a great texture along with plenty of vegetables in the mix, including frozen peas.

If you want to up the ante with protein, stir in some scrambled eggs or strips of omelet at the end. Having canned salmon in your pantry is a wonderful and affordable way to get more fish into your diet without breaking the bank.

These patties come together start to finish in 25 minutes, making it a perfect after-work meal. You can serve with rice or potatoes, on top of a salad, or even put on buns for a version of salmon burgers.

Ask any Italian what they cook when they need something fast and easy out of the pantry, and chances are they will say spaghetti aglio e olio. Pasta in garlic-scented oil topped with Parmesan cheese can be a main dish or a side and is perfect in its simplicity.

The key is not to rush the toasting of the garlic: if it burns, the dish will taste acrid and unpleasant. We love to keep couscous in the pantry — needing only a steep in boiling water to bring it to life, it is the fastest carb to prepare.

Add in some canned and frozen vegetables and a punchy lime vinaigrette and you have a salad that eats like a meal.

If you have rice, onions, and canned tomatoes in the pantry, Italian sausage in the freezer, and some bell peppers in the crisper drawer, you are a half hour away from popping some killer stuffed peppers into your oven.

Have any leftovers after dinner? Chop them up and make a hash, and top with fried or poached eggs for a hearty breakfast. A great savory casserole to serve up on a brisk fall or winter evening, this one-dish pantry wonder only needs a little salad on the side to turn into an amazing dinner.

This recipe stretches one pound of ground beef and some pantry ingredients into a meal that can serve people. Have a craving for tomato soup but no cans of soup in the cupboard?

If you have canned tomatoes, you are 30 minutes away from fresh homemade soup that cries out for a grilled cheese for dunking. This is so easy to make, you may never go back to canned tomato soup again. Indian cookery has always made the most of beans and pulses the technical name for the part of the legume we generally eat , and this dish of spiced chickpeas is everything you could hope for in an affordable pantry supper.

Serve over rice or with naan or pita, or pile into baked white or sweet potatoes. Canned black beans are the base for a veggie burger that is so simple to prepare, you might have bought your last frozen patty.

Want that frozen convenience? Make a double batch, form and freeze uncovered until solid, then wrap in plastic wrap and stash in a freezer bag.

Grill straight from frozen and just add a couple minutes cooking time. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Giving chunky zucchini pieces a hard sear develops lots of texture and color while minimizing sogginess.

The dilly sour cream provides a garlicky counterpart. When you need a weeknight-friendly recipe that doubles as a cheap dinner idea, stir-fry is the answer. Is there ever a bad time for a quesadilla? This one is easy, cheesy, and a smart way to finish up that jar of kimchi hanging out in the fridge.

Although we and most of our readers love the mixture of nutritional yeast , garlic powder, and onion powder on these vegan nuggets, one commenter was less impressed. If you too crave something bolder, try the method with taco seasoning instead.

The humble onion is given center stage in this cheap meal. Seared, then gently roasted with paprika and tomato paste, these onions prove they have star quality. Transform a can of pumpkin purée into a near-instant pasta sauce—no slow cookers here— that delivers major fall feels.

Bonus: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days. With a generous layer of caramelized onions and plenty of sharp Gruyère cheese, this tart packs the depth of French onion soup into every bite.

The tofu in this cheap recipe absorbs all of the flavors in the sauce—and there are a lot of them: shallots, ginger, garlic, cumin, red chile, turmeric, coconut cream , and peanut butter.

It all becomes a sauce you have to make and see to believe. Crunchy fried onions transform a simple cabbage salad into a sensorial delight: hot and cold, crisp and soft, sweet and spicy. Make sure to assemble it just before eating in order to capture those different textures. When the coffers are dry and so is the bread on the counter, this is the one.

This cheap meal requires just a few other ingredients, most of which are already in your kitchen. A garlicky mixture of ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and maple syrup cooks down until almost sticky in this riff on a Chinese-American classic sesame chicken.

An untraditional but logical addition to the sauce: tahini. You might be surprised by just how flavorful a combination of chicken stock, celery, and chickpeas can be. Garlic, red chiles, lemon, and fresh cilantro contribute to making it so—while still keeping it feeling clean.

If you can swing it, add a big pinch of asafetida for an extra savory note. Quick-cooking, budget-friendly, and pretty hard to screw up that dark meat is automatically juicier , chicken thighs are our default weeknight dinner—and this is our simplest way to prepare them.

These battered, oven-baked florets come out crackly before getting bathed in a sticky-sweet gochujang glaze. It means you have croutons. Ground turkey is a lean protein that, when simmered with white beans, seasonings, and chipotle chiles in adobo and topped with Greek yogurt, delivers major body and richness.

The key to stress-free stir-frying is in the prep work. Be sure to chop, slice, and grate everything before even thinking about turning on the stove. Once you do, it comes together in 15 minutes.

A little bit of flour and butter, garlic, lemon juice, and capers , and you've got a super savory supper. Say that three times fast. This cheap recipe leaves out the smoked pork or turkey, which is typical in the American South, and goes heavy on garlic for flavor. This all-star easy dinner recipe will work long after corn has gone out of season.

In the winter, just sub in shaved cauliflower or torn kale. This soup packs in all the ingredients that would make your doctor happy—lentils, sweet potatoes, leafy greens—but the fiery Thai green curry paste keeps things interesting.

This Haitian meal consists of sos pwa nwa, black bean sauce enriched with coconut milk, served alongside mayi moulen, a creamy cornmeal porridge flavored with garlic and herbs. Nothing is cozier. This family-friendly weeknight dinner takes a cue from Japanese grilled chicken meatballs called tsukune as well as the glossy, sweet-and-sour sauce that comes with them.

A classic Italian pesto , this is not. Spinach, cilantro, and miso come together for this uber-green sauce, which dresses, of course, springy ramen noodles. In this brothy beans recipe, caramelizing fennel, shallots, and lemon builds a base layer that is sweet, tangy, and bright.

Tinned sardines add protein and a briny flavor. A beloved Hong Kong dish with approximately one billion variations, this soup—which relies heavily on fridge and pantry staples—is meant to be a little sweet and a touch sharp.

Its silky texture comes from blended potatoes and broccoli stalks rather than heavy cream. Well, this is the salad version, with noodles in addition to pink radishes , orange carrots, purple cabbage, and green cucumbers. One head of cabbage goes a long way. This recipe, where wedges are bathed in turmeric-accented coconut milk until meltingly tender and sweet, uses just half of one to feed four.

The soul of this recipe comes from the ginger and tamari marinade that gives crispy tofu a sweet and savory glaze. We like to turn leftover tofu into tacos, for some Japanese-Mexican fusion.

Toss roasted sweet potato wedges in a sweet and nutty tahini dressing for this quick vegetarian weeknight dinner. And no, it will not break the bank. This budget meal is about turning leftover side dishes into something totally new.

Nearly any roasted vegetable or cooked grain could be worked into a frittata using this method. This looks like something that took hours in a crockpot to make, but in reality, the black-eyed peas soak up the flavors of an onion- and tomato-based gravy in under 30 minutes.

Tuna salad deserves to be considered a dinner dish, not just a sandwich filling. Let the pan-fried chickpeas and red endive in this recipe convince you.

Pan-crisped and glazed sweet potatoes. With hearty, almost meaty lentils. And pistachios. Purchase lasagna noodles, mushrooms, mozzarella, and Parmesan. The rest of the ingredients for this cheap dinner recipe are already in your fridge or pantry.

One style of cheap meals: recipes chosen with their leftovers in mind , making two meals out of one. For example, these ground beef meatballs and their tomato sauce make for a great hoagie filling the next day.

If you've already got miso in your fridge and don't want to spend on something new, you could use that in this stew recipe instead of gochujang. It will be a whole different vibe, but a vibe nonetheless. Serve it with a poached egg and a slice of bread for a good cheap meal.

Budget-friendly ingredients - 10 Budget-Friendly Ingredients · Tofu · 9. Rotisserie Chicken · 8. Canned Tuna · 7. Eggs · 6. Potatoes · 5. Grains and Pasta · 4. Canned Oat flakes, barley, milled wheat, split peas, eggs, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, tomato paste, sour cream, bulk peanuts, ground meat The 15 Best Cheap Ingredients To Buy On A Tight Budget · 1. Beans · 2. Onions · 3. Rice · 4. Potatoes · 5. Cabbage · 6. Bananas and plantains 15 Budget-Friendly Dinners Using Pantry Ingredients · Lentil Soup · Red Lentil Curry · Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry · Black Bean Chili

I would follow that. Tomatoes also freeze well! Either whole or diced or roasted. Consider that especially when your garden is at its peak. I would add celery to that list as I use it in making stews. Onions, carrots and celery is your mirre poir for all basic stews. Yes, celery is a great pantry staple, for sure!

Never heard of strained tomatoes but canned tomato products of any kind are handy to have, I think. This is one of my favorite ways to save on cheese too. Great list! A tip on keeping garlic longer — I buy the 3 packs of bulbs from Aldi and immediately put them in a small ziplock kept in the freezer.

It keeps a long time that way!!! Ready to mince, etc. I also keep Panko bread crumbs in the freezer as I use them in a variety of recipes.

Lime juice gets used in marinades, etc. and lemon juice is frequently used as well, not only desserts, but certain salad dressings too. Final note, this is not going to work for everyone, but try to hunt out whether or not there is a good local butcher shop in your area.

Or at least within reasonable driving distance. I make a few trips a year and stock the freezer with various meats. Got a great deal on those and they worked just fine for recipes that called for bacon bits or a bit of chopped bacon — just froze them and pulled out what I needed.

I never knew you could freeze garlic! That is totally going to change my life. Thank you! And I started keeping my bread crumbs in the freezer too. Lesson learned. Freezing lemon and lime juice is so smart!

I wish I could find a local butcher shop that has that kind of price on chicken! So glad you are finding the blog interesting and helpful! It makes the work that I put into it so totally worth it when I get comments like that.

There are two grocery stores near me different companies that every so often but always at different times! have chicken leg quarters for anywhere from 39 to 59 cents a pound.

so, 4 to 6 dollars for 10 pounds of those which I take home and bake and debone. I use the bones ad skin along with veggie scraps to make broth and usually enough chicken meat to make 2-cup packs that I stuff n the freezer. It gives me a frugal break from my usual rotisserie chicken per week for much less broth and meat.

It does take some work the day you buy but it saves so much money! And I love how you use every last bit of it. Such a great money saver! Your email address will not be published. Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar Home Welcome! Pin Share Cheap Pantry Staples.

Fried rice is an ideal way to use up leftover rice, but this dish is so good, you will want to make rice fresh just to cook it! This recipe features quick-cooking brown rice for a great texture along with plenty of vegetables in the mix, including frozen peas.

If you want to up the ante with protein, stir in some scrambled eggs or strips of omelet at the end. Having canned salmon in your pantry is a wonderful and affordable way to get more fish into your diet without breaking the bank. These patties come together start to finish in 25 minutes, making it a perfect after-work meal.

You can serve with rice or potatoes, on top of a salad, or even put on buns for a version of salmon burgers. Ask any Italian what they cook when they need something fast and easy out of the pantry, and chances are they will say spaghetti aglio e olio.

Pasta in garlic-scented oil topped with Parmesan cheese can be a main dish or a side and is perfect in its simplicity. The key is not to rush the toasting of the garlic: if it burns, the dish will taste acrid and unpleasant.

We love to keep couscous in the pantry — needing only a steep in boiling water to bring it to life, it is the fastest carb to prepare. Add in some canned and frozen vegetables and a punchy lime vinaigrette and you have a salad that eats like a meal.

If you have rice, onions, and canned tomatoes in the pantry, Italian sausage in the freezer, and some bell peppers in the crisper drawer, you are a half hour away from popping some killer stuffed peppers into your oven. Have any leftovers after dinner?

Chop them up and make a hash, and top with fried or poached eggs for a hearty breakfast. A great savory casserole to serve up on a brisk fall or winter evening, this one-dish pantry wonder only needs a little salad on the side to turn into an amazing dinner.

This recipe stretches one pound of ground beef and some pantry ingredients into a meal that can serve people. Have a craving for tomato soup but no cans of soup in the cupboard?

If you have canned tomatoes, you are 30 minutes away from fresh homemade soup that cries out for a grilled cheese for dunking. This is so easy to make, you may never go back to canned tomato soup again.

Indian cookery has always made the most of beans and pulses the technical name for the part of the legume we generally eat , and this dish of spiced chickpeas is everything you could hope for in an affordable pantry supper. Serve over rice or with naan or pita, or pile into baked white or sweet potatoes.

Canned black beans are the base for a veggie burger that is so simple to prepare, you might have bought your last frozen patty. Want that frozen convenience? Make a double batch, form and freeze uncovered until solid, then wrap in plastic wrap and stash in a freezer bag.

If you genuinely want to save money, then purchase dried beans. Dried beans are an extremely inexpensive superfood and can be used in countless recipes. Make a baked meal like these Macedonian Baked Beans or use them in this Instant Pot Chili.

Because dried beans can take a while to cook, after purchasing, we recommend making a batch to use throughout your week's meals. Making a large batch in advance will save you more time later on.

Additionally, canned beans can be purchased and mixed into salads, soup and rice recipes! Purchasing canned tomatoes, instead of fresh tomatoes, is a great way to extend your ingredients' shelf life.

Having canned tomatoes on hand can save you money, time and will surely add flavor to your meals. Use canned tomatoes to whip up a tasty sauce or combine them with your favorite chili recipe for even more flavor. It's no surprise that we'd put grains in this list; we love them!

Aside from being incredibly great for you, grains are also extremely affordable! Grains like farro , quinoa and rice are easy to buy in bulk and can be stored for long periods. Their subtle, nutty flavor makes them a versatile food that can be used to whip up both sweet and savory recipes.

Used grains to make a hearty entree like this Ensalada de Quinoa or a nutrient-packed grain bowl. Sweet potatoes have recently grown in popularity in the health industry, and it's no surprise as to why.

This nutrient-packed veggie is great for you. Use sweet potatoes to make a fall-inspired appetizer like this Granola Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Maple-Tahini Butter or turn them into a healthy version of French fries. Potatoes can be baked, chopped, roasted and grilled!

Eggs are a great way to stretch your dollar. Loaded with protein and nutrients, eggs can be bought in bulk and used to make some pretty flavorful meals. Use eggs to make Ham and Asparagus Quiche Cups or whip up a baked good like these Eggnog Blondies.

Purchasing pre-cooked meat like a rotisserie chicken is a great way to save time and money. From sandwiches to savory omelettes, a rotisserie chicken can be used throughout the week to add protein and essential vitamins to your favorite meals.

It's the ideal purchase when you require a quick dinner that is within budget. Additionally, many stores offer sales on rotisserie chickens, shop around to get the best price. Looking for more plant-based ways to add protein to your diet? Purchase tofu! Tofu is an excellent protein that's not hard to make.

Plus, it's incredibly affordable. Use it to add substance to salads, mix it into stir fry, or use it as a meat alternative in your favorite tacos.

For an efficient and budget-approved way to add more protein to your meals, purchase flavorful protein powder. Protein powders can be used to make everything from smoothies to popcorn. Don't believe us?

Check out this Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Popcorn. When choosing your protein powder, search for one with whole food ingredients like our Chocolate Protein Powder Nutritional Booster. Made with pea protein powder, chicory root fiber, chia seeds and beneficial probiotics, it's a great way to boost your nutrition without breaking the bank.

Seeds and nuts might be one of the tiniest superfoods on the planet. They have a tremendous shelf life, are reasonably priced and can be used in countless ways.

Use crushed walnuts to spice up your favorite dessert.