What to eat when the cubards are darn near bare

Well, tonight it hit me. Im poor

So, with my chin up I went looking in my cabinets for something to cook for dinner.

One box of Au-gratin Potatoes
half a cup of some type of pasta Orzo no. 65
some frozen broccoli

yep, that is about it for tonight. I made some bread also that will go nice with it.

The other night was cut-up breast of chicken with an assortment of veggies all thrown together as a stew. I threw some corn on the cob in the last 12 minutes.

Anyone else got any good ideas for cooking on a really really tight budget?

reply to post by mustangill


Beans ,bread and sausages, student life, thats all I live on.

Ramen!
2nd : (Ramen! )

I find you can nearly always rustle something up with pasta, rice or noodles

reply to post by mustangill


Hard times i hear ya buddy ... lucky for you just takes a little imagination and you can make wonders !

here aer some good links for bare cupboard recipies


thestonesoup.com...


www.creativehomemaking.com...


www.budget101.com...

reply to post by michaelmcclen


yeah I bought some sausage links at walmart. They were 10 little ones for a dollar. One night I cooked them, cut them up into pieces and put them in a tomato sauce, was really good.

Originally posted by gunshooter
Ramen!

2nd : (Ramen!

)

LOL still the best meal you can get for 15 cents! (or they up to 25 now?)


Pasta in general is a good idea - most stores have a reasonably priced brand - you can get a pound for under a dollar - any sauce you might want to add you can keep the cost down by buying the little powder packets rather than a jar - forget meat


OMG the price of meat lately - makes me consider becoming a vegetarian. (jk, that'll never happen)

Its amazing how inventive someone can get when cupboards are empty.
Sorry to hear your going through that.
Ramen is high in sodium and msg if I remember correctly... better off just doing plane noodles and something else with it.

reply to post by gunshooter
Here's one that I use, get cheap macaroni noodles, can of chicken, and small jar of mayo and you got cheap azzz chicken salad, throw in a celery stick, or onion for some crunch, or croutons go great on top. Pop a dish of that in the fridge and you got 3-4 meals for one person easy.

reply to post by Ginga


YES, I will be tearing open that huge bag of rice soon, I am sure. lol

Originally posted by michaelmcclen
reply to post by mustangill

 

Beans ,bread and sausages, student life, thats all I live on.

rice & beans, very economical, good for you. brown rice better than white rice, but when broke, white rice.

get bags of dried beans, soak, cook up.

add spice, flavors or condiments to rice & beans in your bowl, not the whole pot. little different each time.

cupboard = where people stock their dry & canned goods and what-not.

mustangill if you're in the No.NJ or NY/PA adjacent, message me. i'll bring you food.

oh I love mashed potato and bake beans in ham sauce... it is cheap and very good for you.

also... pasta with real butter, salt and cracked pepper with parmasean cheese (or grated cheese) ... cheap and good for you!!

you have enough looking at your items to make some thing quite tasty...

so what are you going to make...or what did you make?

reply to post by LargeFries


Thanks Im in Tennessee. Thats too far to walk lol

reply to post by mustangill


Start learning what to eat out in the woods things aren't improving any time soon.
Get a Petersons field guide to wild edible plants.
Grow your own food. And learn how to pickle things too.
Other than that liver, potatoes,rice,and hot dogs.

OMG you people are making me hungry!

scam a pizza! call up and act like you called an hour ago they wont find the info on their system you claim the customers always right defense and there ya go! Gotta be crafty but works. Also I used to go buy a loaf of french bread for a buck 'fresh' of course and eat for 2-3 days. My worst of times? bowls of peanut butter and jelly yumm

Barley dishes.

If you toast the barley until golden in a skillet a little first it gives extra flavour. Simmer with beef or chicken stock, herbs and cut up various vegies.

You could probably substitute rice or kashi or something similar, if you don't like barley.

Originally posted by Forevever
OMG you people are making me hungry!

lol now I am hungry too...

All good ideas, thanks yall.

Once, when I was working and paying my own way through college, I went to the cupboard and all I had was plain rice, a can of garbanzo beans, and a jar of salsa. I made a "Mexican" bean casserole. It was delicious!