With the cost of groceries stressfully high, I’ve gotten pretty creative regarding meal planning, especially during busy weekdays. To help stick to a budget, I keep a few recipes and meals in rotation that save on cost, ingredients, and prep/cook time on nights I’m inclined to call it a day and order takeout. It also helps that the weather is cooling down so a jar of my favorite soup base can easily cover up to six soups/meals. Below are some of the ingredients and recipes I use to stretch my meal budget.
What I Keep in Stock
Personally, I don’t enjoy cooking. I avoid recipes with a lot of steps and twice as many ingredients. Along with being cumbersome, they also can get expensive with so many ingredients. Instead, I keep recipes and meals that use some of the same ingredients. I mix and match them then add a meat protein (or not) and seasonings. Here are staples that I keep on hand:
- Better Than Bouillon Soup Base – I get this in three flavors: beef, chicken, and vegetable. I use them (of course) for soup bases and adding extra flavor to rice, pasta, and vegetables instead of boiling them in plain water. With 38 servings (serving equals one teaspoon) in each jar, I average about six soups with some bouillon leftover. You can refrigerate a jar of Better Than Bouillon longer than an open carton of broth and it makes more soup and less trash than most bouillon cubes.
- Canned Tomatoes – Canned tomatoes come in handy when bulking up soups, chili, and sauces.
- Pasta – Another ingredient to bulk up soups but can also come in handy for side dishes.
- Rice – Much like pasta, rice gets used in soups and as side dishes. Jasmine rice rules our pantry when it comes to side dishes, followed by the least expensive plain white rice. Brown rice is healthier, but you’ll have to factor in a longer cooking time depending on the type and brand.
- Canned Beans – Canned beans are a great protein substitute or can be used to add more fiber to a dish.
- Frozen vegetables – Frozen vegetables make up the bulk of my grocery list about every two weeks. I get the larger 32oz bags from Food Lion and split the bag for soups or vegetable sides. My most commonly used are mixed vegetables, peas and carrots, and corn kernels.
My Top Four Go-To Recipes
1. Meatball Soup
This is one of my favorite throw-together recipes. I literally throw a 22-28oz bag of meatballs, half a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (16oz), one 15oz can of diced tomatoes, half a 16oz box of pasta, and 2 tablespoons of Beef Better Than Bouillon into six cups of boiling water. I add Italian seasoning, onion powder, and minced garlic to taste. I bring it all to a boil then let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. If my favorite brand is on sale, I’ll serve it with a side of garlic Texas toast.
2. Sausage Soup
Another easy favorite, it’s the same as the meatball soup only I substitute the meatballs with diced smoked sausage (16oz) and the pasta with a cup of uncooked rice. I also add a 15oz can of kidney beans (drained) and cajun seasoning to taste.
3. Quick and Easy Chili
One of my favorite grocery store finds is the Bush’s Best Chili Magic Starter Classic Homestyle Mild. As the can says, just add a can of tomatoes and protein, and dinner is ready in under 30 minutes. I take it further and add some frozen corn and a teaspoon of beef Better Than Bouillon to give it some more flavor and make it more filling. Add a pan of Jiffy cornbread or grilled cheese sandwiches to complete the meal.
4. Chicken Fajita Soup
It’s time to pull out the Chicken Better Than Bouillon and toss it into six cups of boiling water. Follow it with one cup of uncooked rice, eight ounces of frozen corn, one eight-ounce bag of Perdue Short Cuts Chicken Breast Strips diced, one 15oz can of dice tomatoes, one 15oz can of black beans, and taco seasoning to taste.
Keep in mind these are basic recipes. My husband and I take turns adding our own little razzle-dazzle to each recipe. He likes to sauté the sausage with minced garlic before adding it to his sausage soup. I like to pour a dollop of spaghetti sauce into my meatball soup, and I will neither confirm nor deny that I may use a little ketchup as a shortcut to break up tomato bitterness.
I hope you have some fun making these recipes your own to fit your time and budget!
What recipes would you add to this list?
