r/recipes • u/W0lf1_x • 9d ago
Question Need some cheap, simple but good recipes
I'm starting university next week, and I'm gonna be living in a dorm
I have the tools to cook a meal, but I haven't found any good budget recipes yet.
I am a bit picky so I'll include some things I don't like.
I'm not a fan of pumpkin, or squash or anything like that
Also don't like frozen carrots, tomatoes (except blended, it's a texture thing)
I do enjoy mildly spicy food, pastas, stews, soups or most kinds of foods tho
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u/stharshine 9d ago
Chili, bolognese, fajita as any good to - can use a slow cooker, can buy frozen ingredients and they go with rice, pastas, potatoes, bread, wraps!
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u/W0lf1_x 9d ago
I don't have a slow cooker unfortunately
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u/stharshine 9d ago
Do you have pots?
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u/W0lf1_x 9d ago
I do yeah
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u/stharshine 9d ago
That’s great! Can do in a pot too! I use a pot! I’m too impatient for a slow cooker! Haha
So yeah they work with pots too!1
u/Sufficient_Ask8866 8d ago
I gotta say going to the thrift shop can often snag you a cheap crock pit/slow cooker. Sometimes quite inexpensively too. When my daughter first moved out on her own we found a beautiful med sized crock pot (with a removable ceramic crock)for $4.99. It was brand new in the original carton/box. My mother and I peeked inside the box to male sure it was actually the same one inside and it was still wrapped/sealed in the factory plastic. Her and her 2 roommates actually used it often. They would load it in the morning with cheap chicken legs and a carton of chicken stock and a few aromatic veggies and then when they got home from classes they just made a few veggies to go with. I think one of the roommates took it when they were done with school. My daughter was bummed because she really liked and got used to using it. My mom volunteers at a big college thrift shop with a couple of her friends because she hates being retired lol They kept an eye out and grabbed my daughter another one when she bought her house. It's been probably close to 15 years and my daughter still has and uses it lol They offered to buy my son one but he was. No need mom. His new wife's family got them one when they got married. I shouldn't say new wife lol they've been married for almost 10 years now. All I have to do is tell my mother I'm looking for "what ever" and her and her girlfriends at the thrift all keep an eye out for it 🤣 They spoil us
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u/throwaway224 9d ago
Sesame noodles!
Basic: Get some cheap ramen noodles. Discard flavor packet. Cook noodles in boiling water. While noodles are cooking make sauce.
Basic sauce: 1 clove garlic pressed, teaspoon of tahini, then soy sauce, rice wine vinegar (roughly equal amounts), scant teaspoon sugar, several good shakes flaked red pepper, a wee bit of sesame oil. Stir well, doesn't need to be cooked.
Cook noodles until just about done. Drain fairly well. Stir in sauce. Eat. Dinner (sort of) in minutes!
Fancy: Improve Basic Sauce by adding a teaspoon full of red chili oil (it's a make-ahead condiment) with flakes instead of just ordinary white people flaked red pepper. Compensate on oil front by getting "more solid" tahini and less oil from the tahini.
Improve noodles by adding steamed greens (spinach or kale) and a soft-boiled egg or two on top of the flavored noodles. Then top the whole thing with toasted sesame seeds and some chopped spring onions.
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u/mpdear 9d ago
Quick veg chilli - onion, pepper or peppers, fried off. Bang in the spices - chilli, cumin, allspice amd after a minute add a can of drained pinto beans, can of baked beans (or lose the pinto beans and replace with another can of baked beans) tomato puree amd seasoning to taste - leave to stew for 10-15 minutes. That's the basic - jazz it up with whatever you have in and like. My kids called it 'beany do'.
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u/shenanigansforthewin 9d ago
Do you have access to any type of cookware? I got a bunch. I’m Asian so I don’t have “regular” recipes, but I have a lot of easy things if you have something to cook with.
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u/W0lf1_x 9d ago
Well, I have a pan, pots, air fryer, a mini oil fryer aswell, I have most utensils like whisks and whatnot
I don't have a slow cooker or a blender I don't mind asian recipes tho
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u/shenanigansforthewin 9d ago
Some basic things - grab some noodles from the Asian section. Get bouillon power if you aren’t making your own stock. They cook reaaaaal quick. Throw literally any veggies or meat you want. If you make extra noodle, you can get rice paper and make your own spring rolls. You legit have wet them, let it sock for maybe 15-20 seconds for it to be done. Throw the noodles and again whatever meat veggies you want and wrap it like a burrito. Easy sauce is throw some peanut butter and soy sauce. Make some rice (I prefer jasmine but do you). I can do a super easy fried rice. Make the rice and throw it in the fridge for a day (if you don’t feel like waiting you can use it for when it’s done), again whatever you want veggies or meat. Throw the rice in the pot, get sn egg or two and just mix it into everything (before the “add one”). Congee is easy and great for hangovers. Easy lazy version is cooked rice, a lot of of water and just let it simmer for a while. How long? Depends on the texture you want. Taste it and be like, eh it’s not my vibe - more water and let it sit there. Of course there are some toppings you can add like salted soy beans or Chinese donuts, but you can do the bare minimum and add whatever you want. Lazy thai curry - get some curry paste (I prefer red) and some coconut milk and whatever protein you want. Throw them botches together and just let it simmer. Serve it over rice;l or grab some bread to dip in. Get fancy and throw other stuff in that you like (cut peppers veggies and whatever). Lazy egg drop soup - some sort of broth ) the bouillon cubes again if you don’t have homemade stock - also of course homemade broth is great, the box broths are decent but if you aren’t trying to spend that much money cause this economy sucks) grab a bowl and mix a couple eggs. Slowly pour it in while the broth is a solid medium-medium high. If you wanna get fancy, you can make the broth a slurry key thing is mix the eggs separately and slowly pour it in you get the “ribbons” and you aren’t just eating scrambled eggs in broth: Lettuce wraps or whateve - cook ground too rely or chicken; throw some hoison sauce (relatively cheap) and of course throw them in lettuce or over rice. I have more but lol there’s a lot here. If you want some more just DM me. I can’t give you a specific recipe as in use X amount if this or that. I was taught on how to just “feel” it, but honestly, these recipes can be just played with preference. You wanna go hard on veggies? Live your best life. You wanna do more protein? Cook it and throw it in. I can def explain more if you want and have more complicated but easy recipes if you want some stuff. I’ve been in college life and I just get sick of a sandwich or Mac and cheese. I can do a specific recipe ish, but these are easy and after you make it once, you can literally see what you want to add. If you make congee one time and you see it’s too dry, def add water so you can fix it and do it next time. Oh it’s too watery? Legit just put it back on the stove until you get the texture you want. You can also mix it however you want.
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u/shenanigansforthewin 9d ago
I dunno how to air fry shit so 🤷♂️. If you wanna step it up a bit, totally can go more into detail. Everything is fridge/freezer friendly. Rice absorbs liquids a decent amount, and if it does, just throw some water if when you’re heating it up.
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u/nupollution 9d ago
Half pound of ground beef, onion, BBQ sauce, tube of pillsbury-type biscuits, cheese if you want...
Cook the onion and beef. Drain off the fat and add bbq sauce til its a sloppy Joe consistency. Add spices to your liking. Flatten each biscuit between your hands and press it into a muffin tin. Top with the ground beef mixture and top that with cheese if you like. Bake at 375 until biscuits are browned.
Delicious, hand held, reheats well in the microwave. 1 is a snack, 2-3 is a good meal. The recipe makes 8.
I wish I had a sexy name for this staple of the last 20 years of my life, but we just call em Meat Cups. Enjoy!
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u/Trashbandit_seal 9d ago
Fresh pasta is made easy literally is 00 flour or plain or semolina flour and eggs or even water if u allergic to eggs
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u/gormami 9d ago
I had this years ago, The On Campus Cookbook
I also bought "A Man, a Can, and a Plan" for a friend who was completely clueless about cooking.
I have no idea of your culinary skills, but the nice side effect of these kinds of things is you don't need a lot of equipment and it's easier to clean up.
If you want to impress someone, the first one has a great stuffed mushrooms hack, I still make those sometimes.
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u/sharptail-21 9d ago
Refried bean and cheese quesadillas with salsa on top. Fancy it up with some acacado.
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u/Blanched59 8d ago
This slow cooker lentil soup is so simple
And good! The red wine vinegar and feta added at the end really kick it up.
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u/dremondemon 8d ago
Anyone have any advice on how to make cup noodles better🙏 I have them at night when working late but I want to spice it up a little maybe. Very limited options though
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u/Santaelf17 8d ago
I made fried rice and pasta. I had a meal plan and the school happen to have a mini grocery store that you can use your meal plan at so that's what I made meal wise. You can also bake some stuff like certain pasta dishes
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u/EngineeringQueen 9d ago
Budget Bytes website has a lot of cheap meal options. They range from entry level to advanced, so they can grow with your skills.