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RecipesWhipped Up

Low cost, full plate

Budget Bites

Beans, eggs, rice, lentils, and pantry tuna used like real meals.

These recipes are built from ingredients that stay cheap: dried or canned beans, eggs, rice, oats, potatoes, and the occasional sausage or tuna.

Cheap does not mean thin. The seasoning and the acid at the end, lemon or vinegar, are what keep a rice pot from tasting flat.

21 recipes

Skillet of egg fried rice with peas, scrambled egg, and green onion
Budget Bites

Egg Fried Rice

Cold cooked rice hits a hot skillet with egg, peas, and soy until the grains are separate and the egg is fully set. It is a cheap dinner that depends on leftover rice, not fresh.

22 min · Easy

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Bean burritos sliced open to show mashed pinto beans and melted cheese
Budget Bites

Bean Burritos

Pinto beans simmer with onion, cumin, and chili powder, then get mashed and rolled with cheese. It is a low-cost dinner that uses the pantry on purpose.

25 min · Easy

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Golden pan-fried tuna patties on a plate with lemon wedges
Budget Bites

Tuna Patties

Canned tuna, breadcrumbs, and egg form patties that brown in a skillet. They are done when the centers are hot and read 145°F.

22 min · Easy

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Bowl of thick potato soup with visible potato chunks and chopped chives
Budget Bites

Potato Soup

Potatoes, onion, and broth simmer into a thick soup finished with a little milk. Part of the potatoes get mashed so the bowl is creamy without a heavy pour of cream.

45 min · Easy

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Bowl of white rice mixed with black beans, onion, and cilantro
Budget Bites

Rice and Beans

White rice cooks with black beans, onion, cumin, and a bay leaf in one pot. It is a plain, filling plate that costs very little and uses pantry cans.

35 min · Easy

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Bowl of chopped egg salad with celery and a sprinkle of paprika
Budget Bites

Egg Salad

Eggs are boiled until the yolks are fully firm, then chopped with celery, mayonnaise, and mustard. It is a cool, cheap salad you can eat from a bowl or on toast.

22 min · Easy

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A skillet of taco rice with ground beef, cheddar, tomato, and lettuce.
Budget Bites

Loaded Taco Rice

Rice cooked in the same pot as a modest amount of seasoned beef, then finished with cheddar, tomato, and lettuce. Half the usual meat, because the rice and spices do the stretching.

35 min · Easy

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Chickpeas in a golden tomato curry with rice and cilantro.
Budget Bites

Chickpea Curry

Chickpeas in a tomato and spice sauce with ginger, garlic, and a small amount of coconut milk so it stays cheap and still tastes round. Serve it with rice.

35 min · Easy

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A bowl of red beans and rice with sliced smoked sausage and green onion.
Budget Bites

Red Beans and Rice

Canned red beans simmered with onion, pepper, smoked sausage, and a short spice list, served over rice. The stovetop pot is about 50 minutes. The slow cooker is 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high.

50 min · or 6 hr on low / 3 hr on high · Easy

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Related categories

One-Pot MealsVegetarianQuick MealsComfort Food

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