Affordable Meals You Can Make From Staples

Are you trying to reduce food costs? Keep these frugal staples in your pantry and fridge to whip up an affordable meal any time.

contributed by Mary

I wanted to share these economical meals, made from just a few staples, that I was taught while growing up in a single-income family of seven. They are just a little help for stretching our food dollars. My grandmother used many of these during The Great Depression.

Here are the staples you should always have on hand:

• a bag of flour
• a bag of potatoes
• a dozen of eggs
• a bag of onions
• butter and/or oil
• milk
• salt and pepper

Meal #1: Potato Soup

Put a little butter in a large pot. Place diced onions in the pot and sauté until onions are clear. Add a little salt and pepper. Add a few cups of water and a few peeled and diced potatoes. Boil until potatoes are soft when poked with a fork. You can either serve and eat as is or add a few cups of milk for a cream-based soup.

Related: How Potatoes Can Reduce Grocery Bills

Meal #2: Eggs and Potatoes

In a pan, put a few pats of butter or oil and some peeled sliced potatoes. Sauté until potatoes are soft when poked with a fork. In a bowl, crack a few eggs, pour in a bit of milk and add salt and pepper. Stir vigorously to break yolks and thoroughly mix milk in. Pour over potatoes and cook, turning the bottom frequently to prevent browning on the bottom of the pan. Serve as is or sauté diced onions in butter and place them on top.

Related: 9 Excellent Ways To Save on Eggs

Meal #3: Potato Pirohi-Perogie (European filled Dumplings)

Dough: In a bowl, mix a few eggs and a bit of water. Add enough flour to form a stiff dough.

Filling: Peel and boil a few potatoes, drain off water, add salt and pepper, and mash.

Fill a large pot half full with water and put it on the stove to boil. Place a large frying pan on the stove, add a mixture of butter and oil, and diced onions, and sauté until onions are clear.

Roll out the dough on a flat surface sprinkled with flour. Using a knife or pizza/pastry cutter, cut it into 3—to 4-inch squares. Place a small spoonful of the filling in the center of each square. Fold over a corner of the dough to the opposite corner to form a triangle. Pinch the edges together.

Drop Pirohi into boiling water. Remove them when they float, place them in butter or oil and sauté lightly. Serve and enjoy.

These are very versatile. They can also be filled with sauerkraut or browned ground beef. Or you can fill them with cheeses or sausage for homemade ravioli (just skip the sauté) and top with spaghetti sauce.

Meal #4: Dumplings (European) or Gnocchi (Italian)

Dough: In a bowl, mix a few eggs and a bit of water. Then, mix in a bit of mashed potatoes and add enough flour to form a stiff dough.

Fill a large pot half full with water and put onto the stove to boil.

On a flat surface sprinkled with flour, roll out the dough thick. (There are many methods used to form these.) Using a pizza/pastry cutter, cut into 1/2-inch strips and cut pieces off about 1 inch long from each strip and place into boiling water. Remove from water when they float to the surface.

Meals made with these:

• Gnocci: Top with spaghetti sauce and serve.
• Chicken and dumplings: Great for that one piece of leftover chicken. Shred chicken meat and place in a pot with water and chicken bouillon or broth. Bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. (You can add celery, carrots, onion, and peas to this. Just cook until vegetables are soft.) In a cup, mix a bit of water and flour together and add to the chicken mixture. Cook until it starts to thicken. (If it gets too thick, just add a bit more water). Add prepared dumplings and serve.
• Sauerkraut and dumplings: In a pot, empty a can of sauerkraut, add pepper and dumplings, and serve.
• Fried sauerkraut and dumplings: Open a can of sauerkraut and drain. Put a bit of oil or butter in a large frying pan and heat. Add sauerkraut and a bit of pepper. Sauté for a while and add prepared dumplings, and then cook a while longer. Serve.
• Fried cabbage and dumplings or Halushki-Haluska (European): In a large frying pan, place a bit of oil/butter. Slice cabbage and add to the pan. Cook until the cabbage is soft. Add dumplings and cook a bit longer. Serve or wait a day. (It’s better the second day.)

Related:

• • 15 Tasty and Inexpensive Ways To Use Up Potatoes
  • What To Do With Too Many Onions: 18 Tasty Ideas
  • Easy Flavor Boosters for Frugal Meals

Reviewed October 2024