Comfort Food on a Budget: Hearty Meals for Less
Cook comfort food recipes affordably. Soups, stews, and casseroles for cheap.
Why Comfort Food is Affordable
Comfort food is usually cheap food. The dishes people crave most, like soups, stews, casseroles, pasta bakes and pot pies, were invented to make inexpensive ingredients filling and satisfying. They rely on potatoes, pasta, rice, beans, root vegetables and tougher cuts of meat, all of which are regularly on sale.
Budget Soup Ideas
Soup is the most budget-friendly meal you can make. Chicken noodle from thighs or a leftover carcass, split pea with a ham bone, minestrone with beans and pasta, lentil soup and potato leek soup each cost little per bowl. Make a big pot, eat it twice and freeze the rest.
Stew and Casserole Strategy
Stews and casseroles stretch a small amount of meat across a family meal. Beef stew uses a sale chuck roast with plenty of carrots and potatoes. Shepherd's pie stretches ground meat under mashed potatoes. A chicken and rice casserole or tuna noodle bake can feed a family for the price of a single takeout order.
Bread and Carbs
Bread, potatoes, rice and pasta are the backbone of comfort food and some of the cheapest calories in the store. Bake simple bread or biscuits at home, buy potatoes in large bags, and keep rice and pasta stocked when they're on sale. Serving a cheap starch on the side lets you use less meat without anyone going hungry.
Comfort Desserts
Comfort desserts are cheap too: apple crisp, rice pudding, banana bread, bread pudding from stale bread, and oatmeal cookies all come from pantry staples and inexpensive fruit. They're a better value and a better treat than packaged desserts.
One-Pot Comfort Meals
One-pot meals save money and washing up. Chili, jambalaya, chicken and rice, pasta cooked in its sauce, and a big pot of curry all cook in a single pot or pan. Build them around whatever protein is on sale this week, add pantry staples, and you have a hearty dinner with leftovers.
Featured Cities
The cheapest comfort food starts with the week's sales. Browse this week's deals in your city for roasts, potatoes and soup vegetables.
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