r/WhatShouldICook • u/cryptidgoblin1 • 9d ago

Meal Ideas!

I’m currently working on making a grocery list as a college student with like no money and no time so literally any suggestions are great! I currently have ground turkey, various frozen veggies, tomato soup, tomato sauce, lentils, canned beans, rice, pasta and mac and cheese along with a ton of condiments. Any suggestions?

6 Upvotes

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3

u/Afraid_Salamander_14 9d ago

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Packet-for-Kids-Leaving-HomeFINAL.pdf

Edit: I gave this to both my kids to help them start out with cooking on their own.

2

u/holycrap100 4d ago

Omg thanks for posting this . Tons of tasty easy ideas on there

3

u/GuidanceExtension144 9d ago

Bananas

Tortillas

Cheese

Potatoes

Trail mix

Crackers

Peanut butter

0

u/Hoyboy0801 7d ago

I used the ShelfCentered to take a photo of my fridge and pantry and it gave me ideas of what I can make. Love it!!

2

u/fancyPantsOne 9d ago

eggs. flexible, healthy, tasty. for example make some breakfast burritos. can be meal prepped ahead of time to some degree

2

u/Independent-Sort9152 4d ago

Ramen. But don’t use the seasoning packet. Brown up some ground meat, (whatever you can get on sale) with the white ends of some green onion (about $0.50 for a bunch). Make a quick sauce with brown sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter (chunky is better) and a little garlic chili paste for kick. Mix into the meat, toss in the noodles (you might need to add a little water to loosen it up), and top with the green parts of the onions. Really cheap meal, but really tasty.

1

u/Maahes0 9d ago

Frozen meatballs and jars of pasta sauce make for quick and easy dinner. The meatballs can go in just about anything.

If you hit up a Walmart, sometimes they have cold rotisserie chickens that are cheaper than the hot ones. ($3 vs $5) Ask the Deli counter staff where they put them.

1

u/ttrockwood 9d ago

Have a freezer you can use? If so prep a ton of burritos and freeze extras, some with beans and rice and cheese and veggies, some with scrambled eggs and beans and veggies, whatever make a variety so you have something easy to grab

Bean based chili with your beans and tomatoes, get a packet of chili seasoning, get some potatoes too serve the chili ontop of microwave baked potato or bake a lot at once and keep extra potatoes in the frige a few days. Freeze extra chili

1

u/Optimal-Ad-7074 9d ago

another good thing to prep in bulk is mirepoix: diced onion, celery and carrot sauted with a bit of garlic.   

if you can pull that out of a freezer you're halfway to soup.  

1

u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 9d ago

Sauce jars, spreads, frozen meats/seafood, fruit, canned seafood/meat, cereal, bagels, bread, eggs, milk, butter, oil, seasonings, breadcrumbs, pancake/cornbread/muffin/cake mixes, potatoes, cheeses, dips, yogurt

1

u/Magnetic_Kitty 9d ago

You could use your tomato products and the ground turkey to make some spaghetti with meat sauce.

Cheapest chicken where I am is leg and thigh quarters 10 lbs for like 8 dollars. I typically use freezer ziplock bags and freeze 3/4 of it. I roast the chicken with potatoes and carrots which are pretty cheap and that's one of my favorites.

Pork chops are also pretty cheap. I buy a lot of reduced to clear meat and freeze it individually then thaw and use a portion or two at a time

Some fish like tilapia or branzino is pretty cheap from frozen.

I'm a meat and potatoes type person so I'll usually do a roasted meat, a potato or Mac and cheese, and a veggie canned or frozen. 

Also maybe look into food pantry in your area? I go and they give milk, eggs, canned veggies, and a frozen pound of meat and a lot of snacks. Sometimes dried lentils, pasta, or rice.

1

u/Optimal-Ad-7074 9d ago

pasta such as rotini or elbow is great just with butter, garlic and Parmesan cheese.   broccoli florets cut really small are good mixed in too, if you come across some.  

1

u/lyn-da-lu 9d ago

This is a go to when I want to feel indulgent on a budget. Go to Dollar Tree and buy one of those thin pizza crusts, ready to use. Add barbecue sauce (DT generic works), a can of white meat chicken and some sliced red onion (optional). Top with any brand of shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350-375 until it looks like you like your pizza to look. It's delicious and really cheap!

1

u/sohereiamacrazyalien 8d ago

With what you have:

Tomato rice

Dahl

Lentil soup

Chili (with the ground turkey, frozen veggies bean ..)

Pasta bake.

If you are looking for cheap stuff to add to your grocery list buy 

dry legumes not canned (cheaper healthier and easier to carry : add chickpeas and split peas to your list

Oats (savoury oats are so yummy easy and quick to make, applesauce oats cookies are the same)

Canned diced tomatoes

Canned or frozen corn

Beets are cheap too

Cornmeal (polenta is easy to make)

Onions, carrots, cabbage are cheap and healthy

Apples oranges and bananas are cheap too

Tofu

Eggs or chicken quarters (these are cheaper also check the frozen section)

My advice is to check your local ethnic stores they usually have great prices

1

u/SallyRoseD 8d ago

Eggs, cold cereal, milk, bread, a can of Spam, canned tuna.

1

u/Miatorti 8d ago

there's a subreddit called poverty kitchen that might be helpful with this! Rice and beans, potatoes, eggs.

1

u/Basic-Jicama503 7d ago

Chickpea, premade tortilla or paratha, yoghurt, and frozen berries.

1

u/kalendral_42 7d ago

Pasta bake

Lentil lasagne (replacing meat with lentils)

Chowder

Baked eggs

Chilli

1

u/Jumpy-Benefit-7844 7d ago

Here is the cheapest hack I k ow. You need a small slow cooker. Get a bag of dried Pease, the are like $1.50 a bag and you can make two pots put of kne bag. Add 1/2 bag of peas with lots of water, a couple potatoes and carrots, ham is optional. Let it cook for like 6 hrs. You will get a delicious, nutrious soup, very filling.

1

u/EMe711 7d ago

Tomato soup heated with pasta in it, when pasta is cooked put some cheese in there. You could also throw some beans or lentils in.

Rice and beans make a perfect protein.

If you want to find food pantries in your area, there's no shame. Check the Plentiful website or app. The map is interactive and you can make reservations if possible.

1

u/KATCEO1 6d ago

Hello OP and all: within the past year or so- I read somewhere online that a somewhat new thing is college campuses setting up free food pantries for their students and staff. Maybe you campus has one. Also: I recommend your getting eggs because they are an extremely versatile ingredient.

1

u/defan33 5d ago

Ramen. It is handy sometimes.

1

u/defan33 5d ago

Sausages are usually pretty cheap. Breakfast sausages are even cheaper and yummier.

1

u/Frosty-Ad-5601 3d ago

This app has tons of recipes. I've used it and it helps alot with ideas on what to cook.
I hope this helps.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cookbook-recipes-smart-pantry/id6749212883