What is the least expensive microwave meal that is not only cheap and easy, but tasty and not completely bad for you? I've tried to do things like soups, but they are often not filling enough. Hungry Man meals seem fine. Any others that I'm not thinking about, maybe?
What is your go-to meal when you don't have the energy to cook but want something filling and tasty?
What is the best tasting AND most frugal TV dinner for a big man?
byu/Big_Statistician2566 inFrugal
Posted by Big_Statistician2566
20 Comments
Cheap, convenient, high quality. Pick two.
If you’re willing to prepare food when you do have energy, I recommend making freezer burritos. Cut the meat with beans, eggs or yogurt for cheap protein.
Potato or 2 in the microwave. Add butter, cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, bacon bits, chives, any or all of above. With a can of soup sometimes.
How much are you prepared to spend per meal for the convenience of popping a tray in the microwave?
Air fry up some chicken tenders and french fries. No prep and its very tasty. Microwaving a russet potato and loading it up is always a good cheap option aswell.
Have you considered several small meals instead? I really love the Banquet breakfast pot pies (both flavors are good). They cost .99 at my Kroger. I make it in the air fryer. Then I crack an egg on top and put it back in for a minute (cook egg as desired), then a slice of cheese.
This is a fantastic, hot and tasty small meal. The breakfast pot pies are so much better than the regular ones.
I guess you could make 3 or 4 simultaneously and be full and it would be less than 5 bucks with the eggs and cheese.
I like the Boston Market brand.
When my kids were still at home, I kept Stouffer’s individual lasagnas for my insatiable first born. Heat up some peas or green beans to go with it and you have a complete meal. It wasn’t an everyday thing, but sometimes I got held up at work and just couldn’t get home in time.
Lasagna add your own seasoning and extra cheese.
You can make a healthy and hardy crockpot of beef or chicken stews. No potatoes, please. We make an eight-quart crockpot and freeze it in portions. You choose the portion size. Then microwave a potato and smash it with skin on as that is nutritious. Pour you heated stew on the potato. Currently for lower cost vegetables in the stew we use a whole can of whole kennel corn, frozen lima beans previously made in the crockpot, canned peas, and whole canned tomatoes. The juice/water from the cans is enough moisture. 1T Better Than Bullion is optional. You make crockpots of chili, lima beans, chicken stew, beef stew on different days. I make my milk bread in a bread machine. Bread machines are easy, just dump ingredients per directions and enjoy perfect loaves.
You haven’t had anything like my soups then! I make huge batches of thick lentil vegetable soup, bean chili, and split pea soup. They go in the freezer in heaping serving sized containers. I just pull one out and nuke it whenever I’m not in the mood to make any food. One day of prep per week, and it’s not even that bad. Saves me a ton of money.
Leftovers are king. Cook one big meal, refrigerate or freeze what you don’t eat, and reheat it when you don’t feel like cooking.
Alternatively, two hotdogs chopped into a can of baked beans, like pork n beans but better and cheaper. Not expensive hotdogs either, those are crazy overpriced compared to the $1 brand. Not super healthy…
Or, hotdogs and ramen noodles.
When my dad was still living by himself with dementia but could manage popping something in the microwave, I found that Hungry Man dinners were the best deal for that.
For my family, however, the costs of frozen dinners would add up fast. I do different casseroles like enchiladas or lasagna, hearty stews, curries, or pasta dishes. They’re all pretty easy to make, often have leftovers, and generally involve less than $10 of ingredients. My husband and teen are both 6′ tall, and we’re all active–they often need 4,000-5,000 calories on high physical labor days (I’m a short old woman with far fewer calories requirements). I use lots of veggies, potatoes, grains, and beans to increase calories and satiety–plus things like avocado or olives in the salads for increased fat content. Sometimes I make biscuits or rolls, or serve with corn or mashed potatoes or over noodles or rice.
My husband often cooks dinner when I just can’t deal. Highly recommend.
Rice, a tomato, ground turkey or beer(whatever’s on sale), and spices to flavor. Make a giant ass pan – eat for days.
Edit beef*** but my typo works too I suppose.
If you want to stick with frozen meals, I’ve found stouffer on sale and kept a few in the freezer. Mac & cheese or the lasagna, canned or frozen veg, make a quick meal.
Check out your local grocery store. Many are making healthy and or easy to prepare meals near the deli or cheese section. I’ve seen teriyaki bowls, meatloaf dinners, calzones, sushi etc
My store makes their own crispy homemade nuggets 20 for $6. It’s a quick meal with frozen fries tbh when it’s a busy night.
Breakfast always.
Eggs. Toast. Protein
Frozen dinners never do it for me. They’re 8-10 ounces and that’s simply not enough.
The most frugal is probably homemade crockpot chili, frozen in portions.
2-3 cans of kidney beans, 1-2 cans of black beans, a can of diced tomatoes, maybe a can of corn and diced green chiles if you’re feeling fancy.
Dice an onion, get some pre-minced garlic and a packet of chili seasoning.
Drain and rice the beans and corn. Toss it all in the crockpot and stir. Might need a cup of tomato paste if it’s looking too thin. Cook for a few hours and you have several meals for $7-$8. If you want to stretch it, take 20 min and make a pot of rice.
u need an air fryer – cut up potato into chunks oil and salt 400 20 minutes – 1st beer – 6 pack of wings oil salt 30 minutes 2nd beer – beep dinner
I don’t eat them anymore but I was partial to Philly hotpots with the croissant crust. Back when I would get them it was always on a 3 for 5$ special or so. I don’t know how much they cost now. At 275lbs a pair of those was always plenty.
Pollo loco $5 pollo bowls are good, cheap, healthy, and fast. Pickup a few at a time for meal prepping.
Being you enjoy soups and this is frugal, Amzn has Campbell’s Chunky Soup, Savory Pot Roast Soup, 18.8 oz Can on sale right now. I just bought 13 cans on S&S for 17.40. (1.34 each) There is a $10 of $30 during checkout that brings it to this price. These are good to have around during hurricane season.
But when I eat soup, I make a cheese sandwich on a toasted ciabatta roll from Aldi.