# Stretching those food dollars **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [January 11, 2024, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957 "2024-01-11T16:12:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 22
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2024, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957/22 "2024-01-11T20:56:00Z")
See my prior thread for some easy ideas: > [@What's the -Least- complicated meal you're ever prepared?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-least-complicated-meal-youre-ever-prepared/981129): > > Inspired, of course by a current thread: Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook, and don’t mind the prep work if the end result is tasty or what I wanted, but sometimes you cook something that is perfect (to you at least) with minimal work. So Share! THE RULES - Dish cannot be a “just add water” or “reheat” option. It should have three steps or more, although they don’t have to be super complicated, so kits or partially prepped options are fine. My example is matzoh ball soup. Sometimes, esp… But one hack that’s always worked (and I mentioned in said thread) is to have several cans of Rotel ready as a multipurpose additive for food. Second, in terms of easy to cook in large quantities at low prices, I will always mentioned slow cooked pork dishes. Even with meat prices being what they are, I can get pork roast or loin for $2.99 or less (often far less) on sale at least biweekly. Pork roast in slow cooker in the morning, with beer, Rotel and chilis? Hell yes. Get a 5 lb bag of potatoes and you’re done for a week, or a couple of pounds of rice or dry pasta at a good price point. Pork is cheap (frequently cheaper than chicken) and versatile. And on to chicken. Drumsticks, and thigh/drumstick quarters (bone in) are very cheap, and easy to prepare with homemade or purchased seasonings. Pick a starchy side as above, and boom. Cheap eats. Lastly, add some greens for better nutrition. Frozen broccoli isn’t peak, but roasted in a hot oven it’s still darn tasty! Frozen spinach can be sauteed in a pan as an easy and cheap side, or you can do as I do and make a slow cooker saag in quart sizes, freeze a bunch in store gladware, and have as needed. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957)._