Best Budget-Friendly Recipes and Cheap Ingredients to Cook
Users frequently recommend Budget Bytes for affordable and easy recipes. The 'Good and Cheap' cookbook is another favorite and you can often find a free PDF version online. Communities focused on eating cheap and healthy are great places for user-generated advice. For cheap staples, stock up on dry rice, beans, lentils, cabbage, and tofu. These ingredients form the base of countless filling meals. Popular dishes include creamy lemon garlic pasta, adaptable sheet pan bakes, and hearty lentil soup.
Simple Chicken Thigh Dinners Worth Making
Filip Chicken Adobo is a favorite for its flavor and ease, made by simmering thighs in a mix of water, rice vinegar, and soy sauce at a 2:1:1 ratio. You can throw in some chopped onion and garlic, and easily adapt it for a slow cooker. For perfectly crispy skin and juicy meat, sear skin-on thighs in a cast iron pan skin-side down for 10 to 12 minutes without moving them, then flip and finish in a 375 degree oven for another 10 to 15 minutes. You can also go the quick route with an air fryer: cut slits in boneless thighs, add your seasonings, and cook at 370 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway. For a simple oven bake, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika, then bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.