3 Easy & Cheap Recipes by Gabe №1
The college experience is defined by living off of Top Ramen and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese– two meals that I don’t think anyone would describe as “fine dining.” I spent my first semester at Southern Virginia University eating the same three meals over, and over, and over again. Eventually, I said to myself, “Screw this, I want some good food.” This started my hunt on how to find cheap and affordable meals with 5 ingredients or less. Below, I’ve shared what I found. Hopefully, after this article, you won’t have to rely on the Food Court to have “good” food anymore.
For breakfast, we have a quick and easy French toast
Yields: 4–5 pieces
Ingredients:
2 large eggs ($1.58 per 12 eggs)
½ cup of milk ($1.85 per ½ gallon)
A dash or two of cinnamon ($1.18 per 2.5 oz)
A couple slices of French bread ($1 per loaf of bread)
Directions:
Start by combining the cinnamon, eggs and milk into a bowl and whisk until combined well.
Slice your bread to your desired thickness, then dip the bread into egg mixture. I usually let the bread soak in the mix for about 20–30 seconds.
Heat a non-stick pan to medium-low heat and cook your toast for about 2–3 minutes on each side or until golden.
Add your desired toppings and enjoy!
For lunch, I’ve provided a very simple fried rice
Yields: 2 servings
Ingredients:
½ cup of white rice ($2.58 per 5lbs bag)
1 cup water
½ cup of frozen peas and carrots ($.77 per 12oz bag)
1 chicken breast ($3.38 per pound)
2 eggs ($1.58 per 12 eggs)
2 tbsp of soy sauce ($1.48 per 15 oz bottle)
2 tsp of sesame oil (optional) ($2.98 per 5 oz bottle)
Directions:
Combine rice and water into a pan or rice cooker; cook until desired density.
Cut chicken into small cubes and place into a small pan with any seasonings of your choice (I use salt, pepper, cayenne, and a little bit of curry powder).
Cook chicken at medium heat until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 ℉ (this usually takes about 4–6 minutes depending on the size of the chicken).
Once the rice is finished, add it into a larger pan. Add cooked chicken, peas, and carrots and mix it all together.
Add soy sauce and sesame oil, mix a little bit more, and enjoy!
For dinner, green sauce enchiladas are on the menu
Yields: 2–3 servings
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts ($3.38 per pound)
5 oz of Monterey Jack cheese ($3.68 per 16 oz block of cheese)
16 oz can of salsa verde ($2.12 per 16 oz bottle)
Flour tortillas ($2.86 per 20 tortillas)
¼ of an onion ($.78 per lb)
8 oz container of sour cream ($.74 per 8 oz container)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cube the chicken, then put it into a pan with your choice of seasonings (I use coriander, garlic powder, cilantro, salt, pepper, cayenne and onion powder).
Dice the onion, adding it to the pan with chicken.
Cook the chicken and onion on medium heat until it is cooked thoroughly, usually about 4–6 minutes.
In a separate pot, add your salsa, heating at medium heat for 30 seconds to a minute. Add sour cream and half of the cheese.
Once the cheese is melted, remove from heat and add about ⅔ of the salsa mix into the cooked chicken and onion.
Fill the tortillas with chicken and salsa mixture. Roll them tightly, placing in a baking pan.
Once all the enchiladas are in the pan, pour the leftover ⅓ of the sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle the remaining cheese.
Cook for 30–35 or until the cheese is nice and golden, then enjoy!
