9 hours Ago
It's hard to ignore the rising cost of everyday groceries and how expensive it has become to put a filling meal on the table. Well, if you're looking for some cheap, satisfying dinner inspo, the search is over. Redditor IPod_Kid29 asked, "Those of you who grew up poor, what was your favorite meal ?" Here are some of the " poverty meals " people still make today.
2. "Cheater's lasagna, but I only knew it as mom's macaroni, and she still makes it for me cause it tastes like memories. Boil cheap macaroni noodles and layer them (twice) with Kraft single cheese and diced tomatoes.
Bake until the cheese is gooey. Even just thinking about I feel like I’m a kid again." — llama_llama_ 4.
"Pinto beans (washed, picked, and left in water overnight) and a ham hock. If we were lucky, we'd lucky a couple of bay leaves. We'd let that sit in the slow cooker all day, and man, that was some filling and good stuff.
It lasted three or four days, too, with a big enough pot. I still make this sometimes." — jiyax33634 5.
"Blue pasta. My mother was quite clever, and to not make us realize that we ate pasta with little else several days in a row, she used food coloring. The blue pasta was my favorite.
It tasted the same as any other pasta with ketchup, but when you're a kid, simply believing something is special makes it so." — azthal 7. "What my grandma called 'egg surprise.
' She'd boil an egg, and the surprise would be if it was hardboiled, softboiled, or basically raw. It was the only thing she could 'cook.'" — finkleismayor 9.
"Just a simple cheese quesadilla. My mom taught me how to microwave them, then crisp both sides in the pan." madhaxor 13.
"Biscuit donut holes: Cut a biscuit in quarters, roll it into a ball, and then deep fry. When it's brown, take it out and immediately roll in topping. Toppings could include a tub of cake icing, cinnamon sugar mix, or powdered sugar.
Great with coffee." — abourque 16. "Our version of fried rice, which includes a packet of microwave rice, two eggs, and a few slices of deli ham.
Fry up the ham and cut or tear it into pieces, scramble the eggs, chuck the rice into the microwave for two minutes, and then throw everything into a bowl. It's still one of my go-to meals because it's quick, easy, and tastes good." — ravenbard 18.
"My mom would mix some eggs, leftover ham, and leftover rice, pan-fry them, and then serve them on toast with a slice of cheese." — Hrekires 20. "When my kids were young, we would chop an onion and saute it with butter, then add it to a big can of pork and beans along with some mustard and cut up hot dogs .
We put it in a casserole dish and baked it. I still make it occasionally." — angelicwizard985 22.
"One of my favorite 'struggle meals' is just a can of spicy sardines and some bread to soak up some of the oil. This meal also has the advantage of being very portable and not needing refrigeration." — casualpizza23 24.
"Hot dogs that were fried with chopped onions, red and/or green peppers, tomatoes, seasonings (salt/pepper or adobo, garlic powder, etc..), a bit of ketchup, and a bit of water to make it saucy.
We'd have it with either rice or bread." — shaunc4ec0a868e Do you have something to add? What is a cheap meal you grew up eating and still love or a "poverty meal" you make when the grocery budget is tight? Tell us in the comments or in this anonymous form ..
