Inflation remains stubbornly high, with Wednesday’s report showing a 3.5 percent rise from a year earlier. These days, we’re all paying more for less — food prices inched up slightly in March, too — and, as ever, putting satisfying, budget-friendly meals on the table can be a struggle.
But budget cooking doesn’t mean skimping on flavor or making your meals any less satisfying. Below, you’ll find 12 of the New York Times Food staff’s go-to recipes for eating well without breaking the bank.
I’ve lost count of how often I’ve made this sleeper hit from Eric Kim — one tub of gochujang equals many, many dinners. It’s delicious, of course, but it’s also very flexible. I usually chop larger potatoes so they’re baby-potato size and sub in whatever greens are on sale (spinach, chard, bok choy) for the Tuscan kale. And sometimes I’ll skip the beans, soaking up all that sweet-spicy soup with extra rice, which is the best part. MIA LEIMKUHLER
If you work full time and have school-age kids, you’re already in the middle of summer camp or child care planning hell, in which case you are probably feeling the need to pinch pennies. Like my coupon-clipping Midwestern mom taught me, I’m buying lots of dried beans and value packs of ground beef that I make into big batches of meatballs, slow-cooker beans and chili. I freeze what we don’t eat, take stock of what’s in the freezer before I do the next week’s shop, then make a note on the calendar as to when we’re going to eat the leftovers so they don’t go to waste. MARGAUX LASKEY
Recipe: Meatballs
Whether it’s toor, masoor or moong, a pot of dal is one of my go-to meals on a budget. It’s comforting, delicious, easy to make and usually draws from what I’ve already got in the pantry. I usually set it out with hot rice, some yogurt and whatever pickled vegetables are in the fridge. TEJAL RAO
It will come as little surprise that I — or anyone on the Food desk — reflexively reach for canned beans after getting walloped by prices at the grocery store (or, you know, paying rent). But even on payday, I’ll make Kay Chun’s freezer-friendly bean and cheese burritos for their remarkably high return on investment. Packed with little more than some sautéed onion and bell pepper, smoky pinto beans made tangy by the addition of a little store-bought pico de gallo, and some Cheddar, they’re a filling and delicious way to get in some vegetarian protein. TANYA SICHYNSKY
Recipe: Bean and Cheese Burritos
A big cucumber and a block of tofu are grocery staples of mine that never feel wildly expensive, and I have thrown together this quick stir fry from Hetty Lui McKinnon and eaten it over whatever carb I have around more times than I can remember. If I’m missing an ingredient or two, the recipe is very forgiving. PRIYA KRISHNA
Recipe: Stir-Fried Cucumber With Tofu
I love a good baked potato. Everyone talks about the fluffy-centered spuds and the myriad accouterments you can pile on (sour cream, cheese and scallions for me, and sometimes a little kimchi stir-fried in sesame oil with a pinch of sugar). But it’s the potato skin, crackled and sometimes chewy, where the crispy exterior meets the almost fudgy interior, that I find a dream to chew on. Even better if there’s a little sour cream on the plate with which to smear it. ERIC KIM
Recipe: Baked Potatoes
My current obsession is this recipe from Hetty Lui McKinnon, which takes a few standard staples (bread, beans, olive oil) and dresses them up with silky, simmered leeks, a miso-mustard vinaigrette and a jammy egg. I would happily splurge on an expensive small plate like this at a wine bar, but I’m so delighted to make it at home, for what seems like nothing. ALEXA WEIBEL
These days, a lot of recipes for chicken dinners call for boneless chicken breasts or bone-in thighs. But if you have a little extra time to cook, then I’d opt for a whole chicken, which, generally speaking, is cheaper per pound than any other cut at the store. There are a lot of amazing roast chicken recipes out there, but trust me when I say that this easy, four-ingredient Melissa Clark recipe is the only one you need. You can also get a few different uses out of one chicken: Add shreds of leftover meat to salads or quesadillas, and simmer the bones in water to make stock. EMILY WEINSTEIN
Recipe: Salt-and-Pepper Roast Chicken
Thrifty, hearty and super easy, my family eats this vegetarian skillet chili on repeat, changing up the beans depending on what’s in the pantry (one can each of black beans and kidney beans is the family favorite). And on nights when slicing even one more onion for the optional topping seems overwhelming, a squeeze of lime juice or some jarred pickled jalapeños will add the needed tang without that extra five minutes of effort. MELISSA CLARK
This recipe has long been one of my go-tos for a relatively inexpensive and easy dinner. I usually have a red onion and cherry tomatoes in my pantry, so with the addition of one bunch of broccolini and some crumbled feta, this sheet-pan dinner is filling and satisfying. Many of my family members can attest to that. CHRISTINA MORALES
Recipe: Sheet-Pan Baked Feta With Broccolini, Tomatoes and Lemon
I was originally attracted to this five-star recipe from Mark Bittman because it’s fast and contains items I always have on hand. I return to it when I’m feeling thrifty — it works fine if you have only two eggs — and short on time. It also has the added benefit of pleasing even my 7-year-old son, who claims not to like eggs. BRETT ANDERSON
Recipe: Spaghetti With Fried Eggs
There are two ingredients I reliably have at home, no matter what: rice and a head of cabbage. Cabbage is such a budget dream food, because a head of it can live in your fridge basically forever, and, once chopped, it manages to produce a shocking volume of cruciferous vegetables. And leave it to Melissa Clark to take the makings of a Medieval-era soup and, with some flourishes like Parmesan rind, thyme and bright lemon juice, turn it into a luxurious meal. BECKY HUGHES
Recipe: Parmesan Cabbage Soup
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