Five Cheap Foods to Make Complete Meals From

Forget take-out food and frozen dinners. You can make a complete meal that will satisfy the whole family without spending a lot of money. Stocking your pantry with basics that can be cooked in a wide variety of ways gives you more options for less money. For dozens of cheap meal ideas, try adding foods to these five meal bases.

Cheap Meal Base - Macaroni and Cheese

Boxed macaroni and cheese is one of the cheapest meal bases available. However, it is not a complete meal by itself. Add chili and diced tomatoes for a Mexican style meal, or diced ham and peas for a more continental taste. Macaroni and cheese has carbohydrates and some protein, but to make a whole meal, you should add more lean protein plus vegetables. A side salad provides that as well.

Cheap Meal Base - Ramen Noodles

More than just a quick snack for teenagers, Ramen noodles come in a variety of Asian flavors that taste great as a base for a stir-fry meal. Fry up a bag of cheap frozen veggies and some leftover chicken or beef and serve it over the ramen noodles. Ramen noodles lend themselves best to Asian style dishes, although you can forget the flavor packet and use a creamy mushroom sauce made from canned soup.

Cheap Meal Base - Eggs

From omlettes to fritata, eggs are an inexpensive meal base that you can mix with anything. It is really easy to make a tasty omelette with leftover meat and vegetables.

Cheap Meal Base - Pancakes

Pancakes are not just for breakfast anymore. Start with a fry up of onions, diced veggies, and leftover ham or turkey, or whatever other savory morsels you have around the house. Then, pour the prepared pancake batter over them and let it cook, turning once. Delicious cheap meal idea.

Cheap Meal Base - Potato

A staple of many kitchens, potatoes can be used in so many cheap meal ideas. Shred them and fry them up as a hash brown base for other food. Bake them and stuff with broccoli, chicken, and cheese. Slice and fry them in a casserole with diced ham and green beans. This cheap meal base is delicious and hearty.

Making cheap meals out of these five popular foods will help both your budget and your taste buds. If you wish to reduce your grocery spending, using inexpensive meal bases listed above can help.