Stretching That Food Dollar: Potatoes

Ah, the humble potato, apple of the earth. This starchy tuber has fed many a man since it's introduction to Europe in the sixteenth century, but it was cultivated in the New World for thousands of years before that. Potatoes are surprisingly nutritious, with a good dose of iron, vitamin C, and various B vitamins, as well as dietary fiber. For a few bucks, you can pick up enough potatoes to last a person for weeks, and, with a little imagination in the kitchen, you'll be gobbling this delicious cheap food up happily. Remember to be careful with potatoes that have been sitting around long enough to sprout, as anything green on a potato carries concentrations of toxins that can play havoc on a light stomach.

I really enjoy the taste of potatoes, so I keep it pretty simple when cooking them up for myself. A baked or microwaved potato with some sour cream and green onions is almost a full meal onto itself, and it takes next to no thought to prepare. When cooking for others, homemade mashed potatoes with roasted garlic is an easy dish that will make your guests feel like you've gone the extra mile for very little cost. A friend of mine has a quirky variation on mashed potatoes that is surprisingly tasty: he mashed up bananas with his potatoes. I don't know where he came up with it, but they were example of delicious cheap food.

If you've got kids around or just happen to like snack food, potato chips are easy to fry or bake, but the easiest method I've encountered is as follows. Slice up your potatoes ultra thin on the horizontal slicing side of a grater, toss with oil and seasonings (I just use salt and pepper generally) and spread them out on a plate. Toss 'em in the microwave for a few minutes and you've a quick snack that costs about a dime for your trouble.

If you really want to stretch your cash, pick up a box of instant potato flakes for about a buck at the market. I find flavor fatigue sets in pretty quick with the flakes, though, so having a well stocked spice rack is helpful to keep the box from gathering dust for the following decade.