What cheap, easy meals can I cook that will last all week?

[Smileygirl2000]

[Static_In_The_Attic]

Cooking With Static! In a medium size pot add about 8 cups of water & after you do drop in the Gnocchi in. Bring it to a boil stirring from time to time. The water will get all starchy & when the gnocchi all float turn off the heat & let it sit. Meanwhile in somewhat of a deep pan over medium heat drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions & let them cook a little. Add in the Jimmy Dean Hot Italian Sausage, break it up, mix it up & let it cook & keep mixing it up. After the sausage is cooked turn down the heat. Fish out the gnocchi from the pot & throw it tight on top of the sausage & add a few cups of that starchy water you have been saving & do not thrown out the starchy water because you might have to add more to keep this dish somewhat liquidly. Add baby spinach right on top of the sausage onion gnocchi mix & put a lid on it & let it simmer until the spinach welts down & when it does mix it all together. After that add in grated parm cheese, mix it up & let all the flavors mix.

Plate it up, enjoy & top it with more grated parm cheese.

[Smileygirl2000]

Yum!!

[Static_In_The_Attic]

It is & I just bought all the stuff to make it.

[Jersey2]

I agree with @AviatorTom as pasta sauce gets better after a few days in the fridge. It is cheap and easy. Also have some peanut butter, bread/toast, frozen burritos, frozen pizza and add a bit of extra cheese to it, you can use soft tacos and add some of the pasta sauce with cheese on too and put in a toaster oven for a small pizza.

[Amy10223]

Some rice dishes with protein. Chicken and rice, or rice with chicken and sausages. Those Vienna sausages in a small can were something my mother used to cook when we were small, she would add them to Spanish rice, so tasty. You can freeze rice dishes in the freezer in containers until ready to thaw. Soups are another option. Vegetable, vegetables with meat or tofu. If you like pasta, this can last in the fridge for a long time as well as long as the refrigerator is kept in a very cool/cold mode. Make pasta salads, linguine with cheese and broccoli in a cheese sauce, or those spiral swirls with olives, canned artichokes, pimento, olive oil and vinegar, onions. Beans are another healthy another cheap option. They, stewed in a tomato sauce base with garlic, onion, and some sofrito (in a red or green jar sold in Hispanic stores) makes a tasty side dish alongside of white rice. Add plantains and an egg, and it's great.

[FreyaRed]

Spaghetti carbonara.
- 200g cooked pasta al dente
- 50g bacon or smoked ham cut in small pieces
- 3 eggs
- 10g butter
- 10g grated Parmesan, Pecorino but Gouda or Emmental is okay too.

Duck breast Teriyaki
- half duck breast baked in air fryer 30min by 140C
- 15 ml Soy sauce
- 30 ml Mirin
- 30 ml Sake or white wine
- 1 TS grated ginger fresh
- 1 shallot or small onion
- French fries or rice

both dishes cost less than 5 buck per portion

[lilBigPotato]

You're lucky there are no Italians on this site 😅

[AI Opinion]

A big pot of chili is my go-to for this 🌶️
Brown ground beef or turkey with onion and garlic, add canned tomatoes, beans, chili powder, cumin, and simmer 30–40 minutes. It reheats beautifully and tastes better each day.

I also love pasta bake: cooked pasta, tomato sauce, a bit of cheese, baked in a dish. Portion it out and you have comforting lunches all week 🍝

[Massageman]

We get a roasted chicken at Costco- $4.99 for 10 servings, pre-cooked, juices included. That gives us 5 days of dinners.

Beans and rice. Complete protein, vegetarian, stands up to reheating. Likewise, beans on corn tortilla.

Bagged salad, topped with meat of your choice and shredded cheese. We get salads that are "out of code". Ignore codes- LOOK at the lettuce. Butter leaf, mixed baby greens, endive, "lettuce boats" all last a long time, especially compared to romaine. We'll throw in just about anything that isn't nailed down in the fridge- berries, tomatoes, onion, peppers- all on one plate and chow down on the cheap.

[jennifer_bloom]

So a lot of Asians will cook rice with water which is called congee and then they will add marinades, cooked eggs, and vegetables like the spring onion which is very cheap in North America. I just want to warn you that some of the vegetable sauces they use in their marinades contain peanut powder so if you or your friends and family are allergic to nuts, it is better to make your own marinade at home.

[Masie]

Where I'm from, you can get a pound of deli meat and bread foe not much. That isn't the healthiest of things. It works on a budget.

That or get a head of lettuce and what you like on your salad, along with the dressing you like. That isn't much either and lasts a decent time.

[loveslongnails]

Stews of any kind and braises usually last for days. Pasta dishes like lasagna, mac and cheese last well (just re-heat them low and slow and add liquid) and cold pasta salads last well. Whatever you make, DO NOT eat rice that's been in your refrigerator for more than 2 days. Bacteria love rice and start forming in as little as 48 hours, even in 40 degree temperatures.

[OneViewpoint]

Just about any casserole like lasagna should last 3-4 days depending on how many people you're trying to feed. The question becomes can you be happy eating the same thing 4 days in a row?

[Anonymous]

Just eat high quality foods.

Organics. When you high quality you won't feel hunger for hours after eating one or two things. When you eat processed food even if it is a little you will feel hunger every hour and will buy a snack or more food.

You buy high quality calories. It doesn't matter how many calories as long as it is good calories.

[scott04sa22]

Try Egg Noodles with Eggs, Ham, Cheddar cheese.

1. Cook the egg noodles

2. Then scramble 7 eggs with milk then add the ham

3. After the eggs and ham are cooked mixed them with the egg noodles then add the cheddar cheese.

You can try different ingredients too.

[ohsheeT]

I can go to the deli and get a pre baked chicken I can make your chicken pasta salad with rotini noodles green onion chicken and water chestnuts

Then I can make chicken tacos

And then I make a white chili with the rest of the chicken

[Xoirwinkan]

Spaghetti sauce with extra vegetables to pad it out, like onions and even small potato cubes. Then you can put it on bread or pasta as you please. Avoid premade tomato sauce and just buy the cheap whole or chopped tomatoes. You can also make a cheap light tomato soup, minestrone, with ham and white beans, all kinds of vegetables, and a light amount of tomato. Cabbage is a good healthy option, since it's usually cheap.

[lilBigPotato]

Just do stuff that you can cook in large quantities and that are easily freezable.

A lot of pasta dishes are cheap and easy to make. Arrabiata, carbonara, Bolognese, etc.

Thai curries are quick and easy too and quite cheap.

[slatyb]

Make chili or another crockpot dish. We don't put meat in our chili, only canned beans, canned tomatoes, a packet of spice mix. If you don't have a crockpot, you might find one used at a local thrift store.

[MrChinaski]

Onions + minced protein of choice + whatever green vegetables are lying around + curry sauce in a jar = main meal for three days.

[AviatorTom]

Pasta and sauce is easy to make. keeps well as leftovers in the fridge, and is easy to warm up. Add some meat and veggies to it to make it more healthy.

[AgentG111]

Like meal prep for several days?

Cold cut sandwiches can go a week for lunch or dinner based on the meat/cheese and bread you use.

Or are you talking like meals for more then one person?

[HighValue]

Spaghettios & meatballs $1. Raviolis $1, Frozen Pot Pie from Winco or Walmart for $1, Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup for $1.25, etc.

[RavVid]

Pasta is pretty flexible and easy to make with variety.

[choco-latte]

It won’t last all week but hamburger helper can last you for a few days

[12karen]

I live eating watermelon, eggs and steak…. Pretty cheap when you eat once a day.. then I add bread once in a while for carbs

[Agape93]

Spaghetti. Rice and hamburger meat with gravy.

[dougeats]

Mac & cheese, pasta, grilled chicken (5 days) eggplant parm, beans

[exitseven]

Make a big pot of chicken soup.

[Pretendingtobesweet]

Mac and cheese, instant ramen, hot dog,

[Sunday2001]

Pasta with mushrooms.

[fatmatürk]

Turkish delight.

[jazzy34]

Any pasta dish.

[fishbone77]

baked ziti.

[CupOfCoffee01]

Pasta with sauces.