San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
BUDGET EATS
4 guest-worthy meals for 4 for under $15 each
As the new year rolls on, so, too, does our mission to help you make the most of your grocery budget. And in that spirit, we’re back for a second week of complete, budget-friendly meals you can feel proud to serve to family and guests alike.
This week we have recipes for four complete, four-person meals, each costing less than $15 total. These aren’t your grandma’s casseroles. These stylish meals deliver craveable flavors with a panache that belies their humble ingredients.
When it comes to cutting costs, pork is your friend. Boneless center loin chops generally cost less than $3 per pound, and they are a breeze to cook, taking well to a wide palate of flavors.
We’re serving those chops in a bright pan sauce made with blackberry jam and balsamic vinegar. Served with roasted potatoes and blistered green beans — those sides cook in the oven while you’re preparing the chops — this recipe has a sweetand-savory punch combined with an ease of preparation that
will likely become part of your regular weeknight rotation.
Beef is certainly more pricey than pork, but the right cuts can help keep costs down. This week we’re working with pre-cut stew meat, which is usually available for about $5 per pound. In most grocery stores, the product labeled as “stew meat” frequently comes from tough but flavorful shoulder muscles. That usually means longer cooking times, but we’ve taken a shortcut with an Instant Pot.
A pound and a half of stewing beef along with a few mushrooms, bag of egg noodles and swirl of sour cream becomes a belly-warming batch of beef Stroganoff. And thanks to the speedy nature of digital pressure cookers like the Instant Pot, that meal can be on the table in about 45 minutes with minimal active work on your part.
A huge part of saving money in the kitchen involves controlling just how much food goes to waste. If you have produce lingering in the crisper bin, we have just the recipe for you.
Eggs and chicken — among the most affordable proteins you can buy — become an elegant quiche when mixed with those veggies and tucked into a pie crust. While our recipe calls for a $1 package of frozen, chopped spinach and mushrooms, this dish can be made with nearly any vegetables you may already have on hand. Give it a try with asparagus, broccoli, kale, peas or cauliflower. Avoid using harder root vegetables as they won’t get tender enough.
Saving money doesn’t mean skipping out on fun, either. Plenty of affordable recipes can also be playful and entertaining. Case in point: our taco-inspired stuffed spaghetti squash.
When whole spaghetti squash is cooked, the flesh comes out in ribbons resembling pasta. And that also leaves behind a scraped-out shell that makes a fun, boat-shaped bowl perfect for stuffing ( just don’t try to eat it).
We combined that noodlelike veg with a mixture of ground turkey spiced with a hefty dose of chili powder, stuffed it all back in the shells and tossed it in the oven coated with a layer of gooey cheese. When the finished dish is dressed up with fresh pico de gallo and avocado slices, you have a presentation everyone is sure to remember — and you won’t break the bank to make it happen, either.