Poor man meals

34 recipes

Every dinner here costs $1.75 or less a serving. These are the dinners people have always leaned on when money is tight, like beans and rice, potatoes, cabbage, eggs, pasta and a little meat stretched a long way, and none of them tastes like a compromise. The cheapest is Crispy black bean burgers at $1.03 a serving, and the average here is $1.46.

• 

  Crispy black bean burgers

  $1.03 a serving

  40 min

• 

  Greek spinach rice (spanakorizo)

  $1.10 a serving

  40 min

• 

  Mujadara (lentils and rice with crispy onions)

  $1.14 a serving

  60 min

• 

  Veggie fried rice

  $1.19 a serving

  65 min

• 

  Lentil sloppy joes

  $1.21 a serving

  55 min

• 

  Kung pao chickpeas

  $1.22 a serving

  35 min

• 

  Cabbage pancakes (okonomiyaki)

  $1.23 a serving

  35 min

• 

  Lazy cabbage roll skillet

  $1.24 a serving

  50 min

• 

  Haluski (buttery cabbage and noodles)

  $1.25 a serving

  40 min

• 

  Mexican red rice with black beans

  $1.29 a serving

  40 min

• 

  West African–style peanut stew with sweet potatoes

  $1.30 a serving

  45 min

• 

  Cabbage yakisoba noodles

  $1.32 a serving

  25 min

• 

  Butter soy rice with crispy fried eggs

  $1.37 a serving

  30 min

• 

  Lentil bolognese with spaghetti

  $1.37 a serving

  60 min

• 

  Sopa de fideo (Mexican noodle soup)

  $1.43 a serving

  25 min

• 

  Stovetop mac and cheese

  $1.43 a serving

  25 min

• 

  Red beans and rice

  $1.51 a serving

  45 min

• 

  Crispy salt and pepper chicken thighs

  $1.52 a serving

  55 min

• 

  Cheesy savory oats with a soft egg

  $1.53 a serving

  20 min

• 

  One-pot chili mac

  $1.57 a serving

  35 min

• 

  Pasta e ceci

  $1.59 a serving

  35 min

• 

  Pasta e patate (pasta and potatoes)

  $1.61 a serving

  45 min

• 

  Peanut noodles with cucumber and carrots

  $1.61 a serving

  25 min

• 

  Black bean and sweet potato tacos

  $1.63 a serving

  45 min

• 

  Spinach and cheddar frittata

  $1.64 a serving

  35 min

• 

  Chickpea and potato curry

  $1.65 a serving

  50 min

• 

  Moroccan-spiced couscous with chickpeas and carrots

  $1.65 a serving

  25 min

• 

  Cheesy bean and rice burritos

  $1.65 a serving

  45 min

• 

  Soft scrambled eggs on buttery toast

  $1.65 a serving

  12 min

• 

  Omurice (ketchup rice under an omelette)

  $1.70 a serving

  50 min

• 

  Red lentil soup with lemon

  $1.70 a serving

  45 min

• 

  Käsespätzle (German cheesy dumplings)

  $1.71 a serving

  50 min

• 

  Egg curry with rice

  $1.72 a serving

  50 min

• 

  Pastina with egg and parmesan

  $1.75 a serving

  15 min

Costs and nutrition are estimates for one serving, worked out from typical US grocery prices and standard nutrition values for what each recipe uses.

Let Dollop plan the week for you

Tell Dollop what’s in your kitchen and it picks dinners like these for the nights you’re home, writes one grocery list, and walks you through each step.

Coming soon to iPhone and Android