Tell me your favourite “struggle meal”

[Catsandcannedbeans]

I will define “struggle meal” as something that is either very cheap, or very easy to throw together. Struggle snacks also welcome. I am looking for some to add to my rotation, anything I can batch cook gets a gold star. Anything that incorporates cheap cuts of meat gets two gold stars.

Mine are:
Fairy Bread, Bananas and custard (from a tin), when I was at university I used to make “fajitas” with chickpeas and beans instead of meat. I would make a huge batch and eat it for the whole week. I would normally eat this in the weeks leading up to my next payment as I had spent all my money on… textbooks. I still make it sometimes, but DP and kids don’t like it so I don’t make it often. Obviously the classic beans on toast. I always make a huge batch of jacket potatoes, sometimes I cut them into wedges and reheat them in the air fryer and put cheese and gravy on them (or curry if I have leftovers).

Tin of veg soup and a tin of butter beans to make it more filling. Chuck in any leftover veg/ pasta / cheese you have to get rid of.

Egg noodle stir fry. Frozen vegetables + protein + fresh egg noodles.

smokey bacon spaghetti
smoked bacon
onion
garlic
smoked paprika
passatta/chopped tomatoes
spaghetti

I make various types of 'dhal' which are not at all an authentic recipe but cheap, easy, tasty and healthy on a near weekly basis. Basically red lentils (could do tinned for ease but the dried ones cook in 10/15 mins) with tinned tomatoes or coconut milk, basically whatever veg you have in fried up, spices (or curry paste for ease) and a stock cube. Served with microwave rice and maybe plain yoghurt and/or salad.

Today's version is red lentils, tinned toms, fried chopped onion, courgette and peppers, some frozen spinach blocks, garlic, chilli, dried coriander, cumin, and tandoori masala powder. With rice and chopped iceberg lettuce. Ready in 15 mins, can be batch cooked and reheated and doesn't feel like a lazy/unhealthy option (not that there's anything wrong with that but it does make me feel better to feel like I'm getting some decent nutrients!).

Similar to the above is chilli with either just veg, tinned tomatoes and tinned kidney beans or with mince added as well, microwave rice and some cheese. So quick and tasty and feels like you're eating 'well'.

Fridge Soup

I go through the vegetable drawer and pull out everything looking sad, sauté a few onions, garlic, throw in the veggies and a couple of bouillon cubes, voilà soup!

Offal. Kidneys & liver are quick-cooking, so need little fuel. Hearts are ideal in a slow cooker after initial sealing.

When I was growing up we often had "soup island" which was a large mound of buttery mash and vegetable soup! It was delicious

Pasta with butter, marmite and cheese. So good

Poached egg on toast

Egg on toast. Egg on chips.

Pizza toast - toast topped with chopped tomatoes and cheese (was a student staple back when I was at uni 25p bread, 5p tomatoes and 25p plastic cheese slices - couldn't get it for that cost now!).

Philadelphia pasta. Pasta with Philadelphia or other soft cheese that's been melted in a pan with a splash of milk to make it into a sauce

Some sort of veg pie (by pie I mean the sort with a made topping) with a can of lentils or beans added. If you buy loose veg rather than a bag of veg you can get wjat you need for very cheap like, a couple of carrots for 20p etc. Today I’ve done one with Swede, carrots, parsnip, leek and lentils. No sauce added, just crumbled in a stock cube and added a tiny amount of water

Champ was a fave at month end when we were wee. Mashed potatoes in milk and spring onions with a big dollop of butter.

Or vegetable and barley broth with potatoes.

Soupy pasta. Tomato soup with pasta and cheese.

OP defined struggle as cheap or easy to throw together.

I still call it student cheese on toast because I ate this as a student. You just toast the bread, butter it then put sliced cheddar on it. No grilling needed because it was then fast and didn't cost electric. I used to buy the cheapest bread and the cheapest cheddar.

Now we have upgraded to cheese on toast which is homemade baguette, Dh is an incredible baker, cut in half horizontally, smeared generously with garlic of the squeezy nature, cheese and a sprinkle of oregano. Grilled until bubbled and extra bonus melted cheese that falls off the top down the sides. Easy to put together, not cheap with the price of cheddar cheese these days. Although mine is from Costco so more a log of cheese than a block.

Cheap would be homemade pizza but the wood fired pizza oven was not cheap so I am not sure it counts. Ds at uni cooks sausages to have on a bread roll and then has the left over sausages in pasta.

Pesto pasta

Spinach & Lentils. Dead easy.

Boil brown or green lentils until ooked. Drain. Defrost frozen spinach nuggets in microwave.

Heat very good glug olive oil & gently saute crushed garlic (I like a lot). Add lentils to pan, Stir for a couple of minutes. Throw in spinach and stir again. Heat until most liquid is gone.

Put in bowl & dress with more oil, balsamic vinegar & honey to taste. Salt & pepper. Mix well, Delicious on its own or with crusty bread. Keeps for a good few days in the fridge for lunches or works well as an easy side dish.

It's a good store cupboard type thing, often made when the cupboard is a bit bare, at one time it was very cheap to make but with the price of olive oil now, not so much. You can't really skimp on the quantity of oil as it kind of makes the dish.

Noodles with some fresh veg (courgette, broccoli, spinach - that kind of thing and added spices ( extra to what's in the packet).
Everyone's favourite here.

"Pizza toast - toast topped with chopped tomatoes and cheese (was a student staple back when I was at uni 25p bread, 5p tomatoes and 25p plastic cheese slices - couldn't get it for that cost now!)"

I make this, but as a toastie. It's ace.

https://thepeskyvegan.com/recipes/vegan-lentil-dal/

I just made this, without the coconut milk. So easy and super delicious topped with a blob of yoghurt, some chopped fresh tomatoes and coriander.
Filling, cheap as chips, and I feel so wholesome!

When I think about it I make flavoured butter blocks (bits of salted butter mixed with truffle salt, garlic salt, parsley, anchovies - whatever). I put each little pat in the freezer in a container and then when I am desperately short of time or inspiration I cook some pasta and melt the flavoured butter on the top then stir in. Handful of grated cheese - Bob is your proverbial.

Chips, beans and cheese. Easy

May or may not have had it for lunch today because my baby has been attached to my tit nonstop and I needed to eat something that was quick and kept dirty dishes to a minimum!

Anchovy spaghetti. My kids know it's a tight week when this appears, but they all love it.

Just chop and fry a tin of anchovies and garlic. Add some pasatta, and Parmesan if you want, then chuck in the cooked spaghetti. Simple, cheap and yummy

Great thread, thanks OP.
Family meals/batch cooked -
Bubble and squeak - just potatoes, onions, cabbage baked together. Include bacon, sausage or cheese if you have it and serve with worcestershire sauce/brown sauce/bbq sauce.

This might be a bit too expensive but slow cooked Mongolian beef is wildly popular in our house and has few ingredients https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/slow-cooker-mongolian-beef/

10 min thrown together things:
Rice layered with grated cheese. Add olives/ pickled jalapenos/chutney if you have them and lots of pepper. Cook rice in plenty of water and add broccoli/sweetcorn/peas for last few mins if you like, and just add a couple of layers of cheese and olives as you serve it into the bowl.

Tuna, pasta, and a sort of salad dressing made from lemon juice, bit of oil, seasoning, mixed herbs.

Pitta bread pizza - pitta bread, tom puree, cheese, grilled.

Tomato pasta has to be one of the cheapest meals. Tomato sauce made from cheap tin of tomatoes, onions, bit of garlic, store cupboard seasonings like paprika, basil, salt and pepper.