Top 8 Frugal Cooking Ingredients

By Homemaker Barbi | April 1st, 2008 | Category: Cooking |

Some ingredients are incredibly versatile, and can be worked into various meals in your menu plan. However, when trying to cut your grocery bill, looking for the staples that will give you the best value is key. Certain grains, vegetables, legumes and other ingredients can be worked into multiple recipes, cutting down the number of foods you have to stockpile in your pantry!

Below is a list of the top frugal staples, which cost pennies compared to the expensive processed foods you will find at the grocery store.

Top 8 Frugal Cooking Ingredients:

1. Rice:
Large quantities require adequate storage, so make sure you have the room to store it and air-tight, food quality storage containers. Even if you are buying smaller bags at the grocery store, rice is a very inexpensive and versatile ingredient that can be incorporated into your menu. Plus, you’re adding healthy whole grains to your diet!

2. Dried Beans:
They’re inexpensive and versatile. Chili is easy to make and delicious! It also freezes well for leftovers. Use pintos to make Bean Soup, cook lentils in with your soups and roasts. Use red and black beans in Mexican dishes.

3. Pasta: Cheap, versatile… do I keep saying the same thing over and over again?! All different shapes and sizes (spaghetti, macaroni, lasagna) combined with different homemade sauces (alfredo, marinara, cheese) ensure that your family will not get tired of this frugal favorite!

4. Oatmeal:
Perfect for breakfast, the price can’t be lower and the health benefits can’t be greater! Slip this ingredient into homemade breads and cookies as well. Stretch your ground beef or turkey by mixing in oatmeal for meatballs or hamburger patties.

5. Potatoes:
They’re the only veggie that made my list, simply because potatoes store well for extended periods and you don’t have to wait for them to go on sale. They go with almost any meal: mashed potatoes, cut up in soups, baked potatoes, sliced for French fries, shredded for hash browns.

6. Baking mix aka Bisquick:
Buying generic in large quantity will usually be the best idea for this quick kitchen staple. Possibilities: pancakes, waffles, biscuits, dumplings, shortcake, cornbread, coffee cake. Don’t want to pay the extra? Make your own Bisquick!

7. Roasts:
When I started cooking roasts I felt like my mother! Seriously, roasts can come attached to an attractive price tag, and provide a lot of meat all cooked at once in your crockpot. Use the leftover meat in the meals you serve over the next few days. For example, if Monday night is pork roast with veggies, Tuesday I’ll make pork stir fry and Wednesday I’ll cook pineapple pork. Look for sales on roasts for even lower than normal prices. Homemaker Barbi Rated: Best Meat Value8. Barley:
This grain is so versatile that it goes into breakfasts and dinners. I add barley into my homemade porridge. You can also cook it in the same pan with oatmeal for a little variety. I add barley into the broth in my crockpot when I cook a roast for a tasty and filling side. Also try adding barley to your rice side-dishes for extra filling.

Homemaker Barbi Says: Use inexpensive staples in your cooking for frugal family favorites that won’t break the bank!

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Organizing Mommy April 14th, 2008 4:50 am :
This is a great list. I use all of these except the homemade bisquik and barley. We do grind our own wheat and make bread, so that is probably frugal. Thanks for the tips.
Crystal April 15th, 2008 5:50 pm :
Great tips! I need to try to incorporate left overs into other meals more often.
Thanks!
Crystal at My Three Ring Circus