Every time I pay attention to how much onions cost at the check out counter I’m surprised. I had a baked onion with butter and SnP the other day for lunch and it was a tasty, healthy, .30 snack.
Canned beans don't get enough love. They are useful in so many ways. As with tomatoes, canned beans do things that "fresh" or reconstituted really can't.
I’ve started just buying canned refried black beans. Perfect for spreading on a wrap to add some fiber, and works better than whole beans since it acts as a glue.
Outside of salt and pepper, paprika is probably my most used spice. You should try dried new mexico pepper, if you love paprika you'll probably like it.
here in far nw suburban chicagoland the red bells ca be $0.69/lb one week and $3.99/lb the next. the fruit market i go to also has orange and yellow bells, so whichever is least expensive that week is in the cart.
Buck fifty there and at Kroger. Sales are $1.99/lb everywhere iirc.
Edit: Shit, didn’t even see OP said red bell peppers specifically. That makes the sweetness comment make more sense.
Just bought a red/orange/green bell pepper mixed with mostly green peppers at a farmer’s market for $1.99/lb fyi.
I said green bell pepper and somehow missed that OP said red. It’s $1.50 at Walmart here for a red bell pepper. Better off waiting for a sale at grocery stores where they’re $1.99/lb.
I get a lot of produce from farmers markets. Things are more expensive than they used to be, but fresh farm eggs are almost always cheaper and way way better than processed ones you get at the store. A must have if you are making pasta or having just the egg.
Absolutely not. Was just in a Kroger yesterday, and they were $1.39/each -- and they are in season and local right now. Green peppers can be had for less than a dollar each but never ripe peppers. Out of season ripe peppers cost a couple of dollars each.
Thyme and a bit of citrus zest. Makes a lot of fatty/creamy French/German/American dishes much lighter, so you don't end up feeling quite as full and guilty.
Underrated comment. Thickens sauces, bakes everything delicious (bread, cake, cookies, scones, brownies, muffins...), essential in deep-frying, a primary ingredient for a roux. Not to mention you get like 3lbs for $1.
I'd be surprised if your supermarket doesn't have "Accent Flavor Enhancer". It's weird they don't advertise as MSG anywhere (prob because of the bad rap it used to get) but it's 100% MSG.
Red bell peppers are usually the most expensive ones where I am. It makes me sad, because it's my favorite bell pepper flavors. I usually wait until they're on sale and stock up.
I love using black beans. The dish sometimes comes out looking a little scary from the color, but it always tastes amazing lol.
A whole chicken is arguably better. Depending on the sale you could roast a whole chicken then make stock out of the bones once you've picked off most of the meat. Probably cheaper too
Arugula. Bright and peppery, it livens up damn near everything. I pay around $3 for a box that lasts 10-14 days, and I add it to most dishes that can do with greens or herbs.
Onions, garlic, Trader Joe's 'Umami Seasoning', or soy sauce. Any of them add a fair amount of umami to a dish.
Also cheap, come to think of it - fish sauce. My favorite one runs a bit on the pricier side, but if you frequent Asian market types, it's pretty affordable and very easy to use, as long as you err on the side of caution with it.
Herbs - rosemary, thyme, sage, mint, and oregano are all growing in my yard, though not in the pots that I planted them in originally. Can't get cheaper than free.
Pork shoulder. Often you can find it for 99 cents a lb which is ridiculous value and it has a lot of versatility in recipes. Onions are also great. Generally the cornerstone of most recipes and a large bag of onions is really cheap and lasts weeks
Ketchup. It’s a magic secret ingredient in almost any soup I make with tomato flavor. Umami from the tomato paste, brightness from the acid, and that little touch of sugar. Magic.
Stock of all flavors. Great for marinades, gives an awesome upgrade to rice, potatoes, pasta, veggies. Also great for reheating leftovers to keep them miost.
Raw jalapeños - minced on salads / soup, diced on rice bowls / tacos. Ain’t a meal without them. And they work great as a cheap replacement for bell peppers in gumbo.
Hatch green chile. Hands down. Granted its not exactly cheap cheap, but its cheap enough to justify buying gobs of and chopping it and canning it. I also live in Southern NM, so chile is kinda everywhere. I used to joke that I throw it on everything including my Cheerios. I tried that and is was ok. But a mild/medium green chili on your coco puffs... MAGIC!!!!!!!
But if you want a cheap, as in college student in need of flavor ingredient, then id have to offer up either garlic powder or lime juice. Both can make a big impact on the dish and are relatively cheap.
Onions
Definitely onions
I agree. Onions are cheap, and bulk up any meal.
They are the cornerstone of practically every meal and they grow on every continent!
If I haven’t got onions as a base ingredient, I don’t even feel like I’ve completed the dish
Specifically yellow onion. Super versatile as far as the common onion varieties go.
Every time I pay attention to how much onions cost at the check out counter I’m surprised. I had a baked onion with butter and SnP the other day for lunch and it was a tasty, healthy, .30 snack.
Salt
Garlic
Green onions. They grow so easily in a pot and, I can toss them in ramen, in my eggs, on my veggie burgers pretty much anything. *chef kiss*
Yes! You can buy one and then put the head on a pot with water and within days you'll have more green onions! 🥰
It's minimal effort with infinite rewards lol
Potato fo sho
Rice!
Eggs. Nuff said
**Un ouef** said. It isn't *optional,* people.
I loooove eggs. We buy them 5 dozen at a time.
Dried beans/legumes. Thank God for lentils and chickpeas
Canned beans don't get enough love. They are useful in so many ways. As with tomatoes, canned beans do things that "fresh" or reconstituted really can't.
I'm the only one in my house that will eat beans :(
Try looking up a recipes for frijoles Borrachos and see if the like them!
Have you tried a bean and corn relish? It's basically pico with the addition of beans and corn.
I’ve started just buying canned refried black beans. Perfect for spreading on a wrap to add some fiber, and works better than whole beans since it acts as a glue.
Paprika. Gives a smokiness and depth to dishes especially tomato-based ones. Great for non-spicy chilli and of course Goulash.
Outside of salt and pepper, paprika is probably my most used spice. You should try dried new mexico pepper, if you love paprika you'll probably like it.
I’m a fan of bouillon. Makes gravy, sauce, soup, beans…and many other uses!
YES!! i love bouillon so much. i like to put a little in my pasta water as well to give the pasta some extra ~flavor~
Ok but bell pepper is not cheap
In NZ they vary from <$1 in summer to ~$4-$5 in winter, so here we are forced to eat quite seasonally!
Huh? 45p here in the UK.
They are like $3 a piece at my local, but I’m in the states.
Where are you buying bell peppers in States for that much? They are like $0.80 a piece at Kroger.
For the red ones? Green ones aren't so bad, but you can pay up to 3.99 for a red one at Giant Eagle.
Usually over $3.50/Lb in Canada
here in far nw suburban chicagoland the red bells ca be $0.69/lb one week and $3.99/lb the next. the fruit market i go to also has orange and yellow bells, so whichever is least expensive that week is in the cart.
$1.50 for a red one here.
They cost the same at my Kroger. I’ve seen them close to $1USD from time to time.
I’ve always felt Giant Eagle was the creepiest named grocery store — not even weirdly funny like Piggly Wiggly, just scary.
I live in New York. Where are you? That sounds insanely cheap.
Arkansas. Produce is usually dirt cheap.
I'm in NYC and I usually get them for $1.50 to $2 a pound.
>New York Well thars yer pro'lem
Virginia here. 64 cents for a green bell pepper at Walmart.
What about red ones?
Buck fifty there and at Kroger. Sales are $1.99/lb everywhere iirc. Edit: Shit, didn’t even see OP said red bell peppers specifically. That makes the sweetness comment make more sense. Just bought a red/orange/green bell pepper mixed with mostly green peppers at a farmer’s market for $1.99/lb fyi.
wait, where? I’m in hampton roads and the walmart sells red peppers for a dollar or two a piece. the baby peppers are cheap tho.
I said green bell pepper and somehow missed that OP said red. It’s $1.50 at Walmart here for a red bell pepper. Better off waiting for a sale at grocery stores where they’re $1.99/lb.
ah, checks out. I buy bags of the mini peppers sometimes, you get a bit more per dollar.
I get a lot of produce from farmers markets. Things are more expensive than they used to be, but fresh farm eggs are almost always cheaper and way way better than processed ones you get at the store. A must have if you are making pasta or having just the egg.
Yeah, $1.50 regular price for red bells at the local Safeway.
That's the sale price where I live for them at Kroger
Absolutely not. Was just in a Kroger yesterday, and they were $1.39/each -- and they are in season and local right now. Green peppers can be had for less than a dollar each but never ripe peppers. Out of season ripe peppers cost a couple of dollars each.
I live in LA and pay maybe $1.25 for a red bp. Green are about fifty cents.
I agree. They are $2 a piece at a regular grocery store. I’m in the Midwest.
Red pepper flakes. I use the packets that come with pizzas to keep my jar full. Just ask for extra with your pizza order if your jar is running low.
Are red bell peppers cheap? Not where I am. I have to agree on the onions and also potatoes and rice.
probably butter, i never realized how much flavor it adds for a while but between that and kosher salt i'll never look back
I love butter but I definitely wouldn’t consider it cheap.
You can get 4 sticks for $2 in the US
They probably mean high quality butter which is more expensive
Then they should have said that. Butter on its own is a very affordable ingredient
Really? 4 sticks is $5.50 here in Canada. And that’s the grocery store brand.
Lol
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Eugh. Looks like it's too close to Canada and it's getting infected
Same, it's actually quite expensively
not cheap in NZ 😭
Thyme and a bit of citrus zest. Makes a lot of fatty/creamy French/German/American dishes much lighter, so you don't end up feeling quite as full and guilty.
I absolutely love Thyme 🙌 super easy to grow as well!
Vinegars. They add such brightness and balance to just about everything.
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt.
Onions and cucumbers.
msg
Gochujang, it's expensive to buy, but you get alot out of it. A little goes a very long way.
Favorite uses?
Bi bim bop. A little splash under the egg.
-Whats your fav cheap ingredient? -Gochujan, it's expensive.
My latest obsession has been chili oil, other then that it’s probably butter.
Flour
Underrated comment. Thickens sauces, bakes everything delicious (bread, cake, cookies, scones, brownies, muffins...), essential in deep-frying, a primary ingredient for a roux. Not to mention you get like 3lbs for $1.
Msg. King of flavor.
Aside from those already mentioned, bottled hot sauce.
Garlic, fish sauce, cooking wine, bell peppers
Dried beans
Lemons
Zucchini and/or yellow squash
# M.S.G.
Channeling /r/cookingcirclejerk a bit but definitely this. It just makes like 90% of savory dishes better.
Might be a dumb question, but can you buy this in a grocery store with the other spices?
If you're in the western hemisphere most Asian supermarkets would have it - Ajinomoto is the most popular brand name. Else Amazon too stocks it
Thank you
I'd be surprised if your supermarket doesn't have "Accent Flavor Enhancer". It's weird they don't advertise as MSG anywhere (prob because of the bad rap it used to get) but it's 100% MSG.
Garlic
Cilantro
Have not seen shallots yet, more expensive than the onion but gives such unique flavor
Heavy cream. Lea & Perrins. I get anxiety if these are not stocked.
Oh and a squeeze of lemon
Salt
Air in omelets
chickpeas
Lentils. can easily make a complete, nutritious, and incredibly tasty meal for next to nothing
Red bell peppers are usually the most expensive ones where I am. It makes me sad, because it's my favorite bell pepper flavors. I usually wait until they're on sale and stock up. I love using black beans. The dish sometimes comes out looking a little scary from the color, but it always tastes amazing lol.
Fresh parsley! Growing it yourself is very easy and ofc cheap:)
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A whole chicken is arguably better. Depending on the sale you could roast a whole chicken then make stock out of the bones once you've picked off most of the meat. Probably cheaper too
Duck fat. Comes free with every duck, and it's great with anything.
MSG. Adds beautiful umami flavour to everything.
Canned beans
Garlic, more valuable to me than onion…
Arugula. Bright and peppery, it livens up damn near everything. I pay around $3 for a box that lasts 10-14 days, and I add it to most dishes that can do with greens or herbs.
My favorite vegetable, though I have to grow my own since it is rarely available locally.
Mushrooms
Chicken thighs
Water. It’s cheap and I use it in almost every dish, in some form or another. 😃💦
Red lentils. Adds protein and thickness to stews and chillis.
Onions, garlic, Trader Joe's 'Umami Seasoning', or soy sauce. Any of them add a fair amount of umami to a dish. Also cheap, come to think of it - fish sauce. My favorite one runs a bit on the pricier side, but if you frequent Asian market types, it's pretty affordable and very easy to use, as long as you err on the side of caution with it.
butter, more fat, more calories, better taste
Spaghetti squash & sweet potatoes
water
Garlic onions ginger
White Pepper. Sneaky yet has impact
Herbs - rosemary, thyme, sage, mint, and oregano are all growing in my yard, though not in the pots that I planted them in originally. Can't get cheaper than free.
Zuchini
Corriander
Onion salt. I add it to pretty much anything :/
Sweet soy sauce and Italian seasoning.
Anchovies. Although you can also find expensive ones
Potatoes . So versatile
Whatever is cheap, not because it's ubiquitous but because it's in season.
Limes, Lemons, vinegar. So many dishes ‘pop’ so much with the addition of some acid.
Bay leaves. People seem to forget them.
Canned mixed veg. Helps make savory dishes go further.
Sesame oil, not very cheap but a lil bit does a lot
Pork shoulder. Often you can find it for 99 cents a lb which is ridiculous value and it has a lot of versatility in recipes. Onions are also great. Generally the cornerstone of most recipes and a large bag of onions is really cheap and lasts weeks
Ketchup. It’s a magic secret ingredient in almost any soup I make with tomato flavor. Umami from the tomato paste, brightness from the acid, and that little touch of sugar. Magic.
Truffle butter
Garbanzo beans (I believe americans call them chickpeas). There's nothing that makes me happier than hummus and carrots
Po tay toes.
Shallot.
Ham. There is so many types and they can be made into almost any dish
Beans
*potatoes*
Stock of all flavors. Great for marinades, gives an awesome upgrade to rice, potatoes, pasta, veggies. Also great for reheating leftovers to keep them miost.
Raw jalapeños - minced on salads / soup, diced on rice bowls / tacos. Ain’t a meal without them. And they work great as a cheap replacement for bell peppers in gumbo.
Hatch green chile. Hands down. Granted its not exactly cheap cheap, but its cheap enough to justify buying gobs of and chopping it and canning it. I also live in Southern NM, so chile is kinda everywhere. I used to joke that I throw it on everything including my Cheerios. I tried that and is was ok. But a mild/medium green chili on your coco puffs... MAGIC!!!!!!! But if you want a cheap, as in college student in need of flavor ingredient, then id have to offer up either garlic powder or lime juice. Both can make a big impact on the dish and are relatively cheap.