How to Make 4 Dinners from $50 Worth of Groceries

With food prices still sky-high, I’m trying to be more strategic than ever about shopping and cooking. Here’s how I used $50 worth of ingredients (from my go-to mid-level supermarket in the suburbs of D.C.) to make four easy, satisfying dinners last week.

Southern-Style Stewed Chicken and Rice

This homey dish is a Cook’s Country team favorite for good reason. It’s dead simple and stick-to-your-ribs hearty. The modest combination of rice, chicken, broth, onion, butter, salt, and pepper amounts to so much more than the sum of its parts, tasting complex yet cozy. It’s pure comfort. 

Key Strategy: Buy in bulk.

My family loves chicken these days, and at my market, I can get the biggest bang for my buck buying a family pack of bone-in thighs (which, happily, happens to be our favorite cut anyway). I stocked up on thighs and used them multiple ways throughout the week.

Curried Roast Chicken and Vegetables

This 1-pan meal tastes incredibly complex for how simple it is. Chicken roasts atop a combination of potatoes, cauliflower, and chickpeas, and a potent mixture of lemon, garlic, ginger, and spices perfumes the whole dish. Plus, cleanup is a snap.

Key Strategy: Make smart substitutions.

I swapped out the mixed chicken pieces for all thighs since I bought them in bulk.

Bratwursts with Braised Red Cabbage and Potatoes

Braised red cabbage is a cold-weather staple in my house: Cabbage is so affordable, and the pretty purple hue adds welcome color to plates of drab browns and beiges. Adding an apple and a finishing splash of tangy vinegar brightens the cabbage, balancing rich, meaty mains. Simple seared bratwursts and boiled potatoes are easy additions to make a full meal.

Key Strategy: Bulk up the sides.

We’ve been trying to eat less meat recently for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is how expensive it is. I’ll often scale down meats and serve extra portions of an affordable side, like rice, beans, or carrots. For this meal, I chose to serve only one bratwurst per person but cooked extra potatoes to round out the meal. (Also, I used chunks of Yukon Gold potatoes instead of small red ones; they were cheaper than red potatoes, so I bought in bulk since I needed them for the curried chicken dish as well.)

Molasses-Glazed Pork Chops and Sweet Potatoes with Red Cabbage Slaw

We had a warm spell and I was able to fire up the grill one last time before its hibernation, so I chose this family favorite. The molasses glaze adds sheen and a barbecue-esque sweetness to pork chops and sweet potatoes, and also makes a tasty dressing for a red cabbage slaw with peanuts and cilantro.

Key Strategy: Use what you’ve got.

I used the rest of the cabbage from the brats and the rest of the cilantro from the curried chicken to make this slaw. This meal ended up being the most expensive, but I didn’t mind buying a jar of molasses with holiday baking right around the corner (and these cookies on the docket), and the extra peanuts were great for afternoon snacks.