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Cheap Dinners and the Single Life

Well, I have ventured after all this time into the Mess Hall! Given my overly repetitive and thrifty eating habits, maybe I should have a very long time ago?!

Anyway, hopefully this thread will help inspire some thrifty bachelor meals, and maybe even some tips and tricks. Or, for that matter, how many others are actually out there, or on here? My 'Kitchen', consists of a three, yes three foot wide counter space with lower cabinets, a couple small shelves above that, and beside there's a bar fridge, one of the smaller ones, with a microwave and toaster sitting on top of it. That's it! In the average week I eat more than half my meals on the road anyway, and I'm not a 'home person' really, so I don't even feel the need for more space or anything. I know most people have a 'regular' kitchen, but with it for those of you are bachelor's or bachelor-ette's, what kinds of single thrifty meals do you do?

Tonight, and this is a little extravagant for me, I made a plate of brown rice with soya sauce, some scrambles eggs, garlic toast and a glass of orange juice. Walmart brand Tapioca pudding for dessert. Fancy!

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Welcome to the Mess Hall! One tip I learned when I was a bachelor is that it's just as easy (if not easier) to cook for two as it is for one. So go ahead and make a large meal; leftovers are delicious. Casseroles, chili, and the like can be made on a weekend and you'll enjoy them all week.
 

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"
Well, I have ventured after all this time into the Mess Hall! Given my overly repetitive and thrifty eating habits, maybe I should have a very long time ago?!

Anyway, hopefully this thread will help inspire some thrifty bachelor meals, and maybe even some tips and tricks. Or, for that matter, how many others are actually out there, or on here? My 'Kitchen', consists of a three, yes three foot wide counter space with lower cabinets, a couple small shelves above that, and beside there's a bar fridge, one of the smaller ones, with a microwave and toaster sitting on top of it. That's it! In the average week I eat more than half my meals on the road anyway, and I'm not a 'home person' really, so I don't even feel the need for more space or anything. I know most people have a 'regular' kitchen, but with it for those of you are bachelor's or bachelor-ette's, what kinds of single thrifty meals do you do?

Tonight, and this is a little extravagant for me, I made a plate of brown rice with soya sauce, some scrambles eggs, garlic toast and a glass of orange juice. Walmart brand Tapioca pudding for dessert. Fancy!

View attachment 662170

Glad you made it over to Mess Hall Cash....welcome.

Well, your meal as a bacholer is much better then the ones I made. Most of the time it was boxed hamburger helper. I did however make a very good breakfast taco that all the guys I hung out with wanted.

Thanks for posting the thread....I'm subscribed.
 
Sadly, as easy as Swanson and similar things are, I had to just give it all up. If my health thought for a minute it could take it, I'd get rid of the toaster and stock up on Salisbury Steak's and Fried Chicken!
:lol:
 
From my days of student poverty:

Exhibit A - "Mound-O-Food"
1. One package of dinner-rolls-in-a-tube - bake in round cake pan - dump onto large plate as a single unit
2. Make 3 strips of bacon in frying pan - save most of the fat
3. Cook scrambled eggs in bacon fat
4. Put eggs and crumbled bacon into about half a jar of spaghetti sauce and heat
5. Pour this over the dinner rolls
6. Consume with gusto

Exhibit B - Fried Cream of Wheat
1. Make a large batch of Cream of Wheat
2. Eat about half, along with the bacon you (obviously) made. Save the bacon fat. (I hope you are sensing a theme here)
3. Put leftover Cream of Wheat into fridge for the day
4. For dinner, slice the now firm block of Cream of Wheat into 3/8 inch thick slices (10mm to you metric types)
5. Fry slices in the bacon fat until nicely browned
6. Consume with gusto
 
Well i can't address things directly as i'm not single and i've never owned a microwave, may have used one but can't remember... if i need cooking help/ideas i turn to books/magazines. When my own books aren't helping the local library is next. Searching microwave cooking came up with a number of books that look to be geared to single diners... such as A Man a Can a Microwave and a few 'mug meal' books that look interesting. I'd be checking the local library for ideas, the internet can be just too overwhelming and unvetted.

My local library search and no idea how the last book connects.

https://hpl.bibliocommons.com/searc...ory=keyword&q=microwave+cooking&commit=Search

dave
 
My last bachelor apt sounds like [MENTION=76298]Cash_Stronomer[/MENTION]'s.
No oven just 2 electric burners over a very small fridge plus room for a microwave.

My favorite bachelor meal (which my wife still reminds me how wierd it was) was this:

Cook 2 to 4 burgers in a large skillet
Boil a bag or two of Uncle B's white rice and drain
Throw the rice on top of the burgers
Smother with Cream of Mushroom condensed soup straight from can (no water added)
Reheat and Devour

All the food groups.....White, Brown and Beige....

Tasty
 

cleanshaved

I’m stumped
Sorry mate I'm not much of help here for you. I eat like a king when I was a bachelor.
I would even have the odd Sunday roast lamb with all the sides. Left overs are you friend.
 
Just 3 of my favourites....

Toast 2 slices of white bread
Spread thickly with hot English mustard
A slice of ham on each
Completely cover with grated cheese of choice (mine was smoked sheep's cheese)
A fried egg on top of each
More grated cheese on top of the eggs
Melt the cheese under the grill or in the microwave
Season pick up and eat with your fingers like square pizza slices
The posh name is Buck Rarebit, I prefer the Royal Navy's name for it - Cheesy Hammy Eggy !!

Chopped onions, garlic, red/green peppers and a small can of crushed tomatoes all in a microwave safe pyrex bowl
Stir in ground cumin, ground paprika, salt and pepper to taste
Heat in microwave, stirring occasionally until the onions and peppers soften
Crack eggs on top, pierce the yolks
Heat in microwave until the eggs are cooked, but still soft and yolky
Season and eat with plenty of bread to mop up the sauce
Eggs in purgatory


Spanish chorizo cut into bitesize pieces
Finely chopped onion, garlic and red/green peppers
Red wine
Tomato paste
Pepper & paprika to taste
Either simmer on the hob - Or - Heat in the microwave stirring occasionally until the onions and peppers are soft and the tomato paste and red wine have reduced down to make a thick, rich sauce
Serve with a cold beer or a large glass of red wine plenty of bread to mop up every last drop of the sauce
Chorizo with red wine
 
I think most of my food taste is inspired by my cheapness? I am so cheap I will NEVER go a dollar over my grocery 'allowance' even if my pocket has a stack of 50's folded in it!
 
Sorry mate I'm not much of help here for you. I eat like a king when I was a bachelor.
I would even have the odd Sunday roast lamb with all the sides. Left overs are you friend.

Same here. I didn't spend like crazy, but I LEARNED to cook while I was a bachelor. There is nothing better than taking on a complicated recipe on the weekend.

I find it funny that people are reluctant to spend money on good food, but shell it out plenty fast when they go to the doctor because of what can probably be attributed to their crappy diet.
 
From my days of student poverty:

Exhibit A - "Mound-O-Food"
1. One package of dinner-rolls-in-a-tube - bake in round cake pan - dump onto large plate as a single unit
2. Make 3 strips of bacon in frying pan - save most of the fat
3. Cook scrambled eggs in bacon fat
4. Put eggs and crumbled bacon into about half a jar of spaghetti sauce and heat
5. Pour this over the dinner rolls
6. Consume with gusto

Exhibit B - Fried Cream of Wheat
1. Make a large batch of Cream of Wheat
2. Eat about half, along with the bacon you (obviously) made. Save the bacon fat. (I hope you are sensing a theme here)
3. Put leftover Cream of Wheat into fridge for the day
4. For dinner, slice the now firm block of Cream of Wheat into 3/8 inch thick slices (10mm to you metric types)
5. Fry slices in the bacon fat until nicely browned
6. Consume with gusto

Reminds me a friend of mine during college (many years ago now). He was having SERIOUS finance issues. So he went to the Asian market and bought a 50lb bag of rice. Then he went a warehouse store and bought a few cases of Ragu spaghetti sauce. See where this is going? Yeah, rice and spaghetti sauce breakfast, lunch and dinner for 4 months straight. (except when he could mooch a real meal from someone...)

My last bachelor apt sounds like @Cash_Stronomer's.
No oven just 2 electric burners over a very small fridge plus room for a microwave.

My favorite bachelor meal (which my wife still reminds me how wierd it was) was this:

Cook 2 to 4 burgers in a large skillet
Boil a bag or two of Uncle B's white rice and drain
Throw the rice on top of the burgers
Smother with Cream of Mushroom condensed soup straight from can (no water added)
Reheat and Devour

All the food groups.....White, Brown and Beige....

Tasty


That actually sounds pretty good -- basically Beef Stroganoff.
 
The one i remember most vividly is:

1. Make Ramen noodles in the microwave,
2. Open a can of tuna, and
3. Throw the tuna into the bowl of Ramen.

Boom! Dinner is served!
 

Commander Quan

Commander Yellow Pantyhose
I'm of no help. Before I married her my wife accused me of having more cereal and beer than a frat house and a fridge that only had condiments.
 
What about getting a hotplate, or a slow cooker? Prepare in bulk, portion off, and freeze. One option would be chili. Then all you need to do is cook rice (microwave rice cooker, or prepackaged) and then defrost the chili to go with it.
 
One of my goto meals is my own awful version of yakisoba.

Boil water. Add in soy sauce, milk, cumin, garlic, onions, salt, pepper, a little mustard. Then add in egg noodles and two eggs. Drop the heat to around medium and put a lid on it. Cook for around 8-9 minutes.
 
The problem with me, is that I have no freezer. Leftover's for tomorrow are fine in the fridge, but without a freezer I can't plan ahead too far.
...
Putting Taco Bell hot sauce on your Ramen tastes exactly like poverty :lol:
 
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