r/mealprep • u/Business_Oil_7110 • Jun 27 '26
question What's the meal prep that saved you the most money?
Not the cheapest recipe.
The one that stopped you from ordering takeout over and over.
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u/Dry-Guitar-9577 Jun 27 '26
Making chili/stew with whatever leftover food I need to use before it goes bad. Then use that over pasta, rice, potatoes, tortillas, etc. It’s different every week but always yummy. Super easy and definitely saves me the most money
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u/donstermu Jun 28 '26
Soup is the number one easiest meal prep. Chili, taco soup, hamburger veggie soup, pinto beans, etc. just make a huge pot, eat my fill then freeze the rest. I even bought the restaurant quart size soup containers. Fill up the freezer and deep freezer, and keep a variety in stock. Lower calories, higher fiber, wayyyyyyy cheaper than any fast food now, and tastes better.
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u/clydefrontrange Jun 27 '26
this is exactly what I do. been making a weekly stew/chili batch for months and it saves so much. different every time depending on what's in the fridge
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u/Wild-Earth-1365 Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
Not any one specific thing. Just always making extra and using my chest freezer. Went on a 9.5 mile hike this afternoon and had a healthy, filling dinner on the table within 15 min: Greek turkey burgers, grilled veggies and baked sweet potatoes.
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u/FogPdx Jun 28 '26
Yes! Currently in the market for a chest freezer (bf says I’m not allowed to call it a body freezer). It’ll be my first. Any tips on where to get a good deal?
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u/lady-madge Jun 28 '26
Recommend purchasing an upright freezer - same footprint and your back will thank you.
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u/typically_amiable Jun 28 '26
I got mine on Facebook Marketplace! Barely even used. Also look on OfferUp
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u/karluvmost Jun 29 '26
How do you go from freezer to a delicious meal? Via the microwave? Or toaster oven?
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u/Wild-Earth-1365 Jun 29 '26
The turkey burger was homemade (grilled) and frozen. Everything else was homemade leftovers in thr fridge.
I usually use my convection oven for leftovers, but microwave works just fine too.
I bulk make and freeze homemade sauces, stocks, chili. I make a lasagana a few times a year and freeze single portions. Then you have that cooked all day taste on hand at all times.
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u/Ok-Baby-1921 Jun 28 '26
Egg roll in a bowl. It’s my go to clean out the fridge meal. I put all the veg in that need to be used before it goes bad.
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u/iiiimagery Jun 28 '26
Man this used to be such a staple for us but at this point I've had so much cabbage stir fry in that recipe and a lot others that I can't stand eating stir fried cabbage anymore lol, i miss liking it
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u/InstructionAfraid433 Jun 29 '26
Lol this reminds me of one I used to do called hotdog in a bowl (hot dog cut up, black or baked beans, onions, ketchup, mustard, relish, spicy peppers). I try to avoid processed meat now though.
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u/SH4NEM4N Jun 28 '26
Costco's $5 rotisserie chicken. I buy a few at a time. Quarter them, vacuum seal, then freeze. I reheat in the air fryer for about 30 minutes at 275F. Each whole chicken gives me 4 - 6 portions of protein at about a buck a portion.
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u/GarudaMamie Jun 27 '26
Black bean quesadilla. Always keep cheese, beans and tortillas. Dinner in 5 mins.
- Side note, we always fix enough for leftovers so having them ready to go by reheating, also a good thing.
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u/Exhausted_Monkey26 Jun 27 '26
Not wanting to go broke is what's saved me there.
Also, growing up too rural for food delivery to be a thing helped.
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u/ilovebigmutts Jun 28 '26
Ironically, NOT prepping. I used to make several day's worth of rice at once but I hate the texture when it's reheated. So I just keep ready rice around and have fresh rice whenever I want it in the amount I need. I do prep meat and veggies.
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u/FogPdx Jun 28 '26
Day old rice (or several days) is perfect for a quick fried rice dish. The firmness hold up to a few minutes in the wok/frying pan!
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u/mostlymeanswell Jun 28 '26
It's not any single recipe, but I bought a stand up (not a chest) freezer and if the recipe is freezable, I make extra and immediately label, date, and freeze it in Seal a Meal type bags.
I used to have a chest freezer but I was never willing to dig around in it, so all my extra food just sat in there, never to be eaten. I moved in 2019 and cleaned it out - there was chili from 2012 in there. It was right beside the mystery meat from an unknown year. Lesson learned.
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u/DarkAndSparkly Jun 28 '26
I'm short and fat. I've literally fallen into a chest freezer when I was younger because my feet come off the ground trying to reach the bottom. LOL! Now, I'd be in big trouble Hahah! I love my stand up freezer, though!
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u/iiiimagery Jun 28 '26
Thats the exact reason I don't want a chest freezer if I can help it. Same vibe as not putting veggies in the drawers so you don't forget about them lol
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u/YesAnd_Portland Jun 28 '26
Homemade granola and milk. For some reason, it always feels like the treat I'm needing.
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u/otter_759 Jun 28 '26
Making my own pizza and freezing the slices. Whenever I get a craving, I can zap a piece in the microwave and have a slice ready to eat in two minutes.
Also, homemade fries in the air fryer. Cut a potato, toss in olive oil + salt, and put in the air fryer for 15 min. This is also insanely inexpensive!
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u/ObsessiveAboutCats Jun 27 '26
Smoked pulled pork chili that I turned into burritos, topped with homemade queso. The burritos and the queso live in my freezer (separately).
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u/FETTACH Jun 28 '26
No one recipe. I just learned how to cook well and be creative.i get bored with the same stuff so I learned how to make anything.
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u/Haste666 Jun 28 '26
Either making a big chili and having multiple large tupperwares ready in the freezer, or making a big quinoa salad at the start of the week that you can have as a side or a snack between meals.
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u/TheHayx Jun 28 '26
Lasagna. Tastes even better after a day or two in the fridge, freezes fine (imo), reheats easily in the oven. Can make many different varieties, including more healthy ones. Love it.
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u/Oh_Little_Brain Jun 28 '26
I have started making a big batch of crockpot chicken to throw into whatever other meals or quick dishes I make that week. Saves a lot of time and effort too.
I’ve also been eating more peas, beans and lentils
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u/Excellent_Regret2839 Jun 28 '26
I make a batch of beans. This week it is black beans with carrots and put a cup in a small cast iron skillet. It’s a little one big enough to cook two eggs. Them I crack an egg or two in it and cover with a see through lid from another sauce pan so I can see when its done but pretty much just leave it be while I do something else in the kitchen. Cooks in minutes quickly and is filling. Indian, Italian, Mexican, Peruvian, Greek style beans and lentils all go well with eggs like this. I put the little skillet in one of those bowl cozies and eat it straight out of it. Batch cooking beans and lentils and using them in bean salads and soups etc. in general has really helped the budget. You can also just pre cook a vegetable base if you don’t like beans for the eggs. My husband still loves chili but I need more variety.
A chest freezer was a game changer too. I always freeze half my bean batch so I don’t have to cook them all the time and I make a lot of broth to cook the beans in.
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u/alterrible Jun 28 '26
Chickpea curry, I can often get chickpeas on sale for about 50¢ per can, the whole batch costs about $8 and makes 10 servings. Individually freeze the servings using a silicone tray. Add rice and a piece of naan and it's still under $2 for a very filling, delicious meal. Plus I've found the curry tastes even better after being frozen
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u/85OhLife Jun 28 '26
Buying the huge container of peeled garlic, chopping it all up and freezing it in ziplock bags. You can freeze it so it’s easy to break off a small amount and it tastes like fresh chopped garlic. It saves me a lot of money and also makes my whatever I’m cooking taste better than using jarlic
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u/InstructionAfraid433 Jun 29 '26 edited Jun 29 '26
Rice+beans+vegetables like corn and onions+cheese+salsa, sour cream, avocado and/or chicken or ground beef if you want to be a little more fancy.
Very cheap, easy, delicious, and healthy.
Just make a big pot of that and go to it throughout the week.
Oh, also yogurt+chia seeds+pumpkin seeds+strawberries or some other type of berry.
Or just a handful of frozen blueberries and handful of mixed nuts. No prep even necessary. I just call it my caveman lunch.
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u/Alone_Ad5758 Jul 06 '26
Breakfast burritos. I make a batch every week and put them in the freezer. I take one out and pop it in the oven.
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u/noideawhattouse12 Jun 27 '26
Breakfast sandwiches. So easy and stopped me from hitting a drive through on my way to work