With rampant inflation and skyrocketing prices at the grocery store, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to eat on a budget.
To get by, many are returning to their childhood staples, cheap processed foods like blue box mac and cheese, Hamburger Helper, Top Ramen, and Knorr packets.
Frugal Food Hacks to Bring New Life to Cheap Foods
Although these meals add a bit of nostalgia to dinner time, the cheap stuff gets stale fast.
But a few small tweaks can spice them up, transforming them into delicious meals.
These 18 hacks make inexpensive meals burst with new flavor.
Which is your favorite?
Add Extra Cheese to Your Blue Box
When I was a kid, we always added a few extra slices of Kraft Singles to our standard Kraft Blue Box Mac & Cheese.
The extra cheese thickens the sauce and enhances the cheese flavor.
For an even higher-quality meal, consider adding shredded cheese or cream cheese instead. If you want creamier mac & cheese, add plain yogurt or a little extra milk instead of extra cheese slices.
Ragin Cajun
I love the blue box, but even I can admit it’s a bit bland. I used to add copious amounts of black pepper to give it some kick, but now that I have a more refined palette as an adult, I’ll add Cajun spice or Sriracha hot sauce.
Experiment with the sauces and spices you have at home. Try paprika, chili powder, or different varieties of hot sauce. It will make each meal a little different, spicing up the old classic.
Frozen Veggies
Top Ramen is less than a dollar, but it’s boring, unhealthy, and not very filling.
Frozen veggies save the day.
When I was in college, I’d get a bag of frozen mixed veggies (which usually included corn, green beans, peas, lima beans, and carrots) and throw a handful in with my Ramen. The bag costs about $2 and has enough veggies for at least five packets of Ramen.
For a cheaper option, get the frozen peas & carrot blend, which is usually the cheapest frozen vegetable at the grocery store.
Taco Bell Saves the Day
If you ever get a late-night Taco Bell craving, stock up on the sauce packets! They can enhance the flavor of canned foods, like beans or chili, making them a little more exciting.
You could also use the sauce packets when you make your own tacos at home, and reduce spending on hot sauces or salsa.
I wonder if this frugal food hack works for mac & cheese, too? 🤔
Egg
Egg prices may fluctuate, but generally, they’re one of the cheapest sources of protein you can find.
Adding an egg to your ramen makes it a complete meal. You can either add it raw while cooking the noodles for a ramen version of egg-drop soup, or add a hard-boiled egg to your dish like traditional Ramen.
I also rely on hard-boiled eggs for breakfast as a go-to, cheap meal.
Pureed Beans
Canned beans are cheap, but how do you even use them?
Why not puree them and mix them in with other things? Pureed white beans mixed with mac and cheese adds much-needed protein to the meal and makes it more filling.
Add Fresh Veggies
People say eating healthy is expensive, but green peppers and tomatoes are relatively cheap all year long.
Consider adding green pepper to your Hamburger Helper to liven it up. Add freshly sliced tomatoes to your mac & cheese.
These frugal food hacks improve the meal while adding essential nutrients to your diet.
Fried Onions
I may not like onions, but I have to admit they’re cheap and flavorful.
Adding sauteed onions to meals like ramen, mac & cheese, and Hamburger Helper can boost the flavor, turning a bland meal into something you don’t mind eating every day.
You could also add garlic or sliced green onions, which are both pretty cheap as well.
Chicken Bouillon
Why use water when you can use chicken stock?
Of course, the stock is a little expensive and goes bad quickly, but the little cubes last a long time.
Enhance ramen, mac & cheese, rice side packets, or canned goods with a little bit of chicken bouillon for a delicious twist.
Mustard
Adding a small amount of spicy brown mustard to mac & cheese can add a little extra something to the bland meal.
Unfortunately, the cheap yellow mustard isn’t as good. Brown mustard is more expensive, but since it lasts a long time, it might be worthwhile to spice up bland meals.
A Little Meat with Your Knorr
Knorr offers a wide range of rice and noodle sides. The packets usually cost a few bucks, but aren’t very filling.
Make it a complete meal by adding some meat, like canned tuna or chicken. The frugal food hack adds much-needed protein and will keep you full for longer.
I used to love the cheese & broccoli noodles, and I’d eat that as a complete meal by itself. However, adding a little chicken or tuna would help make it a more nutritious dinner.
Transform Mac & Cheese Into Tuna Casserole
You can create an entire meal out of blue box mac & cheese with just a few extra ingredients.
Transform it into tuna casserole with cream of mushroom soup and tuna. Experiment with other “cream of” soups to find the flavor combination you like best.
Gourmet Ramen in Just a Few Steps
A few add-ons can transform your cheap Top Ramen into a gourmet meal.
We already talked about some of the cheapest add-ons, but for a better meal, consider adding fresh chopped veggies like onion and carrots, letting the veggies simmer in the water, adding sesame oil, cooking your Ramen in chicken broth, or adding grated ginger.
The ways to spice up your Ramen are nearly endless – I’m sure you have extra ingredients lying around that you can experiment with.
Skillet Ramen
Ramen doesn’t have to be a soup. I’d rather transform it into a noodle dish any day!
I typically cook my ramen noodles in less water, then drain them and pan fry them with vegetable oil, garlic, and frozen vegetables.
As we said above, the options are nearly endless. Scramble an egg with it, add extra seasonings, and fry up some extra vegetables.
You may never go back to traditional Ramen again.
Meat & Cheese
Relive your childhood by adding hot dogs to your mac & cheese. The frugal food hack makes hot dogs taste better and the mac & cheese more filling.
Consider cutting the hot dogs into little bits and pan-frying them before stirring them into your mac & cheese to get a burst of hot dog flavor in every bite.
If you have a little extra cash, you can opt for better meats, like ground turkey or kielbasa. Experiment with some options to see what you like best.
Canned Chicken
Give your Ramen a boost with canned chicken. This cheap chicken offering is typically used in chicken salads, but can also inject much-needed protein into meals like Ramen.
For best results, cook them separately. Drain the chicken, then pan fry it with half the Ramen seasoning packet (add the other half to the noodles like you normally would).
When both are done, combine them for an easy, filling meal.
Crumbled Bacon
Bacon makes everything better, including mac & cheese!
Add bacon crumbles or chunks of ham to your blue box to transform it into a complete, hearty meal.
This frugal food hack also works with canned beans.
Better Baked Beans
Speaking of beans, sometimes that’s all we have. The cheap protein is filling, but doesn’t taste very good.
Enhance the flavor with sautéed onion, mustard, or even molasses, and eat them with cheap hot dogs.
Cheap Processed Food Can Be Tasty
Creativity goes a long way in preparing great meals out of low-cost grocery store staples.
Try some of these frugal food hacks if you’re on a budget. You may find a new meal to add to your weekly rotation.
What’s your favorite way to spice up these cheap meals? Share your best frugal food hacks in the comments!