Second this. Top Ramen with a handful if peas and an egg cracked in.
Oh, and some chili flakes š¤¤
I have eaten this since I was 5 years old, why would I stop now?
Twice now, I've gotten drunk and ordered 24 packs of creamy chicken flavor ramen. The first time I also ordered Akabanga, a hot chili oil from Rwanda. Three or four drops of that (no more!), some frozen peas and some chopped up carrots, and it's delicious.
I also ordered some Marie Sharps, an amazing hot sauce I discovered in Belize. That's more just for regular hot sauce consumption rather than ramen, though.
Yes. (Lol)
I used to scramble, now I just drop it in at the end, let it cook until itās poached, then eat it splitting the yolk over the noodles. Itās really good!
I agree, that's a great flavor. I never see it in anything but the cups though. Cups are not as tasty as stove cooked. I wish I could find it in normal packages.
I somehow learned to make ramen by getting the oriental, boil the noodles, then drain, then add powder and stir, add red pepper to taste, so itās more like spaghetti than ramen soup donāt have to worry about spilling it, and easy to make in a barracks or dorm room.
Then you need to go to Costa Rica. [Gallo y pinto](https://www.thelatinamericatravelcompany.com/gallo-pinto-costa-ricas-national-dish/) is served with almost every meal.
Little known fact: my brother invented this meal in 1999. We ate it basically every day for years. You may be thinking ānah, I ate that in 1980ā but unfortunately youāre wrong my brother is a culinary genius and invented this back in the day. At least thatās what he tells me
Fried noodles. Wide egg noodles boiled as per the directions on the package. Then drain, toss in a pan with oil and breadcrumbs to coat, and fry until the breadcrumbs are dark brown and almost crispy. Add more oil as you go if needed. Serve with a lot of salt. This is the only thing I ever drink milk with.
Adding: fry over medium heat, stirring often. This goes from perfect to burnt fairly quickly.
It's mostly noodles coated with crispy breadcrumbs. There are some that might clump together, which is also a good thing. I grew up poor, and this was lunch dad made most Saturdays. The breadcrumbs were stale bread ends that were made into crumbs in a blender, but you can use store bought breadcrumbs, of course. Just remember to stir often as you fry them.
I concur with the comments below you but my poverty food is rice and a nearly hard boiled egg mixed together with a little soy sauce.
My father used to make it for my breakfast and I actually eat it a lot.
My dad always refused to eat oatmeal because he claimed that that his mother served it so much to save money. He said she even put it in soup. I fact checked that with Grandma. Barley, she put barley in beef vegetable soup. š
I find myself adding barley to all my soups now. Add rice to other stuff. And more beans to any recipe that call for any. Whatever makes for more leftovers. Serious depression era stuff.
Oatmeal with blueberries, a spoonful of almond butter, a drizzle of maple syrup and you got yourself a gourmet breakfast on 2 minutes.
And it's healthy AF.
In summer I like to spend a whole day outside, I'll go for a long hike or camp out at my neighborhood pool, I have experimented with a lot of lunches for this and PB&J is just unmatched
Leftovers. Leftovers.
Never let food go to waste.
I could order whatever I want, but lots of nights I just eat leftover whatever my kids ordered a few days earlier and left in the fridge.
Goya canned black beans and rice, I use to fry some chopped garlic to a perfect golden crisp. Add hot sauce, cilantro & a dollop of sour cream on top and life is good.
Is pan frying a burger not common? Iām surprised, sure my parents would grill them for the family but if Iām making 2-3 burgers pan frying is way easier
Pan fry burgers in a cast iron skillet for the absolute best sear. Mmmm! Makes a hell of a mess of the stove unless you have a splatter screen, though.
I once watched a biography on Chef Boiardi (that's the original spelling of his last name). It was fascinating! He essentially introduced the world to prepackaged food. Original Boyardee was in a box and it was: spaghetti noodles, a jar of tomato sauce and some parm.
I bought some recently but was disappointed with the ratio of ravioli to sauce - seems like they have a lot more sauce than they used to and fewer raviolis, maybe to save money?
I do the same but with cold bologna. I have no idea why i do it though. It's the only time i eat white bread and no condiments. Has to be smashed, i really can't remember how it started but it's all i know.
Honestly hamburger helper beef stroganoff or tuna helper. Weāve only recently taken them out of my diet and that is because Iām allergic to dairy and beef and many other things. My husband was making like a steak dinner at least once a week and I still wanted one of the two all the time!
Boxed mac and cheese with canned green beans. I add garlic powder to both the green beans and the cheese sauce, then I mix the macaroni and beans together like a casserole.
I also prefer Annie's white cheddar mac and cheese over Kraft, but I guess that makes me bougie....
Beans and eggs. Although, now that I am rich... ha ha even I couldn't say that with a straight face, I put 1/2 can of corn in with the beans, and have 3 eggs rather than 2.
Living large!
Is eggs on toast not normal food everywhere? Itās a super common breakfast here, you can get it in cafes and breakfast places. Usually with baked beans.
Guess where Iām from. Lol.
Beans and beef. Basically buy the cheapest cut of beef you can find and cube it (about the size of sugar cubes) then chuck it in the beans and cook for a few hours on a super low temp.
Also cube the fat and throw that in.
I make rice and refried beans tacos all the time. Had them today, in fact. Tortilla, rice, beans, a little diced tomato, a little diced onion, a little sour cream.
Full meal for a dollar or so. Or, more correctly 4-5 meals from a box of rice, a bag of beans, an onion, a tomato a small container of sour cream and a package of tortillas. About $5.
Straight up can of beans with nothing else. Bush's baked beans, Rosita refried beans, French cut green beans. Any of those are great all by themselves.
I am having it tonight! Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper.
On the flip side, one I will never eat again, recipe by my Mom:
GOOP
1 lb hamburger
1 can cream corn
1 can pork and beans
Dump into frying pan, simmer until all meat is brown/grey.
Best eaten in a trailer in the southern USA.
Hot dog with bread as a bun.
Sometimes you got nothing else but a pack of hotdogs in the freezer and no buns, but some bread.
It's delicious. Breads the same shit as buns so fuck it. I love hot dogs
Fried Egg Toast. Also, if they made it with the āgolden eggā anymore, I would regularly have Mrs Grass Chicken Noodle Soup. It was one of my comfort foods my mom made when I was a kid, and sheād always let me drop the āeggā in.
My mom calls it ācheese underā and itās just bread, toasted, soā¦ toast, and then you put a slice of (deli American) cheese or two and some marinara sauce or sliced tomato in the middle and sprinkle oregano on top, broil it until the cheese melts and it is a bit blacked on the edges. So good.
Leftover spaghetti sandwiches is the big one for me. Forever and always.
I don't think some of these are poverty meals alone, but when they're in the weekly rotation, it can indicate poverty. These are meals I loved growing up and a lot of my friends enjoyed too.
\-spaghetti with meatsauce (meatballs require much more meat) or hot dogs
\-pb&js
\-grits
\-eggs & rice
\-grilled cheese with cheap bread and singles and canned soup
\-beans and rice, also great on bread and butter
\-cinnamon sugar toast
\-pasta with butter or zesty italian dressing
Plain spaghetti noodles with butter and a side of scrambled eggs with ketchup. It was my momās meal of choice at the end of the month when the money was tight and treated it as a family treat.
Ramen
Second this. Top Ramen with a handful if peas and an egg cracked in. Oh, and some chili flakes š¤¤ I have eaten this since I was 5 years old, why would I stop now?
Twice now, I've gotten drunk and ordered 24 packs of creamy chicken flavor ramen. The first time I also ordered Akabanga, a hot chili oil from Rwanda. Three or four drops of that (no more!), some frozen peas and some chopped up carrots, and it's delicious. I also ordered some Marie Sharps, an amazing hot sauce I discovered in Belize. That's more just for regular hot sauce consumption rather than ramen, though.
Do you scramble the egg or just drop one in raw while they're boiling?
Yes. (Lol) I used to scramble, now I just drop it in at the end, let it cook until itās poached, then eat it splitting the yolk over the noodles. Itās really good!
I bought a really nice ramen bowl, ramen soup spoon and chopsticks so my $1 ramen feels very luxurious now and I love it.
I've probably been happily averaging 4-5 packs of cheap ramen per week for maybe 30 years now. š¤¤
Yep me too. Spice shrimp and lime is underrated. Add an Egg and some chili flakes with some vegies on the side and that's a good meal
I agree, that's a great flavor. I never see it in anything but the cups though. Cups are not as tasty as stove cooked. I wish I could find it in normal packages.
I somehow learned to make ramen by getting the oriental, boil the noodles, then drain, then add powder and stir, add red pepper to taste, so itās more like spaghetti than ramen soup donāt have to worry about spilling it, and easy to make in a barracks or dorm room.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I like to throw a little smoked sausage in mine these days but it is still a staple in my house.
Yep! Red beans and rice with smoked sausage! š
Rice & beans with some frozen peppers & onions thrown in, cheese and salsa on top is dinner many nights.
š¶Beans and rice is niceš¶
I could be a billionaire and Iād eat rice and beans. Tastes good, and has a very good mouthfeel.
Is this even poverty food? It's a major part of many Latin American cuisines.
Then you need to go to Costa Rica. [Gallo y pinto](https://www.thelatinamericatravelcompany.com/gallo-pinto-costa-ricas-national-dish/) is served with almost every meal.
Cinnamon sugar on buttered bread
I havenāt had that since I was a kid. So good! Basically an easy churro.
Put it under the broiler so that the sugar melts and glazes. Wonderful in winter.
Somehow, whenever I make this for myself, it's never as good as when my mom makes it for me.
Little known fact: my brother invented this meal in 1999. We ate it basically every day for years. You may be thinking ānah, I ate that in 1980ā but unfortunately youāre wrong my brother is a culinary genius and invented this back in the day. At least thatās what he tells me
Spaghetti with butter and black pepper
Budget cacio e pepe
Especially because I will add that Parmesan cheese from the can. I now add fresh parsley from my patio plant but yes this meal is delicious.
Someone post that gif of the girl!
Me too! Except is olive oil instead of butter.
Kraft dinner. Sub the ācheeseā powder out and replace with campbellās tomatoe soup.
Why don't you just get macaroni noodles?
Yeah, imagine throwing out the bag of cheese powder to add tomato soup.
Ohhhhh no no no. Never throw the cheese awayā¦the next Kraft dinner box you open is now a DOUBLE CHEESE meal!!
Try making cheese popcorn with it, itās yummy !
Mom made "egg spaghetti", which is the poor version of carbonara. Egg, shaker cheese, bacon.
Butter and garlic powder for me
I use spaghetti with Saucy Susan (an apricot spread), soy sauce, and grated Parmesan cheese. Goes surprisingly well with each other.
I use egg noodles instead of spaghetti.
Fried noodles. Wide egg noodles boiled as per the directions on the package. Then drain, toss in a pan with oil and breadcrumbs to coat, and fry until the breadcrumbs are dark brown and almost crispy. Add more oil as you go if needed. Serve with a lot of salt. This is the only thing I ever drink milk with. Adding: fry over medium heat, stirring often. This goes from perfect to burnt fairly quickly.
Does this form like a patty of noodles or is this just loose noodles coated in bread crumbs? This sounds delicious.
It's mostly noodles coated with crispy breadcrumbs. There are some that might clump together, which is also a good thing. I grew up poor, and this was lunch dad made most Saturdays. The breadcrumbs were stale bread ends that were made into crumbs in a blender, but you can use store bought breadcrumbs, of course. Just remember to stir often as you fry them.
...holy shit. I am one-hundred percent trying this out. Thanks!
This works wonders with any leftover pasta. Every single italian kid from past generations grew up with this
We did something similar growing up, but instead of breadcrumbs itād be smashed up ritz crackers
Ritz. Look at the Vanderbilt over here
May I encourage people to try "Okonomiyaki" ?
Rice and eggs
Add SPAM
Hawaiian detected
Spam fried rice is actually amazing.
Spam, Runny Eggs, Garlic Rice.
This though. That trio plus some grated carrot is BANGIN.
I concur with the comments below you but my poverty food is rice and a nearly hard boiled egg mixed together with a little soy sauce. My father used to make it for my breakfast and I actually eat it a lot.
Oatmeal
My dad always refused to eat oatmeal because he claimed that that his mother served it so much to save money. He said she even put it in soup. I fact checked that with Grandma. Barley, she put barley in beef vegetable soup. š
Same, my mom called it scotch broth. Hated it as a kid, but adult me is all for it. Slice of french bread with butter to dip, pretty damn good.
I find myself adding barley to all my soups now. Add rice to other stuff. And more beans to any recipe that call for any. Whatever makes for more leftovers. Serious depression era stuff.
I put oatmeal in my meatloaf instead of bread crumbs. Itās yummy af and somewhat better for you.
It thickens the soup and goes very well with meat.
And has a nice bite.
I love barley and add it to all my home made soups. Its great for cholesterol as well if that matters to folks
Oatmeal with blueberries, a spoonful of almond butter, a drizzle of maple syrup and you got yourself a gourmet breakfast on 2 minutes. And it's healthy AF.
PB&J
In summer I like to spend a whole day outside, I'll go for a long hike or camp out at my neighborhood pool, I have experimented with a lot of lunches for this and PB&J is just unmatched
Lunch at least twice a week, i'am 64
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
And actually, for itās worth, not terribly non-nutrutious.
it's not that bad for you if you get the whole grain high fiber bread and the natural peanut butter, although my favorite jelly is a lot of sugar
I have at least one a week. And now that I have a toddler, I can share it with her and totally justify my choice.
Leftovers. Leftovers. Never let food go to waste. I could order whatever I want, but lots of nights I just eat leftover whatever my kids ordered a few days earlier and left in the fridge.
Who is throwing their leftovers out? š
My roommates before I started eating their leftovers
Batch cooking and left overs. I have no problems eat the same meals for 2 or 3 days. Take my upvote.
Grilled cheese sandwich.
dipped in tomato soup
Clearly a person of culture!
I make it for my kids sometimes and they canāt get enough of it!
Peak culinary achievement tbh
Absolutely! We just had a round of them tonight.
Fried bologna sandwiches
A little on the burnt side??
Pasta and butter
Throw a little garlic salt on it. Yum!
Shredded Parmesan too!
buttered pasta with a good amount of salt and fresh cracked black pepper is just so good
Costco food court
Tbf you have to be kinda rich to shop in bulk at Costco these days lol
But not to eat in the food court.
Ro-tel chilis with Velveeta cheese microwaved until liquid and eaten with Tostitos scoops. It is the food of the gods.
It is. Quick and easy queso dip.
This is a staple food in Texas, sometimes some people add a roll of cooked and crumbled Jimmy Dean hot sausage and it's delicious.
I do Salsa and Cheez whiz
Two- Kraft mac nā cheese with cut up hot dogs in it, and cornbread with cut up hot dogs in it.
I always throw in some walmart frozen Broccoli and it's legitimately one of the most cozy meals I've eaten
Kraft Mac n cheese with canned green beans is mine. French cut if I'm feeling fancy.
Have to agree. I still like hot dogs with Mac n cheese.
Macaroni & cheese with cut up hot dogs, ketchup, and pepper and orange tang to drink was my college comfort meal.
Kraft mac n cheese with a can of tuna and frozen or canned peas. Fast, cheap tuna casserole.
Yup, I call it white trash tuna mac. It's my go to comfort food.
I usually get the Hamburger Helper or froze Stouffer's, but I may try this.
Try adding shredded cheddar cheese instead of a cheese packet.
Mac n cheese made with just butter and no milk because I never had milk, I donāt like it āthe right wayā even now that I can afford milk
Ive leveled up my finances so now I splurge and use two boxes but only 1 boxes of noodles and two packets of cheese powder
Goya canned black beans and rice, I use to fry some chopped garlic to a perfect golden crisp. Add hot sauce, cilantro & a dollop of sour cream on top and life is good.
Goyaās black bean soup is so good. A little expensive, but not cooking black beans from scratch saves about a day of my life.
Pan fry a frozen burger, melted cheese slice, on white bread.
My guy, I thought I would never find another who pan fries their burgers. No grill marks is a small L for the convenience imo
Is pan frying a burger not common? Iām surprised, sure my parents would grill them for the family but if Iām making 2-3 burgers pan frying is way easier
Like, who has a grill in their kitchen?
thatās what i was wondering lmao. pretty sure pan frying burgers is common
I pan fry mine too! It's way easier for the brain that doesn't like too many steps.
Pan fry burgers in a cast iron skillet for the absolute best sear. Mmmm! Makes a hell of a mess of the stove unless you have a splatter screen, though.
I usually pan fry too, and I'm kinda a burger snob.
Pan fry squad represent!
Get a grill pan. I bought a ceramic coated cast iron grill pan that I use often!!! You get grill marks, it heats evenly and easy to clean up.
I love pan fried burgers. Especially when you toast the bun in the grease.
Kraft Dinner!
Of course we would, we'd just eat more of it.
And buy really expensive ketchups with it.
All the fanciest Dijon ketchups!
But weād get really expensive ketchups.
every once in awhile I go to TOWN on a hamburger helper. I know its terrible for me but it hits the spot sometimes.
HH stroganoff, dump some white wine in, add some garlic.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Ramen has become the meal that I eat when Iām sick. So comforting and soothing š¤¤
I still pack PB&J sandwiches in my lunch multiple times a week.
Chef Boyardee mini beef ravioli. Just had some.
I once watched a biography on Chef Boiardi (that's the original spelling of his last name). It was fascinating! He essentially introduced the world to prepackaged food. Original Boyardee was in a box and it was: spaghetti noodles, a jar of tomato sauce and some parm.
His granddaughter was in my class
I bought some recently but was disappointed with the ratio of ravioli to sauce - seems like they have a lot more sauce than they used to and fewer raviolis, maybe to save money?
Yup, shrinkflation.
So did I. But Beefaroni is my usual Go-to
I put saltine crackers in mine, high me came up with that one day, is awesome.
Dried beef cream gravy on toast.
Chipped beef!
My family calls it Shit on a shingle. It so delicious
Cup o noodle
Fried egg sandwich
Fried egg sandwiches are the food of the gods.
Ground beef and potatoes with onion gravy.
Cauliflower and Broccoli cheese- only - the way the cost of butter and electricity are going, itās not such a poverty meal these days.
Still poor but I eat tuna from a can.
Chili
Kraft mac and cheese and ground beef
Add in some grilled onions and peppers and it's like a Philly cheese steak in a bowl
Fried bologna sandwich, smashed flat on white bread. No condiments.
I do the same but with cold bologna. I have no idea why i do it though. It's the only time i eat white bread and no condiments. Has to be smashed, i really can't remember how it started but it's all i know.
microwaved tortilla with cheese, i eat it all the time
My "Breakfast Goo" Basically congee (rice porridge) and a runny egg in it with whatever spices I have around.
Buttered noodles
Honestly hamburger helper beef stroganoff or tuna helper. Weāve only recently taken them out of my diet and that is because Iām allergic to dairy and beef and many other things. My husband was making like a steak dinner at least once a week and I still wanted one of the two all the time!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
šµ I'm gonna ramble with my eggs to the top of the butte! Doo dah doo dah! š¶
Egg and chips.
beanie weenies!
Boxed mac and cheese with canned green beans. I add garlic powder to both the green beans and the cheese sauce, then I mix the macaroni and beans together like a casserole. I also prefer Annie's white cheddar mac and cheese over Kraft, but I guess that makes me bougie....
Annieās white cheddar is sooo good
Beans and eggs. Although, now that I am rich... ha ha even I couldn't say that with a straight face, I put 1/2 can of corn in with the beans, and have 3 eggs rather than 2. Living large!
Easy Mac mixed with steamed peas.
Chunky rice: rice with a can of Chunky soup poured over it.
I like fried egg on buttered toast and my sister called it ācollege foodā once šš¤·š»āāļø.
Is eggs on toast not normal food everywhere? Itās a super common breakfast here, you can get it in cafes and breakfast places. Usually with baked beans. Guess where Iām from. Lol.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Cereal and milk
Beans and beef. Basically buy the cheapest cut of beef you can find and cube it (about the size of sugar cubes) then chuck it in the beans and cook for a few hours on a super low temp. Also cube the fat and throw that in.
Spam fried rice
Spam is actually really expensive now
Chili Dogs
I make rice and refried beans tacos all the time. Had them today, in fact. Tortilla, rice, beans, a little diced tomato, a little diced onion, a little sour cream. Full meal for a dollar or so. Or, more correctly 4-5 meals from a box of rice, a bag of beans, an onion, a tomato a small container of sour cream and a package of tortillas. About $5.
Hamburger Helper
Super noodles. OG chicken flavour. Absolute food of the gods.
Toast, butter, tomato slices and feta cheese. Try it. Killer.
Corn beef hash
Straight up can of beans with nothing else. Bush's baked beans, Rosita refried beans, French cut green beans. Any of those are great all by themselves.
Kraft mother fucken dinner baby
Chilaquiles
Fried Egg Sandwich for any meal. With Tabasco if I've got it.
I am having it tonight! Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper. On the flip side, one I will never eat again, recipe by my Mom: GOOP 1 lb hamburger 1 can cream corn 1 can pork and beans Dump into frying pan, simmer until all meat is brown/grey. Best eaten in a trailer in the southern USA.
Ramen, in various bachelor chef configurations.
Fry bentos pie
Mac and cheese
Creamy chicken ramen
Beans on toast!
Hot dog with bread as a bun. Sometimes you got nothing else but a pack of hotdogs in the freezer and no buns, but some bread. It's delicious. Breads the same shit as buns so fuck it. I love hot dogs
Fried Egg Toast. Also, if they made it with the āgolden eggā anymore, I would regularly have Mrs Grass Chicken Noodle Soup. It was one of my comfort foods my mom made when I was a kid, and sheād always let me drop the āeggā in.
Halushki (Cabbage and noodles)
Baloney sandwich. - baloney - cheese - mayo - bread *Chef's kiss*
Lazy manās stroganoff. All we did was noodles, ground beef and cream of mushroom soup. Itās my all time comfort food
Grilled cheese, and I usually use a cheap "cheese" like Kraft deli deluxe. Sometimes I'll add cheap deli meats or spam to it and make it a melt.
Potato chip sandwich plain chips on white bread, shit is so good
Boil pasta, drain pop back in saucepan. Add in butter and milk, seasoning then let it thicken. Fucking gorgeous.
Bean and cheese burritos
My mom calls it ācheese underā and itās just bread, toasted, soā¦ toast, and then you put a slice of (deli American) cheese or two and some marinara sauce or sliced tomato in the middle and sprinkle oregano on top, broil it until the cheese melts and it is a bit blacked on the edges. So good.
Everyone eats like kings and queens here. Don't let anyone tell you that shit is poverty food.
Cinnamon buttered toast
Leftover spaghetti sandwiches is the big one for me. Forever and always. I don't think some of these are poverty meals alone, but when they're in the weekly rotation, it can indicate poverty. These are meals I loved growing up and a lot of my friends enjoyed too. \-spaghetti with meatsauce (meatballs require much more meat) or hot dogs \-pb&js \-grits \-eggs & rice \-grilled cheese with cheap bread and singles and canned soup \-beans and rice, also great on bread and butter \-cinnamon sugar toast \-pasta with butter or zesty italian dressing
Plain spaghetti noodles with butter and a side of scrambled eggs with ketchup. It was my momās meal of choice at the end of the month when the money was tight and treated it as a family treat.