Okay guys, I got hungry today and stared at my practically empty fridge. Payday feels like it’s years away, you know? Had some potato cravings too, and wanted something cheap but filling. That starchy goodness. Remembered this idea about cheap side dishes. Figured I’d actually try making a few, see if they lived up to the hype. Grab my notebook, time to experiment!
First thing, roasted potatoes. Dirt cheap, right? Grabbed a sad sack of spuds leftover from last week. Chopped them rough, skins and all – who has time for peeling? Tossed ’em in a bowl with the absolute cheapest vegetable oil I could find, no fancy olive oil today. Salt, pepper, that garlic powder that’s been sitting in the back of the cupboard since forever. Plopped ’em on my one baking sheet. Slid them into the oven, cranked it up. Honestly, kinda forgot about them. Smelled amazing though! Pulled ’em out, slightly charred but crispy bits! Total win for pocket change.
Next up, cornbread. Always sounds cheap. Mixed up cornmeal, flour (the store-brand stuff), water, an egg (lucky I had one!), and a dribble of that cheap oil again. Seriously poured that batter into my one slightly-too-small baking dish. Halfway through baking, I realized I forgot the baking powder! Panicked! Oh well, slammed it back in the oven. Came out flatter than I hoped, more dense than fluffy. Tasted okay though, especially warm. Not bad for pennies per slice.
Finally, felt like something different. Spotted a bag of oats behind the cornmeal. Tried savory oats? Yep. Boiled water, dumped in rolled oats. Added a pinch of salt, way less water than the box said to make them kinda thick. Stirred forever. Finished with just a tiny smear of butter. Sounds weird? Honestly, just tasted like very plain, thick oatmeal. Added a tiny bit of leftover onion from the potato experiment. Better! Kinda filling for like, ten cents. Might jazz it up next time.
So, what did I actually get out of this?
- Roasted Potatoes: Best bang for the buck, almost impossible to ruin too badly. Got really crispy cheap!
- Cornbread: Needs baking powder, folks! Write it down! Still edible and cheap as chips.
- Savory Oats: Don’t knock it ’til you try it, super filling for pennies. Needs seasoning.
Bottom line? It absolutely works. My plate was full of filling, starchy sides, and my wallet didn’t even notice. Forget gourmet tonight. Give it a shot when cash is tight – happy bellies, happy wallet.
