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It’s not always easy to make new and tasty meals on a budget. This is something that many of us struggle with, often resigning to make the same old money-saving thing we had last week or buying the more expensive grocery items and blowing through that food budget in a flash. The good news is that there are plenty of great budget meal ideas out there – if you know where to look.
Back in the 1940s during World War II housewives in the US were advised to deal with shortages of meat by adding grains or legumes to them and that’s exactly what we’re doing with these budget beef bowls. They’re not only very tasty, but also very filling and very cheap to make.
This recipe only uses half a pound of ground beef to feed 6 people and that’s because after you brown the beef you add some canned chickpeas and some diced canned tomatoes to the pan. This bulks up the meal, but adds more protein so it’s a win-win.
There’s lemon and parsley in this dish, but you can spice it up in other ways if you like.
For these photos I made rice to go along with the beef, but you could use pasta or potatoes if you had those on hand, too.
This dish is ready in under 30 minutes and the best part is that even after making a mountain of food, you’ll still have a 1/2 pound of ground beef leftover from the 1-pound package for chili, tacos, or another tasty main dish.
It just goes to show that making great food doesn’t always have to involve spending a lot of money.
Budget Beef Bowls
Allergens: Citrus
Diet: Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked rice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- pinch chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- juice of 1 lemon
- chopped fresh parsley to garnish
Preparation
- Cook rice to package directions.
- Add oil to large skillet or medium stockpot. Heat over medium and add beef. Cook until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and onion. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Make a well in center of onion and beef and add garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add oregano, cumin, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, and broth to pan and stir.
- Stir in chickpeas, butter, and lemon. Cook until chickpeas are fully heated, about 4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon water if too much liquid evaporates in this process. If too wet cook another minute or two. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve over rice and sprinkle with a little fresh parsley.
Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes.