Need inspiration for tonight? Check out all our easy recipe ideas for next to nothing.
Maximum revenue with minimum budget
It’s not always easy to find simple and economical ideas when you come home late at night. Fortunately, you don’t have to break the bank to eat well. The proof is that there are plenty of inexpensive summer recipes and healthy and inexpensive foods.
In this game, vegetable gratins, pasta in sauce and savory tarts are the champions. With the added bonus of being able to make them in XXL format, to enjoy them a second time during the week. That’s already an evening won!
And for fans of balanced recipes, mixed salads, preferably made with seasonal products, are just waiting for you. Not only are they cheaper, but they also have more flavor.
Some tips for eating cheaply
Combining a balanced diet with a small budget, all without any hassle, is a real challenge. Fortunately, there are solutions to apply on a daily basis to achieve this.
Cook it yourself
Most prepared meals are much more expensive than making them yourself. So try to limit your consumption of ready-made quiches, lasagnas, or even salads. Remember that it is always better to cook, even if it means keeping it simple, than to resort to processed foods on a daily basis. Also, there are a number of grocery products, such as peanut butter and granola, that you can make at home. The cost is generally much lower.
Give new life to leftovers
Mashed potato croquettes, pot-au-feu shepherd’s pie, compote cakes… Recycling leftovers is an art, which has many advantages. The first: it allows you to diversify your menus and eat a variety of foods. The second: it limits food waste, which is both ecological and good for your wallet.
All that remains is to use your imagination to give a second life to cooked dishes.
Plan your meals for the week
This is the key to shopping smart and controlling your spending. Having a general idea of the menus for the following days makes it easier to write a shopping list, but above all, to stick to it. This reduces the risk of impulse purchases, which increase the bill. As a bonus, it saves considerable time in the shops, and allows you to devote yourself to other activities. Like cooking, for example.
And since we’re talking about cooking, our selection of easy and inexpensive recipes comes at just the right time.
Omelette with gorgonzola and rocket
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 3 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Omelette with gorgonzola and rocket
Baked cordon bleus
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 30 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Baked cordon bleus
Strawberry carpaccio and verbena syrup
- 2 persons
- Level: Very easy
- 5 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Strawberry carpaccio and verbena syrup
Pea-carrot pancakes with feta
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 5 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Pea-carrot and feta pancakes
Gratin dauphinois
- 6 persons
- Level: Easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Gratin dauphinois
Tuna and egg boureks
- 6 persons
- Level: Easy
- 30 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Tuna and egg boureks
Faisselle with hazelnuts and honey
- 1 person
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Faisselle with hazelnuts and honey
Croque-monsieur
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Croque-monsieur
Linguine with parmesan, peas and pepper
- 6 persons
- Level: Easy
- 15 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Linguine with parmesan, peas and pepper
Tuna tortilla, goat cheese sauce, basil and chervil
- 2 persons
- Level: Very easy
- 15 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Tuna tortilla, goat cheese sauce, basil and chervil
Rice with zucchini
- 4 people
- Level: Easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Rice with zucchini
Pea, feta and spring onion frittata
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Pea, feta and spring onion frittata
No-Bake Express Strawberry Tart
- 6 persons
- Level: Very easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Express no-bake strawberry tart
Potato and Radish Salad
- 5 people
- Level: Very easy
- 15 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Potato and radish salad
Creamy pea soup with lemon and almonds
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 5 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Creamy pea soup with lemon and almonds
One pot pasta with lemon and cherry tomatoes
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: One pot pasta with lemon and cherry tomatoes
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Feta
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Roasted sweet potatoes with feta
Chocolate melting hearts
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 15 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Melting chocolate hearts
Vegetarian spring rolls with fresh goat cheese
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Vegetarian spring rolls with fresh goat cheese
Sweet and salty caprese salad
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Sweet and salty caprese salad
Ricotta quiche, peas, bacon
- 6 persons
- Level: Very easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Ricotta, pea and bacon quiche
Ultra-vanilla rice pudding
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 5 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Ultra-vanilla rice pudding
Rustic zucchini, ricotta and smoked paprika tart
- 4 people
- Level: Quite difficult
- 35 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Rustic zucchini, ricotta and smoked paprika tart
Falafels, tahini and yogurt sauces
- 4 people
- Level: Easy
- 30 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Falafels, tahini and yogurt sauces
Endives with ham and béchamel sauce
- 4 people
- Level: Easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Endives with ham and béchamel sauce
Frozen Eskimos with banana, dried fruit and chocolate
- 4 people
- Level: Easy
- 25 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Frozen Eskimos with banana, dried fruit and chocolate
Chakchouka gratin with eggs and red beans
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Chakchouka gratin with eggs and red beans
Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Pan-fried snow peas and green beans, honey chicken
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Pan-fried snow peas and green beans, honey chicken
Baked love apples
- 4 people
- Level: Easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Baked love apples
Chicken salad with mimolette
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 15 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Chicken salad with mimolette
Risotto with zucchini and parma ham
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 30 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Risotto with zucchini and Parma ham
Strawberry, rocket and raw ham salad
- 1 person
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Strawberry, rocket and raw ham salad
Apple bricks
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Apple bricks
Lentil salad with goat cheese and hazelnuts
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 15 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Lentil salad with goat cheese and hazelnuts
Thai Veggie Noodles
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 5 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Thai vegetarian noodles
Potato, zucchini, onion and Morbier tian
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 15 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Potato, zucchini, onion and Morbier tian
Applesauce
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Apple compote
Three cheese tortizza
- 1 person
- Level: Very easy
- 5 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Three cheese tortizza