Cheap Eats: 3 Course Dinner for Under $30

When I was in college, I never had to think about expenses. As far as I was concerned, expenses consisted of balancing the number of dining points I had, so I could take all the money my parents gave me and spend it on cheap alcohol. I'd hand my card over in the cafeteria, they'd swipe it, and BAM -- all you can eat ARAMARK food at my fingertips... I was a lucky girl. I don't think it really struck me just how little money I had until a few months ago, when my CPA husband convinced me that I really couldn't afford to have sushi takeout once a week. Maybe I was just too stubborn to see the truth or maybe it's because I use unagi kabayaki sushi as an excuse to eat my feelings. But either way, I eventually came around and decided that this was the perfect time to start eating on a budget. Thus, with my new blog I have come up with a way to cook a three course dinner for the cost of under $30.00. 

Excited with my new cost conscious experiment, and eager to prove that I am fully capable of cooking meals that don't consist of short ribs or rack of lamb, I searched through our fridge and pantries to see how I could cut costs by using what I already had. To my surprise, I had quite a bit to work with. Off the bat, my pantry consisted of the good ol' basics: flour, canola and olive oils, sugar, bread crumbs, tomato sauces and pastas, baking powder and soda, and a fancy array of whole foods seasonings. The fridge was a bit of a different story, although I was able to snag some red potatoes, condiments, root beer, garlic, shallots, lettuce on its way out, and four day old chives. Since I didn't have much to work with for an entree, I instantly thought of a meatball sandwich with homemade tomato sauce and a red potato bliss salad to accompany it. But no boring potato salad... let's throw in some fennel, and apple -- wait no, probably can't afford both. Okay, then just fennel and I'll throw in the scallions for good measure. Now that I had my main course, it was time to focus on the appetizer. That's when I spotted the box of Trader Joe's mac and cheese in the pantry. Usually, the sight of such a thing would make me shudder. I absolutely cannot stand boxed mac and cheese. I'd rather tie myself to a tree and let a six-year old on a sugar high shoot me with a paintball gun than eat a full bowl of those dastardly over-processed, powdered pasta critters. However, the thought of arancini had occurred to me as a great pairing for the meatball subs -- but since Arborio rice would be far too expensive to buy on a budget, I could somehow substitute this for mac and cheese fritters instead. It would be like arancini's little slutty sister, except I would drizzle honey glaze on top of it to give it a little class, and at least keep its shirt on. 

For dessert, I decided on homemade ice cream and use the root beer we had in the fridge to make root beer floats. Just about everybody loves root beer floats, and although it was about 9 degrees outside, I decided to put our new ice cream maker to good use. But every cook has a solid back-up plan. In the case that my custard failed to set, I had good old Breyers Vanilla ice cream to save the day. And it's a good thing I did -- more to come on that later...

With a solid menu, I was off to Whole Foods where I could hopefully keep to my budget, and confuse shoppers by taking pictures of fresh produce. Here is a recap of our Whole Foods shopping adventure:

MEAT!!
 Is it bad that I get so excited when I see red meat? The smell is intoxicating. Maybe I missed my calling as a butcher... 

Our butcher at Whole Foods. I've made so many trips to make my meatballs, he now knows my orders.

I originally wanted 6 eggs rather than a full dozen, but these ended up being less expensive!

Total came to just under $30.00!! Bryan was a very proud husband.

HOMEMADE VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM ROOT BEER FLOAT

BREYER'S ICE CREAM ROOT BEET FLOAT

So needless to say, the homemade ice cream was a bit of a failure. My custard failed to set quick enough and became overcooked. Also, I was unable to get the temperature of the custard just right enough to work in my ice cream maker. Upon further investigation, I found that I needed to freeze my bowl much longer than I had originally intended. Since my custard did not work out, I will save my second attempt for another blogging post! However, my store bought ice cream worked out extremely well for a root beer float -- just in case you were wondering. Although this attempt failed, I will still illustrate my steps as it is rudimentary in making any basic custard.

Well, at least the ice cream maker's pretty.

I used only half and half this time. Next time, I will try adding whipping cream to help it set.

Heat the half and half (above) and combine the sugar and egg yolks (below)
Once the milk is heated, pour into sugar/egg mixture while whisking continuously
to make sure you don't scramble your eggs.
Egg and milk mixture then go back into the saucepan and reduce down slightly.

*Note: notice that I am using a towel underneath my bowl? This will ensure that I won't lose control while whisking*

     

Finished custard product. I will most certainly try this again in another blog! 

MAC N' CHEESE FRITTERS 

WITH A HONEY GLAZE

Yield = About 12 Medium Size Balls

For the Mac and Cheese

1 (7 oz.) box of mac and cheese

Butter, water, or milk as called for on mac and cheese box

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

1/2 cup half + half

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Canola oil

Flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

Shredded Mozzarella (optional)

For the Batter

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 cup flour

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp. of cream or half + half

For the Honey Glaze

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp. butter

1. For the mac + cheese, start by cooking the pasta and packaged cheese as per the instructions on the box. Set aside.
2. Melt the 2 tbsp. of butter in a medium-size saucepan. Add the 2 tbsp. of flour and stir together quickly to make a roux. 
3. Slowly add your half + half, whisking together to incorporate into your butter/flour mixture.
4. Add in your mac + cheese to your roux mixture, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. 
5. Cool in refrigerator for up to 15 minutes.
6. Using three separate shallow trays or bowls, pour in your flour, Italian bread crumbs, and beaten egg. Whisk in your half + half in the tray or bowl containing your egg.
7. Remove your mac + cheese from the refrigerator. Ball together the mac + cheese mixture, pressing down to get rid of any air pockets. Put your mac + cheese balls in your flour, then your egg mixture, and finally your Italian bread crumbs. Shake off any excess and set aside. 
8. When all of your balls are made and ready for frying, fill a heavy bottomed saucepan 1/4 of the way with canola oil. 
9. When oil is hot, gently place in your fritters. Let sit without turning for 2-3 minutes before turning over with a pair of tongs. When nicely browned on both sides, remove each mac + cheese fritter and put on a plate lined with paper towel. Serve immediately or keep heated in a 200-degree Fahrenheit oven. 
10. For your honey glaze, melt 2 tbsp of butter in a small saucepan.
11. Once melted, add 1/4 cup honey and stir to incorporate. Drizzle on top of your mac + cheese balls. Garnish with parsley and shredded mozzarella cheese.

After my custard flop, I'm all revved up to go for my fritters.

Start by cooking your pasta and packaged cheese. Then make a roux (melted butter and flour) which is a thickening agent. You will need this to help hold your fritters together.

Finished product after the roux and mac and cheese are mixed together. This goes in the fridge to cool for about 15 minutes. 1 box of mac and cheese makes about 12 medium size fritters.

Absolutely LOVE these breading trays from Williams-Sonoma! 

Flour on the left; Egg and Half & Half mixture in the center; Italian bread crumbs on the right

Ball your mac and cheese mixture and put them through your breading station.
These are all set for frying!

Make sure to place each fritter in the hot oil. Do not drop them in. 

I filled my 2 qt. saucepan about 1/4 of the way with canola oil.

Fresh out the fryer, I drizzled my honey glaze (made with only honey and butter) on top and sprinkled my fritters with shredded mozzarella cheese and chopped parsley.

POTATO AND FENNEL SALAD

Yield = 5-6 servings

2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 fennel bulb, julienne

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise 

1/8 cup ranch dressing

3 tbsp. chives, minced

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/2 onion, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 425-degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add potatoes, fennel, onion, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix together. 
3. Spread mixture on a large sheet pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked and slightly brown. 
4. Add mayonnaise, ranch dressing, chives and parsley. Cool in refrigerator until desired temperature and serve.

(below)
I would like to demonstrate how I julienne my fennel. I find that it's a confusing vegetable to cut for many people.

1) I cut off the green, leafy portion (this portion is not edible but many use it for garnish) and take off the outer layer
2) I slice the end of my fennel off lengthwise and cut my bulb in half
3) I chop off the bottom part of my bulb in a triangular cut and slice width-wise

          

Adding olive oil will keep the potatoes from sticking together and also add a nice brown color after roasting.

My potatoes right before they go in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.

Roasted potatoes with my parsley and chives right before I add my mayonnaise. 

"EBONY'S MEATBALL" SANDWICHES WITH SLICED MOZZARELLA

Yield = 8 Extra Large Meatballs for 2 or 3 Sandwiches

For Meatballs
1/4 lb. ground beef (80% if possible)
1/4 lb. ground pork
1/4 lb. ground veal
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
(add 1 tsp. each of thyme, basil, and oregano if you have it)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. crushed red pepper

For Sandwiches
Crusty Italian or French bread
Mozzarella (preferably fresh) or Provolone cheese, sliced thin
Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Incorporate beef, pork and veal in a large bowl.
3. Add herbs, garlic, shallots, and seasonings. Mix together with your hands.
4. Form large size meatballs and place them in a roasting pan. 
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes depending on the size of your meatballs.
6. With a bread slicer, cut your bread loaves in half. 
7. Sprinkle both sides with olive oil and sliced cheese (on one half or both if you'd like).
8. Bake bread for 5-10 minutes, until slightly crisp. 
9. Put your sandwich together with your meatballs and tomato sauce (recipe below) and cut in half. Enjoy!

I use ground beef, veal and pork for my meatballs. I try to mix in as much fresh herbs as possible. Although I only had parsley, shallots and garlic to work with, I like to add fresh oregano, basil, and thyme.

Because I am making extra large meatballs, I did not mince my shallots and garlic. I also never add egg as a binder to my meatballs because I feel it makes the meatballs too dense and it loses that unfiltered meaty flavor.

I used two large sub rolls with sliced mozzarella and drizzled olive oil before putting them in the oven for a nice crunch. Fresh mozzarella would be great substitution for this if you have the extra $$. 

HOMEMADE MARINARA SAUCE

(as adapted from the New York Times. Because why mess with an already incredible thing.)
NY Times Marinara Sauce

*I apologize for the lack of pictures here. The tomato sauce was the last thing that I made before dinner was ready... and we were hungry*

I cannot find D.O.P. certified San Marzano tomatoes in my area, so I use these San Marzanos at Whole Foods.

The recipe directs you to crush your tomatoes by hand, but I find it hard to break them apart. I prefer to slice them lengthwise before adding them with my olive oil and garlic. 

And that's all folks! Total cooking & prep time (not including my failed ice cream attempt) came to 3 hours. However, I would take a half hour off of that time since I spent much of my prep setting up and taking pictures. 

Goal: $30.00

Receipt: $27.93

Bryan's Rating: One Empty Plate & Two Hearty Burps