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Having now been married for nearly four years I have learned a few grocery shopping tips to pass along.
I am by no means an amazing cook! I have found though that keeping a few basic items on hand can spice up any meal.
I have continued to improve the taste of various dishes by incorporating more spices, herbs, and sauces.
All of these tips are quite affordable and can greatly increase the quality of your dinner.
Herbs
Let’s first start with herbs. You can grow them fresh, purchase them fresh in the product department, or get them dried with spices in the baking aisle.
My first tip with herbs in the produce section is to consider how much you will use and to look in different areas. You could get a tiny plastic container of chives or cilantro or find a large bundle of them for basically the same price.
Instead of tiny chives, I choose to purchase a bundle of green onions. Are they technically the same thing? I honestly have no clue!
A bundle of fresh cilantro can take your Mexican-inspired meals up a notch.
Rosemary and thyme are great to add to pork, red meats, and even chicken.
Purchase the herbs you find most useful and affordable.
Seasonings
Over the past few years of cooking, I have continued to learn the importance of seasonings.
I am a huge fan of garlic. You can purchase heads of garlic to mince fresh when needed. You can buy garlic that is minced and kept in the refrigerator. You can also use garlic powder in some cases to still incorporate that garlic flavor. The different consistency will not always make it a direct replacement.
The garlic powder of course has the longest shelf life.
If you want to add a kick to your meats and dishes consider red pepper flakes and steak seasonings. I will throw streak seasoning on various meats. It is a nice mixture of flavorings. Red pepper flakes go great on creamy pasta. They give it the spice it is often missing.
A basic seasoning to have on hand that can go on anything is an Italian seasoning blend. This is an easy way to add various flavors without having to grab ten different spices.
We cannot forget the basics and often overlooked heroes…Salt & Pepper.
Salt and pepper can do a lot for a dish. Make sure to season your meats before cooking.
All of these seasonings are affordable. Purchase the cheapest store brand container you can find at the store. There is no need for a name brand when it comes to these basic spices.
Lemon and Lime Juice
I am continuing to learn the many uses for lemon and lime juice.
Recently my husband and I started adding lemon juice to creamy pasta dishes. Pasta with white sauce can often feel very heavy. The hint of lemon juice lightens the dish considerably.
Lemon juice is of course also useful when it comes to making seafood. Keep a small jar in your fridge and see where you can make use of it.
There is also the option of fresh lemons or limes, but that is not always realistic for everyone. If you go fresh make sure to use some of the zest in your dish. If you go with the bottle in the fridge you won’t get any judgment here!
Real quick let’s touch on lime juice next.
You can place jalapenos and onion into lime juice for 5 or so minutes to pickle them a bit. This will make them less strong. They use can use them for taco night, or even a pulled pork sliders with a fresh twist.
Both lemon and lime juice can come in handy in you make mixed drinks too.
Multipurpose Items
This will be dependent on what you frequently cook and on your household preferences. I have found though that a few basic staples in the fridge can easily contribute to various meals. This is where a little bit of prep can go a long way.
For our household, these quick staples are red onions, jalapenos, shredded cheese, and heavy cream.
We take the time to chop red onion and then use it in meals like tacos, quesadillas, loaded baked potatoes, salads, and so much more. Jalapenos get the same uses.
These may be too strong for you and that’s ok. First off you could pickle them in lime juice. The other option is to find the staples you frequently use as toppings or additions.
When it comes to shredded cheese I recommend having a parmesan and well as a Mexican blend. With just those two options you can do a lot.
We of course purchase other cheeses at times, but make sure to always have these on hand.
When it comes to shredded cheese I typically buy it prepackaged. I will say however if you have the time buy a block of cheese and grate it fresh. It is so much better that way.
The prepackaged shredded cheese has stuff on it that keeps it from clumping.
My final item is heavy cream. I do my best to have a bottle or two in the fridge. This way I can quickly make a sauce or cream to go with any meal.
When it comes to making a cream or sauce I just basically throw it together.
A tip when it comes to purchasing heavy cream is to buy it in small bottles. Most purchases I make in large, bilk sizes. However, with heavy cream I find that it goes bad quickly in the fridge once opened.
Making a Heavy Cream Sauce
To make a cream or white sauce I typically throw some garlic in a skillet with olive oil. Give that a couple of minutes and then throw in some heavy cream.
At this point, I simply make it up. I’ll add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and anything else that makes sense with the specific dish. I typically bring it to a boil briefly to thicken it up a bit. If you are struggling to get it to thicken don’t worry. Just start adding cheese!
I’ll then stir in some shredded cheese. Go slowly on this stage so you don’t overdo it.
Finally, add a dash of lemon juice.
Affordable Meats
Everyone’s definition of affordable will vary. All of the tips I have already listed will help you make any cut of meat more interesting.
When you cook pork chops or pork loins throw a sprig of thyme to add flavor.
I frequently freeze four different types of meats portioned into bags. These are ground sauage, ground beef, shredded chicken breasts, and pulled pork.
I then later use these meats to create speedy meals
Sausage Pasts Dish
This is a quick dinner I love to make. It has great flavor and is also quite affordable.
Another bonus is that if you make the sausage in advance you can simply pull it out of the freezer. This saves time and allows it to be a one-dish meal.
I use a pound of mild sausage, which I pull out of the freezer to thaw.
I will get a deep skillet with a low level of water and bring it to a boil. My goal here is to not need a strainer.
I cook the pasta until nearly done. You can use whatever you like. I typically go for penne or elbows. Ideally, there is little water remaining. Getting this down may take a few tries.
Throw in spinach leaves to wilt. Chop or rip them to make them smaller.
The steam from the pasta will help with the wilting.
Once the spinach is just right add your heavy cream.
If you are nervous about making the cream in the same dish as the pasta you can of course use a separate skillet. Once it is at a good consistency add it to your pasta.
Add spices and seasonings now to the cream. Salt, pepper Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes.
Add your cheese of choice. I typically use parmesan and mozzarella or maybe an Italian blend.
Then add a dash of lemon juice to lighten things up.
Add the sausage, incorporate, and heat up.
Basically, get it to the consistency you want by adding whatever you deem necessary.
Finish it off with a bit more lemon juice if necessary and then top it with red pepper flakes.
I give you this example because it incorporates everything this article is about. I use heavy cream as one of my staples. I add seasoning and herbs. I see where lemon juice gives the dish more depth. A simple pound of ground sausage is an affordable protein. And on top of all that with time and practice you can make this in a single dish!
Conclusion
I hope these little tricks and tips can give you a leg up on your cooking endeavors!
Make the most of your grocery budget by purchasing items that serve you in many dishes and functions. Look for ways to make even the simplest of foods full of incredible flavors.
Stretch your grocery budget without sacrificing taste.
Again I am no professional chef. I am just a mom and wife trying to get better each day just like you. Comment down before some of your affordable grocery shopping and cooking tips. We all could use the help!
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