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“So Easy It’s Stupid”: 30 Cheap But Impressive Recipes Everyone Needs To Try
Interview With Expert
I am guilty of spending hours each week researching recipes, watching countless cooking videos and contemplating what I’d like to devour in the following days. But when it comes time to actually prepare a meal after a long day in the office, anything that will take more than 30 minutes sounds torturous.
Thankfully, however, it’s not necessary to stand over a hot stove all day or spend hours chopping vegetables to whip up a delicious dinner. Redditors have been sharing their very best low effort and affordable yet crowd pleasing recipe ideas, so we’ve gathered the tastiest-sounding ones below. Keep reading to also find a conversation with Melanie Gunnell of Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and be sure to upvote the mouthwatering dishes that you can’t wait to impress your family with!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Toffee. I sell it every year around this time in a bakery sale. Regulars come just to get it.
2 cups cold, refrigerated butter
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips
Optional toppings: sprinkle of sea salt, rice krispies, nuts, instant coffee powder, crushed pretzels
Put butter, sugar and salt in a large pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 30 minutes until mixture is dark amber. Pour into a foil lined baking sheet, tilt to spread. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top, spread after letting them melt for a minute. Add any optional toppings, I usually do sea salt. Let cool out of the fridge for an hour or so, then refrigerate at least one hour before breaking apart.
You don't need a candy thermometer or a double boiler or anything fancy.
I get butter and chocolate chips for about $6 each, and the sugar and salt are pretty cheap.
Notes: Do not soften your butter, it won't absorb into the mixture correctly. At all points of cooking, you'll probably think it's not working; it is.
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#2
Ganache. Always impresses guests at how rich and tasty it is...
It's literally cream heated then chocolate added.
#3
Cacio e pepe. It's literally pasta, cheese and pepper... But when it's done right, it's unbelievable. Good quality pasta is key, fresh pasta takes it to another level but ups the complexity quite a bit.
To find out more about easy dishes that taste amazing despite the fact that they took minimal effort, we got in touch with Melanie Gunnell of Mel's Kitchen Cafe. She was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and share some of her favorite easy yet crowd pleasing recipes.
"The best low-effort recipes in my house aren't really recipes at all. Some of our favorite meals are simmering a can of black beans with warm, pantry-friendly spices, sliced chicken sausage and onions," the expert says. "Serve over rice. AMAZING."
"Another favorite is using rotisserie chicken meat and mixing it with BBQ sauce, layering over tater tots, covering with cheese, baking in the oven and smothering with toppings like sour cream, tomatoes, and lettuce for a 'loaded totchos' situation," Mel added.
#4
Carrot soup.
Rough chopped onion, fat of your choice.
Saute until slightly brown.
Bunch of rough chopped carrots.
Add to the pot, continue sautéing for a couple more minutes.
Flavorful liquid to cover (I usually use 1/2 bottle of white wine, remainder stock).
Simmer until carrots are very soft.
Blend until smooth and strain.
Season and serve.
Guests rave about it — and it really is just 15 minutes of active work with some leftover veg.
#5
Spaghetti carbonara. Delicious when made well and very simple. Even if you wanted to go all out and use fancy imported cheese or guanciale instead of my bacon and Parmesan version, the quantities of each aren’t huge and it’s delicious.
Someone may say it’s not a fancy dish (eg in Italy), and that may be true but it’s fancy enough in my part of the world.
#6
Cottage Pie. It’s ground beef, veggies and mash all in one dish. Super easy, cheap and everyone usually loves it!
On the other hand, we wanted to know if there were any labor-intensive recipes that Mel doesn't believe are worth it. "Yes, absolutely. Sushi, for one," she shared. "Leave it to the professionals who have better knife skills and access to super fresh ingredients. The same goes for fussy dishes like Beef Wellington. So much effort and skill go into making recipes like that, and the chance of failure are high. I don't think it's worth it!"
#7
My Grandmother's fresh tomato sauce. A couple pounds of campari tomatoes, some olive oil, basil, garlic, and white wine. You just heat the oil and add the garlic and tomatoes (washed but whole) in the pan, let em cook with a lid on until the tomatoes burst, then add your basic and wine, and season to taste. It takes like 20 minutes, mostly passive time for cooking the pasta and making a salad. Everybody raves and the most difficult part is getting out of the grocery store parking lot.
#8
Key lime pie. 4 egg yolks, a can of sweetened condensed milk, half a cup of fresh lime juice, and you can add some grated lime peel if you want. Beat it until it’s fluffed up a bit, pour it into a graham cracker crust, bake, top with whipped cream. Fresh key lime pie is rare outside of Florida and people love it!
Jane No Dough 2 weeks ago
Key limes have a different taste than regular old limes and are quite expensive. I imagine most store bought pies probably use this recipe also.
#9
My mashed potato’s have been called the best ever had…. Just cook the taters in salted water with sliced garlic and/or minced/grated ginger. Reserve the cooking water. Put them through a ricer or food mill (for extra fluffiness). Add in plenty of butter, and enough cooking water, heavy cream, sour cream and or cream cheese to make them creamy, salt and pepper to taste, an add dried chives or any blend that includes chives and tarragon. BAM!
Katie Barnes 2 weeks ago
Woah, ginger in mashed potatoes? I don't know if I'm brave enough to try that. I am intrigued.
If you're looking to upgrade your home cooking, without spending hours in the kitchen, Mel says it's really easy to elevate simple dishes at home to make them feel really special. Her first tip is using fresh herbs to amp up everyday dishes. "For instance, fresh basil added to spaghetti sauce or pasta salad makes the flavor pop!" she shared.
#10
Homemade ricotta (or “farm cheese”, but used in place of ricotta). Simplest thing in the world to do, tastes soooo much better than store bought, and people lose their minds when you tell them you made fresh cheese. I use it in lasagna and stuffed shells, and use any extra as an appetizer with some fresh herbs mixed in, served with crackers.
There’s a million variations on it! Serious Eats talks about the science behind it if you want a good read, just search “ricotta” on their site.
Huddo's sister 2 weeks ago
This is great for me because I can make it lactose free! It's hard to get a ricotta that is lactose free without going to a specialty store and spending at least 2x the amount.
#11
Thai curry.
Throw meat, maybe some veg, good Thai curry paste and coconut milk into a slow cooker.
It's the best thing most people have ever tasted in their entire lives, apparently.
It's a standard for my big gatherings, usually alongside something that actually does take hours in the kitchen. The Thai curry goes down better, every time. It's so easily, accessibly *good*.
If I wasn't so stubborn as to see that as a challenge, I'd get depressed and not bother.
#12
Pavlova. It's just meringue which is beaten egg whites with sugar and some tartar sauce. But it's formed into a shape and then baked at a real low temp until it dries out. I made these last year and filled them with cranberry/rosemary curd and topped them with whipped cream.
Recipe.
Next, Mel recommends shredding your own cheese. "Pre-shredded cheese has a powdery coating added to prevent clumping, but it also prevents cheese from melting smoothly. Shredding cheese from the block makes dishes ultra-creamy and ultra-cheesy, and it is super easy and fast to do," she told Bored Panda. And finally, the expert recommends ditching the garlic powder and using fresh garlic instead. "It's a game changer!"
And if you're looking for even more cooking tips or great recipes to follow, be sure to visit Mel's Kitchen Cafe!
#13
Risotto anything.
notrosemurray:
Risotto! My favorite is just white cheddar and fresh chives with crispy onions from the salad aisle on top, but because it takes some time to cook it feels really fancy
Huddo's sister 2 weeks ago
I love baked risotto, so you don't have to keep stirring a pot, even if it's not traditional
#14
Okonomiyaki is one I love to make and looks like it takes a ton of time. It is literally cabbage, eggs, flour, bacon and a couple of sauces.
#15
Chicken thighs, olive oil, lemon, butter, garlic in a pan. Add some pasta. Boom. You're a fancy chef. You want to go extra, spend the extra dollar on a shallot, or a splash of white wine. Now you're a super fancy chef.
It's really good with heavy cream added. But I just use whole milk. (Add the dairy products at the very end).
#16
Lemon possets! It’s a hit every time and so flipping easy.
#17
Sloppy Joe's. Lb of groud beef or w.e ground meat you have. Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste (if I have it), mustard powder, garlic, onion, paprika, pepper, salt to taste, and (for my personal preference) diced green bell pepper. May need some water to build the sauce and a bit of brown sugar. Taste your sauce and adjust as needed.
Trish Panda 1 week ago
You can even use ketchup, mustard and a bit if brown sugar with dices onions
#18
Focaccia! I use this recipe and everyone is always obsessed!
WindySwede 2 weeks ago
OP: https://alexandracooks.com/2018/03/02/overnight-refrigerator-focaccia-best-focaccia/#tasty-recipes-52104
#19
Minestrone soup. You can get so many of the vegetables at the dollar store or a fair price at many grocery stores. I add chickpeas and cannellini beans. The special trick to give it that “hours in the kitchen” flavor is to use some Parmesan rind as the pasta is cooking in the soup. Serve with fresh parm and a crusty piece of bread.
SirWriteALot 2 weeks ago
don't throw your hard parmesan rind away, put it in a ziplock bag and freeze it for when you need to add it to your soup. remove before serving ;-)
#20
Stuffed pasta shells.
Boil shells. Stuff with ricotta. Add sauce and cheese, bake.
#21
Chicken breasts stuffed with spinach, mozzarella and sundried tomatoes. Usually served with asparagus. It’s always a hit!
Ace 2 weeks ago (edited)
Stuffed with red pepper pesto ("calabrese") cheddar and finely chopped pickled chilli, wrapped in prosciutto is how my wife used to make it, but honestly the choices are endless. Pan fry all sides to brown with a lot of olive oil then add white wine, turn the heat low and cover, put it in the oven if you prefer, for another ten minutes or so. You may need to whisk up escaped cheese with the oil and wine and juices in the pan to get a nice emulsified sauce.
#22
Chicken adobo. Literally throw everything (chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, coconut milk if you are down) into a pot and come back in an hour to have the most savory, tender, unctuous braise you've ever had.
WindySwede 2 weeks ago
Filipino Chicken Adobo? Google said not to confuse it with Mexican Adobe? Anyone knows this?
#23
Making a fig jam balsamic reduction and putting it over pan fried chicken or pork with a dollop of goat cheese looks and tastes gourmet but it's fairly simple.
#24
I cheat like an expensive lawyer on mashed potatoes. Boxed ones taste absolutely amazing after I add an obscene amount of good butter, sour cream, roasted garlic and fresh parmesan cheese. I just refuse to go thru the peeling, cutting, boiling and ricing ritual when my time can be allocated elsewhere.
Meagan Glaser 2 weeks ago
Every time I've had someone tell me that the way they make instant potatoes is amazing and tastes just as good/better than real...they're someone who was doing a poor job of making real mashed potatoes. And has now turned their instant potatoes into a bowl of dairy.
#25
No knead bread. So easy it’s stupid. People will think you’re an amazing baker.
#26
I think Marcella Hazan's tomato pasta sauce recipe is the ultimate example of this. 1 can San Marzano tomatoes. 5 tbs butter. 1 onion. Simmer for about 45 min, then discard the onion. One of the best tomato sauces you'll ever have, only 3 ingredients, 45 min cooking time, and you don't even have to chop the onion (edit: it works best to slice the onion in half). (Edit 2: salt and pepper to taste! I don’t have measurements for salt or pepper for this but keep adding small pinches until it tastes good to you).
Auntriarch 2 weeks ago (edited)
Can't go wrong with Marcella Hazan. Though the recipe I have includes a carrot and you sieve or blend it.
#27
Gnocchi in spinach and cream sauce.
I credit my mother with the original idea. I generally just Google a bunch of recipes and mishmash things together once I get the idea of what I'm doing lol. Gnocci is basically just cooked potatoes with flour, egg, salt, pepper and enough water untill it's workable. Roll that into tiny balls, press them with a fork, boil them to cook. Same way you would boil dumplings. here is a link to an actual recipe. this one says ricotta is optional? I probably wouldn't because I'm cheap.
Spinach cream sauce is just a bechamel sauce with spinach and parmesan added. So I would start with say 1/2 stick of butter and enough flour to make a roux. Then add your milk, probably half and half is best but what ever you have.. 9/10 I'm using whole milk cuz that is what I keep. Then melt your parmesan in untill it tastes right. If your using the canned/bottle stuff...go light... if your lucky enough to grate it fresh ( if you can, go to Costco and get a big wedge of it and leave it in your freezer tightly wrapped) use a lot. Once that is done and the sauce is the consistency you want, wilt fresh spinach into it, add the gnocci, and if your feeling froggy a little spicy spice. A touch of cayenne or any variety of paprika would probably be good, or instead a teeny tiny touch of nutmeg (really, be super careful with nutmeg..it can bite back lol ask me how I know) and pepper, always pepper.
Let that all simmer together for 10 min or so. Bam.
If you need a recipe for the sauce, Google "Alfredo" or "bechamel" recipes and go from there.
Happy cooking!
#29
Chocolate Mousse. The amount of praise it gets compared to how little effort it takes is astonishing.
Its 12-16oz of which ever chocolate you like.
4 eggs separated plus 2 more whites
Cup of heavy cream
Cup of sugar
1T vanilla
1 Melt the chocolate
2 ribbon the egg yolks with 1/4 c sugar, add the melted chocolate. Set aside
3 whip the 6 egg whites with 1/4 sugar until stiff peaks, set aside
4 whip the cream and vanilla with 1/2c sugar until stiff peaks set aside
Fold the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture until combined, and then repeat with the cream
Chill until set (4-6 hours minimum)
Annik Perrot 2 weeks ago
My recipe is much simpler. Melt 200g (7 ounces) of good dark chocolate. Separate the whites and yolks of 6 eggs. Beat the whites stiff with a pinch of salt. Mix the yolks into the melted but cooled down chocolate, and carefully fold the whites in. A few hours in the fridge and that's it. That's the way it has always been done in my family. Sugar? Butter? Cream? No need, the mousse is just perfect as it is.
#30
Pistachio poppyseed cake.
1 box white cake mix
1 package instant pistachio pudding
1 small (1.25oz/35g) container of poppyseed
Follow the instructions on the cake mix, make in a Bundt pan. Top with powdered sugar when cool
Truly more than the sum of its parts, could not be easier. I'm a real "cook it from scratch" guy for 99% of things but this is one of the rare exceptions. People go nuts for it.
What do you think ?
Huddo's sister 2 weeks ago
Given it's just past Christmas, a time when I have to make even more adjustments to recipes for my allergies and intollerances, a favourite easy cheap recipe I love is Low FODMAP stuffing. Although I don't know if I should be called stuffing when the original recipe is baked separate to the meat. 472582815_...27b1c8.jpg 
Otto Katz 2 weeks ago
Thank you! I'm going to try this, going to use chicken stock instead of the water, I found one that has no onion. I'll chop up some celery too. and maybe add an apple. I love stuffing.
Load More Replies...
Pencil 2 weeks ago
Easy for kids to make and everyone loves to eat: individual cookie cakes: Store bought soft chocolate cookies. Frost the top of one with fresh whipped cream. Add a layer of raspberry preserves on top. Take another cookie and frost the top and bottom. More raspberry on top. Stack it on top of the first cookie. Third cookie gets frosted but no raspberry then stacked. Frost the whole thing in a thick layer of whipped cream. Turn a bowl over the finished cake to cover it and stick it in the fridge for at least three hours. If you use crispy cookies, let the cakes refrigerate overnight to soften them to cake texture completely. Of course you can sub out different kinds of cookies and fillings and top the berries or decorate as you please.
Huddo's sister 2 weeks ago
Given it's just past Christmas, a time when I have to make even more adjustments to recipes for my allergies and intollerances, a favourite easy cheap recipe I love is Low FODMAP stuffing. Although I don't know if I should be called stuffing when the original recipe is baked separate to the meat. 472582815_...27b1c8.jpg
Otto Katz 2 weeks ago
Thank you! I'm going to try this, going to use chicken stock instead of the water, I found one that has no onion. I'll chop up some celery too. and maybe add an apple. I love stuffing.
Load More Replies... Pencil 2 weeks ago
Easy for kids to make and everyone loves to eat: individual cookie cakes: Store bought soft chocolate cookies. Frost the top of one with fresh whipped cream. Add a layer of raspberry preserves on top. Take another cookie and frost the top and bottom. More raspberry on top. Stack it on top of the first cookie. Third cookie gets frosted but no raspberry then stacked. Frost the whole thing in a thick layer of whipped cream. Turn a bowl over the finished cake to cover it and stick it in the fridge for at least three hours. If you use crispy cookies, let the cakes refrigerate overnight to soften them to cake texture completely. Of course you can sub out different kinds of cookies and fillings and top the berries or decorate as you please.
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