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Chef Boyardee Ravioli for $0.88
Marie Calendar frozen dinners for $1.68
Armour Pizza LunchMakers for $1.00
Kroger Brownie Mix for $1.00
Kroger Fruit Snacks for $1.00
Kroger powdered donuts for $1.00
To be fair, there was a produce section, but it only represented 1/8 of the flyer. (But avocados are on sale for $1.00-woo hoo!) I can see why so many moms rely on sugar-laden, processed food–it can be a lot cheaper! You have to get to the point where you ask yourself: Is my family’s health worth it? For me, that answer is an unequivocal yes. I will cut back in other areas if it means I can afford foods that are going to nourish my family and keep them healthy.
Luckily, with a little thought and planning, you can prepare meals that are both healthy and inexpensive. This is one of those meals. I’ve mentioned before that roasting vegetables is one of my favorite ways to prepare them. The flavor of roasted vegetables is just incredible. If you haven’t roasted your veggies yet, please try it immediately.
Making homemade polenta could not be easier and it is a filling, tasty addition to a lot of different meals. It pairs especially well with roasted vegetables. No sauce is needed, but you could certainly top it with a tomato or other favorite sauce. I rounded out our meal with some black beans that were prepared simply with onion+garlic+chile powder. The vegetables you use is flexible. You can use zucchini, bell pepper, etc. Notice the ones I used are pretty cheap. 🙂
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Cheap & Healthy: Roasted Vegetables with Grilled Polenta
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A tasty, healthy and budget friendly main meal
Ingredients
- 2 carrots, quartered length wise and then cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 celery ribs, sliced diagonally 1/2-inch thick
- 1 onion, sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 1 (8-10 ounce) package whole mushrooms
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled (Yes, whole cloves! They are delicious and sweet when roasted)
- extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
For the Polenta
- 2–3 cups water or vegetable stock (water is cheaper, obviously, but the stock gives a better flavor)
- 1 cup cornmeal
Instructions
- Bring 2 1/2 cups water or stock to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and slowly drizzle in the cornmeal, whisking the whole time to avoid lumps forming. Allow it to simmer, whisking frequently, until thick, about 10-15 more minutes.
- When you are done it will be about the consistency of thick oatmeal.
- If it is too thick, add additional stock or water. Transfer the mixture to a square pan and use a rubber spatula to make it even and smooth. Allow it to set, at least 15 minutes, but you can do this well ahead of time if needed.
- I did this step during Meghan’s nap to cut down on the dinner time prep work. With a toddler around, the less work at dinner time the better!
- Now get working on the veggies.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine your prepared vegetables with oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Toss to coat the vegetables evenly.
- Spread your vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet so that they are not overlapping. It is best to use a shallow baking sheet because if you use a deep casserole dish your vegetables will steam themselves and be limp and soggy–not what you are going for here!
- Roast in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and brown. Use a spatula to mix the veggies once in the middle of the roasting time.
- When the vegetables are almost done, you are ready to grill your polenta. This was crunch time in the dinner preparation, so the camera was not around. The polenta should be firm now; cut it into four equal squares. Heat a little olive oil in a saute pan, and add your polenta squares (you may need to do this in batches if you have a small pan). Grill until the polenta is starting to brown, about 4 minutes per side. Serve the polenta with roasted vegetables on top.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: main meal
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 154
- Sugar: 3.75g
- Sodium: 92mg
- Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Protein: 4.75g
This makes 4 servings, but, ummm…we ate it all. Everything was so good!
Meghan enjoyed the polenta, carrots, celery, and beans, but is still not a fan of the texture of mushrooms or onions. I didn’t give her any of the garlic as I wasn’t sure if she’d be able to chew it properly. Plus I loooooove roasted garlic so I wanted more for myself. 🙂
This is a great go-to meal when you’re at the end of your food budget and need something yummy, healthy, and cheap. Trust me, it doesn’t taste like a budget meal.
I love this and I love polenta, but I make it differently. . .Can’t wait to try it this way!
How do you make polenta? I’ve seen recipes that use milk but I’ve never tried that. When I serve it soft I usually stir in some parm cheese which is yummy.
Can I just tell you how perfectly timed this recipe is? I’m looking at a fridge full of yummy vegetables, but with no idea what to make. Done! And I adore polenta, and I’ve never made it. I always buy it made. But this looks so easy AND I already have the stuff! Your blog so totally rocks!
Whenever I have veggies that I don’t know what to do with, I roast them. It’s my absolute favorite!