30+ Super Cheap Meals For Almost Broke Students

Here are 30+ budget-wise, super cheap student meals for those who are near to broke (or already there...)

Take advantage of cheap ingredients, simple recipes and leftovers to eat well on a super tight budget.

Broccoli, Sweetcorn and Tuna Pasta

Broccoli, Sweetcorn and Tuna
This healthy Broccoli, Sweetcorn and Tuna pasta dish takes just 10 minutes and needs just the one pot. Get the recipe here.

 

Tortilla BBQ pizza

student-eats-recipies-healthy-4 BBQ pizza
Turn a simple tortilla into something delicious with this quick and easy BBQ pizza. Get the recipe here

 

Hot Dog Spaghetti

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Aka Spaghetti and Sausages for adults, this recipe is super cheap, quick and needs just the single pot. Find the Hot Dog Spaghetti recipe right here.

 

Simple Bean and Rice Vegan Burritos

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Vegetarian food needn't be bland salads! These bean and rice burritos are a great cheap, easy one-pot meal. Follow this link for the recipe

 

5 A Day Vegetable Vegan Stir Fry

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Using whatever veg you have to hand, this vegan vegetable stir fry can be cooked up in just a few minutes. Vegan Stir Fry recipe.

 

Tasty Turkey Hotpot

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Turn leftover turkey into a warm, homely meal that’s fool proof to put together: Try this healthy and filled Turkey hotpot recipe.

 

Chinese beef noodle stir fry

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Use cheap minced beef for a super delicious Chinese style stir fry. > Minced beef stir fry recipe

 

Fish Finger Taco Boats

Fish Finger Taco Boats
A slightly more posh rendition of the classic fish finger sandwich but still cheap. Fish Finger Taco Boats recipe.

 

One Dish Delicious Chicken Fajitas

One Dish Delicious Chicken Fajita
This delicious chicken fajitas recipe makes for a super easy and quick dinner for everyone. > One Dish Delicious Chicken Fajitas Recipe

 

Tasty Halloumi Salad

Tasty Halloumi Salad
Tasty Halloumi Salad: A quick healthy halloumi salad using simple ingredients, it can be made in no time! Halloumi Salad recipe

 

Hashbrown Casserole

Hashbrown Casserole
A money saving student recipe favourite that's meat free and so Vegetarian friendly: Hashbrown Casserole. Hashbrown Casserole Recipe

 

One Pot Cheese and Tomato Pasta

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A one pot cheese and tomato pasta dish that makes for a cheap vegetarian meal. Get the recipe here

 

Easy Peasy Mince

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An idiot proof mince recipe with plenty of vegetables. Get the recipe here

 

Chilli con tuna

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Use tuna in a chilli con carne dish for a cheap and super quick student meal.

 

Chicken and cheese quesadillas

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A yummy, quick meal that will make use of leftover chicken - Chicken and cheese quesadillas recipe

 

Bread and butter pudding

bread-butter-pudding-recipe-2A classic bread and butter pudding is a low-cost dessert and is a great use of stale bread and ever-lasting dry fruit.

 

Chicken and Veggies Bake

Chicken and Veggies Bake
A homely and filling meal that can be made up of leftovers: A yummy chicken and veggie bake with a cheesy mashed potato topping. Chicken and Veggies Bake Recipe

 

Cream of chicken pasta bake

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This is a super simple, fool proof three step cheesy pasta bake recipe made with Cream Of soup. Cream of chicken pasta bake how to

 

Veggie Chilli


A cheap and meat-free alternative for rice, tacos, pasta and more.

 

Pizza baguettes

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Combine a baguettes with pasta sauce and cheese for an instant pizza. You can do the same with other types of bread, muffins and bagels too. > Pizza baguettes recipe

 

Marmite cheese toastie

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Mix up the plain cheese toastie with marmite. *Insert obligatory love it or hate it reference here* > Marmite + cheese toastie

 

£10 Roast Chicken dinner

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This £10 Chicken roast is great for Christmas or weekends and will feed up to six people for less than a tenner.

 

Tomato and mushroom sweet jacket potatoes

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Spruce up your jacket potatoes with this cheap vegetarian filling that also goes great with pasta. > Veggie sweet jacket potatoes

 

Homemade apple crumble

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A four ingredient apple crumble recipe that works out at just 20 pence a serving. > Cheap apple crumble recipe

 

Tuna melt

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Tuna + Cheese = Cheap and tasty snack. > Tuna Melt recipe

 

The jacket potato

Jacket Potatoes
Rub a potato with a little oil or butter and prick with a fork. Either bake at about 200 degrees for 45 minutes or cook on the microwave for 10-15 minutes, turning over halfway inbetween.

You can add all sorts of toppings - see 12 jacket potato filling ideas here!

 

Sausage curry

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Ditch the takeaway for this super easy curry on the cheap, using sausages. > Sausage curry recipe

 

End of the week bake

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This End of the week bake is a zero cost meal made up of leftovers.

 

Simple Avocado Toast

Simple Avocado Toast
A super simple and cheap breakfast or snack that at its minimum just needs two ingredients. Avocado Toast recipe.

 

Boiled eggs / devilled eggs

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Boil an egg. Cheap and simple. Make it more interesting by removing a hard boiled yolk and mixing it up with things like mayo, pepper and mustard and then returning. Top with bacon. YUM. > Devilled boiled eggs

 

Sausage lasagna

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This lasagna recipe with sausages may make Italians faint but at 50p a portion it's a bargain. > Sausage lasagna recipe

 

Omelettes

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Egg omelettes are trivial and take only minutes - try this basic omelette recipe, one packed with veggies or with a melting cheese and onion. filling.

 

Sweet and sour chicken dippers

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These sweet and sour chicken dippers make for an incredibly cheap and easy meal. Yes, it's lazy as hell but so what?

 

French toast

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French toast (aka eggy bread) is an easy two ingredient, two minute recipe. Also try the sweet cinnamon version.

About the author: Thomas Brella

Thomas Brella is the founder of Student Hacks, starting the website in 2013 while studying at the University of Brighton to share tips and tricks on life as a cash-strapped student. He's now spent over 10 years scoping out the best ways to live on a budget

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