17 poor recipes

Poor man's perogies layer lasagna noodles with cheesy Velveeta-mashed potatoes and buttery sauteed onions for the famous perogy filling without the dough. A budget-friendly retro casserole that feeds a crowd.

Poor Man's Jambalaya with tasso ham, andouille sausage, the Cajun holy trinity, and gumbo file seasoning - all cooked in one cast iron skillet in about 70 minutes.

Poor man's lobster, a Newfoundland classic that turns fresh cod into a sweet, lobster-tender texture through a quick sugar-salt brine, then a butter broil. Cheap, fast, and shockingly close to the real thing.

Poor man's shrimp transforms cubed salmon into shrimp-like bites by quick-poaching in heavily salted water. A vintage frugal cooking trick that yields firm, pink, shrimp-textured salmon for cocktails or salads.

Poor Man's Steak turns ground beef and cracker crumbs into tender, gravy-smothered patties. An old-school Depression-era dinner with a scratch mushroom cream sauce.

Bacon-wrapped ground beef patties grilled over charcoal for a budget-friendly spin on filet mignon. Seasoned with onion, green pepper, and garlic.

Poor Man's Cake: a Depression-era boiled raisin cake spiced with cinnamon, cloves and allspice. No eggs, no milk, no butter. Just pantry basics, lard and the magic of plumped raisins.

Poor man's lasagne, a one-pot ground beef and macaroni casserole with tomato sauce, mushrooms, and a cheesy topping. A budget-friendly skillet-to-oven alternative to layered lasagna in under an hour.

Poor Knights of Windsor: sherry-soaked bread fried golden in butter, dusted with cinnamon, and topped with crushed raspberries and whipped cream. A British dessert classic.

In Sicily bistecche like these are served as an antipasto, a contorno, or, when a charcoal fire is going, as one of many dishes in a mixed grill.

Whole wheat cookies shaped like cat poop, rolled in Grape-Nuts, and served in a litter box. Two dough options: chocolate or gingerbread. The ultimate gross-out Halloween party hit!

Cheesy ham poof casserole with six eggs, three cheeses, chopped ham, and scallions baked until puffed and golden. A savory egg souffle-style brunch dish that rises dramatically in the oven.

Indian toor daal pureed smooth, then finished with a tempered tadka of cumin seeds and asafetida in hot oil. Comforting, vegan, and everyday home cooking at its most honest.

South Indian sambar with toor dal, potatoes, tomatoes, and tamarind in a spiced lentil broth finished with a mustard seed tempering. Serve with rice, idli, or dosa.

A spicy and delicious dish that calls for canned tomatoes, red chili peppers and rice flour.

South Indian sambhar made with toor dal, tamarind, coconut, and a ground spice paste of channa dal, dhania seeds, and dried red chiles. A tangy, protein-rich lentil stew for rice or dosa.