u/No_Permission9101

Lately I have been trying to save money on food without eating instant noodles every single day.

I realized some of the best comfort meals are actually really cheap and simple. Stuff like rice bowls, eggs, potatoes, sandwiches or random meals made from whatever is left in the kitchen somehow end up tasting the best.

What’s your go to cheap meal that is filling easy to make and surprisingly good?

I recently started learning how to cook properly instead of just making instant noodles or eggs and honestly even simple recipes feel confusing sometimes. A lot of recipes use cooking words and techniques like everyone already knows what they mean which can make cooking feel a little overwhelming for beginners. For me the hardest part has not been the actual cooking but understanding all the small basic things nobody really explains. What was the first dish you learned that made you feel confident cooking on your own? And what is one beginner cooking mistake you wish someone had told you about earlier?

I am trying to get better at cooking and realized there are so many basic things I still do not know.

Right now I can only make instant noodles and very simple food, but I want to learn meals that are easy, cheap, filling and hard to mess up.

What is the one recipe or meal that made you more confident in cooking?

Tried this when I didn’t feel like cooking much and it turned out really good

Ingredients
Chicken (bite sized pieces), Broccoli, Potatoes (cubed) ,Garlic (3–4 cloves), Butter or oil , Salt and pepper

Steps
Heat some butter or oil in a pan, then add garlic and cook it for a minute. Add the chicken and cook it until it’s done. Then add the potatoes and broccoli and mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until everything is soft and slightly crispy. That’s it, simple and filling.

I’ve recently started cooking more instead of ordering food, and I can manage basics like rice, eggs, pasta, and sautéed veggies. The problem is everything tastes just… okay not bad, but not something I actually enjoy eating. It feels like something is missing, and I think it might be because I only use salt and sometimes pepper I don’t want complicated recipes or too many ingredients, just a few simple tips to make my food taste better. What helped you when you were starting out?