$7 First Apartment Feast Challenge: Ditch Fast Food | Struggle Meals

New apartment, tight budget, and only $7 to spare for dinner? In this challenge episode of Struggle Meals, we're proving that a humble budget can still yield a hearty, home-cooked meal, far from the realm of fast food.
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[@FullOfFlail]

This was the quintessential struggle meal. Tight budget and no “cheating” of any kind. My hats off to you Frankie!

[@azanterose6526]

I always like to buy a "luxury" item like bacon when I only have a bare minimum amount of money to spend on a meal. Usually, from the supermarket deli (similar to where Frankie got the bacon)
It makes me temporarily happy & not worry about my money woes. I always look forward to eating that meal for a few days in a row.😊
By buying a small amount of either olives, marinated roasted red capsicum, or feta, it makes my simple meal luxurious. 😊

[@CarlySharec86]

Can you do like a $10 or $15 challenge for three meals a day?

[@mirandamom1346]

Nice work. I would have spent some of that 83 cents on garlic, but yeah, nice work.

[@joshuaberkley5219]

In 2024, going under-budget on a $7 family-sized meal gives me hope for the future.

[@lesleyvivien2876]

A lot of five-year-old "challenges" are being posted as new this year, so the costs may need to be updated.

[@michellependergrass2584]

@@lesleyvivien2876 i’m not sure how much bacon costs from the deli, but I think you could get pasta, and some kind of veggie, and a can of tomatoes for under like $5

[@lesleyvivien2876]

@@michellependergrass2584 Me neither so I looked it up. You can get a 250g packet of bog-standard supermarket bacon for about £4, which is your budget blown in one. (Or you could buy 180g of dry-cure organic bacon, nitrate free, for £6 or £7 - out of the question!)
You could get the things you suggest for £5, certainly. Or make a veggie version of carbonara, with pasta, an egg and mushrooms, and a bit of cheese.

[@michellependergrass2584]

​@@lesleyvivien2876 yah, but he got like 1 piece from the deli, which I think would be less than 250 g, although you'd only be able to do that at a fancier store, either way I think it would be tight

[@lesleyvivien2876]

@@michellependergrass2584 Oooo much less! I looked at the Tesco website and found a 300g packet of back bacon containing ten slices - so that's about 30g (or an ounce) a rasher. The pack price is £2.25 so perhaps a single rasher (from a fancier store!) might cost a fifth of the total - enough flavour, for up to 45 pence. Result!

[@KarMa-ws3ll]

i think, if i only had 7 $, i would go for lentils and onions and salt. U can make soup with it, u can make a bred or pancakes with it , its filling and has a lot of proteins.

[@lkjkhfggd]

Nice recipe. I remember one of Struggle Meal's first episodes where it's just broccoli and pasta, and I love eating that.
I think if I had nothing at all in my fridge and pantry and only $7, I would look and see if there's a local food bank that can get me started.
If there's nothing like that nearby, I would probably just buy a bag of rice and some eggs. Rice provides the carbs and eggs provide almost every nutrient the body needs. Plus a fried egg on some rice tastes awesome (though I'd have to get my hands on some salt and pepper - maybe there's a place where I can snatch some packets). Definitely not exciting but it'll get me by for a while.

[@Melodymist]

if you can find some soy sauce for cheap, that's salty enough to season the rice, with some extra flavor on top. And if you can splurge on some butter, combining that with soy sauce make the rice taste delicious. I had that with fried egg a few times and I really enjoyed it!

[@Cavewoman1954]

Yay !!! Closed captioning :) Thank you SOOO much

[@jeanettenizza8082]

I do a version of this whenever I want a quick meal and need to use up odds and ends in the fridge. It works every time!

[@wesleythetrombonist]

Wow, my dad recommended this channel to me (as a broke graduate student) and I’m really impressed!! The bacon from the butcher’s counter was a great idea

[@anneard1674]

first time watching... very inspiring as my income has reduced by 50% when hubby died.

[@OneTraveller]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

[@OneTraveller]

I'm also going to echo what another commenter said about food banks. They got me through a lot of hard times.

[@elizabeth4053]

Sending my love and definitely check out his Struggle Meals videos. They are so worth it. I love his meal planning videos as well. I watch and rewatch videos to get inspired with whatever assorted leftover ingredients I have in the fridge. All the best 🙏🏻💕

[@bushcraftbasics2036]

Struggle meal I learned years ago and is now a family favorite.
Mix of 50/50 condesed mushroom and tomato soup for pasta sauce is good tasting and inexpensive.
If you have more money add spices, hamburger and mushrooms. If feeling wealty top with cheese.

[@KarMa-ws3ll]

Its a nice meal - when I was low on cash as a student, I would always go for soups. Some Broth cube with a veggie llike carrots and/or some protein in it (eggdrop, lentil, beans).

[@NME_hbb]

THE MAN!

[@zwordsman]

I'd opt out of eggplant for either spinach bag or if i could swing in. one of those 4 pack of cheese sticks, or one of those single snack cheese and meat stick. Then that'll beef that up a litle. for still probably under 7. depending on tax

[@meiwong2195]

Great timing, exactly what I have today. Will be making this tonight. Thanks very much for the idea!

[@joelaut12]

What a great meal! Any suggestion for a slightly less salty protein substitute?

[@RDwithers48]

You could do a leaner cut of ham. It would give you less salt content due to the reduced fat

[@allgreatfictions]

I have one very very minor complaint. In order to keep the cutting board clean from the bacon, you folded the inside of the paper underneath and put it on the cutting board. So, technically, a bit of cross contamination. That's just me nitpicking though, and if I'm cooking veggies after something cured like bacon, i don't really mind, as long as it's being cooked.

[@MemeGremlin]

Frankie, my dude, you could have sauce drawered some parm on there. That aside, I would love to see a video of you cooking with what viewers have in their pantries. Would be cool if you got us to send you pics of what we have and you show us what we could have made.

[@user-xd6nc6rg7b]

He could have, but the challenge was for someone who just moved into their first apartment and probably wouldn’t have a drawer full of saved sauce and spice packets. This was for someone with empty cupboards and $7

[@j-cotto333]

You are on a roll my man

[@Yesica1993]

So cool! Thanks for helping out us poor folk!

[@Khalmidgar]

not a 7 dollar meal but id like to share a dish ive made a lot and makes plenty of servings. get you the ground beef of your choice, 2 packs of ramen noodles beef flavor, a bell pepper, and optional but recommended pepperoni. brown up the beef with italian seasonings along with the chopped up bell pepper and pepperoni if your using it. Once its all cooked drain excess grease added 2 packs of ramen on top then add water till it comes up to the noodles. Add in either 1 or both of the flavor packets from the ramen depending how salty you want, or sub beef broth, then just simmer it until the ramen soak up most of the liquid and is cooked. Top with cheese if you have it and your done. One pot meal comes together fast and pretty tasty. I always have extra pepperonis to use for other things when im done

[@toddli5272]

Onion or garlic with that extra 93 cents

[@LaundryFaerie]

Looks like pasta alla norma without the cheese. Not too shabby.

[@kentcostello5286]

Hell I would pay $8 for that. Looks awesome and good

[@nyn1966]

Looks delightful!

[@tenthousanddaysofgratitude]

Well done! Yum.

[@kathleenardrey5094]

Fabulous problem-solver! I am entranced by your recipe! Hooray!

[@reannabunch2996]

Yummy. I put my tomatoes in the blender for a sauce like

[@anitraahrens905]

❤ Thanx, Chef Frankie Celenza for another great meal plan. I'll use turkey bacon. Thanx! ❤

[@rachelschaum]

Could have bought an onion with the extra money!

[@OneTraveller]

Yes, that's what I was thinking, too!

[@anitraahrens905]

❤ Wunderbar, Chef Frankie Celenza, you did it yet again! ❤

[@MRJLS15]

Looks great

[@sallygordin2869]

Good job 👏

[@vvkelly97]

❤

[@chy03001]

I want to make this

[@chy03001]

So I did end up making this. It cost closer to $10 but had more bacon and some parmesan cheese. Definitely going to make it again :-)

[@mondoraj]

I bet is was a struggle to only buy one piece of bacon, because you know....bacon!

[@stephaniepapaleo9001]

Yummm 🍝

[@kaanbalci]

I'd definitely chop the bacon into an almost mince - that'd replicate a beef mince and the fat would've rendered better. I'd use eggplant into a smaller dice as a meat-substitute as its spongy texture would soak the bacon fat better. I'd cut the zucchini just as you did because that'd be the star veg of the show. But of course as always - bravo!

[@SiliconSlick69]

that eggplant isnt that long ;P

[@elizabeth4053]

I love this idea! What do you have for dried up French bread I forgot about in the cupboard? Pretty please 🙏🏻 🍒

[@mirandamom1346]

Ever made Spanish garlic soup?

[@donnalynn6348]

I thought he wanted meals for several days?

[@imracer05]

Great episode! I didn’t think $7 could go that far!!

[@DigitalMoneyMichelle]

❤

[@shortygee1985]

❤