Cost breakdown

Recipe Making Process

Getting the ingredients for this recipe is quite simple and easy. The produce is fresh and simple to find at Walmart, and since avocados and tomatoes are often in season during warmer months, they are more flavorful and affordable during those times. For sustainability, you can swap tomatoes for seasonal veggies like sauteed spinach or roasted peppers in the winter. You also don’t need to use too much butter, which can help with budget savings since you can have more leftovers for other recipes.

Before cooking, it helps to practice mise en place. Mise en place is a French culinary term that means “putting in place”. This just means that you do some preparation before you start cooking. In this recipe, you should set out all ingredients, slice the tomatoes and avocados, and then heat the pan. This should make the cooking process smoother and a lot less stressful. I recommend doing this before starting to cook with any recipe.

The highlight of this recipe is the egg frying technique. Cooking eggs “over easy” or “over medium” requires an amount of control over both the time and temperature of the eggs. Keeping the pan at medium heat can prevent burning, while flipping the egg helps ensure a thoroughly cooked egg with a soft, runny yolk (if desired) without breaking it. This technique requires confidence and practice. It might not turn out the best the first time, heck, it’s still hard for me sometimes, but it gets easier the more you do it, and it’s a technique that can be built upon for future recipes.

Nutritionally, this meal provides fiber from the multigrain bread, healthy fats from avocados, vitamins (C, K, and B9) from the tomatoes, and protein from the eggs. All these ingredients help to support steady energy and focus during those long study periods.

The final dish should be vibrant with golden eggs over the bright green avocado and red tomato. The textures blend well with a perfect mixture of the eggs, vegetables, and toast. The slight spice from the tajin also gives it a tangy kick that leaves you satisfied.

Next time I have this for breakfast, I might try adding some shredded cheese or swapping the butter for olive oil for extra heart-healthy fats.

Overall, this recipe is a must-try for busy students who want to eat better without overspending or taking hours in the kitchen. It’s a small step towards building lifelong knowledge that can continue to help you even after college.

Wholesome in a Hurry

Author: Gunner Maw Courses:Breakfast

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time:1 hour 50 minutesServings:4 servingsEstimated Cost:25 $Calories:300 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

This is a simple and easy breakfast option full of nutrients and whole foods to help with satiety throughout a busy day, all on a budget.  

Ingredients

• Great Value Multigrain Bread (8 slices)
• Avocados (4)
• Butter (1 stick or less)
• Eggs (8)
• Roma Tomatoes (4)
• Organic Bananas (1 bundle)
• tt Salt
• tt Pepper
• tt Tajin
• tt Onion Powder

Instructions

1. Heat up a large pan to medium heat and grease it with enough butter to coat the base of the pan. A little goes a long way.
2. Crack 4 eggs at a time on the pan once heated, and cook 90% on one side and 10% on the other for the desired runniness of eggs (over easy, 3 1/2 minutes total, over medium, 4 1/2 minutes total, and over hard, 5 1/2 minutes or more). Don’t break the yolks.
3. Season the eggs with a little salt, pepper, tajin, and onion powder while cooking.
4. While the eggs are cooking, put 4 pieces of bread in the toaster.
5. While the eggs and toast are cooking, cut the tomatoes into thin slices, and cut the avocados into slightly thicker slices/wedges.
6. Once the toast is done, spread just enough butter to lightly coat the surface of the bread, and place the avocado, tomato, and cooked egg on the toast in that order.
7. Repeat for the second batch of 4 toasts so that each serving has 2.
8. Serve with a banana and enjoy!

Video

Keywords:BMeal Prep Easy cooking Nutrient Dense Healthy Eating Easy and Delicious, Budget friendly, delicious, easy, Eating in college, healthy eating, inexpensive, nutritious, Quick, Quick breakfast, simple

Cost Breakdown

Recipe Making Process

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
• Place chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic (Resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2-inch.

• Season chicken thoroughly with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour using a sifter or strainer, evenly coating both sides.
• Beat eggs in a shallow bowl and set aside. Mix bread crumbs and 1 cup Parmesan cheese in a separate bowl, set aside.
• Dip a flour-coated chicken breast in beaten eggs. Transfer breast to the bread crumb mixture, pressing crumbs into both sides. Repeat for each breast. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

• Heat 1/2 inch olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Cook chicken in the hot oil until golden, about 2 minutes per side. The chicken will finish cooking in the oven.

• Transfer chicken to a baking dish. Top each breast with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. Layer each chicken breast with equal amounts of mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and provolone cheese. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over top and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is browned, bubbly, and chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Chicken Parm with Marinara Sauce

Author: Whitney, Emily, Karson, James Cooking Method:Simmering Cuisine:Italian Courses:Italian American Lunch, Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time:1 hour Total time:1 hour 30 minutesServings:8 servingsEstimated Cost:6.60 $Calories:151 kcal

Description

A simple and delicious marinara sauce that can be used on anything – from pasta, to pizza, to this delicious chicken parm! And the chicken parm is a breaded chicken breast that is first pan-fried, then topped with the marinara sauce and cheese! Finish this dish by baking in the oven until the cheese is melted!

Ingredients

Best Marinara Sauce

• 2 (14.5 oz) cans of stewed tomatoes
• 1 (6oz) can of tomato paste
• 4 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup finely diced onion
• 1/2 cup white wine (or substitute with 1/4 cup white wine vinegar and 1/4 cup white grape juice)

Chicken Parmesan

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs, or more as needed
• 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or more if needed
• 1 cup olive oil for frying, or as needed
• 1 cup prepared tomato sauce
• ½ cup fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup grated provolone cheese
• 4 teaspoons olive oil

Instructions

Best Marinara Sauce

1. Place tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a food processor; blend until smooth.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in blended tomato sauce and white wine (or vinegar and grape juice substitute)
4. Simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan

5. While marinara sauce is simmering, preheat an oven to 450 degrees F.
6. Place chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2-inch.
7. Season chicken thoroughly with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour using a sifter or strainer; evenly coating both sides.
8. Beat eggs in a shallow bowl and set aside. Mix bread crumbs and 1 cup Parmesan cheese in a separate bowl, set aside. Dip a flour-coated chicken breast in beaten eggs. Transfer breast to the bread crumb mixture, pressing crumbs into both sides. Repeat for each breast. Let chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Heat 1/2 inch olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Cook chicken in the hot oil until golden, about 2 minutes per side. The chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
10. Transfer chicken to a baking dish. Top each breast with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. Layer each chicken breast with equal amounts of mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and provolone cheese. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over top and drizzle each with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil.
    
11. Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is browned and bubbly and chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
    

Keywords:Healthy on a budget, Homemade, Italian, Marinara, Sauce