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Cheap. Fast. Good!
Not a penny-pinching cookbook—a "get smart!" cookbook.
No more staring helplessly at rising grocery bills or, too harried for time, shelling out twenty-five bucks for mediocre take-out. The work of two brilliant problem-solvers, Cheap. Fast. Good! cuts through both the budget dilemma and the time dilemma with 275 recipes for great, family-pleasing dishes, most of which take under 25 minutes to prepare and average out to cost less—and usually far less —than $2 a serving.
Home Ec simplified
Saving money in the kitchen is as simple as one four-letter Cook . But cooking to save means cooking food you and your family are going to love—and cooking (and shopping) smart. In dozens of time-and-money-saving tips, techniques, strategies, and solutions, the authors show how to make the right choices again and again.
They'll never know you're thrifty
Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Pepper Medley
Stuffed Peppers with Kielbasa Rice
Zesty Chicken Sauté
Bayou Stew
Catfish with Pecan Crust
Cinco de Mayo Skillet
Quickie Cacciatore
Perfect Spinach Pesto Pizza
Moroccan Meatballs Over Couscous
Salmon Pasta with Tomatoes and Dill
...Even when it's time to s-t-r-e-t-c-h
Onion Chopped Steak with Easy Gravy
Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
Fall Sausage and Cabbage Sauté
Ultra-Easy Veggie Quesadillas
Pasta e Fagioli
My Beef and Barley Soup
Ziti Mexi-Cali
No more staring helplessly at rising grocery bills or, too harried for time, shelling out twenty-five bucks for mediocre take-out. The work of two brilliant problem-solvers, Cheap. Fast. Good! cuts through both the budget dilemma and the time dilemma with 275 recipes for great, family-pleasing dishes, most of which take under 25 minutes to prepare and average out to cost less—and usually far less —than $2 a serving.
Home Ec simplified
Saving money in the kitchen is as simple as one four-letter Cook . But cooking to save means cooking food you and your family are going to love—and cooking (and shopping) smart. In dozens of time-and-money-saving tips, techniques, strategies, and solutions, the authors show how to make the right choices again and again.
They'll never know you're thrifty
Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Pepper Medley
Stuffed Peppers with Kielbasa Rice
Zesty Chicken Sauté
Bayou Stew
Catfish with Pecan Crust
Cinco de Mayo Skillet
Quickie Cacciatore
Perfect Spinach Pesto Pizza
Moroccan Meatballs Over Couscous
Salmon Pasta with Tomatoes and Dill
...Even when it's time to s-t-r-e-t-c-h
Onion Chopped Steak with Easy Gravy
Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
Fall Sausage and Cabbage Sauté
Ultra-Easy Veggie Quesadillas
Pasta e Fagioli
My Beef and Barley Soup
Ziti Mexi-Cali
480 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2005
1 person is currently reading
96 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 9, 2009
If you are a novice cook or new to frugal cooking, this would be a great resource. Since I am the consummate tightwad chef, I didn't find anything new here. Many of the recipes were similar to our own family favourites. My only complaint is that this book doesn't really go far enough in the "cheap" department :) There is quite a lot more meat (and more expensive types) than I use in my own cooking. You can certainly feed a family well for much less than they have indicated here, but it's a good start and this book is a solid resource for basic family recipes.
July 19, 2022
This cookbook was my go-to when my kids were small. I usually meal prep on the weekends so that we have meals throughout the week, and this was great for doubling (or even tripling) recipes to put extras in the freezer. I prefer this to the follow-up "Desperation Dinners."
August 11, 2019
What kind of recipes are you looking for? If the first thing that springs to your mind is complex or refined then don't bother. It's a book for families that are big and trying their best to budget with simple, mildly seasoned food. This isn't to say I didn't make quite a few of the recipes within. I too need simple stuff sometimes, and as long as you look at them as starting points and not finished products they can be tasty. Just wasn't a cook book I would recommend to anyone.
August 6, 2014
The Desperation Dinner Duo, Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross, earned my respect with their earlier books, Desperation Dinners! and Desperation Entertaining! In fact, I checked them out from the library so many times that I finally purchased them for my very own. Their newest book, Cheap. Fast. Good! is another winner.
A large book of over 475 pages, the title is a pretty accurate representation of its contents.
* Cheap: The authors contend that "saving money in the kitchen is as simple as one four-letter word: Cook." The amount of money slashed from the food bill directly correlates with the willingness to increase time in the kitchen. There is room for personal discretion and variation here, depending on how much time you want to invest and how much convenience you are willing to sacrifice. What is it that keeps you out of the kitchen? Is it fatigue, poor planning, disorganization, or fear of failure? All of these issues are addressed.
* Fast: Obviously, if I am going to skin and bone a chicken, that meal does not qualify as fast food. But every available hint for streamlining the process has been provided.
* Good: No one wants to invest precious time on a meal that is not satisfying. The recipes here are everyday "good" rather than gourmet. Chapters include soups, everyday entrees, skillet meals, pastas, sandwiches, salads, sides, batch cooking, sauces, breakfasts, and desserts.
More than a cookbook, this is a great little home economics course. Is it worthwhile to use coupons? How do you carve a whole roasted chicken? What kitchen gadgets should I invest in? Should I buy a freezer? These questions and many more are addressed with wisdom. These ladies have done their homework (literally!)
I am pretty comfortable in the kitchen, having spent much time there in college (dietetics), in managing a nursing home kitchen, and in serving my own family. But I like to sharpen my skills and learn new things. And I have learned a couple of very useful, new things from this book.
First, baked potatoes. What new thing could be learned about something this basic? Just wash, prick, and bake for an hour at 350 degrees, right? Right, if you want an average potato.
But if you would like a higher quality baked potato, one that has a crispy skin and a moist, fluffy interior, use the high-heat method. Bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack at 475 degrees for an hour. Bake extras to use later for twice baked or chili in spud bowls. Great tip, painlessly executed!
The other new thing I have learned is to roast whole chickens. By standing them upright (I use a bundt pan instead of the beer can the authors suggest), the poultry receives even heat from all sides. I have always used chicken pieces because I disliked the chore of carving the finished product. But I've overcome that little obstacle, too, by following the step-by-step instructions in the book and by using kitchen shears.
The cold winter months are especially suited to the art of cooking. I have enjoyed the spark of inspiration that Cheap. Fast. Good! has provided and recommend it if you are also endeavoring to make your time in the kitchen both economical and satisfying.
A large book of over 475 pages, the title is a pretty accurate representation of its contents.
* Cheap: The authors contend that "saving money in the kitchen is as simple as one four-letter word: Cook." The amount of money slashed from the food bill directly correlates with the willingness to increase time in the kitchen. There is room for personal discretion and variation here, depending on how much time you want to invest and how much convenience you are willing to sacrifice. What is it that keeps you out of the kitchen? Is it fatigue, poor planning, disorganization, or fear of failure? All of these issues are addressed.
* Fast: Obviously, if I am going to skin and bone a chicken, that meal does not qualify as fast food. But every available hint for streamlining the process has been provided.
* Good: No one wants to invest precious time on a meal that is not satisfying. The recipes here are everyday "good" rather than gourmet. Chapters include soups, everyday entrees, skillet meals, pastas, sandwiches, salads, sides, batch cooking, sauces, breakfasts, and desserts.
More than a cookbook, this is a great little home economics course. Is it worthwhile to use coupons? How do you carve a whole roasted chicken? What kitchen gadgets should I invest in? Should I buy a freezer? These questions and many more are addressed with wisdom. These ladies have done their homework (literally!)
I am pretty comfortable in the kitchen, having spent much time there in college (dietetics), in managing a nursing home kitchen, and in serving my own family. But I like to sharpen my skills and learn new things. And I have learned a couple of very useful, new things from this book.
First, baked potatoes. What new thing could be learned about something this basic? Just wash, prick, and bake for an hour at 350 degrees, right? Right, if you want an average potato.
But if you would like a higher quality baked potato, one that has a crispy skin and a moist, fluffy interior, use the high-heat method. Bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack at 475 degrees for an hour. Bake extras to use later for twice baked or chili in spud bowls. Great tip, painlessly executed!
The other new thing I have learned is to roast whole chickens. By standing them upright (I use a bundt pan instead of the beer can the authors suggest), the poultry receives even heat from all sides. I have always used chicken pieces because I disliked the chore of carving the finished product. But I've overcome that little obstacle, too, by following the step-by-step instructions in the book and by using kitchen shears.
The cold winter months are especially suited to the art of cooking. I have enjoyed the spark of inspiration that Cheap. Fast. Good! has provided and recommend it if you are also endeavoring to make your time in the kitchen both economical and satisfying.
March 7, 2011
The tips in this cookbook were a wonderful addition and even though they are suited to an early stages cook, I found a few new ones for me as well. I felt that the greatess success of this book was the variety offered. Many different things, representative of different cultures, are featured. (I loved the Moroccan Meatballs over Coucous!) The fast aspect is not precisely true, but that is based on perception. Is it fast for traditional 'from scratch' cooking? Yes. Is it fast compared to a lot of other cookbooks that claim they are full of quick to prepare meals? No. Then again, this food doesn't taste like it came out of a Campbell's soup can either. I felt it was completely worth the money.
April 4, 2010
I found the informtation in this book to be very helpful. There were good ideas about substituting and stocking up on food items. The information sections were intermixed with the recipes so you did have to peruse the entire book to find all the little gems. There is a good index and table of contents to aid in this process.
I also thought the recipes were quick and cheap and something my family would eat (for the most part.) It is nice to find a cookbook that is not overly fixated on chicken recipes. This book had a good section on soups and sides which I found to be very useful.
I also thought the recipes were quick and cheap and something my family would eat (for the most part.) It is nice to find a cookbook that is not overly fixated on chicken recipes. This book had a good section on soups and sides which I found to be very useful.
November 13, 2012
Some pretty good recipes and hints and tips. Like another reviewer I found the tip of jacket potatoes - 1hr at 450 served up some great jacket potatoes for dinner and to use later in the week.
I'm new to the cooking in advance, not sure what will freeze and what won't, so this guide is pretty good.
Not for the moderate chef, but for the beginner cook or someone look for some inspiration then I would recommend the book. Like many others, I got it from the library, actually used several recipes and hints and decided the $6 from amazon was well worth it.
I'm new to the cooking in advance, not sure what will freeze and what won't, so this guide is pretty good.
Not for the moderate chef, but for the beginner cook or someone look for some inspiration then I would recommend the book. Like many others, I got it from the library, actually used several recipes and hints and decided the $6 from amazon was well worth it.
July 26, 2008
As a fan of Mills and Ross's previous cookbooks Desperation Dinners and Desperation Entertaining, I found this book a joy. They make things seems so easy. I found this at my local library, but I am adding it to my list of 'to buy' from Amazon.com. If you are trying to cut your food budget this book is a great place to start.
March 10, 2008
I borrowed this from the library and may be purchasing it for myself, since I really want to try several of the tips and recipes. They seem like real person recipes - stuff that I would like and would eat myself.
April 24, 2008
Great cook book for beginners, or "well-seasoned" cooks who like to try new and fun things but don't have the time to get all Martha Stewarty about it. Great shopping tips and fix ahead time savers too!
February 1, 2011
Easy and inexpensive recipes...plenty of money-saving tips and helpful ideas. Some recipes have suggestions for substitutes, etc. Here and there I just pick it up and read some of the side columns. I've made a few recipes, all were good.
July 19, 2011
I'm pulling more from this cookbook lately. Just like Desperation Dinners, most of what I try actually tastes good! I'm also amazed that they have a background story for just about every recipe! It would be nice if they used the symbols from Desperation Dinners to identify kid-friendly recipes.
August 7, 2007
helpful advice but not too many vegetarian dishes....or maybe i haven't gotten to that part yet..
January 5, 2008
lots of food info in addition to recipes
February 3, 2008
The fast and the good part was okay but the cheap part was kind of a turn off, because that involved things like hot dogs as ingredients. No thanks.
November 6, 2008
This cookbook has a bunch of recipes using simple, basic and primarily natural ingredients. Good for a quality meal on a busy day.
November 25, 2008
I was dissapointed by this book. The helpful hints seemed obvious and I tried four receipies from the book and only one was good.
February 10, 2009
Some decent recipes inside but alot that my family wouldn't eat.
March 29, 2016
This is a wonderful book, some of my family's favorite recipes are from here. Another book I really just need to buy, and stop borrowing from the library all the time.
July 31, 2011
Love this cookbook! Every recipe I've tried so far has been incredibly simple and so flavorful!
July 20, 2012
Needs more pics!
February 11, 2015
The recipes in this book are just as described. Great inspiration for good cooking on a budget.
December 24, 2012
Had some great tips and great recipes that I could easily adapt to my eating needs. Great book!
August 22, 2013
Review on my blog: http://libbygorman.wordpress.com/2013...
August 7, 2008
I got lots of great ideas from this book.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews