Welcome to the column to go to when you’re a broke, tired college student in a dorm. Today’s article is going to be about a versatile meal: tacos. While I’ll be focused more on how to cook the meat, I will also discuss vegan and vegetarian options.
First, the bare minimum needed is taco meat. You need one pound of ground meat and a packet of taco seasoning. The cheapest options here are Kroger 85/15 ground turkey and Kroger brand taco seasoning, costing a total of $4.91 to and 81 cents per serving, as this makes six servings.
If you’d like to add more volume to your meat, oats are a nutritious additive. A can of Kroger brand old-fashioned oats costs $2.95, and you’ll only need 1/3 cup of them. All that’s needed for you to do is to is to add your meat to a hot pan (and your oats if you’re using them), brown them while stirring often, and then add the spices and recommended amount of water on the package. However, there so much more you can add to your tacos that I’ve devised a list with the prices under the following.
Ground Meat Options:
73/27 ground beef, ground chicken and chorizo are all $4.92 per pound. If you opt for chorizo, it will probably be flavored enough to not need the seasoning packet. There are also leaner choices for ground beef all the way up to 94/6, but they are more expensive the less fatty they are.
Veggies (and Oil):
1-2-3 Vegetable Oil is the cheapest at $3.93 a bottle. If you’re not using meat, you can still fry some veggies up in this with the seasoning to make yourself some flavorful food.
Lettuce heads cost $2.40, while Kroger pre-shredded iceberg lettuce is $2.73. If you use the heads, a lettuce leaf can make an excellent substitute for a tortilla.
Simple Truth brand organic cilantro costs $2.18, and makes a great addition, provided you don’t have the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap. Garlic heads cost 55 cents each; avocados cost 60 cents; limes cost 65 cents; yellow onions cost $1.08 per pound, while sweet, red, and white onions are $1.52 a pound; and fresh Roma tomatoes are $1.08 per pound. If you’d prefer to go the canned route, they are $1.10 a can.
Bell peppers cost 89 cents each, and if you like some heat, habaneros are .25 cents each. Canned jalapeños and Chilies also exist for 98 cents per can. Kroger black beans are 87 cents a can; Kroger chopped olives are $2.07 a jar; and Kroger canned corn costs $1.08 a can.
Sauces and Cream:
Kroger brand sour cream is currently on sale for 80 cents a canister. Kroger traditional salsa costs $1.85. Kroger Monterey Jack queso costs $2.95. Taco Bell taco sauce is $2.95 a bottle, and comes in mild, hot, fire and verde. Simple Truth guacamole costs $3.82; Fritos bean dip costs $4.37, while Goya refried beans cost $2.18, depending on which you prefer.
Cheese:
Kroger brand shredded cheese is the cheapest, and come in the following varieties:
– Parmesan
– Colby Jack
– Mozzerella
– Montray Jack
– Cheddar Jack
– Cheddar (sharp, medium or mild)
– Mexican Style Blend
– Nacho and Taco Blend
– Queso Quesadilla
Chips and Tortillas:
Kroger soft shell tortillas cost $2.18 for a pack of 10. A big bag of Doritos costs $4.38, and 10 packs of mini bags are $7.65 if you’d like to make a walkin’ taco with your meat and toppings. Oretega taco shells cost $2.51 for a 12 count package. Cheetos cost $5.46 for a big bag. Kroger tortilla rounds cost $2.18 per large bag. Note that all of these chips are of cheaper store brand versions, but the flavor is definitely different if you are used to name brand in this case.
Enjoy creating a taco to suit you and your mood!
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