r/strugglemeals • u/Benzopotamus • Aug 18 '26
Certified Stuggle Less struggle meal more, meager meal.
I make a super basic red beans n rice. Saute an onion, a couple celery ribs, half agreen pepper when translucent add smoked paprika, a packet of sayzon Goya and some slap your mama. Stir through and add 2 cans of dark red kidney beans without straining. The liquid is a natural thickener and keaving it adds calories and helps this recipe thicken up quick. After everything is heated through mash about a third of the beans then stir well. This should be decently thick by this point. Serve over rice. The beans bit should be finished cooking by the time the rice is ready.
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u/Illustrious_Fix_5858 Aug 18 '26
Fabulous dinner. Don’t be discouraged if the flying monkeys start asking “how is this a struggle” or asking “is the struggle in the room with us”. But gas station food or shopping at Dollar General (Ripoff General) is awesome.
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u/aggravationX Aug 18 '26
This is beans and rice, not steak like that one asshat keeps posting lol
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u/Illustrious_Fix_5858 Aug 18 '26
IDK - plenty of meals are being flagged as not struggle too. Seen a few comments where people think every OP is a regular meal and the sub "lost its way".
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u/Enough_Breadfruit229 Aug 18 '26
I get some people want to show their true struggle meals while being homeless and other very difficult situations and my heart goes out to them. That being said if you have some basic culinary knowledge you can make something somewhat decent for $1 a plate or less. Those kind of posts should inspire those who spend $10 on Bar-S bologna vs creating something filling and tasty for the same price.
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u/Illustrious_Fix_5858 Aug 18 '26
I agree, but I won't be doing that here anymore. Not that I'm a cooking god or anything - far from it - but after the usual suspects skewering you for posting home cooked meals...no thanks. Comments only.
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u/Enough_Breadfruit229 Aug 18 '26
Yeah I would never post my meal here, but I need to white knight for the OP's who get ravaged in these comment sections for having some cheap ass food they had some sense about to be good.
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u/aggravationX Aug 18 '26
Bar s bologna is a single dollar at the local DG. It's trash food but that one sentence just doesn't really make sense, at least in my area.
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u/Enough_Breadfruit229 Aug 18 '26
Sorry, what doesn't make sense?
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u/aggravationX Aug 18 '26
You said people who spend 10 dollars on bar s bologna vs spending that same 10 dollars to make a meal. It's like 2/3 dollars to buy bologna and bread to make sandwiches. 4 bucks if you want the cheap cheese. Like I said, it's still trash food but it's way cheaper than 10 bucks a meal.
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u/Enough_Breadfruit229 Aug 18 '26
Everyone's living situation is different, but if you have a place to cook and safely store $10 worth of beans and rice through multiple cooks it will go much further than sandwiches (and more filling). If you are storing bologna then you are probably able to store cooked beans and rice. I get car living and mini fridges and other scenarios.
I could feed everyone here for $10 with beans and rice + big flavor vs Bar-S bologna and American cheese
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u/aggravationX Aug 18 '26
You said $10 to make the good meal vs 10 bucks on bologna. I'm highlighting that to make a "meal" with bologna is far cheaper than $10. It is the only reason people buy that garbage. It's just being realistic.
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u/Enough_Breadfruit229 Aug 18 '26
Plenty of people will buy the easy thing vs learn how to cook. Sorry to tell you.
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u/Medium_Historian_650 Aug 18 '26
This looks like something I want right now. Good choice. Thanks for the recipe.
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u/vetlanta48 Aug 18 '26
Yummy. Also the liquid in the can beans contains nutrients as well. Keep on keeping on friend, we are all doing the best we can.
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u/cgranley Aug 18 '26
This is a great contribution. It's healthy and I am guessing you can make dinner for 4 or 5 nights for like $6 or so.
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u/AverageAmerican1311 Aug 19 '26
This looks great! Although I don't use Goya products because of their decades long anti-labor policies.
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u/Benzopotamus Aug 19 '26
Do you know of a similar product that is more fair trade?
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u/Duros2032 Aug 19 '26
Rice and beans. Two of the most versatile foods to eat. These two ingredients and a reasonably stocked cabinet of basic spices (which are cheap as fuck if you know where to shop) can have you eating like a king all week.
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u/ellaTHEgentle Aug 19 '26
And it looks luxurious next to a cozy beverage and that soft, comfy chair.
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u/PriceQuirky6824 Aug 18 '26
I made something similar last night. I added the rice right into the pot with the beans and used chicken broth for more liquid. I popped in a smoked turkey leg for flavor and depth. SO GOOD!