Sherley’s Parmesan Puffs, pictured above. These four-ingredient, white-bread wonders might be the cheapest party food you can make. They’ll disappear quickly, so make multiple batches.

Pink Bean Dip. It’s packed with protein and quick to assemble, and the color alone might lift your spirits.

Homemade Sausage McMuffin With Egg. A fast-food classic that costs less to make at home.

Easy Cheese Soufflan. Jacques Pepin’s deft touch and cottage cheese make this one-skillet dish creamy and light.

Cumin-Cilantro Chicken Patties. Just about a cup’s worth of rotisserie chicken yields enough for six patties.

Carrot, Cumin and Kidney Bean Burgers. One of the meatless budget recipes that helped put Britain’s Jack Monroe on the map.

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Beef and Cabbage Stir-Fry With Peanut Sauce. From EatingWell magazine, this is thrifty, filling, easy to prepare and healthful.

Pesto Rice Meatballs. When this recipe was published in 2008, the estimated cost per serving was $1.27.

Spinach and Bacon Chili. Less than a pound of ground meat stretches into a meal for four, with leftovers.