Ray,
Interesting topic ( aside from the article
).
So what IS your best cheap recipe, folks? One that tastes great but doesn't cost much?
Mine is to make dinner with really high quality dried semolina pasta ( Rustichella, Martelli; DeCecco in a pinch). It really makes a huge amount of difference in taste, for a few bucks extra for the whole family. Top with your own homemade sauce ( really cheap) , or one of the excellent jar sauces you can get now ( Mario Batali, ComeBack Inn, Rao's- I think Dave's in over-priced;), add salad and some good bread and you've got a great cheap dinner for 4.
Deb