West Michigan chef shares budget-friendly recipes

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — It can cost a lot to fill grocery carts these days but a Grand Rapids-area chef is trying to help families get creative without breaking the wallet.

Chef Jenna Arcidiacono of Amore Trattoria Italiana in Comstock Park recently made a video on social media of her shopping for groceries and putting together a tasty meal for a low price.

“I am hearing a lot about how frustrating it is to shop right now and how the bills are like, almost 30%-40% more than just a couple years ago. So I wanted to make sure that people know they can still make a really good meal for a decent price,” Arcidiacono said.

She showed News 8 a few meals she made using affordable ingredients. Arcidiacono made a red pesto pasta that she said cost a little over $6 and only nine minutes to make.

“I always go and see what the special deals are for the week … pasta is always a really good option, it fills bellies and it makes people happy.”

For a side, she suggested a spinach and arugala mix with a lemon-based dressing as well as a salad made of cabbage, carrots, cilantro, red pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Here’s her recipe for a pickle pasta salad:

• 1 box cavatappi pasta (cooked)
• 16 oz sour cream
• 1 cup mayo
• Shredded pickles, including the juice from jar
• 1 jar mild giardiniera
• 10 green olives, sliced
• Dill weed
• Fresh dill to taste
• 1 package of dried Lipton onion dip mix
• 1 cup cubed fontina
• Dash of smoked paprika
• Black pepper to taste

For dessert, Arcidiacono said she gets a can of apples and gluten-free granola that she tops with a homemade caramel, made of butter and brown sugar.

Watch the video above to see Chef Jenna in action.

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