Dinner for 3

Chow Mein

Name: Chow Mein
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 cloves garlic; 1 tsp grated fresh ginger; 1/2 cup carrots; 1 cup shredded napa cabbage; 1 cup bean sprouts; 6 oz chow mein noodles; 3 green onions; 1 tsp sesame seeds; 1/3 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 2 tbsp oyster sauce; 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil; 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

$5.62for 425 minServes 3

Toss noodles with garlic, ginger, vegetables, sprouts, and a savory soy-oyster sauce in one hot skillet.

Photo: spendwithpennies.com

What it costs

Pick your city to see which ingredients are on sale

Ingredient	Amount	Cost
	Garlic, 0.25$0.75 each typical	0.25	$0.15Typical price
	Fresh ginger, a little$0.40/oz typical	a little	$0.03Typical price
	Carrots, 0.15 lb$1.09/lb typical	0.15 lb	$0.15Typical price
	Cabbage, 0.2 lb$0.79/lb typical	0.2 lb	$0.17Typical price
	Fresh peas and snap peas, 0.25 lb$3.49/lb typical	0.25 lb	$0.87Typical price
	Ramen and Asian noodles, 6 oz$0.18/oz typical	6 oz	$1.08Typical price
	Green onions, 0.5$1.19 each typical	0.5	$0.51Typical price
	Nuts and seeds, a little$0.70/oz typical	a little	$0.07Typical price
	Broth, 2.75 oz$0.07/oz typical	2.75 oz	$0.19Typical price
Total for the servings shown		$4.21

Swaps

Swap carrots for sweet potatoesabout $0.20/lb more at typical prices

Pantry staples you likely have

Olive and cooking oilSoy sauceAsian sauces and pastesCornstarch, vanilla, yeast, cocoa

Not included in the cost.

25 minstart to table
Mediumdifficulty
3servings (the source says 4, which counts pieces)
$typical cost tier

Chinese Dairy-free Budget Family Dinners

Typical price

$1.40 per serving$5.62 for 4

City Store

Typical price: Salefork's estimate of an everyday US shelf price for each ingredient. Pick your city to price it from this week's ad.

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup carrots
1 cup shredded napa cabbage
1 cup bean sprouts
6 oz chow mein noodles
3 green onions
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Steps

Whisk chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil, and cornstarch in a small bowl.
Boil the chow mein noodles according to the package directions, then drain them.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
Stir-fry garlic, ginger, carrots, and cabbage for 4 minutes.
Add the noodles and bean sprouts, then toss for 2 minutes.
Pour in the sauce, toss for 2 minutes, and top with green onions and sesame seeds.