We all have go-to, low-effort meals we make when we're craving something comforting and nostalgic. Some may deem them lowbrow or lazy — but that doesn't make them any less enjoyable. So redditor u/dgdon asked, "What cheap, quick, easy meal are you embarrassed to admit to enjoying?" Here are the meals people shared — and honestly, I can relate to a bunch of them.
1. "I can cook pretty well, and I make a lot of things from scratch, but every once in a while I have to throw it back to my 1980s childhood and whip up a cheap box of Hamburger Helper stroganoff. Maybe the craving comes because Hamburger Helper was one of the first things I learned to cook entirely by myself when I was a kid."
2. "A can of condensed tomato soup mixed with a can of condensed cheese soup over your choice of pasta noodles. My grandpa called it Army food, but god, it's so delicious."
3. "When I was a kid, breakfast for dinner was cause for celebration. I had no idea it meant my mom was exhausted and didn't get around to doing a grocery run. We'd have cheesy scrambled eggs, waffles from the freezer, and maybe even sausages. And to this day I am still so down for breakfast for dinner."
4. "Spam-and-egg sandwiches with shoyu or soy sauce mixed in with the eggs. It's so trashy good. My aunts in Hawaii used to make these in bulk for me and all my cousins for breakfast. I feel no shame in this family recipe and rejoice in it to this day."
5. "A can of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. It's an absolute classic on a cool or dreary night."
6. "Chili dogs. Throw some hot dogs in the microwave, warm up some canned chili, put the dogs and the chili on a bun, and throw on some cheese. Yum."
7. "Some of the comfort foods I made for myself as a starving twentysomething still hit the spot, even though my husband and kids make fun of me if they catch me eating them these days. Pizza bread is the absolute best: It's white bread, spaghetti sauce, and American cheese. Pop it into the oven until the cheese is melty and the bottom of the bread is nice and toasty."
8. "A fried bologna sandwich served Chicago-style. It's just fried bologna on bread with all the classic toppings of a Chicago dog: pickle, relish, tomato, and mustard."
9. "Stove Top stuffing. I devoured a whole box for dinner the other night. It's the most delicious secret indulgence."
10. "I love simple buttered spaghetti doused with the powdered Kraft Parmesan and fresh black pepper."
11. "My mom made chicken and dumplings in a very specific way when we went camping. It was just a couple cans of Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup and a tube of refrigerator biscuits laid on top of it. I would never serve this meal to others, but oh boy, I still love me some of my mom’s chicken 'n' dumplings!'"
12. "Brown sugar toast. Cheap white bread, thick layer of butter. Cover it in brown sugar and put it in the oven until the sugar melts — usually like 10 minutes. I'd never feed this to anyone else, but for me it's that perfect combination of comfort food and a total sugar bomb, which I love every now and then."
13. "My comfort food since I was a kid is plain steamed rice topped with canned tuna, mayo, and a squeeze of lime juice. Nowadays I tend to add fun veggie sides to it, and I roll bites into seaweed snacks, almost like faux sushi. Honestly, I'm craving it right now."
14. "Crushed Doritos mixed with shredded lettuce, Catalina dressing, shredded cheese, and taco meat. With some hot sauce, of course."
15. "My old babysitter used to make me boxed mac 'n' cheese served with sliced hot dogs on top. To this day it remains my ultimate comfort meal. It is awful and so artificial but always makes me feel better."
16. "Microwavable mashed potatoes with loads of cheese and butter. Just heat it up and devour."
17. "Tuna and noodles. It's like a low-effort version of tuna casserole made with elbow noodles, tuna, and mayo. They're basic ingredients I usually have sitting around and it's super easy, but it always hits the spot."
18. "My dad used to make us open-faced tuna melts on English muffins. All you need is canned tuna, mayonnaise, and an American cheese slice on a split English muffin. Pop it into the toaster and you've got a meal. Nowadays I make it for my own daughter, and she loves it as much as I did."
19. "Bologna, American cheese, mayo, and yellow mustard on white bread. There's something seriously nostalgic about it."
20. "Grilled PB&J. I cook it like a grilled cheese sandwich, but instead of cheese, it's made with crunchy peanut butter and peach preserves."
21. "Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, rice, and chicken bake. It was my favorite meal growing up. I would even request it for my birthday meal. I crave it whenever I'm reminded of it."
22. "Fry a can of corned beef hash and add a fried egg on top. Garnish it with a mixture of ketchup and sriracha. It's my guilty pleasure meal."
23. "Just tonight, I ate two hot dogs sliced up in some canned baked beans with white bread and butter. It's a childhood comfort meal for me, and you can whip it up in about 10 minutes. I don't have it often, but it's always a nice treat when I do."
24. "Pimento cheese and sweet pickles on toasted bread. Always hits the spot."
25. "I get a cheap packet of ramen and add an egg the last minute of cooking. Then I toss it into a bowl with a piece of American cheese. Let it sit for about five minutes till melted, stir it up, and enjoy."
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.