Cheap Eats Done Right - Alfredo Chicken - business idea

Most of us understand how natural foods are going to be healthier for us.  Many of us find ourselves in situations where this is not available as a choice.  In these situations, one can still put together a very tasty meal for cheap.

The topic of this post is Michelina's Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken and Broccoli (image attached), and my method of jazzing it up.

Less than 1.25 at my local Walmart, this frozen meal is a budget staple.  It is fine by itself, but adding a few things makes it delicious. I cook mine right in my air fryer, as I just rip the lid off and cook it in its container.

To the meal, I add two string cheese.  It is nice if this is two different types of cheese like one cheddar and the other Colby jack.  Aldo added is a tablespoon of butter, and a bit of minced garlic.  

This will need stirred up, because the original meal is frozen.  For me, this has been a fail proof recipe. Everything combines into a nice buttery cheesy meal that costs less than three dollars.  

With the utility of services such as door dash, there is a large opportunity to utilize recipes such as this for a ghost kitchen. There was a successful business that bought frozen pizzas and sold them cooked on Uber eats. While I have not calculated the costs, I think that there could be significant profit in souping up budget meals, and charging a reasonable ten or twelve dollars.  

If it were me, my ghost kitchen business would have just one main entree such as this Alfredo.  If a homeless business was to expand their options, their maximum number of orders might be limited.  Just Alfredo is a simple workflow.  The kitchen making only one meal the entire night makes many things easier.

Pair the business with Walmart plus for free shipping, and don't  waste gas or wages having someone go to the store and wait in line.  Having things delivered is a nice way to save money, because you are less prone to impulse buying.  Yes, buying online it is easy to waste money, but I think that my buying tendencies are worse when I am in person.  For a business, I feel that the importance here is efficiency.  There is no reason to waste time doing something menial such as groceries.  

Are you planning to sell this in the original packaging or package to revamp item into your own custom packaging?

If I were selling through a ghost kitchen, I would repackage into cheap to go containers.  There is a website for door dash merchants to purchase from.

For my own dinner, I just eat it out of the original container.

Anne Miller wrote:Are you planning to sell this in the original packaging or package to revamp item into your own custom packaging?

Thought about this question a little more.  If I was to try and optimize profits for such a venture, I would buy some bulk stickers with my ghost kitchen name like Just Alfredo.  

These stickers would then be used to show if the food has been tampered with prior to delivery, but also a cheap way of branding.

Over the years I have heard some great business ideas.

First, it takes a business license and the ones that involve food are a little tricky.

I had a friend who wanted to sell food out of a trailer set up in front of her house.  This was a long time before we started hearing about food trucks so I always wonder if that got started from her idea.

Another friend wanted to sell sandwiches at large office complexes.  I wonder if that idea got started somewhere.

Michael,
May I suggest you take this a step further and create a cookbook of budget meals jazzed up to be something special. If you do this, I have a jazzed up ramen soup recipe that is awesome...

Tamara, pleaseeeeeeeee pot your recipe.  Love ramen.

Peace

Glorified Ramen Noodle Skillet  (For 4 people)

Take 4 packs of ramen soup and cook per the label instructions without adding the seasoning packs. Save those seasoning packs. Drain and keep the noodles.
In a skillet, brown 1 1/2 lbs hamburger with 1 small chopped up onion and a couple ribs of chopped up celery.  Once browned and drained, add ramen noodles and seasoning packets to the skillet and serve.

Anne Miller wrote:Over the years I have heard some great business ideas.

First, it takes a business license and the ones that involve food are a little tricky.

I had a friend who wanted to sell food out of a trailer set up in front of her house.  This was a long time before we started hearing about food trucks so I always wonder if that got started from her idea.

Another friend wanted to sell sandwiches at large office complexes.  I wonder if that idea got started somewhere.

In some states they have a food cottage kitchen law.  Those that have it like Texas can often have a food preparation business without any license.  This is more bake sale goods that do not need refrigeration.

Also for businesses, you do not need a DBA if your name and the type of business is in the job name. I am not a lawyer, but it is worth to check.

Here are the food guidelines in your state, Michael.
https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/food-drug-protection-division/food-program/food-program-food/starting-food-business

Ramen is one of the top budget foods. Have you tried the MI goreng noodles? Yum!

Ramen is a staple for long distance hikers, and becomes a base for many recipes.  It definitely should be included for budget eating.

There is nothing wrong with your recipe, but I would suggest to give some alternatives to ground beef.  My idea here, is that the best budget recipes would be able to be bought at Walmart and cooked in a microwave or with hot water.

If course budget cooking isn't only for those down on money or without a kitchen, but that is why I suggest options.

Have you seen the Walmart packet of fajita chicken?  That is one that mixes well with ramen.