One pot meal takes 5 min to prep

We get busy and buy more expensive convenience foods.  Which are usually more fattening too.  So I have found making a one pot meal can save me money and time cooking and cleaning up.  This easy cheap thick stew really checks all the boxes of fast, easy, nutritious and budget friendly.  These ingredients prices are from my local Walmart and will probably be different in your local market.

Beef Veggie Barley Stew

The main ingredients are:
A pound of 90% lean hamburger (800 calories $6.98)
32 ounce package of great value frozen mixed veggies (550 calories $2.48)
11 ounce box of quick barley (1190 calories $2.74)
2440 calories ÷ 18 one cup servings = 136 calories per cup
Cost $12.20 ÷ 18 = 68 cents per cup

Seasonings:
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Beef bouillon and Mushroom Umami Seasoning (sorry I don't have a measuring as I just add to taste)

I make it in my ninja foodi, but you can just use a big stock pot.

The interesting part is you do not brown the meat!  Just using it to make a collagen full broth, so not breaking it down in the meillard process.  Just mix a few cups of cold water into the beef thoroughly.  Then add the frozen veggies.  Add enough water to bring it up to the 18 cup mark (if you're using a stock pot, I'd estimate you'll be adding 3.5 quarts of water.)  Add rosemary and pepper before cooking but no salt or bouillon.  I pressure cook for 30 minutes just to speed up cooking the frozen veg, but it's not necessary as you can just bring it to boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes.

Then add the barley, and although I use the steam function for 12 minutes, you can just simmer it.

Add some bouillon and mushroom umami seasoning at the end instead of salt.  It adds more flavor and less sodium overall that way.  The seasonings add the "browned" flavor, so i don't have to brown the ground beef, which creates a really rich unctuous broth.

I have added a few handfuls of crumbled up shiitake mushrooms in the beginning when I add the veggies but it's not necessary, but is a low calorie add in.  If you invest in a big bag get stemless, and you can use bits of it in many recipes and that makes it economical.