By on April 24th, 2017

Homestay Recipes: Affordable Options for Host Parents

Being a homestay parent comes with a number of benefits, many of which you’ll only fully realize during your student’s stay and some that you won’t even recognize until after they’ve left.

However, it’s also true that being a homestay host means your budget will need to incorporate one more person.

While it’s definitely worth it, we’ve put together some very affordable recipes that will leave your student and your budget very happy.

Sticky Rice Stir Fry

It doesn’t get much easier than this homestay recipe. All you need is:

• 2 Cups of Uncooked Rice
• Frozen or Canned Vegetables
• Soy Sauce

Altogether, that’s less than $5.

All you need to do is steam your rice, heat up your vegetables in the microwave and then combine the two with just a splash of soy sauce.

Of course, you can also toss in a chicken breast or two, which only raises the overall price by about $1.

Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast burritos are so delicious and so easy to make, it’s strange they haven’t already replaced cold cereal as a morning staple.

In any case, for this homestay recipe, you’ll need:

• 1 Can of Black Beans
• 1 Carton of Eggs
• 8 Pack of Tortillas

This is a very simplified version of the traditional breakfast burrito, but it’s cheap and extremely healthy. You can make these every morning and just mix things up every now and then with something different.

To begin, heat a tortilla up by putting it in the microwave. Scramble your eggs while doing this and put the black beans over heat on the stovetop.

When all your ingredients are heated, combine them in the burrito. You can also add any extras you want like sour cream, shredded cheese and hot sauce.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

It’s hard to imagine, but there are actually places all over the world where this delicious dish isn’t served. As a homestay host, you get the honor of introducing a young person to it and the benefit of the meal being so budget-friendly.

For about $7, you should be able to purchase:

• Box of creamy tomato soup
• Loaf of bread
• Sliced cheese

The cheese is the most expensive of the three, but it will also last you a handful of meals, too.

Everyone knows how to make this dish, so we’ll skip the instructions. One thing we will add, though, is a suggestion to occasionally mix it up a bit. Add bacon or tomato, for example, to your grilled cheese sandwich.

Cornbread, Ham and White Beans

Depending on where you’re from in the country, this homestay recipe is either going to be a mainstay you remember from your childhood or something completely new. If you’re part of the latter group, get ready for a delicious, sumptuous meal.

Here’s what you need:

• Box of cornbread mix
• 1 lb. dry white beans
• 1/2 lb. cooked ham
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 small onion
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

The recipe will cost about $8, but the preparation is simple enough. Just follow the instructions for making the cornbread. Then, make a pot of ham and beans. You’ll want to dice the ham and small onion for this. Rinse the beans and then place them in cold water for eight hours overnight before draining them.

When they’re ready, add them to a pot with the ham and onions, cayenne, pepper, salt, brown sugar and parsley. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil then reduce it down to a simmer. Leave it until the beans are tender; it should be about 90 minutes to an hour.

Finally, serve with the cornbread and enjoy the amazing aroma this recipe creates.

There you have it: four recipes that won’t break the bank but will make your student very, very happy.