The majority of recipes in The Everything Meals on a Budget Cookbook cost $2 or less per serving to make.

This begs the question, does it require scraping out the crumbs from the cabinet to make a mock-something casserole? Not to worry. Author Linda Larsen is a professional home economist who has a degree in food science and nutrition from the University of Minnesota. The book (Adams Media, $14.95) promises high flavor with the low costs.

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts can be made for $1.89 a portion using frozen spinach and any semi-soft cheese that you favor. Hot and Sweet Meatloaf, $1.21 a serving, uses ground turkey (or chicken) to keep the cost down and many people would rather use those meats for a more healthful alternative to beef. Pasta e Fagioli is usually served as a soup, but Larsen pledges her version is more like a stew and costs just $1.10 per serving. First you need to make spinach pesto but that’s not too difficult, and by using spinach to blend with the basil, you keep the cost down. Linguine with Clam Sauce, $1.35 a serving, is a bit on the garlicky side but requires little more investment than cans of minced clams and mushroom pieces. Sour cream gives it the creaminess.

All those recipes are shared here.

What you’ll have to buy the book for are all the other soup and side dish recipes which are pennies per portion, such as Garlic-Parmesan Green Beans (73 cents) or Polenta — Two Ways (21 cents); Orange-Almond Salad (81 cents) or Pesto Pasta Salad (78 cents).

In all, there are 300 recipes in this paperback cookbook, which really should help you prepare fresh food that is cheaper than just about anything else you can make for dinner.

Larsen notes that one of the surprising things about budget cooking is that some prepared ingredients are less expensive than homemade, and vice versa. For example, canned mushrooms are less (64 cents for four ounces) than fresh ($1.10). Corn bread mix costs 49 cents while the dry ingredients cost 89 cents, and cake mix costs 94 cents while cake ingredients add up to $1.44. Conversely, frozen hash browns are more expensive (at $1.79 a pound) than those made with fresh potatoes (49 cents a pound) and canned baked beans cost 60 cents a serving while homemade are 37 cents a serving.

If you do your homework, and calculate coupons and sales into the mix, you can be on top of selecting the most cost-efficient ingredients.

BUTTERSCOTCH BROWNIES

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1/2 cup ground oatmeal

1/2 cup butterscotch chips, ground

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch pan with baking spray containing flour and set aside. In heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook butter, stirring constantly, until brown flecks appear. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Beat in eggs and corn syrup. Add ground oatmeal and butterscotch chips.

Stir in vanilla, flour and baking powder and mix well. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 25-35 minutes or until just set. Do not overbake. Let cool on wire rack.

For frosting, combine sugar, milk and 2 tablespoons butter in heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips, beating until frosting is smooth. Pour over cooled brownies and let stand until firm. Cut into bars and store at room temperature.

Cost per bar is 15 cents.

LINGUINE WITH CLAM SAUCE

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves, garlic, minced

1 (16-ounce) package linguine

2 (6.5-ounce) cans minced clams, undrained

1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup parsley, minced

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, combine butter and olive oil over medium heat. When butter melts, add onion and garlic; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook until almost al dente according to package directions. Meanwhile, add undrained clams, mushrooms, basil, and lemon juice to saucepan and bring to a simmer.

When pasta is done, drain and add to saucepan with sauce. In small bowl, combine sour cream and cornstarch and blend with wire whisk. Add to saucepan; cook and stir until mixture bubbles, about 4 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Serves 6 for $1.35 each.

PASTA E FAGIOLI

1 pound dried navy beans

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 ham bone

8 cups water

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (12-ounce) package ditalini or small shell pasta

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup Spinach Pesto (see recipe)

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Sort beans and rinse; drain, then cover with cold water. Let soak overnight. In the morning, drain beans and set aside.

In large soup pot, cook onion, garlic, and celery in olive oil until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add the beans, ham bone, water, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, then cover and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove ham bone and cut meat off bone. Return meat to pot and discard bone.

Using a potato masher, mash some of the beans. Add Italian seasoning, tomatoes, pasta, and red pepper flakes to pot. Bring to a boil and cook until pasta is tender, about 6 to 8 minutes or according to package directions. Serve with pesto and Parmesan cheese.

Serves 10 for $1.10 each.

HOT AND SWEET MEATLOAF

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

3/4 cup chili sauce, divided

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup dried bread crumbs

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pound ground turkey or ground chicken

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeno pepper; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove to large bowl; let cool for 10 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, egg, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add turkey and cheese; work gently but thoroughly with hands until combined.

Form into a loaf on a cookie sheet with a rim. In small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup chili sauce with brown sugar. Spread over loaf. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until internal temperature registers 165 degrees. Cover with foil and let stand for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.

Serves 4 for $1.21 each.

SPINACH PESTO

1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup virgin olive oil

Drain thawed spinach in a colander, pressing with your fingers to remove excess water. Combine in blender or food processor with basil, dried basil, lemon juice, walnuts, salt, pepper, and cheese. Process until finely chopped.

While processor is running, slowly add olive oil until a smooth thick sauce forms. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Freeze up to 3 months.

Sixteen servings; 33 cents each.

SPINACH STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed

3 tablespoons dried bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese

2 tablespoons butter

Carefully cut the meat away from the bone, leaving the skin attached. Save the bone for chicken stock. Using your fingers, loosen the skin from the flesh, leaving the skin attached at one side. Set aside.

In large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir for about 1 minute until fragrant. Then add the spinach; cook and stir until liquid evaporates, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and place spinach in a small bowl; add bread crumbs, thyme, basil, half of the salt, the pepper, and the Muenster cheese and mix well.

Stuff this mixture between the chicken and the skin, spreading evenly and smoothing the skin back over the flesh.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt the butter in same saucepan. Sprinkle the remaining salt over the chicken, and place skin side down, in the hot butter. Cook for 3 minutes without moving the chicken. Then shake the pan to loosen chicken and cook for 2 to 4 minutes longer until skin is brown and crisp.

Carefully turn chicken, then move pan to preheated oven and cook for 10 to 14 minutes longer until the chicken registers 170 degrees. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve.

Serves 4 for $1.89 each.