I used to work prep in a fine dining restaurant, so over the years I’ve built my kitchen equipment into a small commercial kitchen. Investing in a KitchenAid, deep freezer, pressure canner and high quality containers has benefitted me greatly. Moving within walking distance of a Cash n Carry is extremely helpful for the budget.
Some things I like to make vs. buy:
Pasta sauce- I’ll jar about 12 qts worth and give away a lot as gifts.
Bread- sourdough boules, Pullman loaves, challah, yeast rolls, wheat loaves, etc
Crackers- leftover sourdough starter gives them a fantastic tang
Pasta/spaghetti- once you go fresh, you never go back. I love adding in different flavors
Soups- freezer friendly recipes galore. They clean out my vegetable drawer and anything that needs to go
Stock- I keep bags of vegetable scraps, chicken bones, nubs of flavor everywhere and when I fill the bags I know it’s time to make stock. Can it, rice and other items are much more flavorful. I make sure to roast the bones and have a very long simmering period, about 18-24 hours for deep flavor. Make sure to open the windows!!
Chicken- buy whole, break down all the parts and add homemade brine or marinades
Salad dressings- I have a family recipe
Scones, cookies, cake,pies, treats must be homemade, no slut bread allowed!
Jams, jellies-lucky to work in a garden over the summer so I can have some of the bounty
Pickles of all sorts
Freezer pizzas, lasagnas, meatloaf, season treats and other lazy foods so we don’t have to go out to eat or have the fun of a different season for a night.
I will also add that my professional cooking experience provided me with techniques and the joy of cooking I may not have had otherwise, but I enjoy doing prep days and stocking my deep freezer for when I know I need the boost to my regular food budget. Cooking is one of my few innate talents I wish I could pursue professionally without taking a pay cut and detriment to my health.