I hear you--I've worked in a commercial kitchen as well. And, oddly enough, I cook for myself the same way you do: I make big batches on my days off and then reheat them the rest of the week.

I think I once posted about frugal desserts and used as my example a blackberry cobbler made with a Jiffy cake mix ($.49), one egg ($.12), 1/2 cup sugar ($.08), and free blackberries from every damn where since Himalayan blackberry vines are endemic to the area. Serves six.