What's a cheap but delicious meal ?

Depends on what's even considered "cheap". There are actually a lot of things people could make with less than $10, even less than $5.

Personally, I think any sort of sandwich could be crafted as a budget-friendly meal, but most people tend to not go above-and-beyond with how they craft a sandwich... sometimes not even putting certain sauces on their sandwich to create a full flavor profile or grilling their sandwich.

I think if you really want to craft a sandwich, one that's captivating, the best ingredients would be sourdough bread, ham, parmesan, gruyere cheese, dijon mustard, and some bechamel sauce. It would probably even beat the typical school lunch.

 

A bowl of white rice with anything salty and flavourful enough to complement the rice. An example would be pan fried spam slice(s) and a sunny side up egg atop of the rice, though I'd pair it up with sautéed asparagus on the side. On a side note, my rice type preferences are medium-grain and jasmine.

You could do something like this if you want something more creative.

 

Noodles is proper cheap aka ramen lol