50 Cheap Meal Ideas That Actually Taste Good Budget-Friendly Recipes for Every Meal

Along the way, I developed a list of frugal, real food meals that my family loves, and shared them with the many folks who stop by the Crumbs residence. For this crowd-pleasing, low-cost dinner idea, just pile spiced chicken and gooey cheese atop a mound of tortilla chips before digging in! For an extra (budget-friendly!) burst of flavor, add pico de gallo, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, and guacamole. The ingredients list is primarily made up of pantry staples! The noodles are coated in butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and parmesan, then topped with basil and black pepper. Take the stress out of budgeting with our smart meal plans, useful tools and masses of recipe inspiration!

CAESAR SALAD

Cooking on a budget is so much simpler when you have lots of ideas for affordable, easy meals, and we’ve plenty to choose from. We cover all bases, from family favourites and quick meals, to getting creative with leftovers and budget bakes. Explore our budget recipes for family and budget dinner ideas for more inspiration. Getting dinner on the table can feel impossible when everyone is busy and the grocery bill keeps climbing. These 25 budget-friendly recipes are simple to make, filling, and easy on your wallet. Each dish is designed to please the whole family and keep everyone asking for seconds while keeping costs low.

Roasted butternut squash and corn frittata

The cheapest meals usually rely on pantry staples like rice, pasta, beans, and eggs. Think dishes like fried rice, spaghetti, lentil soup, or egg burritos. These meals are not only affordable, but also super customizable depending on what you already have on hand.

Rigatoni with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Burrito bowls are one of those easy party dinner recipes that everyone loves, because each person can customize their bowl with their favorite proteins and toppings. It might look like a fancy steak, but this dish is actually made with affordable ground beef! The creamy mushroom sauce makes it feel even more elegant. Here’s a pizza that’s both a great deal and filled with great dill! A full-size lasagna would take my husband and I days to consume, long past the time when it was sounded appealing.

It’s quick and easy to make, the noodles stay fresh in the pantry for months, and it’s very inexpensive. It’s also an effortless way to work meatless meals into unimeal app reviews your weekly rotation. When grocery prices spiked a couple of years ago, I found myself getting more creative than ever in the kitchen. If you’re on a budget and trying to lower your grocery bill, try one of these budget meals.

Recipe #18: Chicken Pot Pie with Bread Topping

It’s all about being resourceful and using what’s already in your pantry or freezer. And to make it even greater, it tastes better with time in the fridge (yay, leftovers!). So, if you’re looking for an easy, protein-packed salad recipe that’ll give you several cheap meals this week, this one is it. Another meatless meal that won’t break the bank is this comforting chili recipe, which subs ground beef for sweet potatoes. The medley of beans, tomatoes, and peppers will also keep your grocery bill low.

Philly Cheesesteak Recipe

Also—don’t be afraid to remix leftovers into something new. Yesterday’s roasted veggies can become today’s quesadilla filling, grain bowl base, or soup add-in. We’ve rounded up our favorite cheap dinner ideas that everyone will love without breaking the bank. Cook for about 8 hours, and ta-da—homemade chicken stock for more cheap meals! Use it for the base of a soup or add veggies, noodles and leftover chicken for an easy, homemade chicken noodle soup. If you’re serious about saving money the easy way, then be sure to review the Good Cheap Eats System.

Access to our Weekly Meal Plans & Ad-free Experience

These thrifty recipes to help you keep cooking costs down. Meal planning and cooking at home with affordable staples can be one of the easiest and most delicious ways to stick to a budget. To help you kick off the year, we’ve gathered 20 of our favorite budget-friendly recipes from Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls & Bread. Not to be confused with its less colorful cousin, a sweet potato can be an awesome ingredient to add to your list of cheap, healthy meals.

Need a meatless option that’s healthy, budget-friendly and tastes a lot like comfort food? This dish still has plenty of flavor to sink your teeth into. Once you have your recipes planned and a grocery list written out, commit to buying generic brands to cut down on grocery costs.

Make Your Best Game Day Spread

Make double batches and store individual portions in freezer-safe containers for easy grab-and-go lunches or emergency dinners. Egg muffins, cooked rice, and shredded chicken also hold up well in the freezer and are super versatile. Just label and date everything, and you’ll build up a little freezer stash that keeps you from relying on pricey takeout. At the end of the day, cheap meals are all about making smart choices—not sacrificing flavor or nutrition.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

• These can make for cheap healthy meals you’ll both enjoy.
• There you have it — 75+ frugal meal ideas that are bound to please even your pickiest eaters.
• If you’re on a budget and trying to lower your grocery bill, try one of these budget meals.
• The medley of beans, tomatoes, and peppers will also keep your grocery bill low.
• Also—don’t be afraid to remix leftovers into something new.
• Cheap, healthy meals aren’t as challenging as they seem.

They are easily scaled to be recipes for two on a budget; leftovers pack or freeze well. The same applies to any leftover meats or prepped veggies. Do the cooking once and reap the rewards as you add different flavor profiles to change things up.

Chicken burgers

I learned to make lasagna in several loaf pans instead. A loaf pan was the perfect size for two of us without having too many leftovers. You can line the pans with foil and store the foil-wrapped extras in the freezer or use disposable pans for easy clean-up.

As a general rule, chuck roasts are an inexpensive cut of meat. Anytime I find them marked down at Kroger, I buy at least two, and we usually come out with leftovers. Pair this with a simple dinner salad (greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots) with Homemade Ranch Dressing and No-Knead Artisan Bread.

From cozy dinners to healthy lunches, these meals are proof that you can save money without sacrificing flavor. Cook the potatoes 30–40 minutes or until they’re soft (you can poke them again to test). Your cook time will also depend on the size of the sweet potatoes. This is one of those cheap recipes you’ll really love because it’s low in calories and price. If that isn’t a match made in heaven, then https://unimeal.reviews/ I don’t know what is.

You can stretch them even further by doubling recipes and saving leftovers. One-pot meals and casseroles are also great for keeping costs down. They let you use less meat and more filler ingredients like grains and veggies, without compromising on flavor or satisfaction. Each recipe is crafted with affordable ingredients like ground beef, sliced turkey, potatoes, frozen vegetables, chicken thighs, and more. Chili, soups, casseroles, lasagna, and burritos all freeze beautifully.