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.
If you unimeal app reviews really need to make drastic cuts to your grocery budget, then I suggest having at least 2 rice and bean style meals per week. They can cost as little as $2-$3 for a meal for 4 people. So you can see what an impact these kinds of meals can have in reducing your grocery spending. Cooking on a budget shouldn’t mean canned beans and ramen noodles night after night. Welcome to the world of delicious recipes designed for small budgets.
Budget dinner recipes

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 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.
One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
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!
Chicken Adobo
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.
Eating well made easy
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 https://unimeal.reviews/ like ground beef, sliced turkey, potatoes, frozen vegetables, chicken thighs, and more. Chili, soups, casseroles, lasagna, and burritos all freeze beautifully.
Honey Garlic Chicken
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.
- Each dish is designed to please the whole family and keep everyone asking for seconds while keeping costs low.
- When you’re pinching pennies, breakfast is the last place you should stress.
- Some ideas include a veggie stir fry with rice, a can of black beans turned into burritos, or a dozen eggs stretched into several breakfast meals.
- These basics let you whip up everything from chili to stir fry without a special grocery run.
- When grocery prices spiked a couple of years ago, I found myself getting more creative than ever in the kitchen.
- We’ve all had those nights when even the thought of cooking feels exhausting.
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.
Easy Orange Chicken
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.
Homemade Banana Bread
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.
Recipe #7: Broccoli Cheddar Soup Bread Bowls
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.

Baked Chicken Parmesan
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.
