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Home » Recipes » Recipe Roundup

45+ Cheap Dinner Ideas That Will Change Your Life (And Your Budget)!

by Brittany Kline January 13, 2023
written by Brittany Kline January 13, 2023
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If there’s one thing that every family needs, it’s a way to make sure that their nightly dinner doesn’t break the bank! Cheap dinner ideas are ALWAYS useful, to feed your family healthy meals without totally ruining your monthly food budget!

Whether you’re looking for more creative ways to avoid overspending when it’s getting to the end of the month, or if you’re just looking to overhaul your spending and eating habits, we’ve got something for everyone on this list.

Seriously, maybe you’re thinking we sound silly for thinking this is an important topic to discuss.

But when was the last time you checked your grocery budget? I mean, sure – more ingredients and fancy seasonings can definitely make for an incredible and delicious meal. It’s definitely possible to have delicious and even healthy frugal meals without breaking the bank.

If you can end up with the same level of satisfaction once the meal is done with a cheaper per-serving cost as with a more expensive meal…well, why spend the extra money in the first place?

Let’s dive into these yummy cheap meals for your family! 

Table of Contents

  • How To Meal Plan On A Budget
  • Shopping On A Budget For Food
    • 1. Don’t always fall for the word “free.”
    • 2. Stick to your list.
    • 3. Work on saying “no.”
    • 4. Don’t forget your coupons!
    • 5. If buying in bulk to the freezer, portion out before freezing!
    • 6. Keep up on your pantry inventory.
  • Cheap Meal Ideas To Freeze
  • Cheap Dinner Ideas
  • Cheap Dinner Ideas With Chicken (or Turkey)
    • Honey Garlic Chicken
    • Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Rice
    • Buffalo Chicken Roll-ups
    • Crockpot Smothered Chicken Legs
    • One-Pot Lemon Herb Chicken & Rice
    • Easy BBQ Baked Breaded Chicken Recipe
    • Baked Chicken Parmesan
    • Baked BBQ Chicken Tenders
    • Slow Cooker Chicken & Stuffing Casserole
    • Broccoli Alfredo Chicken Bake
    • Slow Cooker Brown Sugar and Garlic Chicken
  • Cheap Dinner Ideas With Beef
    • Easy One-Pot Keto Ground Beef Stroganoff
    • Beef, Mushroom, and Thyme Casserole
    • Instant Pot Spaghetti
    • Philly Cheesesteak Mac & Cheese
    • Bistek
    • Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
    • Slow Cooker Beef Burritos
    • Crock-Pot Steak Bites
    • Salisbury Steak In Mushroom & Onion Gravy
    • Crock-Pot Beef Stew
    • Slow Cooker Pot Roast
  • Cheap Dinner Ideas With Pork
    • Apples and Spinach Pork Chops
    • Easy Country-Style Pork Ribs In The Oven
    • Slow Cooker Pork Chops In Cream Of Mushroom Soup
    • Pinchos Morunos (Spanish Pork Skewers)
    • Chicken Fried Pork Tenderloin
    • Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
    • Ham & Noodle Casserole
    • Slow Cooker Cheesy Ham Chowder
  • Cheap Dinner Ideas With Sausage or Meatballs
    • Crock-Pot Cheesy Potatoes
    • Smoked Sausage & Fried Rice One Skillet Meal
    • Slow Cooker Thai Chili Peanut Butter Meatballs
  • Cheap Dinner Ideas Without Meat
    • Spicy Tuna Sushi Bowls
    • Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells
    • Mexican Vegan Falafel Bites
    • Vegan Mushroom Risotto
    • Creamy Spinach Artichoke Soup With Tortellini
    • Zucchini Bake With Tomatoes, Garlic, and Parmesan
    • 15- Minute Sesame Ginger Noodles
    • 30-Minute Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Chowder
    • Protein-Packed Twice-Baked Potatoes (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
    • Easy Vegetable and Dumpling Soup
    • 1-Hour Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
    • Baked Black Bean Taquitos
    • Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas
    • Vegan Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
  • Bonus Easy Cheap Dinner Recipes:
    • Cheap Dessert Idea:  Homemade Fudgy Brownies!
    • Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Final Thoughts

How To Meal Plan On A Budget

It goes without saying that the BEST way to make sure you’re making quick inexpensive meals is to make sure to meal plan each week. Whether you’re making designing your menu using a service like $5 Meal Plan, or simply searching yummy recipes off of Pinterest, a meal plan is maybe the only way to truly make sure that you’re not overspending on comfort food!

Making a low-budget food shopping list is no different than making a list full of extravagant items, except for one thing — watching for sales.

You CAN still have steak, gourmet sauces on your pasta, or expensive produce, even if you’re on a budget. All it takes is designing your meal plan around what’s on sale, as opposed to what you feel like you’d want to eat this week.

For example, where we live a family-sized pack of boneless, skinless chicken breast, or a rotisserie chicken typically runs about $1.89-$1.99 per pound. If we wait for the super sales when it goes down to $1.49 per pound, we could reduce the cost of making that meal by up to 20%, by changing the price of just ONE ingredient!

Another local store sometimes has sales as low as $0.99 per pound for the exact same meat, although they’re even rarer. Still, a 50% savings is massive!

Now imagine the savings if you can get ALL the ingredients at a big discount!

Shopping On A Budget For Food

So now that you’ve got your head wrapped around how to plan for these cheap meals for the week, what about when you actually go shopping? There are a few pitfalls I wanted to mention so you don’t get sucked in! Here is how to keep your food costs as low as possible when money is tight.

1. Don’t always fall for the word “free.”

Some of the smaller stores will regularly run “buy one get one free” sales, especially on meat. That sounds great on paper, but if you head to the store and buy the meat without double-checking its unit price, you might find yourself paying MORE per pound even with the sale, than the regular price you could get at a different store.

2. Stick to your list.

It’s WAY easier than we all like to admit to having something catch our eye as we shop, and we end up tossing it in the cart without thinking twice about the price. There’s no faster way to ruin your food budget than that!

If this is something you really struggle with, you’ll definitely want to check out using a grocery shopping service like Instacart. Since someone else does the shopping for you and delivers it straight to your doorstep, there is literally ZERO chance for this off-list buying to happen!

3. Work on saying “no.”

Maybe your kids absolutely insist they won’t eat unless it’s brand-name mac & cheese. Maybe you’ve got a couple of parties coming up and need to shop for cheap dinner ideas for large groups. Whatever the case is, it’s all too easy to feel like you need to satisfy everyone around you and their food preferences.

A friend recently had a birthday party for their kid, and was telling me how their mother felt like 2 main dishes weren’t enough — I was shocked! It’s especially important, whether you’re satisfying party guests or planning easy cheap dinner ideas for picky eaters, to be able to keep things in check and say “no.”

No one needs 3 meat choices, your kids definitely can’t tell the difference between the mac & cheese brands once it’s on their plate, and your steak can taste just as good without buying steak sauce to put on top.

4. Don’t forget your coupons!

Even if you don’t have time to sit and use scissors to find your savings each week, you CAN still get those coupon savings! There are a variety of coupon apps, but one of our all-time favorites is Ibotta.

It’s even easier than traditional couponing because you can simply choose the offers after you shop (to save time by not cutting out coupons you’ll never use), upload a picture of your receipt, and earn the cashback right away! Use this link to get a $5 sign-up bonus!

5. If buying in bulk to the freezer, portion out before freezing!

Unless you’re super sure you’ll have time to cook 3 lasagnas when you thaw that 6-pound brick of ground beef, you’ll want to divide it up before you put it in the freezer for later. Grab a roll of quality freezer paper to make sure it’s well-stored and won’t get freezer burn easily.

You might also consider immediately making a few crockpot recipes with your bulk meat purchase, and freezing the finished product instead. Even if all you did with that ground beef was brown it before freezing, it’s still worth it for both the price and time savings! You could even toss it into an instant pot to quickly brown the beef while you’re unpacking your other groceries. Now that’s a savvy time-saver!

6. Keep up on your pantry inventory.

As you shift from shopping for today vs shopping to stock up, you’ll be able to better keep your pantry stocked with various staple items — things like seasonings, rice or pasta, base ingredients for sauces, and canned soups, to name a few.

You can find a great starter list of pantry staples here.

Cheap Meal Ideas To Freeze

Whether you’re making freezer meals in advance to reheat later (hint hint, a GREAT money-saving tactic!) or cooking each meal fresh each night, your deep freezer will be your new best friend!

Those super sale prices we talked about? Make sure you’ve got a big, good-quality deep freezer with plenty of room. When you see incredible deals like chicken breast or Italian sausage for $1 per pound, buy as much as you can!! Filling up your freezer with chicken thighs or chicken breast is always a smart choice – it is hands down the most versatile meat out there!

There are a couple of benefits to having a well-stocked, low-priced freezer (and pantry!):

  1. You can “go grocery shopping” at any time of day, in any weather, and wear anything — even your pajamas!
  2. If you find yourself really tight on money for a month or two, with a big enough (and stocked enough) freezer you could potentially get by for the entire month without needing to buy meat at all! When it comes to making frugal meals when you’re on a super tight budget or a no-spend month, nothing beats what amounts to free food since it’s already been paid for!
  3. You have NO excuse to ever NEED to pay full price for any freezer-friendly food ever again! You have the freedom to shift your grocery spending from “what do we need today” to “what should I stock up on for next month/later?” Total game-changer in making sure you don’t kill your budget!

Need I say more? When it comes to building a healthy shopping list on a budget, making it a habit to keep a “freezer stash” is a must!

Cheap Dinner Ideas

Now that you’re ready to get started planning out your family meals on a budget, we’re ready to dive right into this list!

You’ll find the list broken up into sections by main meat ingredient (or lack thereof) to help you find what you need more easily! All of these recipes are cheap enough that you could increase the recipes by double, triple, or more, and still have a meal to feed even an entire party for a reasonable cost!

Cheap Dinner Ideas With Chicken (or Turkey)

There’s a reason why Dave Ramsey’s favorite saying when talking about saving money on a food budget is to eat “beans and rice, and rice and beans.” Beans are just about the only “meat” out there that’s cheaper than chicken!

Because of the close similarity in both taste and price, you could try replacing the chicken for turkey with many of these meals!

Honey Garlic Chicken

super easy honey garlic baked chicken thighs budget friendly meal

Found on Chef Savvy

Chicken thighs are always a great choice for a tasty meal on a budget! With a little work for a simple but flavorful honey glaze, you’ll have your whole family requesting this cheaper meal so often you won’t even touch the end of your food budget!

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Rice

cheesy chicken and rice budget friendly dinner idea in a crock pot

Found on The Country Cook

Cooked rice, chicken, and cheese. Pretty much the dream team when it comes to cheap but delicious!

Buffalo Chicken Roll-ups

easy buffalo chicken roll ups recipe budget friendly dinner recipes

Found on It’s Always Autumn

Up here where we live, buffalo chicken is all the rage (and rightfully so). Not only would these make a great Monday dinner idea on a budget, but you could make a smaller version for tailgating snacks too!

Crockpot Smothered Chicken Legs

crockpot smothered chicken legs budget friendly dinner with chicken

Found on Mommy’s Fabulous Finds

Chicken thighs and chicken legs for the win! Yes, they can definitely be cooked in a crockpot, in a number of ways, for most like the easiest meal you’ll ever put together!

One-Pot Lemon Herb Chicken & Rice

one pot lemon herb chicken cheap dinner recipes

Found on Creme de la Crumb

Only having one dish to wash when I’m done cooking is always a huge win in my book. Big on flavor, and low on cost, this delicious dish is good enough to give any takeout a run for its money! Just serve with some leftover rice for a nutrient-rich meal. 

Easy BBQ Baked Breaded Chicken Recipe

easy baked chicken fingers budget friendly dinner with chicken

Found on Eating On A Dime

Please. STOP buying those pre-breaded, frozen chicken strips for outrageous prices per pound when you can SO EASILY make your own at home using an air fryer for half the cost or less! 

Baked Chicken Parmesan

cheap dinner recipes baked chicken parmesan

Found on Lil’ Luna

Chicken parmesan is no longer limited to those rare nights you get to go on a date night to a real restaurant! Seriously, this is easy, juicy, delicious, and SO much cheaper than eating out or buying convenience versions from your grocery store!

Baked BBQ Chicken Tenders

baked bbq chicken tenders cheap meal ideas

Found on The Diary of a Real Housewife

Just like with the breaded chicken recipe above, THIS is your solution to have those little chicken tender strips everyone in your family loves, for a fraction of the cost. Enjoy the savings!

Slow Cooker Chicken & Stuffing Casserole

slow cooker chicken and stuffing budget friendly dinner recipe

Found on The Seasoned Mom

This is a PERFECT recipe to plan for during the Thanksgiving season – stuffing goes on super sale, will last on your pantry shelves for months in its box, and will be a welcomed warm and tasty meal later in the cold of winter when you need a pick-me-up comfort food dinner!

Keep the cost even lower by putting your leftover Thanksgiving turkey to good use instead of the chicken thighs!

Broccoli Alfredo Chicken Bake

broccoli alfredo chicken bake budget friendly dinner ideas with chicken

Found on The Pinning Mama

A restaurant staple and a great recipe on a budget. Use frozen broccoli to keep costs down, buy the pasta on sale, and you’ve got yourself a 5-star broccoli recipe on more like a $5 per casserole dish budget!

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar and Garlic Chicken

slow cooker brown sugar and garlic chicken cheap dinner recipes with chicken

Found on Flavorite

A nice alternative to pulled pork in the backyard BBQ off-season.

Cheap Dinner Ideas With Beef

Chicken might be the most versatile, but many people will argue that beef always has so much flavor. Whether it’s worth the price or not is up to you, but these beef-based quick meals on a budget might just have you sold!

Don’t forget to consider swapping out the beef in some of these recipes for ground turkey or chicken thighs to save even more on your food budget!

Easy One-Pot Keto Ground Beef Stroganoff

Easy One Pot Keto Ground Beef Stroganoff Cheap Dinner ideas keto

Found on Living Chirpy

I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who doesn’t enjoy a good beef stroganoff. We included this keto version of the classic comfort food for those looking still maintain their special diets while staying on budget!

Beef, Mushroom, and Thyme Casserole

Beef, Mushroom and Thyme Casserole Cheap Dinner Ideas With Beef Recipe

Found on Woman & Home

Nothing has ever screamed “budget meal idea” quite like soups do. This soup recipe is full of great flavors, but don’t forget you can always tweak the recipe to better suit your tastes or budget!

Instant Pot Spaghetti

Instant Pot Spaghetti With Tomato Sauce

Found on Crunchy Creamy Sweet

Restaurants serve a spaghetti dinner with just a plain tomato sauce all the time as a complete “meal,” so why can’t you? Add as little or as much ground beef as you want, for protein and/or flavor purposes.

(Stock up on frozen meatballs, and tomato juice or sauce when they’re on super sale to make this classic comfort food cost even less, AND even faster to throw together!)

Philly Cheesesteak Mac & Cheese

philly cheesesteak mac and cheese cheap dinner ideas with beef

Found on Wine and Glue

Philly cheesesteak has so much flavor, and doesn’t need to be reserved for the sandwich anymore with this filling and tasty cheap dinner idea!

Bistek

bistek cheap dinner ideas with beef

Found on Kawaling Pinoy

This quite ethnic dish isn’t as odd as the name might make you think – it’s essentially just braised beef. Serve on a roll or with simple fried rice to keep the cost as low as possible!

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

slow cooker beef stroganoff dinner ideas on a budget

Found on CincyShopper

While the keto version of stroganoff above is a great alternative to the often calorie-heavy original, you can’t go wrong with some classic (and cheap) ingredients, like egg noodles and a can of cream of mushroom soup!

Slow Cooker Beef Burritos

beef burrito cheap dinner ideas

Found on Frugal Ginger

Perfect as a dinner recipe or for a budget-friendly lunch idea to add to your meal prep routine. You could even swap the fried rice for scrambled eggs to make a terrific grab-and-go breakfast idea!

Crock-Pot Steak Bites

crock pot steak bites cheap crock pot meals for large families cheap dinner ideas with beef

Found on Eating On A Dime

Simple and multi-purpose, this is a recipe for a meat you could either use as-is with a side dish, or convert into a number of different affordable meals — use it in your breakfast burrito, slice it even further to make a mock “shaved steak” sandwich, or mix it into some simple fried rice and broccoli for throw-together stir-fry veggies and steak!

Salisbury Steak In Mushroom & Onion Gravy

Salisbury steak inexpensive dinner ideas for a family

Found on Great Grub, Delicious Treats

There’s a reason your grandma made Salisbury steak — no it’s not because it’s “old people food,” it’s because it’s so affordable. If there’s one thing that almost everyone’s grandma was always good at, back in the day, it was stretching her dollar when it came to feeding her entire family. Take a page out of her book and give this one a try!

Crock-Pot Beef Stew

easy crockpot beef stew cheap frugal meals idea

Found on Gonna Want Seconds

Beef stew is another staple around here. You just can’t go wrong with it! Make a large batch of this hearty stew so your family will have enough of this delicious comfort food for multiple nights of leftovers!

Buy your ingredients during a great sale, whip up a giant batch of it, and freeze leftover portions so you’ll always have a good stock of it but without the work each go!

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

slow cooker beef pot roast cheap meal ideas for families

Found on Recipe Tin Eats

Another one of grandma’s favorite money-stretching recipes. Why? Because if you add enough of the right seasonings and flavors, you can make almost any roast cut of beef turn out about right for this meal!

Cheap Dinner Ideas With Pork

Pork is a meat that can be either very affordable or very pricey, depending on the cut, so always make sure to double-check sales (and unit prices) before you dive into pork-based frugal meals!

Apples and Spinach Pork Chops

apples and spinach pork chops cheap dinner ideas with pork

Found on Garnish & Glaze

How fancy does this cheap meal look? If you hosted a dinner party you’d surely impress all your guests with both incredible taste and a low cost! Saving this meal until apple season kicks in (autumn) will be sure to save you even more!

Easy Country-Style Pork Ribs In The Oven

country-style pork ribs in the oven

Found on Baking Mischief

Excuse me while I go drool for a minute.

Pork Ribs are a great meal to make if you need an easy weeknight dinner recipe (or a party-size recipe) because you can buy a big quantity of meat, fill up a big roaster pan, and have a healthy dinner ready before you know it!

Slow Cooker Pork Chops In Cream Of Mushroom Soup

slow cooker pork chops in cream of mushroom soup cheap dinner ideas with pork

Found on CDKitchen

This recipe may be cheap but when it comes to flavor this recipe proves that sometimes price really doesn’t matter! Another great recipe to keep in your back pocket for a super easy but delicious meal!

Pinchos Morunos (Spanish Pork Skewers)

pinchos morunos spanish pork skewers cheap dinner ideas with pork

Found on Spanish Sabores

A recipe that’s essentially just meat plus seasonings — it doesn’t get much easier to make than that! Serve it with simply cooked rice to be a seriously budget-friendly dinner idea!

Chicken Fried Pork Tenderloin

chicken fried pork tenderloin cheap dinner ideas with pork

Found on The Well Seasoned Mom

My grandma makes a recipe similar to this and lets me tell you how amazing it tastes! This is a great option to “replace” your fried chicken recipe if you find yourself out of stock of chicken in a given month!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

slow cooker pulled pork cheap dinner ideas

Found on Good Housekeeping

When cooking for one, for two, or for a crowd, you really can’t go wrong with pulled pork! People always seem to think that pulled pork is such a time-intensive meal, but when you can basically have it cooked while you’re at work, well, that definitely proves them wrong!

Ham & Noodle Casserole

ham and noodle casserole

Found on The Salty Marshmallow

Ham is a great meat to keep in your freezer, when you can often get it for $1 per pound of less! Not to mention that a big ham can really stretch for a long time, freezes well (before or after cooking), and is tremendously versatile!

Slow Cooker Cheesy Ham Chowder

slow cooker cheesy ham chowder cheap dinner ideas with ham

Found on The Chunky Chef

That leftover ham we just talked about with the previous recipe? Use it here!

While it definitely depends on exactly where you live, it IS possible to feed a whole family on a $50 a week meal plan. Finding things like ways to repurpose leftover ingredients is the key to achieving that!

Cheap Dinner Ideas With Sausage or Meatballs

Depending on the type of sausage you get, this is another meat that is supremely versatile and can be super affordable (think polish kielbasa)!

Meatballs are a great option to either make yourself or stock your freezer with when they’re on a great sale!

Crock-Pot Cheesy Potatoes

cheesy sausage potatoes cheap dinner ideas with sausage

Found on Chelsea’s Messy Apron

While this recipe calls for Italian or chicken sausage, you could definitely replace a number of other meats for that to change the flavor to your preference (or what’s currently stocked in your freezer)!

Smoked Sausage & Fried Rice One Skillet Meal

smoked sausage and rice skillet meal cheap dinner ideas with sausage

Found on All Things Mamma

Who doesn’t love a delicious dinner that only tastes like it took a ton of work, PLUS a super-fast cleanup?! Every mom’s dream! Just add your ingredients to some cooked rice and give it a stir. A simple stir fry never tasted so good!

Slow Cooker Thai Chili Peanut Butter Meatballs

slow cooker thai chili peanut meatballs cheap dinner ideas crockpot

Found on Melanie Makes

I know, you’re thinking that peanut butter plus meat sounds weird. But a lot of the meaty Chinese comfort food that you love is often cooked in peanut oil instead of olive oil! When I saw a friend’s super picky 3-year old eating these, I had to try them. Amazing!

Cheap Dinner Ideas Without Meat

Something a lot of people never really consider (or never seriously consider) when trying to cut down on their food budget is removing the meat from the meal entirely.

Sure, we all need good lean protein to fuel our bodies, but there are other sources besides meat for that. While fish is an excellent source of protein, you won’t find many on this list due to an often higher unit price than meat (or at least that’s the case where we live).

Spicy Tuna Sushi Bowls

spicy tuna sushi bowl cheap dinner recipe without meat

Found on Neighbor Food

Even if you can’t buy cans of tuna at wholesale club pricing, it’s still one of the cheapest protein sources you can get. Why go out for expensive sushi when you can craft up your own (and likely much tastier) version for so cheap?

Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells

spinach ricotta stuffed shells cheap dinner ideas without meat

Found on Green Healthy Cooking

I love this recipe for “meatless Mondays” in our house because with the Ricotta cheese I’m not missing out much on protein and flavor!

Mexican Vegan Falafel Bites

mexican falafel bites cheap dinner ideas without meat

Found on Cotter Crunch

Have you ever tried falafel before? I had a friend ask what it was before and the description of “it’s basically deep-fried, mashed chickpeas” really had him pulling a face.

It took one bite for him to realize this comfort food NEEDED to be in his life more often. Canned chickpeas are in the same group as beans as far as higher protein content for an incredibly low unit price. Stock your pantry and enjoy this exotic dish more often!

Vegan Mushroom Risotto

vegan mushroom risotto cheap dinner recipes without meat

Found on Ceara’s Kitchen

There’s a reason that many vegetarians and vegans use mushrooms as a meat replacement because by some magic they still add a fairly “meaty” taste to a dish.

Trust me, when you eat a serving of this vegan risotto, you won’t even realize anything is missing!

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Soup With Tortellini

creamy spinach artichoke soup cheap meal ideas without meat

Found on Hello Little Home

A nice twist on spinach artichoke dip – here it’s in soup form! Tortellini can be a little pricier, so definitely consider replacing it with simple pasta to keep the cost down.

Zucchini Bake With Tomatoes, Garlic, and Parmesan

zucchini bake with tomatoes, garlic, and parmesan cheap dinner ideas without meat vegan healthy

Found on iFoodreal

The thing I love the most about this delicious dish is that it’s a great way to use up those super cheap, fresh veggies from the farmer’s market during the summer! This would be perfect as a main dish (zucchini is another common meat and pasta substitute), or even as a side to take to a potluck!

15- Minute Sesame Ginger Noodles

15-minute sesame ginger noodles cheap dinner ideas without meat

Found on Choosing Chia

Everyone LOVES Chinese takeout, but nobody ever likes the bill that comes with it. Make your own exotic dishes using egg noodles right at home for cheap and easy weeknight dinner recipes at huge savings!

30-Minute Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Chowder

easy 30-minute roasted garlic cauliflower chowder cheap dinner ideas without meat

Found on Simply Quinoa

I’ve been seeing more and more recipes lately that use cauliflower as the main ingredient. I thought it was SO weird until I tried it! It’s excellent rice or potato replacement, and a heck of a lot healthier, too!

Protein-Packed Twice-Baked Potatoes (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

vegan protein packed twice baked potatoes cheap dinner ideas without meat

Found on Pass the Plants

One of the cheapest foods you can buy is potatoes, so of course, a baked potato recipe had to make this list! These twice-baked potatoes are packed with cauliflower and protein-happy tofu to give you a complete yet very cheap meal on a tight budget! (Replace the tofu for bacon, ham, or shaved steak if you’re craving a meatier version!)

Easy Vegetable and Dumpling Soup

vegetable and dumpling soup cheap dinner ideas without meat

Found on Sandra Vungi Vegan

While this recipe is definitely a HUGE money-saver (the 2 most expensive ingredients in here by amount used might be potatoes and flour!), it’s also an excellently healthy one to put on your meal plan if you’re planning a few meatless nights, or if you’re really just that short on cash! If you wanted to turn this into a soup with meat in it, just about anything would be a tasty addition!

1-Hour Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

vegan shepherds pie cheap dinner ideas without meat

Found on Minimalist Baker

When it comes to cheap meals for large families, shepherd’s pie tends to be top of the heap since the ingredients are so cheap and 90% pantry staples! Try this vegan recipe, which uses lentils in place of the typical ground beef.

Baked Black Bean Taquitos

baked black bean taquitos budget friendly meal

Found on Feasting Not Fasting

Make “Taco Tuesday” cost a heck of a lot less in your house! If you’re aiming to make cheap family meals on a tight budget, you HAVE to start using beans as a meat substitute more often. Why? They are absolutely packed with clean protein, PLUS they’re typically about 25% of the price of the same amount of ground beef! Trust me, you won’t even notice the difference in taste!

Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas

grilled vegetable quesadillas budget friendly meal without meat

Found on Jo Cooks

Have you ever met anyone that DOESN’T like a good quesadilla? Try this easy and cheap grilling idea to satisfy your pickiest easters’ taste buds with one of the yummiest dinners on a tight budget!

Vegan Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

vegan tomato soup and grilled cheese budget friendly meal

Found on Mama Miss

This isn’t just a cheap dinner idea, this is a childhood favorite around here (and a great choice for cheap dinner recipes for college students…this simple recipe could be modified to be 100% microwaveable)! A little bit vegan and a lotta bit cheap, when it comes to inexpensive dinner recipes for the entire family this classic grilled cheese combo cannot be beaten!

We occasionally like to add some sliced, leftover BBQ chicken in our sandwiches to “beef up” this meal some, and pack in even more amazing flavor!

Bonus Easy Cheap Dinner Recipes:

Cheap Dessert Idea:  Homemade Fudgy Brownies!

stack of homemade fudgy brownies budget friendly desert

Found on Dessert Now Dinner Later

I know no one is reading this because they took one look at that picture and absolutely cartoon-speed ran to their kitchen to make them. I mean, YUM, those look incredible!!

I know you can get cheap brownie mix for $1 a box any day of the week, but have you ever seen the ingredients on those? The ingredients are all staples that anyone who has done even the slightest bit of baking has in their baking cabinet, and the cost to make these at home is basically pennies in comparison to store-bought. Oh, did I mention that the FLAVOR is absolutely INCREDIBLE? Definitely not something you’ll get in a box!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Found on Budget Bytes

Chicken noodle soup is a family favorite around our dinner table and a nutrient-rich meal! This classic chicken noodle soup can be made with pantry staples and leftovers, like rotisserie chicken, making it the perfect comfort food for those on a budget. For a heartier meal, add some shredded chicken or diced vegetables to your chicken noodle soup.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for cheap, easy, and delicious dinner ideas, you’ve come to the right place! These 45+ recipes will change the way you think about cooking (and eating) at home. From simple pasta dishes to hearty casseroles, there’s something here for everyone.

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Brittany Kline

Hi, I'm Brittany Kline! I know exactly what it's like to be on a tight budget and not really enjoy being in the kitchen. Over the last decade, I decided to become an expert in the kitchen and learn how to eat better, save money, waste less, and enjoy being in the kitchen cooking family favorite meals again! My expertise in stretching a grocery budget has helped people all across the country save money on their grocery bills. I have been featured in Forbes, USA Today, Huffington Post, Business Insider, Marie Claire, Readers Digest, Romper, and many more!

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