Groceries is one of the biggest budget busters in most homes. If you are looking for some budget-friendly meals that are healthy, easy, and satisfying to your family, check out my list below. These meals don’t require much and are affordable. Grab a few that stand out and create a meal plan for the week ahead!
One tip I always follow, buy meat on sale. If you have a buy one get one free, stock up and toss the meat in the freezer. This will help lower your cost even more. I try not to pay full price for any protein, cause stores are always on a constant rotation of meat and other items going on sale.
More Affordable Deals and Dishes
Hearty And Easy Budget-Friendly Meals
1.) Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken and Rice
This dinner will make a lot and reheats beautifully. With a few canned ingredients and chicken and a batch of rice, you have dinner ready in no time. If you buy chicken on sale this is really a nice priced meal for a family.
Grab a bag of frozen hash browns and a few other essentials and make a potato soup that will warm you up and stick to your ribs at dinner. Easy and tasty.
Buying whole chickens can be a really affordable cost to feed a family when on sale. Here is a super easy dinner idea that doesn’t take hardly any ingredients and pair with whatever sides you desire.
4.) Taco Pasta
Mexican and pasta are two of our favorites. This meal is easy to make, and uses a lot of canned ingredients so you can save money from buying fresh produce. Or if you want to go a step further use dry beans and get them soaking and replace the canned beans.
5.) Baked Tacos
Baked tacos are easy but also very affordable. Use ground beef, or ground turkey and get those shells nice and warm and top with your favorite condiments. A quick 30-minute meal at it’s finest that won’t hurt the piggy bank.
6.) Cheesy Taco Tuna Noodle Skillet from A Turtle’s Life For Me
If you are on the hunt for a seafood dish, try this easy skillet dinner idea. You have tender pasta, tuna, black beans, corn, and more all coming together for one healthy and hearty dish.
7.) Chicken Tortilla Soup from Bake Me Some Sugar
This is a slow cooker recipe that is quick to toss in and let it cook throughout the day. Very easy but also budget aware of what goes into the ingredients.
8.) Ground Beef and Cabbage from 30 Minute Meals
I love a good ground beef with wilted cabbage and this recipe is a great one. Flavorful, savory, and you don’t need that much to make. You might even have some of the ingredients already on hand.
9.) Instant Pot Sloppy Joes from Gym Craft Laundry
Head on over and check out this sloppy joe recipe, that can be done in your Instant Pot. Affordable and easy is what you will get in this tasty dinner idea.
10.) Cubed Steak and Gravy from Adventures of A Nurse
Serve up cubed steak and gravy for a very affordable price. I love cubed steak because it is versatile but also highly affordable for diners.
11.) Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni from By-Pink
Here is a homemade version of Hamburger Helper. Trust me the flavors are so much better and it is really easy to make and quick. Plus it makes a lot so it can feed a large family or give you room for another meal another night of the week.
12.) Taco Stew from The Salty Pot
This taco stew is really nice to have for the winter months to warm you up, and give you a dish that will keep you warm for a while. Plus it is cheap to make and you will most likely have leftovers!
13.) Sausage Pasta Skillet from Happy Go Lucky
Grab that sausage and whip up this one-pot sausage skillet. Loaded with veggies, tons of cheese, sausage, and of course pasta. You guys will love this dish.
14.) Salsa Chicken Tacos from The Typical Mom
Instant Pot salsa chicken tacos is another meal I would recommend. Basic staple ingredients and super simple to make. You can’t go wrong with a tasty Tex-Mex dish in my eyes.
15.) Kielbasa Foil Packet Dinners from Easy Peazy Meals
Foil packet dinners are a great option. You can customize each foil packet to fit the persons taste buds and make them as small or big as you want.
16.) Beef Noodle Casserole from Dinner At The Zoo
Casseroles always feed a crowd and tend to be on the affordable side. This beef noodle casserole is an egg noodle base with a tomato sauce, savory ground beef, and cheese.
17.) Beef Teriyaki Skillet from The Seasoned Mom
This skillet is quick it takes just 10 minutes to make and just a handful of ingredients. You could even add in some lettuce leafs to make lettuce wraps with if you wanted to stretch even farther.
18.) Easy Sheperd’s Pie from Baking Mischief
Sheperd’s pie was made years ago because it was hearty and affordable to make. This is a super easy recipe to follow that will fill you up in a hurry.
19.) Slow Cooker Pepper Steak from Bake Me Some Sugar
Buy a cheap cut of steak and cook it in your slow cooker for that tender steak that will pair nicely with peppers and onions. Use rice to serve or even mashed potatoes.
20.) Sausage and Rice One Skillet Meal from All Things Mamma
Flavorful sausage, fluffy rice, and veggies come together for the easiest and pretty cheap weeknight dinner idea. Not to mention it is easy to pull this recipe together.
21.) Chicken Casserole With Ritz Crackers from Salty Side Dish
Creamy, cheesy, and tender chicken in each bite. The Ritz on top of this casserole gives a salty crunch in every single brush. Basic ingredients are all you need.
22.) Zucchini Casserole with Quinoa from Food Done Light
Healthy, full of fiber, and nutrients and super filling. This meatless dish is affordable to make and great to warm up the next day for leftovers.
23.) Classic Goulash from Gonna Want Seconds
Here you have the classic goulash recipe that will be a good one to add to your meal planning. If you like pasta with a tomato base, try this. Add some shredded cheese on top for added flavor.
24.) Vegetarian Spaghetti from Family Food On The Table
If you take a meatless Monday or want to find a meatless dish, this one-pot spaghetti is a good one to make and try out.
25.) Chickpea Gyros from Live Eat Learn
Another vegetarian dish is this chickpea gyros that is loaded with protein, rich flavors, and a creamy sauce. It takes just 30 minutes to cook up in and serve.