58 Budget Family Meals

15. Crispy Chicken Thighs One Pan Meal (Mama Knows Gluten Free) – This one pan meal is full of color and flavor but won’t have you doing dishes all night long. What’s not to love? 🙂

Bonus: Need to feed a horde of hungry people? No problem! Here are 40 cooking for a crowd recipes.

16. Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks Marinara Mozzarella Mushroom Mish-Mosh (with Penne Pasta) (Mashup Mom) – I’m not going to lie; this cheap easy meal sounded a little odd at first but it’s actually super yummy and filling, making it a great option when you have a lot of hungry mouths to feed. Plus, thanks to the slow cooker, it comes together with very little effort on your part!

17. Simple and Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken (Inspiring Savings) – One way to save money, other than these budget family meals, is to cut back on dining out. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite foods, like Asian takeout. There are plenty of recipes, like this one, that taste just as good as takeout without the price tag or the not-so-good for you ingredients!

18. Doritos Cheesy Chicken Pasta Casserole (The Best Blog Recipes) – This cheesy crispy dish is so good that even your picky little eater will enjoy it! You can make this recipe a couple of different ways to take advantage of whatever is on sale. For example, instead of chicken use ground beef or even just black beans!

Bonus: Remember, forgoing meat is a great way to turn recipes into cheap dinner meals. Get inspired with these cheap vegetarian meals.

19. Skillet Chicken with Mushrooms (Dancing Through the Rain) – Cheap meals to cook often have fewer ingredients, which means they’re (usually) easier to pull together… which is right up this busy mom’s alley! 🙂 This particular recipe has just 4 ingredients.

Beef Budget Family Meals

20. Beef Stroganoff Crockpot Recipe (Freebie Finding Mom) – Some days just demand comfort food, am I right? If you’re in need of something cozy and comforting, try this cheap easy meal that comes together with very little hands on time on your part, thanks to the crockpot.

21. Slow Cooker Beef Stew (Freebie Finding Mom) – Many soups and stews, including this one, make great budget family meals for the winter months. Cut up your ingredients, toss them in the slow cooker, and then stand back while your house fills with delicious smells!

22. Easy Crockpot Lasagna (Freebie Finding Mom) – Lasagna in a crockpot? Yep, it’s totally possible! Just because you’ve got a hectic week ahead of you doesn’t mean you and your family can’t enjoy hearty cheap dinner meals that bring you all together around the kitchen table. Crockpot lasagna and a simple salad is one of my favs.

23. Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Beef and Peppers (Freebie Finding Mom) – I’ll say it again: Cheap meals to cook for your family don’t have to be boring. Just take a look at this recipe; it’s a delicious fusion of classic beef stew and Chinese takeout without the high sodium content found in most takeout dishes. Yum!

24. Old Fashioned Dairy and Gluten-Free Meatloaf (Food Meanderings) – If I asked you to name 3 cheap easy meals, I bet one of them would be meatloaf, am I right? And you’d probably say it with a little bit of a wrinkled nose. I know, I know, it’s hard to get jazzed up about meatloaf, but it is a budget friendly and filling meal, and I think this recipe gives it a fresh take you’re sure to enjoy.

25. One Pot Steak Mac and Cheese (Recipe This) – Here’s another of the budget family meals that your picky little eater will actually get excited about. Best of all, it only costs approximately $2.92 to feed four people, so you’ll definitely stay on budget!

Bonus: Is getting your kiddo to eat a little bit like World War 3? I hear ya! Here are 47 toddler meals that your little one will devour.

26. Easy Baked Ziti (Spaceships and Laser Beams) – If you’re looking for a hearty cheap dinner meal that’ll leave the whole family full, look no further! This baked ziti is Italian comfort food at its best. Best of all, it comes together in just 35 minutes!

27. Chili Mac and Cheese  (Spaceships and Laser Beams) – I love cheap meals to cook, like this one, that come together quick (just 35 minutes!) and are versatile. For example, you can use just about any ground meat (beef, turkey, or chicken) in this recipe based on what you have on hand or is on sale.

28. Cowboy Casserole (The Best Blog Recipes) – Looking for something new to feed your herd of hungry cowpokes? Then saddle on up partner and mosey on over to this cheap easy meals recipe. Bonus: It only requires 10 minutes of prep time.

29. Easy Lasagna Casserole (Spaceships and Laser Beams) – Here’s one budget family meal that you can make for your family again and again, especially if you try out a few of the different variations the chef recommends. For example, swap the traditional tomato sauce for Alfredo sauce to give this dish a whole new flavor!