Favorite cheap meals?

Would love to hear your favorite cheap meals! Family on a budget

We're 2 adults and 3 kids so they need to feed all of us plus provide enough for leftovers for at least 4/5 of us for the next day.

Any suggestions?

Only restrictions are:
-no peanuts
-no tree nuts
-no sesame

My biggest issue is that my kids all HATE veggies so it's hard to bulk up foods since they will just pick out the meat/chicken and leave the veggies.

We've been doing pasta 2x/week to keep costs down, homemade pizza once/week and sometimes simple sandwiches like grilled cheese (but sandwiches are expensive because the only safe bread is about $5/loaf), chicken thighs & drumsticks. But would love some more new ideas!

Favorite cheap meals?

Quesadillas-We fill them with beans and rice, too!

Salmon, rice, veggies

I'll make a big pot of soup and we'll have soup and salad night like at Panera.

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

as the prior person said, quesadilla's and soup fried rice, bean burgers,

my sister in law has children with allergies and she ends up making a lot of stuff from scratch which in the end saves her money. you might want to consider making bread from scratch.

Favorite cheap meals?

Meatloaf (if you find the meat for a good price). I like paula deen's recipe which uses oats instead of bread crumbs.

Chicken chili- I posted the recipe on the shredded chicken thread. I roast a whole chicken whenever they're on sale or sometimes buy the rotisserie chicken at shoprite for $4-5. The beans bulk it up a lot.

Pork chops can be pretty cheap when you get them on sale. I like dijon recipe from ST or I bread and pan fry.

Italian sausage either with rice pilaf and a veggie or I add to pasta and sauce which makes a very filling meal.

I tried Perdue's roaster drumsticks recently and they were good, lots of meat on each. I use Annie's Eats lemon chicken recipe or buffalo drumsticks from FN.

Baked ravioli- just layer frozen ravioli with sauce and mozzarella and bake in the oven.

For veggies, do they like sweet potatoes or squash? They're filling and not too pricey. Avocados? I do tacos and make a topping with avocados, tomatoes, garlic, and lime juice instead of boring lettuce and tomato.

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

That's tough because meat and fish are not cheap and everything else that isn't a veggie is processed and carb-heavy.

I would try to get them to eat more veggies each day/each meal.

Beans (cook your own), rice, bread, pasta are all cheap.

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

First off, and you probably already do this, but buy whatever meat is on sale that week. And you usually get a better deal when you buy the big family size packages. A big package of chicken breasts goes a long way. We do grilled chicken salads, then I'll cut up some chicken and do a pasta with broccoli and garlic and toss it all together,
Shred the chicken and add it to quesadillas, chicken souvlaki in pittas, or make baked chicken tenders.
If it's ground beef/turkey on sale, buy a few. You can make burgers, meatloaf, tacos, chili.
Another good inexpensive meal is soup. You can do chicken soup, canelini bean soup, black bean, lentil, etc... Soups are also a great way to get them to eat veggies. Even if they pick the actual veggies to the side, the nutrients are still in the broth.

Favorite cheap meals?

There are already some good ideas mentioned by others. For variety, I like stuffed peppers that you can stuff with rice and beans. I also like quinoa burgers where you put mashed carrots and butter nut squash in them.

Favorite cheap meals?

Cacio e pepe pasta
Quinoa cakes (and you can sneak veggies in there)
Black Bean burgers
Chicken Quesadillas
ST Greek meatballs

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

I love making big pots of stews - will usually do so when meat is on sale, or certain veggies i.e. peppers. But I can fill up a a whole pot of beef and potato stew and it lasts us for dinner + lunch and then some.

Meatballs have also been great lately. I use Pioneer Woman's recipe - and it makes me like 30+ meatballs - you can pair that with pasta, rice, quiona, etc.

Favorite cheap meals?

Another way keep my grocery bill down is by not buying myself or my kids a lot of packaged snacks. It adds up and it's really all junk no matter how you look at it. They each bring a small snack to school, so they get to pick out one salty and one sweet when we are shopping (larger bag and we pack in smaller containers since it's cheaper to shop by unit). That's all I buy. We eat raw veggies, cheese, fruits, nuts, yogurt for snacks. Even popcorn, I do air-popped. It keeps my weight in check and costs down. No juice/soda either. We bake cookies when possible. On special occasions (more in summer for outings) I do buy chips but try not to make it a regular thing.

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

Favorite cheap meals?

My latest strategy has been to try to skip shopping once a month. I've cut out trips to Target (limiting to once a month tops) and try to always shop at the same store. This way I take the best advantage of store coupons and promotions (right now shoprite is tracking dollars towards an easter ham or turkey). I spend a little more per trip but overall I'm definitely saving in the course of a month. I always start with the circular, pick sale meats and produce, and then plan my meals from there. I also avoid recipes that require me to add a lot of ingredients to my shopping list and we still have plenty of variety. I cut coupons and put a lot of time into planning my list and meals so I totally understand the frustration when you work so hard and still don't see a big difference.

Favorite cheap meals?

oh how i've missed you on these boards!! welcome back!
my cheap meals are peas with pasta. i saute onion in a pot with about 3 tablespoons of oil. once the onion is lightly browned, i add a half a bag of peas and cover the peas with water. i let that simmer for about 30 min. meanwhile, i boil half a box of elbow pasta... toss together, add fresh cracked pepper and serve with fresh parm cheese on top.

Favorite cheap meals?

how about tuna fish sandwiches? for tuna, i mince carrots, celery and onion and mix with mayo and a cap full of vinegar.
do you think your kids would turn up their noses to minced carrots?

also, i know you have followed weelicious, have you tried her mini cheesy turkey loaves? she bakes them in mini muffin tins. they have zucchini and carrot i think but they are basically maserated (sp?) into a pulp b.c you run it through the food processor.

otherwise, taco casserole? the rice ball casserole?- which i know you have heard of, but i know i tend to forget about the oldies but goodies.

i'll try to think of some others.

Message edited 3/18/2014 4:35:25 PM.

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

Thanks Lisa!

UGH my kids will not eat peas! I try adding them to pasta or using as a side dish with some pancetta and onion but they hate it and Logan will try to pick every single pea out of his dinner which ends up taking forever.

They won't eat tuna salad or chicken salad! BRATS! hahaha JK of course :)

I do sneak veggies into meatloaf but I also just wish they would just EAT VEGGIES! I don't want to sneak them!

Casseroles are such a great idea but my kids and husband all turn their noses up at casseroles

Sorry I know I'm being difficult but my kids are difficult with veggies!!!!

I'm definitely trying to stick to my meal plan (which is hard when pregnant!) and to stock up when I see good sales on proteins!!

Favorite cheap meals?

pasta with lentils! one of my favs!
i know your kids dont like veggies but this meal is pretty cheap, so maybe they can pick out some of the veggies. will they all together not eat the meal if they see veggies or just pick around it? this meal is easy for them to pick around the carrots etc..


saute about about 3/4 baby carrots sliced, 1-2 celery stalks in a pot coated with oil. saute about 10 min till softened, then add about 2-3 cloves of garlic chopped, let that all become fragrant and softened, then add about half a can of diced or stewed tomatoes. again, let it all soften and mix together.. oh and add salt to taste.
then add about half a bag of rinsed lentils to the pot with the carrots/celry etc, cover with water and let it simmer till the lentils are mushy and almost falls apart ( about 30-45 min)
meanwhile, boil elbow pasta. once everything is cooked, toss together, serve with cracked pepper and parm cheese.

you can buy canned salmon and make salmon cakes ( almost like crab cakes)

hoisin pork with rice noodles- i just saw the recipe and will prob sub out the pork with chicken. the recipe does have peanut butter in it, but that is optional.

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

Posted by maybeamommy

Thanks Lisa!


Casseroles are such a great idea but my kids and husband all turn their noses up at casseroles

Sorry I know I'm being difficult but my kids are difficult with veggies!!!!

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

Stuffed peppers?
Sautéed zucchini with diced tomatoes and chick peas with Parmesan on top
Spaghetti squash, can make it with marinara and mozzarella on top.
With leftover cold cuts, I do hot open sandwiches.
Stuffed/baked potatoes, hash browns
Maybe breakfast for dinner? Veggie omelettes?


Congrats on #4!

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

Re: Favorite cheap meals?

This is my cheapest meal and makes a lot and tastes great!

1 package of extra firm tofu
1 bag frozen veggies, any stir fry type is ok
2 packages of ramen noddles
Soy sauce to taste

Cut tofu into cubes and brown with a little oil. Add the bag of frozen veggies and a bit of soy sauce to taste. Separately cook the 2 packs of ramen noddles (without flavor packet).

Add cooked noddles to tofu and veggies, add both noddle flavor packs, a bit of soy sauce and combine.

It is very good and filling all for about $5

Re: Favorite cheap meals?