Are you looking for cheap family meals that your family will eat and love? (updated 2/2021)
So many times, cheap family meals do not make enough to feed an entire family. Your family is left snacking all evening and this is costing you money!
If there is one thing I LOVE, it is saving money.
So today I have compiled a resource to help you solve your cheap family meals dilemma. Below you will find over 50 cheap dinner ideas that will fill your stomach and your hearts because they are all made with love.
One of my favorite ways to save money on groceries is to use meal planning. You could easily make a bi-weekly meal plan using any of the cheap dinners below.
Be sure to sign up for my meal planning pack, and add in your dinners and fill your shopping list for weekly or bi-weekly cheap family meals and save money on your groceries.
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Check out my favorite ways to save money below:
Ibotta – Ibotta is an awesome money-saving app that allows you to receive rebates for stuff you already buy. All you have to do is find your store and search the available rebates for that week. Once you find your rebates, start shopping. Next, send your receipt by taking a picture and uploading it which is super easy. I suggest doing this right when you get home from the store so you do not forget. It is as easy as taking a simple picture and clicking your rebates! Ibotta has recently added some online shopping to their app as well, so you have more options. Use my link and receive a $10 sign up bonus when you redeem your first rebate! Read more about Ibotta here: Ibotta, Awesome Rebate and Money Making App.
It doesn’t matter if you love chicken, beef, pork or you are a vegetarian. This list has you covered and is organized by meat selection, so scroll down to find your favorites or mix things up!
Rotating Meal Plan Idea
To make life easier, try having the same type of food planned out for certain days of the week. We have all heard of taco Tuesday, right? Well, this is similar. I like to plan fish on Fridays and this corresponds with Lent, which my family observes. And other meat or meatless foods for the rest of the week. I also like to order a pizza at least once a month on Saturday, when I don’t feel like cooking so it is nice to have a break every once in a while.
A great idea for your Cheap Dinner Recipes Meal Plan is to select different meats or vegetarian meals for the week. Here is an example you can follow:
Monday: Meatless/vegetarian
Tuesday: Beef
Wednesday: Chicken
Thursday: Pork
Friday: Fish
Saturday: Meatless/Vegetarian
Sunday: Chicken
Many times, vegetarian family meals are cheaper, so you could pick and choose from my example above and save more money.
Some of the dishes below may be vegetarian, but they will still fill you up, so no worries!
Cheap Family Meals and Simple Dinner Ideas:
With that, let’s get cooking….
Grab your free Meal Plan and Menu Template
Click here to grab your free meal planning packet! Meal Planning Packet!
Chicken- Cheap Easy Meals on a Budget
Zesty Olive: Quick and Easy Chicken Fiesta Skillet
Zesty Olive: Sheet Pan Herb Roasted Chicken With Red Potatoes
Sharing My Favorites: Easy Ranch Chicken Recipe
Low Carb Yum: Super Easy Sheet Pan Chicken With Vegetables
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Easy Low Carb Recipes: Low Carb Instapot Salsa Chicken
You Brew My Tea: Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Savory Bites: Chicken N Cheese Sandwich
Need more easy chicken recipes? Click here
Vegetarian Dinner Ideas for Tonight:
Honest and Truly: Tuna and Tomato Past Recipe
Souly Rested: Great Grandmom’s Cheese Souffle
Dancing Through the Rain: Chicken Skillet With Mushrooms
Honest and Truly: Tamale Pot Pies
I Heart Frugal: Budget-Friendly Tuna Noodle Casserole – Under $3
A Virtual Vegan: Oven Baked Garlic Mushroom Rice
Peace, Love and Low Carbs: Cabbage Noodle Tuna Casserole: Low Carb, Gluten Free
Peace, Love and Low Carbs: Low Carb Big Mac Casserole
Virtual Vegan: Bubble and Squeak Patties
Creative Southern Home: Three Ingredient Baked Ziti
Rhian’s Recipes: Egg Plant Chickpea Peanut Curry (Vegan + GF)
Stress Less, Be Healthy: Delicious Diced Vegan Bean Burritos
Thrifty Jinkxy: Crockpot Layered Bean Burritos Recipe
Salt and Lavender: Easy Vegetable and Bean Soup
Essential Homestead: Cheesy Crock-pot Potatoe Soup
Baking Beauty: Instapot Mac and Cheese
Almost Bananas: Chick Pea and Barley Greek Salad
Don’t Forget Your Meal Plan Packet…
Click here to grab your Meal Plan Packet
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My Food Story: Shrimp Chow Mein {One Pot Meal 30 Minutes}
Mom Needs Chocolate: Easy Pierogi
Other Frugal Posts You Will Enjoy:
- How to do a Weeks Worth of Summer Budget Meals that Rocks
- 50 Make-Ahead Tailgate Foods for Your Tailgate Menu
- The Ultimate Fall Slow Cooker Recipe Roundup – 20 Seriously Good Recipes
- 7 Common Money Mistakes and How to Fix Them
- 41 Clever Ways to Cut Your Food Bill
- 50 Thanksgiving Side Dishes for Your Thanksgiving Menu
- 30 Days of Healthy, Budget-Friendly Instant Pot Recipes You Must Try
For one of the best instant pot cookbooks, click here
Beef Cheap Meals for Large Families:
I Heart Frugal: Cheap and Easy Chili – Under $4
Baking With Mom: Hamburger Casserole
Savory Tooth: Ground Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry
Down Redbud Drive: Homemade Mash Potato Bowls
Soccer Mom Blog: Hearty Carne Guisada (Mexican Beef Stew)
By Pink: Instapot Cheeseburger Macaroni
Savory Tooth: Crazy Good Beef and Broccoli
Mom Need Chocolate: Lazy Lasagna
Cook Eat Go: Four Ingredient Stove Top Meatloaf
Maria’s Mixing Bowl: Creamy Cream Cheese Hamburger Pasta Casserole
Uncommon Designs: Delicious Baked Ziti
Dancing Through the Rain: Old Fashion Goulash Recipe
Cook Eat Go: Friendship Casserole
The Baking Fairy: Italian Bolognese Sauce
My Food Story: Pressure Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Pork Cheap Easy Meals:
My Pinterventures: Pork and Peas Quick, Easy One-Pot Meal
Down Redbud Drive: Sheet Pan Pork and Peppers – One Pan Meal
I Heart Frugal: Yummy and Cheap Pulled Pork Slow Cooker Recipe
Cheap Turkey Easy Meals for Families:
Moneywise Moms: Turkey Parmasean Pasta {Easy Stovetop Meal}
Sausage Cheap Dinner Recipes:
Maria’s Mixing Bowl: Slow Cooker Sausage, Carrots, and Potatoes
Ann’s Entitled Life: Macaroni Pizza Casserole Recipe
Confessions of an Overworked Mom: Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls in 15 Minutes
Cheap Paleo Meals for Families:
Recipe This: Paleo Cheap Family Meals Challenge
Cheap Meals Challenge:
This post “How to Eat Healthy on $5 a Day: Desert Food Challenge” from Pink Fortitude includes a few recipes! I love this challenge. She shows you how to eat healthy for $5 per day! Check it out.
Summing Up Cheap Family Meals:
With a list of 50 cheap dinner ideas, I hope you found something that will work for you.
Pick at least one or two new cheap dinner recipes to try each week and if your family LOVES them, add them to your recipe bank.
Stick to a theme each night to make it easier or if you are vegetarian, there are plenty of healthy options if you are looking for cheap meals for large families. So feed your family on a budget and make sure they are full with these simple dinner ideas.
It doesn’t have to cost a lot to keep your family full at dinner time and you can make these dinner ideas for tonight. Making cheap family meals is one of the best ways to save money!
Put that money back in your pocket and use it to pay down debt or save up for your dream vacation. You’ve got this!
Do you have any cheap meal ideas you would like to add to the list? I will allow links in the comments but will approve them first. Thank you for sharing!
Take care – Sarah
Frugal Living and Feeding the Family on a Budget Related Posts You Will Enjoy:
- Budget-Friendly Meal Planning
- Cheap Meal Plan for Two: One Week -All Meals Under $30
- 14 Effortless Dinner Meals That Will Make Your Kids Smile (under $60)
- 7 Easy Lazy Girl 10-Minute Meals
- Keto on a Budget – 35 Delicious Cheap Keto Meals
- 55 Cheap Meals to Try When You Are Broke
50 Cheap Family Meals That will Fill You Up
23 Comments on 50 Cheap Family Meals That Will Fill You Up – Most Under $10
Comments are closed.
So many tasty things looking recipes here! I’ll have to try some of them out. I’ve found that one way to reduce the cost of meat is to use the same type multiple times each week. It’s much cheaper per pound to buy a whole chicken than just parts. So we roast two (large family of 10 so one doesn’t stretch thy fat :)) Then we have chicken pot pie, chicken tacos, chicken gravy over spuds, and finally chicken soup from the bone broth. It’s a nice variety that doesn’t feel boring even though it’s all chicken! We do the same with beef, cook a large roast and use it multiple ways.
Full of great ideas!!!!! Thank you. Have also suscribed. Will definitely try some in the coming Days.
Thank you, Yasmina! I am so happy to have you in my tribe! I hope you found some great cheap dinner ideas and many more frugal living tips from my newsletter! Take care!
I love sheet pan recipes and slow cooker recipes (when it’s not summer!). That ranch chicken recipe above looks so good! An easy change we made years ago was switching from chicken breasts in a recipe to chicken thighs. I think they taste better and they’re cheaper too!
Thank you! That is a great tip!! I love sheet pan recipes. They make your cheap family meals much easier! Take care!
I love being able to feed my family well at home and save money! Sometimes it’s really fun to stretch groceries to see how far they will go! Thanks for sharing all of these recipes, it’s fun to try new things for dinner once in a while!
Honestly, I totally get that, Rachel. I think it is fun to stretch the food budget too and see how much you can get for less money. I hope you find some good recipes to help you out! Take care!!
I love this post! It is so convenient to be able to find large lists of meal ideas like this! I will certainly be trying out that Macaroni Pizza Casserole. Looks amazing! Also, just as Lisa stated, I try to buy meat in bulk. For instance, I hate how expensive ground beef has gotten so I typically buy the jumbo packs for a better price. I can make tacos, spaghetti, burgers, and a whole host of other options. It’s a convenient way to save money while still cooking something new each night!
Thank you for the nice comment. I seriously LOVE the idea of buying and cooking meat in bulk. It saves SO much time and money, but you can still find cheap family meals that taste good! Best of luck to you and your cooking! Take care!
This list is so good! We are trying to eat on a budget so saving this one!!
Thank you! I hope you find some cheap dinner ideas that work for you. It can be hard sticking to a budget, but cutting back on food can be easy and you will still have cheap family meals that taste good and fill you up! Take care!
This is a massive list! I like the idea of having one thing per weekday already planned out.
Thank you, Corey! It really does help save time and when you are cooking dinner for a big family, it is really just easier. Take care! Happy cooking!
These all look delicious!!
Thank you so much, Erin! I hope you find a favorite dinner idea!!
We are now a family of 6, and eating on a budget is how we keep from going into debt haha. These all look amazing.
Honestly, cheap family meals have SAVED my budget and I only have two kiddos! I can’t imagine my food bill with six! Bless you! Best of luck to you and your beautiful family!
Love this list! It will have me trying out recipes for weeks. Beef and broccoli is definitely a go-to meal in my house.
Oh, yes! Beef and Broccoli is such a great cheap dinner idea that my kids will even eat! Thanks for the comment! Take care!
These all look so delicious. They will be great when back to school starts and being so busy.
I am so glad my cheap family meals are and will be helpful to you! School nights are tough and it helps to have easy family dinner ideas. Take care!
These looks so yummy!`
Thank you! I hope you found some Cheap family meals that you can use! Take care!!