31+ Cheap Meals To Throw Together For Easy Family Dinners
Below are my favorite cheap meals with few ingredients that make meals for the week MUCH less of a struggle – and best of all, those picky eaters do NOT turn their nose at them – yay!
If you’re spending more time frugal meal planning like most of us are these days, these affordable and some extremely cheap meals are for you!
Updated on May 27, 2025
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I have a big list of my favorite dinner recipes with limited ingredients below, but let’s start with my family’s favorites that I “MUST” make at LEAST twice a month.
Which, to be totally honest, is completely fine by me – they’re SO easy to throw together after a busy day.
Mac ‘n Cheese Hamburger Casserole
Mac and Cheese Meatloaf Casserole is a delightful fusion of two beloved comfort foods: macaroni and cheese and meatloaf.
This dish is perfect for family dinners, offering a hearty and satisfying meal that everyone will love.
Combining the savory flavors of meatloaf with the creamy, cheesy goodness of mac and cheese creates a dish that is both comforting and super simple.
Mac ‘n Cheese Hamburger Casserole Recipe
Zesty Italian Chicken
Just 4 simple – and CHEAP – ingredients dumped into a crockpot turns into the most delicious chicken dinner!
Pizza Burgers
Wayyyyyyy back in the day, our school lunch lady made these Pizza Burgers – so good!
I make them a lot when I’m in a pinch for something quick and easy to make that the kids WILL eat (and they gobble these up!)
Those are the Top 3 Dinners from the fam, let’s me show you the other dinners I make to give a full month of cheap meals to make!
Cheap Meals To Try
These cheap meals all have few ingredients making them easy to throw together to make cheap dinners for the family. If you love simple frugal meals without the struggle of complicated recipes, these dinner ideas are for you!
This 3-Ingredient Cheddar Cream of Mushroom Chicken is SO GOOD and is such an easy meal to make for your family in under an hour!
26 Fast and Frugal Family Dinners for Big Families On A Tight Budget – that’s right, we’re talking dirt cheap and easy “struggle” meals that are perfect for quick school night meals and busy weeknights when the picky eater family needs to be fed, but you’re short on time AND short on MONEY.
Cheap EASY way to make Beef Tips and Gravy… it’s a super simple “no peek” recipe that turns out wonderful every, single time!
If you need a quick, easy meal with just a few ingredients, this Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti is it.
This juicy and delicious chicken recipe is made with just three main ingredients: 100% pure organic apple juice, chicken thighs, and salt! It's an easy meal that everyone will love, and it has been a family favorite for years.
We always have a bag of meatballs in our freezer, but I was trying to find a recipe that was a little bit different than what we normally do and I came across this one.
This is beyond simple to make, the "hardest" part is making the mashed potatoes to serve them with (but just use instant!)
Make this 3-Ingredient Chicken and Broccoli Bubble Up for dinner and your family will thank you for it! Dinner doesn’t get much easier than this and it is delicious!
3 ingredients - one corckpot... that's all you need to make these SUPER simple dinners - and they're SO good!
Simple dinner recipe to make to switch things up is this simple 3 Ingredient Bacon Wrapped Chicken recipe that is filled with amazing flavor and crispy thick cut bacon.
This is THE best slow cooker chuck roast EVER! Only 4 ingredients to dump and go in your crockpot for a cut-with-a-fork tender crock pot pot roast and the best gravy!
Crockpot pork chops and rice with cheese is a great slow cooker dinner, is budget-friendly, and is one of the easiest meals to make.
The recipe is a great way to jazz up pork chops and create a filling, hearty meal for the family with just a few ingredients.
You'll love this chicken Dijon recipe with rich, creamy mustard sauce. It looks impressive, but takes just 15 minutes. Perfect for weeknights!
There are many a nights when those super picky eaters at my table don’t want ANYTHING I cook.
On those nights, it’s my “famous” Beefy Noodles to the rescue!
This crockpot cheeseburger soup is "SOUPER" simple to make and it's delicious - a perfect cold weather meal idea to throw together!
Only 6 cheap ingredients and makes a full meal in your 9×13 casserole dish
These Garlic Butter Steak and Potato Foil Packets are an easy family dinner recipe for summer. They turn out so delicious with plenty of buttery and garlicky flavor.
This Creamy Taco Pasta Recipe is a 30 minute meal that you can make in one pot!
Pasta shells are smothered in cheesy taco sauce with ground beef and tomatoes.
More Cheap Meals To Make:
