With grocery prices continuing to rise, making dinner each night can feel more stressful — and expensive — than ever. But eating well doesn’t have to cost a fortune. With a little creativity (and a few smart pantry staples), you can cook up delicious, satisfying meals without breaking your budget.
To help you stretch your grocery dollars, we rounded up 10 easy, affordable dinner ideas you can save right to your Recipe Cloud account. These recipes are simple, family-friendly, and full of flavor — proof that budget meals don’t have to be boring!
1. One-Pot Pasta with Vegetables
Fast, flavorful, and perfect for cleaning out the fridge, this one-pot pasta comes together with minimal ingredients and almost no cleanup. Use whatever seasonal or leftover vegetables you have on hand for an easy weeknight win.
One Pot Veggie Pasta
Ingredients:
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz. mushrooms
- 1 zucchini
- 1 red bell pepper
- 12 lb. rotini not cooked
- 12 tsp dried basil
- 12 tsp dried oregano
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 24 oz. pasta sauce
- 4 oz. mozzarella, shredded optional
2. Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes
Chicken thighs are one of the most affordable protein options, and when you roast them with hearty potatoes and simple seasonings, you get a full meal on one tray. It’s filling, easy to prep, and makes great leftovers.
Sheet Pan Baked Chicken and Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound yellow potatoes cut into quarters lengthwise peel if desired
- 68 chicken thighs bonein, skin on
- 34 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 12 lemon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt pepper to taste
- 1 package poultry fresh herb mix rosemary, sage, thyme
3. Bean and Cheese Burritos
Canned beans, tortillas, and a little shredded cheese — that’s all you need to whip up these budget-friendly burritos. They’re perfect for meal prepping ahead of time and freeze beautifully for quick future dinners.
Bean and Cheese Burrito – Two Peas & Their Pod
Ingredients:
- 16 oz refried beans
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 flour tortillas
- 1 1/4 cups shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sour Cream or Plain Greek yogurt
- Hot Sauce
4. Vegetable Fried Rice
Leftover rice and a handful of veggies are the secret weapons behind this fast, flexible dish. Customize it based on what you have — it’s delicious with or without meat, and comes together in about 15 minutes.
Extra Vegetable Fried Rice
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoons 2 tablespoons avocado oil or safflower oil, divided
- 2 eggs, whisked together
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped about 1 cup
- 2 medium carrots, finely chopped about cup
- 2 cups additional veggies, cut into very small pieces for quick cooking
- teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1 tablespoon grated or finely minced fresh ginger
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 cups cooked brown rice see notes
- 1 cup greens optional, such as spinach, baby kale or tatsoi
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Chili garlic sauce or sriracha, for serving optional
5. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
A pork shoulder roast is one of the most cost-effective cuts of meat, and a slow cooker makes it melt-in-your-mouth tender. Serve it in sandwiches, tacos, rice bowls, or just on its own — one batch can stretch for days.
Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast
- 1 cup barbeque sauce
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 extra large onion, chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 8 hamburger buns, split
- 2 tablespoons butter, or as needed
6. Chili Mac
What’s better than combining two comfort food favorites? Chili mac is a hearty, cheesy mashup of chili and macaroni — perfect for feeding a crowd (or stocking the freezer with leftovers).
Chili Mac and Cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 1 red capsicum bell pepper , chopped
- 500g 1 lb ground beef mince , I use lean
- 800g 28 oz crushed canned tomato
- 420g 14 oz can red kidney beans , drained
- 2 12 cups 625 ml beef broth chicken broth also ok
- 250g 8 oz elbow macaroni pasta elbow pasta, uncooked
- 2 cups 200g shredded cheese cheddar, Monterey Jack, tasty cheese
- 14 cup coriander cilantro finely chopped, for garnish
- 12 tsp cayenne pepper or pure chilli powder adjust spiciness to taste Note 1
- 2 tsp paprika powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 12 tsp onion powder can sub garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 12 tsp black pepper
- 1 14 tsp salt
7. Baked Ziti
This classic pasta bake is a budget dinner staple for a reason. It’s filling, easy to customize, and makes enough for leftovers. Plus, it’s pure comfort food when you need it most.
Baked Ziti Recipe – Once Upon a Chef
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ziti noodles
- 1 lbs ground spicy or sweet Italian sausage or removed from casings
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoons sugar
- teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- cup plus 3 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
- cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving
- 8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded about 2 cups
8. Stuffed Bell Peppers
Rice, ground meat (or lentils for a vegetarian option), and tomato sauce come together inside colorful bell peppers for a fun, complete meal that’s affordable and nutrient-packed.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients:
- 3 bell peppers 3.97
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil, divided 0.08
- 1 lb Italian sausage 4.99
- 1 yellow onion, diced 0.38
- 3 garlic cloves, minced 0.24
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning 0.10
- 12 tsp garlic powder 0.05
- 1 14 tsp salt, divided 0.06
- 14 tsp freshly cracked black pepper 0.02
- 1 cup marinara sauce 0.71
- 12 cup uncooked long grain white rice 0.21
- 34 cup chicken broth 0.15
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella 1.25
9. Egg and Vegetable Frittata
Egg prices have been up lately, but they’re still one of the most versatile ingredients you can keep on hand. A frittata turns a handful of eggs, vegetables, and cheese into a hearty meal for any time of day.
Egg and Vegetable Frittata
Ingredients:
- 6 large eggs, use 8 eggs for a 12inch skillet
- cup unsweetened almond milk, or any milk
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- teaspoon sea salt, more for sprinkling
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 6 scallions, chopped
- 2 cups chopped broccoli or broccolini
- teaspoon smoked paprika
- cup crumbled feta cheese
10. Yakisoba (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles)
This quick stir-fry turns simple noodles and vegetables into a flavorful, satisfying meal. You can make a shortcut version using instant noodles if you like — it’s a great way to stretch pantry basics into something special.
Yakisoba (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles)(Video) 焼きそば
Ingredients:
- cup Worcestershire sauce usevegan Worcestershire saucefor vegan
- 4 tsp oyster sauce use Lee Kum KeeVegetarian StirFry Sauce for shellfish allergies or vegetarian
- 4 tsp ketchup
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar plus more, to taste
- lb sliced pork belly or your choice of meatseafoodmushroomsveggies
- onion 5 oz, 142 g
- 4 inches carrot 3.5 oz, 100 g
- head green cabbage small lb, 227 g
- 2 green onionsscallions
- 3 shiitake mushrooms 1.4 oz, 40 g
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil plus more, if needed
- 3 servings yakisoba noodles presteamed one package contains 3 servings, 1617 oz, 454480 g
- freshly ground black pepper
- cup yakisoba sauce plus more, to taste from the recipe above
- aonori dried green laver seaweed
- pickled red ginger beni shoga or kizami beni shoga
Save Your Favorites and Start Planning!
Saving affordable recipes is one of the easiest ways to stick to your grocery budget — and Recipe Cloud makes it even easier. Save these recipes (and more!) to your account, plan your meals, and build your shopping list all in one place.
Start saving your favorite budget-friendly recipes on Recipe Cloud today!
0 Comments