Best Easy Dinner Ideas – Cheap Dinner Recipes To Try Tonight
When it comes to weeknight dinner, we’re all looking for something affordable, quick and easy, and satisfying (we’ve got to look forward to them all day, after all). These recipes hit all three criteria, with ease. You don’t have to drop major dough to make something delicious that can be on your table in an hour or less—save money by choosing cheaper proteins (we’re talking chicken, ground proteins, or vegetarian options) and time by making these dishes all in one pan, in your fave kitchen appliance, or via some of our top kitchen shortcuts. Whatever your style, these cheap and easy meals will please your entire family without breaking the bank.
One of the easiest ways to cut down on dinner costs is to go for cheaper cuts of meat, or utilizing more expensive ones in creative ways. Try adding ground beef, turkey, or chicken to help bulk out old standbys. Try roasting a whole chicken (or buying a rotisserie chicken), then utilizing it for everything from pizza to tacos all week long. Try adding more expensive seafood or steak to pasta or rice to help make smaller, more affordable portions go further, like in our Creole jambalaya, our smoked salmon pasta, or our creamy steak fettuccine. It’s all about the way you use the protein that matters, not avoiding them altogether.
If you’ve been on the fence about certain kitchen appliances, like slow cookers, air fryers, and Instant Pots, consider this your sign to take the plunge and get one. They help dinners come together SO fast. We’ve got a number of creative recipes for them, like our Crockpot white chicken chili, our air fryer chimichangas, or our Instant Pot chicken noodle soup, but check out our more in-depth lists for the air fryer (over 100 recipes!), Instant Pot, and Crockpot too.
Even if you’re not ready for another appliance, we bet you have some things in your kitchen already that’ll help you get dinner on the table fast, like sheet pans, a Dutch oven, and casserole dishes. We’ve included a number of our favorite recipes here, like our chicken pot pie casserole, our one-pot vegetarian chili mac, or our sheet pan chicken fajitas, but once you’ve got the basics down, feel free to get creative.
One of the best ways to save some money is to go meatless (and not just on Mondays). And we don’t mean by replacing proteins with all those high-priced meat substitutes (though we’re all about those sometimes)—instead we’re talking about making vegetarian meals out of cheap beans, tofu, and plants. Try our vegan lasagna, our creamy mushroom pasta, our tofu katsu curry, or our vegan crunchwrap to see how versatile and filling these meals can be.
Want more cheap and easy meals? Check out our favorite 5-ingredient meals, our top 30-minute meals, and food editor June’s entire Budget Eats series. You won’t believe what she comes up with for under $25!
