Life is hectic. Everyone’s running around, groceries keep skyrocketing, and making good homemade meals for the family that don’t require a second mortgage is difficult. Luckily, this list of 15 cheap recipes is here to help. Make good, filling dinners that will keep the family returning for more.
Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Taco-stuffed zucchini boats provide a balanced mix of nutrition, combining meat, vegetables, and a burst of Mexican seasoning for a delicious meal!
You need: 4 courgettes, 400 g minced beef, 1 tbsp taco seasoning, 100 g salsa, 100 g cheese, coriander.
- Halve courgettes and scoop out the centres.
- Brown beef with seasoning and salsa, fill the boats.
- Top with cheese and bake at 200°C for 20 min.
Crispy Potato Tacos
This cheap recipe was inspired by various potato tacos, from fast food to authentic Mexican. It’s loaded with shortcuts to save time and money while producing an easy, tasty meal.
You need: 400 g potatoes, 8 small tortillas, 1 tbsp oil, 100 g cheese, lettuce, salsa.
- Boil and mash potatoes with salt.
- Fill tortillas, fold and fry until crisp.
- Top with lettuce, cheese and salsa.
Poor Man’s Stew
Poor man’s stew is a great recipe for anyone pressed for time or trying to save money. Just load these basic ingredients into a pot and let them simmer; that’s all it takes.
You need: 400 g potatoes, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 400 g tinned tomatoes, 500 ml stock, 2 tbsp oil.
- Fry the onion.
- Add vegetables, tomatoes and stock.
- Simmer 25 min.
Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs Dinner
Welcome to the cheap recipe fan’s biggest secret—chicken thighs. They are juicier, crispier, and more flavorful than chicken breast. But the best part is that they are cheaper, too. This one-pan recipe makes a perfect dinner for a lot less cost.
You need: 8 chicken thighs, 500 g potatoes, 2 carrots, 3 tbsp oil, 1 tsp paprika, thyme.
- Toss everything in oil and spices on a tray.
- Roast at 200°C for 40 min.
- Rest 5 min.
Cream Cheese Pasta
Need a quick, filling meal that everyone will enjoy? Look no further than this cream cheese pasta. It’s super fast to make and uses ingredients almost everyone already has or can quickly pick up.
You need: 300 g pasta, 150 g cream cheese, 100 ml pasta water, 2 garlic cloves, parmesan, basil.
- Cook the pasta.
- Melt cream cheese with garlic and pasta water.
- Toss with pasta, parmesan and basil.
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
This cheap recipe shows that just because something is cheap doesn’t mean it can’t be good. It takes classic grilled cheese and tomato soup and gives it a makeover while keeping things affordable.
You need: 4 slices bread, 100 g cheddar, butter, 800 g tomatoes, 1 onion, 500 ml stock.
- Simmer chopped tomatoes, onion and stock 20 min, blend.
- Make cheese sandwiches.
- Toast in butter and serve with soup.
Pull Apart Meatball Sliders
Meatball sandwiches are a safe bet at nearly any sandwich shop. But with the prices they charge, you wouldn’t be remiss in thinking the meatballs might contain actual gold flake. Get all the experience for a fraction of the cost with these pull-apart meatball sliders.
You need: 12 slider rolls, 12 small meatballs, 200 ml marinara, 150 g mozzarella, garlic butter.
- Place rolls whole in a dish, add a meatball in each.
- Pour over marinara and cheese.
- Brush with butter, bake at 190°C for 20 min.
Pineapple Fried Rice
Pineapple fried rice is a sweet, savory dish that will please the whole family. What’s even better is that it can be made using leftovers. Talk about cheap!
You need: 400 g cooked rice, 200 g pineapple, 2 eggs, 100 g peas, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oil.
- Scramble the eggs in hot oil.
- Add rice, peas and pineapple.
- Season with soy.
Fold Over Black Bean Quesadillas
Vegetarian meals get a bad rap sometimes, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Make these quesadillas using black beans for loads of flavor, and they only need five ingredients.
You need: 4 tortillas, 200 g black beans, 100 g cheese, 1 pepper, cumin.
- Mash beans with cumin.
- Fill half of each tortilla with beans, pepper and cheese.
- Fold and toast 2 min per side.
Hamburger Casserole
There is something so comforting about a good, filling, easy-to-make hamburger casserole. Throw this one together quickly anytime you need a good, cheap meal.
You need: 500 g minced beef, 1 onion, 400 g tomatoes, 250 g macaroni, 150 g cheese.
- Brown beef and onion, add tomatoes.
- Mix with cooked macaroni.
- Top with cheese and bake at 180°C for 20 min.
Creamy Broccoli Pasta
This recipe looks fancy and tastes fancy, so nobody will suspect that it was so cheap to make. Plus, it only takes about thirty minutes.
You need: 300 g pasta, 300 g broccoli, 150 ml cream, 2 garlic cloves, 50 g parmesan.
- Cook pasta with the broccoli in the last 3 min.
- Warm cream with garlic and cheese.
- Toss together.
Veggie Chow Mein
Chow mein is a staple dish at Chinese restaurants everywhere. This cheap recipe uses only veggies to keep costs down without sacrificing taste.
You need: 250 g noodles, 300 g mixed vegetables, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster or veggie sauce, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp oil.
- Cook noodles.
- Stir-fry vegetables and garlic 4 min.
- Toss with noodles and sauces.
Boiled Rice and Chicken
This boiled rice and chicken recipe is so easy and so good that it’s bound to become one of your top comfort foods. Plus, it’s so economical that it even reuses the water the chicken boiled in to give the rice extra flavor.
You need: 4 chicken thighs, 200 g rice, 1 onion, 1 litre water, salt.
- Simmer the chicken with onion 25 min.
- Add rice and cook 15 min.
- Shred chicken back in.
Gluten-free Chili Mac
Chili mac is a great recipe for cheap, easy meals. It combines two fantastic comfort foods together. This recipe takes it a step further and makes it gluten-free as well.
You need: 250 g gluten-free pasta, 500 g minced beef, 400 g tomatoes, 400 g kidney beans, 1 tbsp chilli powder, 100 g cheese.
- Brown beef with spices.
- Add tomatoes, beans, 250 ml water and pasta.
- Simmer 15 min, top with cheese.
Vegan Roasted Carrot Soup
Roasted carrots are the secret weapon of many successful cooks. The hearty, earthy taste lends to many dishes, like this simple carrot soup, perfect for a cool night.
You need: 800 g carrots, 1 onion, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 litre vegetable stock, 1 tsp cumin.
- Roast carrots with oil and cumin at 200°C for 30 min.
- Simmer with onion and stock 10 min.
- Blend smooth.
Creamy Taco Soup
You’ll need just a handful of ingredients to make this hearty, creamy taco soup. Plus, it can simmer away after just a little prep work, and you are free to do whatever else once it’s going.
You need: 500 g minced beef, 400 g tomatoes, 400 g beans, 200 g corn, 1 tbsp taco seasoning, 150 g cream cheese, 500 ml stock.
- Brown beef with seasoning.
- Add tomatoes, beans, corn and stock, simmer 15 min.
- Stir in cream cheese.
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