30+ Cheap Dinner Recipes For When You’re On a Budget

1) Homemade Hamburger Helper

Once you make this homemade version, you’ll never want to go back to eating store bought hamburger helper ever again.

2) Easy Puff Pastry Pizza

Puff pastry pizza is a super easy way to satisfy a pizza craving when you’re low on time or dough. Puff pastry steps in as the crust, and the rest is totally up to you! A great recipe to make with the kids.

3) Simple Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

This simple recipe for Chicken Parmesan Meatballs is an easy weeknight dinner win! Swap out any ground meat you have for a quick and delicious dinner.

4) Easy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

The key to this baked macaroni and cheese is the rich and velvety cheese sauce made with sharp cheddar and smooth cream cheese. Topped with breadcrumbs and baked for a wonderfully crisp and textured finish, this is comfort food at its best.

5) Doritos Taco Salad

This easy flavorful taco salad is made with taco seasoned ground beef, lettuce, black beans, tomatoes, Doritos, and Catalina dressing. This easy recipe takes just 15 minutes to make!

6) Quick Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce

This cream cheese pasta sauce is super simple, fast, and great for when you don’t have many ingredients in your fridge! Ready in about 20 minutes.

7) Sheet Pan (or Skillet) Chicken and Potatoes

Simple ingredients that bake together into something so much more for a quick & easy weeknight dinner.

8) 5-Ingredient Chicken Stir Fry

An easy weeknight go-to dinner idea. This Chinese style 5-Ingredient Chicken Stir Fry is made with a noodles, chicken and frozen vegetables. Take-out taste in under 15 minutes!

9) English Muffin Tuna Melts

A classic tuna melt on halved English muffins is such a delicious, fast, easy, and cheap dinner option for those evenings you don’t want to cook. You probably already have everything you need for it!

10) Quick & Easy Pantry Pasta

Pantry pasta can be made with whatever ingredients you have on hand in your fridge and pantry! An easy to customize recipe base that can be ready in about 15 minutes.

11) Buttered Noodles

If you need an easy 20-minute meal, these Buttered Noodles will save the day! All you need is butter, Parmesan cheese, simple herbs, and a hint of lemon juice.

12) Beef Taco Skillet

If you need an easy 20-minute meal, these Buttered Noodles will save the day! All you need is butter, Parmesan cheese, simple herbs, and a hint of lemon juice.

13) Air Fryer Homemade Pizza Bagel Bites

Recreation of a childhood freezer aisle fave: Air Fryer Homemade Pizza Bagel Bites! Homemade with 5 ingredients and cooked for only 5 minutes in the air fryer. Everyone will love these quick and easy, freezer-friendly mini pizzas!

14) One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta

Cheeseburger Pasta is a fast and easy homemade version of hamburger helper that cooks all in one pot for easy cleanup!

15) Easy Shepherd’s Pie

This Easy Shepherd’s Pie, also known as Cottage Pie, is the ULTIMATE simple comfort food, with only 6 main ingredients! It’s super cheap to make, freezable, gluten free, and it’s great for beginner cooks. This version is made with ground beef and has no gravy, but if you’re feeling fancy, you can easily use lamb and/or make a gravy base for it.

16) Ground Turkey Stuffed Shells

These ground turkey stuffed shells are one of my most popular recipes of all time! Large pasta shells stuffed to the brim with ground turkey and cheese and covered with tomato sauce and yes, even more cheese.

17) Easy Tuscan White Bean Pasta

This Tuscan White Bean Pasta is definitely my type of recipe. It’s quick, uses a lot of fresh ingredients, is very filling, and flavorful. This pasta packs protein (white beans and parmesan), veggies (tomatoes and spinach), and carbohydrates (pasta), making it a great one-dish meal. You can serve it up as is for a lighter main dish, or add some sliced grilled chicken to make it a bit more filling.

18) Spinach Mushroom French Bread Pizzas

French bread pizzas are a total weeknight win. They’re fast and easy, you can top them with whatever you have in your fridge, and they’re always delicious. This week, I had some leftover frozen spinach that was begging to be used up, so I whipped up these quick Spinach Mushroom French Bread Pizzas. They have a garlic bread base for extra flavor and then are topped with a simple mix of spinach, sautéed mushrooms, and cheese. Simple but perfect!

19) Easy Chicken Ramen Stir Fry

A simple stir fry chock-full of vegetables and chicken using an old college staple as the base: Ramen!

20) Sheet Pan Sausage and Sweet Potatoes

Hello, sausage and sweet potato sheet pan dinner of your dreams! You only need five ingredients and a few minutes of prep for this easy, healthy sausage sheet pan meal, and best of all – you’ll only have one dish to wash. It’s cheap and healthy too. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

21) Easy Quinoa Fried Rice

Love fried rice? This Quinoa Fried Rice is incredibly easy to make and packs in a little more nutrition than the typical fried rice. You can use leftover quinoa and any vegetables you want!

22) Ham and Pea Pasta

This quick and easy ham and peas pasta is a great use for leftover ham. Glossed with a light Parmesan sauce even the kids will love, it’s just like the classic Italian Pasta alla Papalina!

23) Naan Pizza

This Naan Pizza recipe is an easy dinner idea that takes just 20 minutes from start to finish! The crust is brushed with buttery garlic Parmesan and the topping ideas are endless.

24) Big Kale Pasta Salad

This Big Kale Pasta Salad is the perfect fast and filling summer lunch, packed with flavors, textures, and colors. Great for meal prep!

25) Spanakopita Pasta

This easy Spanakopita Pasta recipe (Spanakopasta!) comes together in only 20 minutes and is packed with yummy Greek flavor! Spinach, feta, dill, and lemon are the stars of this quick and easy recipe, with eggs stirred into the sauce like a carbonara. It’s got all the flavor you love about spanakopita with barely any effort, in a fraction of the time!

26) Vegetarian Bolognese

Deliciously rich and hearty vegetarian bolognese is the perfect meatless comfort food! Ready in under an hour and made with everyday, simple ingredients like lentils, mushrooms and tomatoes. This healthy bolognese sauce will be a hit with the whole family.

27) Taco Pasta Casserole

This 5-ingredient, cheesy taco pasta casserole is one of those quick and easy recipes perfect for when you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner. This pasta bake is made with ground beef, cheese, taco seasoning and salsa!

28) Bratwurst and Sauerkraut

Juicy bratwurst simmering in tangy sauerkraut, sweet apples, onions, and broth is an easy and flavorful way to enjoy this German sausage.

29) Crunchy Kale and Chicken Salad

This Crunchy Kale and Chicken Salad is full of flavor, texture, and a tangy-sweet homemade dressing. It’s perfect for your weekly meal prep!

30) One Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Rice

You only need one pot and 8 ingredients to make this easy and flavorful Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Rice. Fast, easy, and delicious!

31) Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Lemon Ricotta Pasta is light, fresh, and quick to prepare, making it the perfect pasta for weeknight dinners in the summer.

32) One Pot Unstuffed Bell Peppers

All the ingredients and flavor of stuffed bell peppers cooked in one skillet for an easy, free-form bowl meal. It’s UNstuffed Bell Peppers!

33) Philly Cheesesteak Casserole

Philly Cheesesteak Casserole made with ground beef or shaved steak and tater tots is a quick and easy inner idea. Layered with peppers, onions and mushrooms.

34) Mom’s Crockpot Chili

This hearty crockpot chili is my mom’s recipe and it tastes so comforting. Made with ground beef, andouille sausage, cocoa powder, and the perfect blend of spices, it’s incredibly flavorful but so easy to make! It’s bound to be your new go-to chili recipe.