Favorite Cheap Family Meals

Stay on track with your grocery budget and feed your family well with cheap family meals to share with the kids. With easy, affordable options that are also nutritious, use this list to make everything easier in your kitchen!

I know how hard it can be to stick with a grocery budget or just to feel like we are able to feed our families without spending a fortune, so these meals are designed to help. They are my go-to options built on affordable ingredients that come together into delicious meals for both kids and adults.

There are vegetarian options that rely on inexpensive staples such as beans, potatoes, and eggs; recipes with meat that use the more expensive ingredients strategically; and many fast nutritious ideas to use basic pantry staples you might already have on hand.

Look below for easy options and comment at the end with any questions!

(For more easy ideas, you may also like my make-ahead Toddler Dinners, Weeknight Family Meals, and a week of quick kids meal ideas.)

Quick Lentil Sauce for Pasta

I’m always looking for easy ways to add iron to meals—especially since it’s one nutrient that can be more challenging for the kids to get enough of. And this easy pasta sauce is a new favorite option. 

Quick Pasta with Peas

We rely on pasta to make easy vegetarian meals, and this version with peas in the mix is one of our staples. It’s rich in vegetarian protein, it’s very fast, and it’s easy for little kids to eat—and for grownups to enjoy, too.

One-Pot Taco Pasta

I love easy dinners that require less cleanup and simple cooking methods, and this one-pot pasta is SO good. It has the best of both pasta and tacos, requires just one pan, and is so versatile. 

Quick Orzo Soup

This soup is super versatile in that you can season it with Italian or Greek flavors. You can also change up the vegetables according to what you have, use chicken or Vegetable Broth, and serve it with more or less liquid according to what’s easiest for your kids.

Easy Chickpea Fritters

These are easy to adjust for allergies, can be made on the stovetop or in the air fryer, and are great with a range of dipping sauces including Cucumber Yogurt Sauce, salsa, guacamole, hummus, and ketchup.

Vegetarian Quesadillas with Beans and Cheese

Transform beans and cheese into delish Vegetarian Quesadillas in less than 10 minutes for family dinner tonight—or a go-to kids meal for anytime. They’re easy to make, whether you make one or a pile, and reheat so well for leftovers.

Easy Breakfast Burritos

These easy burritos are so straightforward to make and are one of my favorite make-ahead breakfast options. I love that I can make a pile of them at once and store them in the fridge or freezer to warm up on future days. 

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

This Black Bean Soup is easy, nutritious, and really yummy. I love that it has veggies blended in and that it’s easy for me to throw together even when I’m in a rush!

Baked Sheet Pan Nachos

This is a meal that everyone in my house loves—and it is a safer way to serve nachos to young toddlers who can’t safely chew a tortilla chip. The sliced potato base is soft and tender, but it actually makes for an excellent base for the loaded nacho toppings.

Easy Sloppy Joes

This easy weeknight dinner has been a favorite of my kids ever since I started making it when we lived in Iowa. It’s a version of the Sloppy Joe Pockets in my cookbook Dinnertime SOS but with more veggies. 

Quick Pizza Beans

I love being able to turn pantry staples into quick family dinners and this recipe for Pizza Beans has become a staple in my house. It’s such a simple meal, yet it also manages to be flavorful and satisfying without much work at all.

Easy Sheet Pan Eggs

With kids in the house, cooking is often chaotic, so I love recipes like this that feed a lot of people without needing to stand over the stove. Plus, cooking eggs this way—which is similar to a frittata but cooks in less time—is an easy way to make them ahead of time and reheat them when you need them.

Easy Zucchini Slice

This is such a fun way to use zucchini since it slices into bars that are easy to hold and dip. That means it’s a great baby-led weaning breakfast, it’s an easy lunch or snack for any age, and it’s perfect to make ahead and stash in the fridge until everyone is hungry.

Easy Cheesy Rice (with Veggies!)

I love this approach to Cheesy Rice because the four flavor variations make it easy for kids (and adults!) to eat, the veggies are soft, and there’s just enough cheese for it to be creamy and yummy.

Easy Baked Salmon Cakes

Learning how to make Salmon Cakes is easy—plus, it’s a convenient and cheap family meal and a way to serve healthy fish to a family. They can be made with pantry ingredients that are easy to keep on hand. 

Best Tips for Success

• Check each individual recipe for the specific cooking tips and storage information.
• Look at the prices of comparable store branded products to potentially save on groceries.
• Batch cook dried beans and store portions in the freezer, which is a little bit less than the cost of buying canned beans.
• Look for meat on sale and freeze it in portions to use in future meals.
• Add your go-to cheap family meals in the comments to share!

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