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10 Cheap And Delicious Dinner Ideas For Your Family

Modified on August 10, 2017 at 8:23 PM

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I know from experience just how important it is to keep family expenses low. I have a family of 6 and a household of 9 so I do a LOT of cooking! I try to keep our food budget as low as possible.

In this article, I list 10 of my favorite delicious dinner recipes that are both simple and inexpensive. If you need to save money on a regular basis like I do, these ideas will be of great help!

 

Chipotle Chicken Fajitas

Chipotle Chicken Fajitas will give your family a spicy southwest meal for less.

All you have to do is simply season the skinless boneless chicken breasts with cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.

Heat the oil in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally.

Cook it through 5 to 7 minutes.

You can add pepper, onion, mushrooms and garlic to the skillet and cook it all up.

It only takes about an hour to make this meal, and it doesnโ€™t cost very much at all.

ย 

Anchor Steam Mac and Cheese

Anchor Steam Mac and Cheese is a wonderful meal idea, both easy and cheap.

This particular idea comes from Country Living, and it offers you a way to give your family a delicious meal without spending a lot of money.

The ingredients for this meal include a single 16 oz package of short pasta, unsalted butter, one shallot, one garlic clove, all purpose flower, cayenne pepper, Anchor Steam beer, half-and-half, Dijon mustard, Havarti cheese, cheddar cheese and a kosher salt.

Full recipe is here.

 

Quick Beef Ragu

If you are a big fan of pasta and need to save as much money as possible, this recipe for Quick Beef Ragu is certainly worth looking into.

All you need to make this dish is spaghetti, a lemon olive oil, garlic cloves, lean ground beef, salt and pepper, tomato paste, dry white wine, and tomatoes.

If you are accustomed to making spaghetti and other pasta dishes, this one shouldnโ€™t be too tricky at all, and you will save quite a bit.

 

Cheesy Shells and Greens

Cheesy shells and greens offers a quick and cheap meal that you can make for your family so you donโ€™t have to spend a lot.

You will just need to cook some medium pasta shells according to the directions on the package, and then melt 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter in a large pot.

Throw in some mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, pepper and a cup of cheddar.

This meal takes a little less than an hour to make, and it yields 4 servings.

 

Pasta with Walnut Pesto and Peas

The walnut vinaigrette and dash of lemon really make this particular dish very delicious, and itโ€™s perfect for anyone who loves pasta in general.

One of the best things about making this dish is that all you will need is some farfalle, olive oil, an onion, salt and pepper, a lemon, walnuts, garlic, Parmesan, frozen peas and dry white wine.

Prep time is about an hour, and it can easily feed a family of four.

 

Baked Spaghetti

There are many variations of baked spaghetti, and it is definitely a classic.

This dish doesnโ€™t cost a whole lot to make, and itโ€™s something the whole family will likely enjoy.

Spaghetti casserole only really requires about 16 ounces of spaghetti, a pound of ground beef, a medium-sized onion, salt, a couple of eggs, Parmesan cheese, butter and cottage cheese.

It only takes about 25 minutes to prepare and 1 hour to actually cook, which means that your family will be eating in almost no time.

 

Inside Out Stuffed Cabbage

While itโ€™s true that preparing stuffed cabbage rolls can take a lot of time, inside out stuffed cabbage is much easier and simpler.

You will need a pound of ground beef, two cups of cubed peeled butternut squash, 1 medium green pepper, one envelope of Lipton beefy onion soup mix, one tablespoon brown sugar, a van of spicy hot V8 juice, 6 cups chopped cabbage and a half cup of instant brown rice.

Using a Dutch oven, simply cook and crumble beef with squash and pepper over medium-high heat until it is no longer pink.

Stir in the rice and return to a boil. This should only take about 10 minutes including prep time.

 

Ham & Cheese Potato Casserole

Ham & Cheese Potato Casserole is a great meal choice if you are busy all the time like I am, and if you need to save some money as well.

For this meal you will need 2 cans of condensed cream of celery soup, 2 cups sour cream, a half cup of water, teaspoon of pepper, 2 packages of frozen Oโ€™Brien potatoes, and 2 cups of fully cooked ham.

The result is a delicious meal that the whole family will love.

 

Farmerโ€™s Casserole Recipe

Farmerโ€™s Casserole is made up of 3 cups of frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, ยพ cup of shredded Monterey jack cheese, 1 cup of cubed fully cooked ham, ยผ cup chopped green onions, 4 large eggs, 1 can of evaporated milk, ยผ teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

There are a lot of great things in this casserole, so itโ€™s both healthy and satisfying.

 

Antipasti Penne

Antipasti Penne is an incredible dish that doesnโ€™t take very long to make, and itโ€™s very cheap.

If you have a deep love of pasta dishes, you will certainly find that this one is a great choice.

You will need 12 ounces of whole-grain penne, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 3 ounces salami, 14 ounces can artichoke hearts, 6 stuffed Spanish queen olives, one 14-ounce diced tomatoes, 4 to 5 fresh basil leaves, and ยฝ cup of fresh mozzarella.

It only takes a little over half anh our to make this dish, and your family is bound to love it.

 

Conclusion

Did you enjoy reading about all of these dinner ideas?

Let me be honest with you. A friend of mine recently took out aย no credit check loan when they were in a tight financial situation. Because money was so scarce, they started to look for ways to lower expenses and save more money. In an effort to help my friend, I found that one of the best options to save money was by making cheap but delicious meals like the ones Iโ€™ve listed in this article. This really helped them save money.

Let me know which of these recipes you are going to try first in the comments section, and please share this article with your friends if you liked it.

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Posted By The Fashionable Housewife
on August 12, 2017 at 12:07 PM
Filed Under: Food & Snacks, Recipes
Tagged With: Dinner Ideas, Food, quick meals, Recipes, save money

About The Fashionable Housewife

Sarah-Jean Ballard is the Editor in Chief of The Fashionable Housewife blog and Founder of Fashionable Media. Married to a sexy Molecular Biologist, housewife, mom to 5, homeschooler, Certified Personal Nutritionist and entrepreneur who's mission is to help moms just like you look and feel GREAT! Other interests include dancing, yoga, positive intactivism, natural birth and breastfeeding support, babywearing, paleo & gluten-free cooking, and promoting an overall healthy lifestyle to all.

Disclaimer

The Fashionable Housewife is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for blogs and websites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We alsoย participateย in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission on purchases made through our links. There is no extra cost to you! For more info, please see our Disclosure & Privacy Policy.

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Our new @kingofchristmas 7.5' Queen Flockยฎ Artificial Christmas Tree is absolutely amazing! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป

The kids couldnโ€™t be happier so I have no regrets putting our tree up before Thanksgiving. ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ’๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ

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The bins hold a surprising amount and I love how solid and sturdy this is. Perfect for organizing toys at kid eye level. Itโ€™s also great for seasonal home decor! ๐Ÿคญ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ‚

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This kid blows me away daily and makes me so proud to be his mom. I donโ€™t have enough words to describe how much I love this child. ๐Ÿ˜ญ

Drop a comment and wish this boy a happy birthday! ๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‚ 

#homeschoollife #homeschoolfamily #momlife #momlifeunfiltered #momlifeunplugged
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Work from home? You need @flexispot_official The Work from home? You need @flexispot_official 

Their standing desk and exercise chair is a GAME CHANGER!! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป

Whether you have a laptop or a desktop pc, being able to adjust your desk at the push of a button and stand for a while is absolutely essential to working long hours at a computer. 

This bicycle chair is designed specifically for this desk and a great way to keep your body moving. You could also use an under desk treadmill like @superun_fitness for even more flexibility! ๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿผ

Just because you have to work at a desk all day doesnโ€™t mean you need to be out of shape. ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‹๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿคธ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ

Motherhood and working from home is hard. FLEXISPOT makes it easier. 

Check out my blog and search โ€œFLEXISPOTโ€ for more info!!

Comment and tell me how many hours a day you spend sitting! Be honest! ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿป

#motherhood #motherhoodunplugged #workfromhome #athomeworkouts #athomefitness #fitmoms #fitmomsofig
If putting up your Christmas tree brings you joy, If putting up your Christmas tree brings you joy, go for it!! 

Our new @kingofchristmas 7.5' Queen Flockยฎ Artificial Christmas Tree is absolutely amazing! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป

The kids couldnโ€™t be happier so I have no regrets putting our tree up before Thanksgiving. ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ’๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ

Follow my shop @fashionablewife on the @shop.LTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!

#liketkit #LTKSeasonal #LTKHolidaySale #LTKHoliday #kingofchristmas 
@shop.ltk
https://liketk.it/4n9gW
Loving our new 5 bin storage unit for the playroom Loving our new 5 bin storage unit for the playroom from @guidecraft_official !!

The bins hold a surprising amount and I love how solid and sturdy this is. Perfect for organizing toys at kid eye level. Itโ€™s also great for seasonal home decor! ๐Ÿคญ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ‚

Whatโ€™s your favorite piece of furniture in your house?! 

Tell me in the comments! ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿป

#homedecor #momlife #homeorganization #playroomorganization #playroomdecor #homedecorideas #fallhomedecor
An often-overlooked element to planning your perfe An often-overlooked element to planning your perfect hiking outfit is finding the perfectย minimalist backpack! 

You donโ€™t want to be weighed down by an oversized, clunky backpack that boasts all the bells and whistles but delivers nothing more than unnecessary muscle strain. You want a backpack that is minimal on the outside, functional on the inside, and sustainable all around. Waxed canvas is always a top choice for me!

Iโ€™m obsessed with this backpack from @hellodayowls ๐Ÿ˜

It has that perfect boho minimalist look that I love, in the perfect color for fall. This has become my go-to handbag for autumn. 

Perfect for all our outdoor adventures, hiking in the mountains, exploring the woods with my kids, and everything motherhood throws at me! ๐Ÿฅพ ๐Ÿง—๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ ๐ŸŒฒ 

Learn more about this bag on my blog ๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿป

#backpacking #outdoorfashion #wildandfreemama #mountainmama #motherhoodjourney #minimalfashion
I miss summer already ๐Ÿ˜ญ Take me back to a bett I miss summer already ๐Ÿ˜ญ

Take me back to a better place ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿป summer time at @storylandnh !! ๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿฅณ

Canโ€™t wait to go again next year! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿปโœจ๐Ÿคธ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ

#summertime #familytime #familyadventures #motherhoodunplugged #childhoodunplugged
What they remember about their childhood is in you What they remember about their childhood is in your hands ๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿป

#motherhood #motherhoodrising #motherhoodunplugged #motherhoodthroughinstagram #motherhoodintheraw
This is what our homeschool looks like sometimes. This is what our homeschool looks like sometimes. ๐Ÿฅณ

Canโ€™t believe my oldest son is 13 and outside helping dad do home projects like building a new deck. ๐Ÿคฏ Seems like yesterday he was in his walker on this back deck and it looked a lot better ๐Ÿ˜‚

Thankful that @homedepot has great prices so we could finally afford to do this home reno project! ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป๐ŸŽ‰

#motherhood #motherhoodunplugged #hereisourhomeschool #motherhoodthroughinstagram
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