SUBSCRIBE SIGN IN

DINNERS RECIPES FOOD NEWS COCKTA

Meals & Cooking > Recipes

75 Cheap Dinner Recipes That

Are Practically Easier Than
Ordering Delivery
Ditch takeout and boring meals for good.

BY CAMILLE LOWDER UPDATED: FEB 27, 2023

SAVE ARTICLE

PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER PHOTOGRAPHY; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR

ANN SPENCER

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!

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

1
Mexican Beef 'N' Rice Skillet

PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER, FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

Is there anything better than a one-skillet

meal? We don’t think so, particularly if it’s as
family-friendly and quick as this one, featuring
spiced ground beef, flavorful rice, hearty beans,
and lots of cheese. It all comes together in just
40 minutes with minimal prep, and is perfect
for when you want to spice things up.

Get the Mexican Beef 'N' Rice Skillet recipe.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

2
Classic Stuffed Peppers

PARKER FEIERBACH

The bell pepper is an excellent vessel for

stuffing meat, rice, and, of course, cheese. It's
strong enough to hold its shape in the oven,
and the flavor is subtle enough to go well with
just about anything. This is our favorite recipe,
but the customization options are endless—
check out all our stuffed pepper recipes here
too.

Get the Classic Stuffed Peppers recipe.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

3
Black Bean Tostadas

LUCY SCHAEFFER

With only 5 ingredients, these black bean

tostadas are the easiest and fastest meal to
throw together. You can always include
additional toppings like corn salsa, avocado
ranch, or endless crunchy veggies like radishes
or pickled red onions, but these are also
delicious if you keep things simple, like we did
here.

Get the Black Bean Tostadas recipe.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

4
Cabbage Schnitzel

PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

A breaded fried cutlet is one of life’s greatest

pleasures, and these cabbage schnitzels are no
exception. Coated in crispy golden brown
bread crumbs and drizzled with a luscious
mushroom gravy, this vegetarian spin on a
meaty classic will delight meat lovers and
vegetarians alike.

Get the Cabbage Schnitzel recipe.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

5
One-Pan Salsa Verde Shrimp &
Rice
one pan salsa verde shrimp and rice

ERIK BERNSTEIN

Use your favorite jarred or homemade salsa

verde to make this extremely easy and flavorful
dish. Everything cooks in the same pot for a
mess-free and, most importantly, quick
weeknight dinner. It's about to be one of your
new favorites.

Get the One-Pan Salsa Verde Shrimp & Rice

recipe.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

6
Goulash
pot of goulash

ETHAN CALABRESE

Cooking the macaroni directly in the goulash

means the pasta gets to soak up all that beef
and tomato flavor while simultaneously
releasing some of its starch into the pan,
thickening the goulash to create a hearty,
comforting stew. Once you cook pasta this way,
you might never go back to boiling water
again.

Get the Goulash recipe.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

7
Creamy Steak Fettuccine
creamy steak fettuccine

PARKER FEIERBACH

Whenever we crave steak, this dish is always

what we want to make. It comes together
quickly and is so full of flavor. It makes us
forget chicken fettuccine Alfredo ever existed.
If you want the steak without the pasta, may
we suggest Cajun butter steak?

Get the Creamy Steak Fettuccine recipe.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below