If you’re anything like me, then you thrive off of easy dinner ideas to get you through the week. I know that after a long day at work I’m much more likely to swing by a fast food restaurant and pick up dinner that I didn’t actually budget for. To keep that from happening, I try and make sure that I cook easy and budget friendly dinners on school nights! That’s why I’ve compiled a list of 10 easy dinners that won’t ruin your grocery budget. If possible, set aside some of the leftovers for lunch the next day to save even more money! Click on the name of the recipe or the picture to be taken directly to the recipe!
Crockpot Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches
I have no doubt that my husband would love these easy barbecue chicken sandwiches! Serve with a side of veggies or fries and dinner is done.
Baked Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
I love it when you can find one pan meals because it makes clean up a breeze! This not only looks delicious, but chicken thighs are very inexpensive. We have them weekly at our home to help cut costs on our grocery bill.
Lasagna Pasta
Lasagna pasta is so much easier to make than lasagna and tastes just as good! Not to mention that this meal will make terrific leftovers for lunch the next day!
This recipe comes from Budget Bytes. She is one of my favorites because she will break down the cost of the entire meal and how much you are paying per serving! This dinner will only cost you $5.15! That’s only $1.29 for each serving!
Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks
Add cilantro and lime to a recipe and I’m a happy girl! If you have picky eaters in your house, simply remove the skin so they only have to eat the meat. Plus, drumsticks don’t ever cost a ton so this is definitely a budget friendly dinner!
These burrito bowls have a Chipotle feel without the high price. The taco meat will freeze wonderfully, so double the batch and freeze half of it. Simply put the extra in a ziploc bag and lay flat in your freezer. Next week (or later on down the line) you’ll be so thankful you have a meal that you can just thaw and serve!
4 Ingredient Rice Casserole
You had me at FOUR ingredients! Keeping it simple is the best way to go on a busy weekday. That’s why this meal is absolutely perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to overcomplicate things. Bonus: it tastes amazing!
Pastalaya
Almost my entire extended family lives in Louisiana so when I stumbled upon this recipe I knew it would be delicious. I love that it’s a one pot meal so at the end of the night you only have to clean a single pot. Serve this alone or with a side salad and dinner is done!
Shredded Mexican Beef
This shredded beef can be used in so many ways! Put it in a taco, top it on a salad, or add it on top of rice and you have different meals for picky eaters! Plus, this recipe can cook all day in a crockpot which is incredibly convenient!
These aren’t your school cafeteria’s sloppy joes. Nope. This recipe is packed with spices and only comes out to $10.28 for the whole thing. You’ll definitely have enough for seconds and you might be able to freeze some leftovers!
