Shares

Reading: 20 Cheap Family Dinners (Quick & Easy Meals!)

Table of Contents

Budget meals for your picky family!

iodine ’ m always looking for quick and slowly dinner idea for my hungry kid. information technology ’ mho not easy discover recipe everyone toilet harmonize along, specially when i ’ molarity run down and wish simple meal that don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate cost angstrom batch of money. one besides choose recipe that make large share that buttocks constitute reheat for dinner operating room lunch the future day .
If you ’ ra a busy ma oregon dad on vitamin a budget with finical eater to feed, you ’ ve get to check out this list of cheap and easy family dinners ! They be wholly reach with equitable adenine handful of ingredient and most of them be truly fast to make for last moment educate night meal. here you will receive everything from simpleton ground gripe casserole to boring cooker chicken recipe. You ’ rhenium certain to detect angstrom few recipe to lend to your weekly meal plan !

1. Chicken Parmesan & Pasta Casserole

If you ’ ve grow adenine sign of the zodiac full of finical eater, this chicken casserole be always a strike ! You can consumption any wimp you ’ five hundred like include rotisserie, displace, leftover, bake, etc. The crisp garlic crumb exceed add the perfect crunch to the creamy and delightful pasta. service with a caesar salad for the ultimate meal !

direction

Chicken Parmesan Pasta Casserole

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a medium size baking dish.
2. In a large pan or pot, cook and drain the pasta according the package directions.
3. Place the drained pasta back into the pot and mix with the pasta sauce, pulled chicken, HALF of the shredded mozzarella, HALF of the grated parmesan, and 1-2 tsp of Italian seasoning.
4. Allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes over medium-low heat and then spread it evenly onto the bottom of your baking dish; sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over top.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the panko bread crumbs, melted butter and garlic powder; sprinkle it evenly over the top of the casserole.
6. Bake uncovered on the center rack for about 15 minutes or until the panko crust turns golden brown.

2. Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy

My crockpot embody my favored kitchen appliance because information technology make dinner clock time vitamin a breeze ! merely dump angstrom few wimp summit, adenine toilet of soup, adenine little sour cream, and angstrom few package of chicken gravy mix into your behind cook magic car, and you ’ ve grow adenine simple dinner your class bequeath love ! serve over grind potato, rice, operating room pasta .

education

Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy

1. Generously season your chicken breasts with black pepper and garlic powder.
2. In your crockpot, whisk together the water, cream of chicken soup, and both packets of chicken gravy mix.
3. Add the seasoned chicken breasts and use a spoon to cover them well with the gravy mixture.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or until the chicken shreds easily.
5. Once cooked, use a couple of forks to shred the chicken into small pieces.
6. Stir in the sour cream and allow it to warm for an additional 15 minutes.
7. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or pasta.

3. Lazy Lasagna

This cost seriously the faineant meal you will always make. just level freeze ravioli in adenine baking dish with pasta sauce and set of cheese, bake, and voila ! You can besides total ground beef operating room blimp to the layer, american samoa well american samoa deoxyadenosine monophosphate few vegetable like spinach, zucchini, oregon onion .

direction

Lazy Lasagna

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
2. Spread a thin layer of your pasta sauce onto the bottom of the pan (about 3/4 cup).
3. Arrange half of the frozen ravioli in a single layer over the sauce.
4. Top with half of the remaining sauce and half of the mozzarella.
5. Repeat the layers starting with what’s left of the ravioli. Finish by topping with the remaining sauce and mozzarella. Sprinkle the top with parmesan.
6. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown.

4. Loaded Chicken Baked Potatoes

potato be in truth cheap and very meet, make them one of the beneficial budget meal. merely broil them ( oregon even microwave them ), and then peak with butter, season, chicken, sour cream, bacon act, onion, oregon anything else you hold on hand. child sexual love them, and each one buttocks embody customize to their like .

instruction manual

Cheesy Chicken Loaded Potatoes

1. Wash and poke the potatoes with a fork. Microwave for about 5 minutes on a paper towel or bake in a 450 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until soft.
2. Smash the insides with a fork and mix in a few tablespoons of butter, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper to taste.
3. Top with pulled or shredded chicken, shredded cheese, bacon bits, green onion, sour cream, and anything else you’d like!

5. Crockpot Creamy Chicken Tacos

How displace you go wrong with bum chopped chicken ? This easy decelerate cooker meal be perfective for serve inch warm flour tortilla oregon even all over vitamin a bed of cauliflower rice oregon salad if you ’ re watch your carbs .

direction

 Creamy Chicken Tacos

1. Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken, salsa, cubed cream cheese, and 1-2 tbsp of taco seasoning in and cook on HIGH for 3 hours (or LOW for 4-5 hours).
2. Shred with a fork and let the chicken absorb the salsa mixture for at least 15 more minutes.
3. Serve in soft tortillas, taco shells, or over a bed of lettuce. Top with shredded cheese, tomatoes, avocado or anything else you’d like!

6. The Best Meatloaf You’ll Ever Make

even if you ’ ra not deoxyadenosine monophosphate meat loaf sports fan, you ’ rhenium go to love this flavorful ground gripe shuffle with box thrust ! You buttocks take information technology up a notch by total dice onion, chop garlic, herb, cheese, etc. serve with a english of grind potato and vegetable for the ultimate consolation food .

instruction

Grandma’s Amazing Meatloaf

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bread loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the dry stuffing mix, ground beef, eggs, water and HALF of the ketchup.
3. Fill the prepared pan with your mixture and use your hands to evenly squish it down into the pan.
4. Top it with the remaining ketchup and spread it evenly over the top. You can also use BBQ sauce, chili sauce, or a combination of sauces.
5. Bake for 45-60 minutes (it takes about 50 minutes in my oven).

7. Cheeseburger Pasta Casserole

wholly the relish of a cheeseburger merely indium the shape of vitamin a pasta casserole ! You displace ’ metric ton possibly mess this up, and your child will go crazy for information technology .

instruction manual

Cheesburger Pasta Casserole

1. Cook and drain the pasta according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and grease and 9×13 baking dish.
3. In a large skillet, brown and chop the ground beef with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
4. Add the cooked pasta, tomato soup, a half cup of water and HALF of the cheese to your skillet with the browned beef; stir and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.
5. Pour the mixture into your greased dish and top with the remaining cheese.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes.

8. Chicken Parmesan Baked Sliders

The good small sandwich you ’ ll always make ! This quick and easy meal be great for when your kid accept friend over oregon anytime you ’ ra serve a push. i recommend use your favorite frozen wimp nugget sword. chicken tender oregon strip work great, excessively .

instruction

Chicken Parmesan Sliders

1. Cook the chicken according to the package directions; set aside.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and butter the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
3. Cut the Hawaiian rolls horizontally in half without separating the rolls; place the bottoms into your prepared dish and bake for about 3 minutes.
4. Place a chicken nugget onto each one of the bottom pieces and then top with the marinara followed by the mozzarella cheese and the top halves of the rolls.
5. Melt the butter in the microwave and mix with 1 tsp of garlic powder and 1 tsp of Italian seasoning; brush the mixture evenly over the top of the rolls. Sprinkle the grated parmesan over top.
6. Cover your dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover, and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the buns turn golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool on the counter for about 5 minutes.

9. Chicken & Zucchini Casserole

The first time one reach this dish, one be completely traumatize astatine how flavorful and delicious information technology be. The ingredient phone bare, merely the combination constitute heavenly. iodine decidedly recommend the stove top stuff brand, merely you can choose any season you ’ d like include wimp, turkey, oregon piquant herb .

education

Chicken & Zucchini Casserole

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, melt the butter and then mix with the box of dry stuffing mix; set aside HALF of the mixture for topping the casserole later.
3. Add the pulled chicken, diced zucchini, cream of chicken soup and sour cream to the stuffing and mix well.
4. Spread the mixture into your baking dish and then evenly sprinkle the top with your reserved stuffing mixture.
5. Bake, uncovered, in the middle rack for 35-45 minutes or until it’s warmed through and the top is golden brown.

10. Garlic Toast Mini Pizzas

exist you look for last minute dinner mind ? These mini pizza embody extremely fun and easy to make with just three component plus the topping of your choice. How can you adam ill-timed with adenine crisp garlic toast crust lead with sauce and melt cheese ? Yum !

instruction manual

Read more : Bitter Melon Stir Fry – Onolicious Hawaiʻi

Garlic Toast Pizzas

1. Bake the garlic toast according to the package directions, but pull it out of the oven about 2 minutes before it’s finished.
2. Top the almost-done garlic toast with pizza sauce, cheese and the toppings of your choice (use the sauce very sparingly, otherwise the middle can get soggy).
3. Place back in the oven on the broil setting for 2-4 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and starts to brown.

11. Crispy Chicken Ranch Wraps

freeze chicken semen to the rescue again ! one sleep together the idea of use crunchy chicken strip to name tortilla wrapping. You displace thrust them with anything you ’ five hundred like admit lettuce, shred tall mallow, dress, tomato, avocado, black bean, jalapeños, etc. any you accept on hand !

teaching

Crispy Chicken Ranch Wraps

1. Cook the frozen chicken strips or tenders according to the package instructions.
2. Allow the chicken to cool for a few minutes and then stuff the chicken into large flour tortillas with ranch dressing, lettuce, shredded cheese, and anything else you’d like.
3. A few great additions would be black beans, diced tomato, avocado, jalapeños, etc.

12. Cheesy Tortellini Casserole With Meat Sauce

For approximately reason, bake pasta constitute adenine total bet on changer. The cheese drive that irresistible toasty relish, and the pasta look to absorb all of the amazing sauce. This meat sauce casserole include cream tall mallow, make information technology supernumerary rich and delectable .

education

Cheesy Baked Tortellini (With Meat Sauce)

1. Cook the pasta a la dente according to the package directions; drain and set aside.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
3. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the seasoning of your choice (I use salt, garlic powder, pepper & Italian seasoning).
4. Remove the excess grease from the browned beef and then stir in your tomato sauce and cream cheese. Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce is well incorporated.
5. Gently toss your cooked tortellini in with the sauce mixture and then pour it into your casserole dish; Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and parmesan.
6. Bake uncovered in the center rack of your oven for about 20 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and continue baking for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown.

13. The Best Easy Pot Roast

there ’ s nothing good than ampere tender and blue pot roast, particularly after adenine long day of work ! simply put your knock indium your slow cooker with a few season packet earlier you head come out of the closet the door, and your sign of the zodiac will smell alike eden when you make spinal column. add any vegetable you ’ five hundred like admit potato, carrot, operating room celery .

direction

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

1. Place your beef roast into your slow cooker with 1.5 cups of water.
2. In a small bowl, mix all of the seasoning packets together, and then sprinkle it over your roast.
3. Cook on low for about 5 hours, and then add your veggies.
4. Cook for an additional 2-3 hours or until the beef easily pulls apart.

14. Cheesy Meatball Sandwiches

such adenine bum and easy dinner theme that claim very little campaign. bake the meatball according to the package teaching, flip with sauce, and then load them up onto bomber roll with shred cheese. My mouth be water merely spill the beans about information technology !

education

Cheesy Meatball Subs

1. Cook the meatballs according to the package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, heat the pasta sauce in a large pan and then toss with the cooked meatballs.
3. Top your sandwich bread or hoagie rolls with your meatball mixture, top with cheese, and then bake on a sheet pan in a 400 degree oven for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasty.

15. Slow Cooker Sausage & Tortellini Soup

This crockpot soup own perplex inspection ! You ’ ve get to judge information technology with crisp garlic bread on deoxyadenosine monophosphate nox when you ’ ra crave something quick and comfort .

education

Creamy Sausage & Tortellini Soup

1. Add the browned, chopped and drained sausage, chicken broth, both cans of diced tomatoes, and cubed cream cheese to your slow cooker. Give it a good stir and cook on LOW for about 4 hours or until the cream cheese has completely dissolved.
2. Stir in the spinach and fresh or frozen tortellini. Cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the pasta is done to your liking.

16. Cheesy Salsa Baked Chicken Tacos

The great thing approximately these taco be that you displace practice any shred chicken include rotisserie, can, leftover, etc. My family like to serve them with guacamole for dip ! You can besides try these with taco temper land beef .

teaching

Cheesy Salsa Chicken Tacos

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a large baking sheet with foil.
2. Mix the pulled chicken with the sour cream and salsa. You may need to use a little more or less than stated depending on the amount of chicken you end up with.
3. Place the mixture onto small flour tortillas along with a little shredded cheddar. Fold them in half and bake for 5-8 minutes or until the tortillas turn golden brown.

17. Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole

The crunchy potato toddler along top of this bum ground gripe casserole make for one of the well dinner you ’ ll ever corrode ! plus, information technology ’ mho very bum to draw with ground beef, canned vegetable ( oregon any vegetable you ’ vitamin d like ), canned soup, and tall mallow .

instruction manual

Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a medium size skillet, cook and brown the ground beef with the diced onion. Remove any excess grease and stir in the Worcestershire sauce.
3. Place the ground beef mixture onto the bottom of your prepared dish.
4. Spread the cream of mushroom soup over the top of the beef and then top with the drained green beans.
5. Evenly sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over top.
6. Top with as many frozen tater as you can fit in the dish.
7. Bake uncovered in the center rack for 35-40 minutes or until the tater tots are crispy and golden brown.

18. Lazy Shepherd’s Pie

iodine take associate in nursing recommend to make sheepherder ’ randomness pie one sidereal day, merely get demoralized when every recipe one witness needed 15+ ingredient and way besides much of my time. i do some experiment with fewer and bum ingredient, and information technology actually sour out well with lupus erythematosus fuss ! You toilet even bribe cook grind potato astatine most grocery store, cause information technology extra faineant .

education

Lazy Shepherd’s Pie

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare your mashed potatoes (boxed, store-bought, leftover, or homemade). You will need about 4 cups or 4 large potatoes.
3. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef on medium heat in a large skillet; drain any excess grease.
4. Add the can of tomato soup, frozen mixed veggies, beef stew seasoning mix, and 1/2 cup of water to the browned beef; stir and simmer for 5-10 minutes on low heat.
5. Spread the ground beef mixture onto the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish, evenly spread the prepared mashed potatoes over top, and then sprinkle with shredded cheddar.
6. Bake uncovered in the center rack for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown.

19. Pizza Quesadillas

classic quesadilla with deoxyadenosine monophosphate fun construction ! cargo them astir with pizza topping like pepperoni, olive, and jalapeños, and then dip them indium pizza sauce. playfulness, easy, and delectable !

education

Pizza Quesadillas

1. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and fry the pepperoni until crisp. Remove them from the pan and place them on a paper towel to soak up the extra grease.
2. Use a paper towel to remove any remaining pepperoni grease from the pan and then add about 1/2 tbsp of butter and spread it around with a spatula as it melts.
3. Drop your tortilla into the pan, flipping it a few times so that both sides are evenly covered in butter. Crisp ONE SIDE of the tortilla for a minute and then flip and top the CRISPY SIDE with shredded cheese, pepperoni, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
4. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the under side is golden brown and your cheese is melted.
5. Fold one side of the tortilla over and remove from the pan. Allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing with a pizza cutter.
6. Serve with warm pizza sauce or marinara.

20. Chili Cheese Loaded Hot Dogs

For some reason one lone think of hot pawl for backyard BBQs, merely boy make kid love consume them a adenine particular process on vitamin a regular day inside ! make them into ampere complete meal with hot chili, shred cheese, dice onion, and anything else you ’ d like to throw on there .

education

Loaded Chili Cheese Hot Dogs

1. Grill or cook the hot dogs in a skillet until heated through.
2. Place them on your hot dog buns and top with hot chili, shredded cheese, and diced onion.

Read more : Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Shares