With the price of groceries these days, sometimes you need those staple delicious recipes that you can make within your budget but are still tasty and easy to make, which is exactly what you will find in the easy recipes below.
Then of course, if you are trying to serve children, you need to take that into account as well since their palettes are a little more picky! Those might just be your hardest critics.
Well, with these super budget-friendly recipes, you can make dinner for the whole family, with easy dinner meals they will eat and enjoy!
Oh! And you get a list of the main ingredients you will need for these budget-friendly meals, all you need to do is copy and paste it into your shopping list.
If any of that sounds like something you need or are looking for, then make sure to save this extreme grocery budget list of recipes to keep on hand or use it to plan your monthly budget!
The best extreme grocery budget meals:
Taco Turkey Rice
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb ground turkey
- 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
- 1 1/2 cups water (more water if the liquid line gets too low)
- 7.5 oz corn (if using a can drain it)
- 7.5 oz great northern beans (half a normal sized can)
- 1 bullion cube
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
Instructions:
- To a large pot on the stove over medium high heat add in the ground turkey break the ground turkey up and cook it through.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients now bring it up to a simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally until the rice is tender. Add more water if needed.
Mac and Cheese Turkey
Ingredients:
- 1/4 onion
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 1/2 lb ground turkey
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 7 oz box macaroni and cheese
- 1/4 cup water
- 10 oz can tomato soup
Instructions:
- To a large pan on the stove over medium high heat add in the onion, ground turkey, mixed vegetables, and seasonings break the ground turkey up and let it cook through.
- While the turkey is cooking bring a pot of water to a boil on the stove add the macaroni and prepare according to the package instructions.
- Once the turkey is browned and cooked through add in the tomato soup, water, prepared macaroni and cheese. Stir well let simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Smoked Sausage Knorr
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 12 oz smoked turkey kielbasa sausage, sliced
- 4.4oz package Knorr Alfredo Parmesan fettuccine pasta side packet (or any knorr pasta packet)
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
Instructions:
- To a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat add the oil, once hot add in the sausage. Brown the sausage on each side for 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the packet of Knorr milk, water, and vegetables. Cook according to the package instructions.
Potato Chili
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/4 yellow onion, diced
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 2-3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 15 oz can chili beans
- 7.5 oz great northern beans (half a normal sized can)
- 7.5 oz corn (if using a can drain it)
- 1 bullion cube
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 cups water
Instructions:
- Add all of the ingredients to a large pot on the stove over medium high heat. Stir well. Let simmer covered for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Top with your favorite toppings, or not toppings at all
Vegetarian Pot Pie
Ingredients:
- 1 bullion cube
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
- 10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 16 oz can jumbo flaky biscuits
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- To a large pan on the stove over medium heat add the olive oil once the oil is hot, add in the bouillon cube, carrots, potatoes, and 1/4 cup of water let cook for 8 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat to low add in the remaining ingredients except for the biscuits. Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Cut each biscuit into four smaller pieces.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Add half of the biscuits to the bottom of the baking dish, add the pot pie filling over the top, add the remaining biscuits on top.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the biscuit pieces are golden brown.
Rice Veggie Stew
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
- 1/2 cup frozen Peas
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 bullion cubes
- 4 cups water (more water if you want it thinner)
Instructions:
- Add the oil to a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Add in the onion and sauté for five minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients.
- Bring up to a simmer. Turn the heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally until the rice and vegetables are tender.
Mediterranean Bowls
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 yellow onion, diced
- 1 zucchini, cut into half moons
- 1 yellow squash, cut into half moons
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried Rosemary
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 14 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 15 oz can chick peas, drained
Instructions:
- Cook the rice according to the package instructions (I cooked mine in the instant pot)
- To a large pan on the stove over medium heat add in the olive oil once hot add in the yellow onion, zucchini, squash, seasonings, and minced garlic stir well and let sauté for 10 minutes.
- Stir in diced tomatoes and chick peas let simmer stirring occasionally for 8 minutes. Serve over a bed of rice.
Grocery List for all of the easy budget-friendly, family-friendly, recipes:
Keep in mind this grocery list doesn’t include any seasonings or olive oil.
- 1- Great Value Butter Flavor Flaky Jumbo Biscuits, 8 Count
- 1 – large sweet potato
- 1 – yellow squash
- 1 – zucchini
- 1 – bulb fresh garlic
- 1 lb bag fresh carrots
- 5 lb bag russet potatoes
- 1 – yellow onion
- 1 – 12 oz bag frozen sweet peas
- 1 -12 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
- 12 oz package smoked turkey kielbasa sausage
- 1 lb ground turkey (the festive brand is the cheapest at my Walmart and I find it in the freezer area)
- 1 – 15 oz can garbanzo beans, chickpeas
- 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
- 15 oz can chili beans (or mixed chili beans
- 4.4oz package Knorr Alfredo Parmesan fettuccine pasta side packet (or any Knorr pasta packet)
- 1 – 10 oz can tomato soup
- 1 – 7 oz box macaroni and cheese
- 1 – 3 oz packet knorr chicken bullion cubes (or any bullion cubes)
- 1 – 15 oz can great northern beans
- 15 oz can corn (or frozen corn)
- 16 oz bag white rice
Week of easy and cheap dinner recipes for any budget:
After looking over all of those recipes, be sure to try them out and save this post for later. It doesn’t get any easier since it is all laid out here for you!
Talk about the best way to plan a week of cheap recipes that are flavorful, delicious, healthy, and simple to make.
Tuck these easy budget-friendly recipes away when the end of the month comes and you are trying to stay on budget and still want tasty recipes to enjoy.
If you try them, comment below and tell me which are your family’s favorite.
For more easy recipes the whole family will enjoy:
- Tomato Bacon Pasta ($5 Dinner)
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Steak Fajita Quesadillas – 10 Minute Dinner
- Meatball Sliders
- French Dip Sliders-10 Minute Dinner
Helpful links for making dinner easy:
- Family meal plans
- Tools for the kitchen and more
- The best cookbook for family dinner recipes
- FREE budget meal plan
- Cooking videos to watch
If you give these recipes a try, make sure to tag us on Instagram @julia.pacheco.cooking and let us know how much you liked the recipes!