20 Budget-Friendly Quick-Fix Meals the Whole Family Will Love
Everyone in your home will love the taste of these budget recipes—even the kids! Inexpensive and fast—those are magic words for busy cooks who don't want to shortchange flavor just to save a few pennies. Our budget-friendly dinner recipes are low on cost and high on creativity. Feel like Italian? Try Cast-Iron Chicken Piccata or Zucchini-and-Spinach Lasagna. Leaning toward Tex-Mex? Whip up an easy recipe like our Southwest Chicken Rice Bowl or Taco Dinner Mac and Cheese. Please your crowd on a weeknight with our Beef and Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry or Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken Cutlets with Broccoli and Parmesan Cream Sauce. We've even got budget-friendly dinner recipes for comfort foods, such as Easy Chicken and Dumplings, and Sloppy Joe Casserole. Need kid-friendly? Done. Budget-friendly Pecan-Crusted Chicken and Tortellini with Herb Butter Sauce or Pizza Pepper Poppers will have the whole soccer team racing to the table—but you won't be racing to the bank to cover your grocery bill.
Southwest Chicken Rice Bowl
Recipe: Southwest Chicken Rice Bowl
Spice up dinner with a Tex-Mex classic at home with this easy, warming Southwest chicken recipe, served on a bowl of flavorful rice and topped with a sprig of cilantro. Lime juice gives it a summery zest while cayenne and jalapeño pepper add a nice kick. Perfect for pairing with margaritas.
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Grilled Chicken 'N' Cheese Sandwiches
Recipe: Grilled Chicken 'N' Cheese Sandwiches
What if you could make a grilled cheese nutritious? Add a little chicken salad to the mix and you've got yourself a ready-in-20-minutes dinner that everyone will love.
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Beef-and-Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry
Recipe: Beef-and-Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry
You can substitute any veggie that your family prefers in this stir-fry that packs just a little bit of heat. The best part is it's ready in just 30 minutes.
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Kickin' Orange-Glazed Chicken
Recipe: Kickin' Orange-Glazed Chicken
Kick things up a notch with this spicy chicken dish. Red peppers add a nice dose of heat, which the sweet orange marmalade cuts through. But remember to resist the urge to apply the marmalade too early. The sugars in the glaze will burn before the chicken is fully cooked.
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Grilled Chicken-and-Veggie Tortellini
Recipe: Grilled Chicken-and-Veggie Tortellini
Jazz up store-bought tortellini with tasty grilled chicken, zucchini, pesto, and tomatoes, and your family will think that you picked up dinner from the local Italian restaurant.
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Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken Cutlets with Roasted Broccoli and Parmesan Cream Sauce
Recipe: Â Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken Cutlets with Roasted Broccoli and Parmesan Cream Sauce
These aren't your ordinary chicken cutlets. We've upped the ante on this recipe by mixing melted butter and Dijon mustard as a flavorful binder before dredging the chicken in cornflakes and panko for extra crunch.
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Cast-Iron Chicken Piccata
Recipe: Cast-Iron Chicken Piccata
The best part of this chicken piccata is it only requires one dish to make, and we recommend a cast-iron skillet. It will heat more evenly than a nonstick pan, yielding a delicious cutlet that's tender with crisp skin.
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One-Pot Pasta with Tomato-Basil Sauce
Recipe: One-Pot Pasta with Tomato-Basil Sauce
You'll want to make this easy dish every week.
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Pecan-Crusted Chicken and Tortellini with Herbed Butter Sauce
Recipe: Pecan-Crusted Chicken and Tortellini with Herbed Butter Sauce
This is always a winning meal for busy weeknights. Play it safe for the kids with cheesy pasta and crunchy chicken, and impress an adult-palate with a nutty, toasted flavor from pecans mixing into the fragrant herbed butter sauce.
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Salmon Burgers with Creamy Tartar Sauce
Recipe: Salmon Burgers with Creamy Tartar Sauce
Form the patties for these delicious salmon burgers right after work and let them chill while you help the kids with homework. Top with your go-to fixings for a simple and no-brainer weeknight meal.
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Taco Dinner Mac and Cheese
Recipe: Taco Dinner Mac and Cheese
If your family loves mac and cheese, try a twist on the traditional by adding ground beef and taco seasoning. The add-in opportunities are endless!
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Easy Chicken and Dumplings
Recipe: Easy Chicken and Dumplings
Canned biscuits turn into delicious dumplings in this quick-and-easy version of the traditional recipe. Use deli-roasted chicken to save time; one roasted chicken yields about 3 cups, the amount needed for this recipe.
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Chicken-Bacon Ranch Casserole
Recipe: Chicken-Bacon Ranch Casserole
A short ingredient list, easy prep, ready in under an hour, and three crowd-pleasing ingredients – what's not to love about this casserole?
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Zucchini-and-Spinach Lasagna
Recipe: Zucchini-and-Spinach Lasagna
Your kids won't even realize they're eating veggies in this creamy lasagna dish.
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Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Take your favorite game day dish and turn it into a weeknight staple. Add a salad to the mix and you have a filling, nutritious, and tasty meal.
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Grilled Cheeseburger Nachos
Recipe: Grilled Cheeseburger Nachos
Your kid's favorite fast-food meal just got turned into an easy school-night recipe. For easy clean up you can wrap your pan in tinfoil before cooking the nachos.
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Sloppy Joe Casserole with Dinner Rolls
Recipe: Sloppy Joe Casserole with Dinner Rolls
We gave this mom-approved classic a one-dish upgrade. Plus, dinner will be on the table in just 30 minutes.Â
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Buttermilk Chicken Tenders with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans
Recipe: Buttermilk Chicken Tenders with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans
Your kids won't complain about eating their veggies when they're served with these chicken tenders.
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Chicken Parmesan Pizza
Recipe: Chicken Parmesan Pizza
A frozen garlic bread loaf and deli fried chicken strips ensure this five-ingredient pizza will be ready for the oven in only 15 minutes. Serve it with a simple romaine lettuce salad tossed with grated Parmesan cheese, croutons, and your favorite bottled Caesar dressing.
Watch: Chicken Parmesan Pizza
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Pizza Pepper Poppers
Recipe: Pizza Pepper Poppers
These bite-sized pizzas are ideal for smaller appetites. Serve along freshly cut veggies and dips for a quick weeknight meal.