20 Cheap and Cheerful Meals

20 cheap and cheerful meals to keep your family full without going broke.

Looking to feed your hungry tribe without breaking the bank? We’ve got you covered with 20 deliciously frugal family meal ideas! From pantry meal makeovers to budget-friendly twists on classics, these cheap eats will have you conquering dinner on a dime. Let’s get cooking!

1. Brok(en) Quesadillas – Who needs pricey chicken or steak when you can transform leftovers into this Mexican masterpiece? Crisp up whatever protein and veggies you have on hand inside two quesadilla quarters for half the cost.

2. Oodles of Noodles – A hearty, humble pot of buttered noodles becomes a crowd-pleaser when you let the kids go crazy with affordable mix-in options like frozen peas, shredded cheese, diced ham, or ground meat. 

3. Taco’rd Out Potatoes – Baked potatoes get a zesty makeover with classic taco toppings like salsa, cheese, lettuce, and beans. Hello, south-of-the-border spuds!

4. Meatball Spaghetti-os – Make your own childhood favorite by simmering frozen meatballs in a quick tomato sauce and tossing them with inexpensive spaghetti. Adult and kiddo approved!

5. Pizza Bagels – Upgrade plain bagels into fun personal pizzas with a quick tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and any veggie remnants calling out from your crisper.

6. Brinner for Dinner – There are no rules against pancakes, eggs, or french toast for dinner when you need to stretch the budget. Go savory or sweet and call it brinner!

7. Lucky Leftovers Fried Rice – Stretch last night’s meat and veggies into delectable fried rice. The secret? Using up that leftover rice too.

8. Baked Potato Bar – Let everyone load up plain baked potatoes with budget-friendly toppings like broccoli, bacon bits, chives, cheese, salsa, and more.

9. Inside-Out Cheeseburger Pockets – Stuff biscuit dough with seasoned ground beef and cheese for a handheld twist on cheeseburgers.

More 20 Cheap and Cheerful Meals

10. Deconstructed Egg Rolls – Ditch the frying and recreate the flavors by sautéing cabbage, carrots, and ground pork or chicken over rice. So easy!

11. Tuna Melts – Canned tuna gets the gourmet treatment when topped with cheese and broiled on English muffins or bread for delicious open-faced melts.

12. Grown Up Hambo Sambo – Revisit a kiddie classic by grilling ham and cheese sambo squares in butter for a gooey, nostalgic sandwich supper.

13. Walking Tacos – Ditch the taco shells and layer ground meat, lettuce, cheese, etc. into individual bags of Fritos or tortilla chips for a crunchy, utensil-free meal.

14. Souper Salad – Bulk up a simple green salad by topping it with hearty lentils, beans, or chicken to transform it into a meal-worthy soup ‘n salad combo.

15. Pita Pocket Pizzas – Stuff pita bread with your favorite pizza toppings and sauce, then bake or pop in the toaster oven for quick personal pizzas.  

16. Foil Pack Fajitas – Cook up chicken and veggie fajitas in foil packs on the grill or in the oven for a mess-free, flavorful meal with zero cleanup.

17. Chili Cheese Cornbread Bake – Two budget-friendly classics combine when you pour a batch of beef or turkey chili over cornbread batter and bake.

18. Lentil Sloppy Joes – Stretch ground meat by cooking it with lentils for deliciously messy but dirt cheap sloppy joe sandwiches.

19. Cheesy Stuffed Shells on a Shoestring – Make affordable jumbo pasta shells even heartier by stuffing them with a wallet-friendly cheesy meat filling.

20. Chicken Rang-Pockets – Use up that ranch seasoning packet to make creamy chicken rang filling for easy, baked, handheld pockets or turnovers.

There you have it – 20 cheap family dinner ideas to keep you fed without going broke! Your belly and wallet can now rejoice in unison.