85 SIMPLE, BUDGET-FRIENDLY EATING IDEAS FOR BUSY MOMS
Have you ever hurried home to prepare dinner only to discover that you are stuck for ideas when you get there? For those hectic weeknights, this list of 85 simple, inexpensive meal ideas might be just what you need.
Let's face it: coming up with quick, inexpensive meal ideas that the whole family will enjoy may be difficult after a long, stressful day.
You waste too much time searching frantically through your cabinets for something to create while chaos erupts all around you. The children are shouting. The canine is howling. Even though you know it will have a disastrous impact on your finances, you ultimately give in and order takeout.
This is why creating a meal plan for the week in advance can help you save money at the grocery store while also keeping your sanity on nights when you're overworked.
You may save a lot of time in the kitchen and stay within your grocery budget by meal planning. Dinner time may be made less hectic by just stocking up on cupboard essentials, coming up with theme nights, or even just noting your favorite recipes.
Even while meal plans are fantastic, there will inevitably be occasions when coming up with meals for a week will prove to be a difficult chore.
Perhaps you keep planning the same dinners because you are in a dinner rut. Or perhaps you're just looking for some ideas to spice up your food plan.
In any case, the 85 simple meal ideas on this list are inexpensive and family-friendly. You can find pasta dishes and recipes that call for ground beef, chicken, or pork. Also included are soup recipes and crockpot meals.
85 SIMPLE, BUDGET-FRIENDLY EATING IDEAS
ITALIAN CUISINE:
Pizza Hawaiian: Include pineapples and ham.
Cook and shred chicken breast or tenderloin, combine with your preferred barbecue sauce, and then top with your preferred cheese for barbecue chicken pizza.
Morrison's BBQ Chicken Stone baked Pizza (Bake. Eat. Repeat)
Grab your preferred pizza sauce, and add fresh tomato slices, basil, and mozzarella cheese to make a margarita pizza.
The calzone (Dinner at the Zoo)
Stromboli (Saving 4 Six)
Pizza on French Bread - (The PennyWiseMama)
Related: Pizza Oven
Goulash (Little Luna)
Spaghetti and meatballs can be made from scratch or using premade meatballs.
Lasagna (Kraft Recipes)
Noodle Bake with Sour Cream (Pioneer Woman)
Ziti or penne pasta
Chicken Alfredo
Chicken Cacciatore
ASIAN CUISINE:
Broccoli and beef (Savory Tooth)
sour and sweet chicken (Dinner then Dessert)
sour and sweet pork (Betty Crocker)
Serve eggrolls with rice and vegetables in a stir-fry.
Chipotle Stir-Fry (Mom on Timeout)
SALADS/SANDWICHES:
Chef Salad: Combine ham, turkey, or chicken with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots.
Greek salad: Combine lettuce, feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and olives.
Caesar Salad: In a salad dish, combine romaine lettuce, croutons, and parmesan cheese.
BLT: Toast two slices of bread, slather them with mayonnaise, and sandwich the toast with bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Sandwich Club (Food Network)
Grilled cheese sandwiches
The Tuna Melt (The Kitchen Magpie)
The chicken salad (How to Feed a Loon)
Wraps containing grilled or breaded chicken strips, lettuce, tomato, bacon bits, cheese, and mayonnaise or ranch dressing are known as chicken wraps. Wrap up and serve.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (Sweet Little Bluebird)
Pulled Pork Sandwich
Chicken Sandwich with Crunch- (Moms Need to Know)
Sliders with chicken parmesan- (Real Housemoms)
Cheesesteak Philly Joe Sloppy - (Six Sisters Stuff)
Homemade Subs
Joe Sloppy - (Stuck on Sweet)
Waffle fries or sweet potato fries are served with hamburgers with sausage and peppers
BEEF CUISINE:
Steak served with steak fries or baked potatoes.
Stewed beef (Mrs. Happy Homemaker)
The pot roast (Joyously Domestic)
Chicken Stroganoff — (The Seasoned Mom)
Meatloaf (Pioneer Woman)
Pie with Shepards (Our Small Hours)
Steak from Salisbury (Sidetracked Sarah)
The Stuffed Pepper Casserole (Brooklyn Farm Girl)
Foil-packaged kielbasa, chilli (Eating on a Dime) (Eazy Peazy Mealz)
MEXICAN FOOD:
Tacos with hard or soft shells with chicken or meat
Poultry quesadillas (Nerdy Mamma)
Chili with carne (Sandy Toes and Popsicles)
Pan-fried enchiladas (Kraft Recipes)
Chicken or beef fajitas served with rice
Taco Salad: Toss together all of your favourite taco ingredients in a bowl, top with tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, and serve.
PORK DISHES:
Pork Roast: In a slow cooker, simmer pork butt with a cup of water and an onion soup mix packet.
Pork chops served with your preferred veggie and mashed sweet potatoes.
Brown rice and vegetables with pork tenderloin.
Served with handmade macaroni and cheese or potatoes au gratin and vegetables.
CHICKEN DISHES:
Shredded rotisserie chicken
Chicken Pot Pie Chicken and Dumplings (Eat Picks)
Roasted potatoes and vegetables with breaded chicken.
Baked Chicken Stuffing (Six Sisters Stuff)
Chinese Chicken (Grace and Good Eats)
Italian Chicken (Taste of Home)
Crispy Chicken with Cheddar (Jamie Cooks It Up)
Baked Chicken Bruschetta (Kraft Recipes)
Roasted Chicken (Savory Nothings)
Roasted potatoes and corn are served with oven-baked barbecue chicken.
Green beans, mashed potatoes, and rotisserie chicken.
Chicken Shish Kabobs: Skewer chicken and vegetables, then grill until the vegetables are soft and the chicken is cooked through.
MORNING MEALS:
Brunch casserole (Savor and Savvy)
Waffles, pancakes, or French toast with bacon or sausage and orange juice.
Sandwiches made with eggs
Breakfast tacos: Combine cooked sausage, ham, or bacon with scrambled eggs.
You now have it. Naturally, you can combine and match the sides and vegetables however you choose. Any of the meals could also be enhanced with some French bread, Italian bread, garlic bread, or biscuits.
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